HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> Neaksis had better be coming to church tomorrow in camouflage. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

T&L - You are a better woman than I. I would have let him have it.

I couldn't have done it. He was the most pathetic, disreputable looking thing. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> I told him when I got there to retrieve him up that if I hadn't known him I'd never had picked him up to give him a ride!! Muddy everywhere, shirt buttoned all cattywompus, ice-cube cold, black eye and orangutan cheek with a streak of blood running down into his beard, surrounded by a pile of spattered belongings, including the shattered scanner that punched him out when the truck rolled...he just looked like somebody who'd already had about his full quota of trouble for any given single day! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> To cheer him up, I told him his face looked like a mandrill's butt (they're the apes with the multi-colored rear ends--you've probably seen them in a zoo somewhere, sometime), and I complimented him on his black eye because purple is really his color. Tonight his shiner has grown wonderfully, too! He ought to be a real winner by Monday, when he goes back to work <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I also told him I love him and I'm glad he's alive and safe. And now, exhausted by lack of sleep, an excess of good behavior, and the stress of all that self-control, I am going to bed. So there. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

t&l

And furthermore, if he just HAD to trash something, why couldn't it have been my van, which is--well, actually, WAS--in much worse shape than his truck...and quite frankly, could only be improved by a good wreck. But, No-o-o-o-o-o-o. Let's destroy the good one and leave the junker intact! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> Ergh.

Just peeking in for a minute and saw this. I'm so sorry that HP wrecked his truck (all the more so, since it WAS a better vehicle than your van!), but so glad that he came through it OK.

Our DS wrecked his 18-wheeler a few years ago, and was very lucky to walk away from it (although he did need hospitalization). In fact, the state trooper was looking for a body when DS walked around from the other side of the wreckage...scared the trooper out of 10 years growth!

DS had a collapsed lung, burns on his back (from landing up against the muffler) and had a big chunk of muscle torn out of his arm right above the elbow, plus his nose and upper lip were almost torn from his face. Luckily, they were able to sew his face back up, and he only has a faint scar across his nose. The lip was sewn back up from the inside of his mouth. After he recovered from the other stuff, he went to a gym and worked out to regain the strength in his arm. A plus is that he now has a charming dimple in his cheek from the drain hole put in during his facial surgery. And, yes, he uses that dimple to his advantage! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

We had to drive 10 hours to get to where he was in the hospital. I will never forget my first glimpse of him. Despite the fact that he was NOT in ICU, my first thought was..."My God! He's almost dead!" His face was swollen to what looked like 3X its normal size. Thankfully, I managed to control myself and not fall all to pieces...at least, until I saw what was left of his truck. There was nothing left above the motor, and the cab was completely gone. And, I am so grateful that, for once, he did NOT have his seat belt on! Why? Because the driver's side door was bent in half and the point of the bend was pressed into the back of the driver's seat. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

Just saw the pic of HP...poor Clam! He is really gonna have one beaut of a shiner! And, it sounds like he wasn't much of a clam while you were driving him home! Maybe you should print him up a "back seat driver's license"! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

OMG dear neaks

can't believe it ........... I just leave for a day or two to get DD birthday going & wave DS off at the quay & HP wrecks his truck!!!

Of course though he looks very sore & sorry right now lets all be thankful hes apparently ok except for a shiner or two!

It comes in three's they say ...you SHOULD be safe for the end of the week anyway <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> T&l do you REALLY have to go to work for a few days? Hmmmmm? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

Hope all is ok as far as truck insurances etc and that you dont have more worries ... I'm praying real hard right now that its the final bit of strife for you!!

Should have seen my big boy in his uniform, he looked so tall and grown up, standing in front of his platoon. Goodness you should have heard him scream at the men.
He’s so mild and quiet at home.

And that glare he gave them …. My I wish I had that when HE was younger!!

But you should have seen how young some of these riflemen – men that’s a laugh – they were BOYS. 16/17 years … is this what we are sending away now…….our children?

But there is so much pride I see in them. But so young.

We had our sail and it was wonderful …if wet and mildly stormy – but it was full of brothers & sisters & mums & dads of the boys.

I saw many friends, spider was there in his wheel chair, still full of cheer and hope and that never say die SAS crap… said he’ll walk again if it kills him. (Landmine)
Well let us pray he does.

We had the variety club choir which DD helps out every now & then through Uni sing a few songs…some of the choir are victims of the Bali bombing and in wheel chairs. Courage in everyday life!!
They sang peace train, Spirit of life, when you were here and I still call Australia home, So this is Christmas, a few others. Very very good.

I hugged and kissed him over & over until he was embarrassed I think !
But in the end they had to load up the transport ship and sail away from us. Our ship slowly kept pace while in the harbour.

One last look

They lined the rails and waved goodbye, the ships in the harbour began sounding their horns and we sang Auld Lang Syne ….
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never meet again?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
And days of auld lang syne, my dear,
And days of auld lang syne. & so on.


And cheered until the ship disappeared over the horizon. DD & I had smiles plastered to our faces the whole time and I guess the lot of us just kept watching where the ship disappeared long after it went. It was pretty silent on the ship for a little while then spider told us all a joke..pretty poor joke but it helped. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

But he's happy, doing what he wants for now so I suppose I have to be happy for him. And its only for 6 months for now.

