Journey to Bethlehem, also known as J2B.

So many funny moments - Neaksis, you need to do your fair share of telling them.

Guide: Be on the lookout! There are thieves and beggars everywhere!
Neaksis: *snicker* *snort* They have nooooooooooo idea!!!

I did my own snicker and snort after that one. Good thing my mouth was empty, I am sure THAT wold have been a mess.

It all sounds fun.

Peace to everyone today.

Hope you got more sleep Cinders. Sorry about loosing the post. It may be dangerous to ask us to use our imagination.

SS

One more.


Crowd of beggars: Alms