We eventually got home with mum & dad in the back with Mikey, sisters turned up and the lot of them bar dad & me started balling their eyes out.... ok is not camp but its not the war .... yet. Lets get it together girls!!
Mikey wondered what in heavens name was going on. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

AW - What a nice picture!

I have a friend who is in the Navy and her husband is a doctor and is gone until next September. He is in Iraq. She is doing scrapbooking. She invites some of the other wives over to her house once a week and they do it together. I'm invited to the next one.

She does an album for each child - she has 3. Then she does themed albums. She is doing one for her husband now that is his military service. It starts out when he was in med school, and goes up to his present deployment.

I was interested because all of my pictures are sitting in boxes, unsorted.

It sounds like you had a nice day. Sad, but nice.

ok ok ok I admit it...... I had a little cry later but it was just a mummy cry for her baby boy , because hes always my baby boy!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

And what exactly is going on with Aussie? Why is he in a place with nurses?

B it was a nice day...even though a bit of rain and gusty winds the sailing was fun..
though I had to put up 2 sails and got completely soaked in the rain & spray ...... looked like a drowned rat! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Even so I got sunburned.

bUt it was fun,, did things I have never done, and didn't get sick either.

I thought I would look at crewing I did so well ..... but hard with Mikey right now...but maybe Aussie & I ?????????? OH YES OF COURSE...no TV for footy or cricket and NO BEER <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Bu thinking about it .....

B

he wont say. I picked that up too!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

I THINK it must be a rest area where they get checkups and I know they take tabs to sleep at times. well I hope so.

But loose lips sink ships so I dont ask & he wont tell WHERE he is. Very frustrating because I like to know everything <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sometimes you just have to suck it up.

{{{AW}}}

I've only got a few minutes, so will rush this posting. I don't think the pictures give the full flavor of the damage to this truck. All I know is I didn't recognize it when it was first pointed out to me, and I was driving straight towards it. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />


Angel dislocated shoulder


Angel bruise


Angel muscle strain

Angel hernia


t&l

Wow T&L - that is scarey. How is he feeling today?

A very good morning to the lovely crew here.

hey I saw HP's car bang up.... does a good job doesn't he?

Wonder if he'd like to come 4 wd with me & the boys...he can navigate <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
But seriously I do hope he is ok and does not go running off to do anything else for a few days. Thats my job <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Hey man you should of seen the sky off to the east just then..whole night just lit up far as the eye can see.....some poor baztard is getting pounded bad. Sound just hit too. Glad we are not under that.

Hey neak, t&l & B ever heard the 1812 overture? last night got to hear it as a guest ..the Trans Siberian Army band with a full Artillery Bde providing sound effects..once in a life time event I reckon. Fantasic.

Dawn in another half hour, have my last cigar ..cubans are so good ..gonna have to give that up .. last day to rest then back into it.

Wish I could have been there to have seen my boy. proud damn proud of him. Wish he could do something more useful though ..like fixing roads - this stuff is crap. But each to his own. Hes got to find his own way as I told AW.

One good thing here is they have lots of 60’s music here along with Avril Lavigne – the boys like Knocking on heavens door and the younger ones were surprised when I told them she didn’t write it <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />
- NOW I feel old - listening too much to mums CD's I guess <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> and Cold Chisel too.... that brings back memories lol

well better get ready for the day & go eat.

catch you up later today gang

Aussie -

Good to hear from you. One more day to rest, and that is good. Stay safe. Your Mikey is a beautiful boy. I hope he grows up to be a doctor, or something besides a soldier. AW has enough worries as it is.

How is the food over there?

YOU GOT TO HEAR THE 1812 OVERTURE??????????????????????????

That would be a resounding yes, I am extremely familiar with that piece of music. I used to 'conduct' the recording over and over and over again. I'm glad you enjoyed it, as hearing it with cannon is truly a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

Today church was, um, interesting. It was my second time back since It happened, and I don't know if I will be up to next week or not. *cringe* I can still see the funny side tho.

Everybody was very nice, of course, and it was my first time seeing the wife of our lay pastor/MC since her mother died a week or two before Dillon. We consoled each other to tears. It is a small group, and people were not shy or awkward about coming to say they were thinking of us and praying for us.

By the end of the service I was starting to get just a tad twitchy, and as I rose to my feet a dear brother named Jim walked toward me wearing his Understanding Face. I braced myself for more condolences.

"Hey there, Pregnant Girl, how are you doing?" Small frozen pause as he looked at me and I gaped. "You don't look pregnant....."

Then it was his turn to gape. He is an excellent public speaker, and did not hesitate or stammer, but did talk quite a bit faster than usual. "I'm so sorry to hear that, I know it must be so hard for you, I've been working a lot and have been out of the loop, so no one's told me, I'm so sorry," and SHOOP he was gone. Probably looking for a shovel to go bury himself.

I still can't help but laugh about it. He must have felt so much worse than I did. Poor Jim, I can see him from now on, scuttling the other way whenever he sees a pregnant woman, or someone who might be pregnant.

Neaksis says that's even worse than asking someone about their pregnancy when it turns out they're just plain fat.

A2, be werry werry careful.

(To the Dervish, everything is 'werry werry'. He will advance on me with a hairbrush and say, "Ok, Mama, be werry werry brave." <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />)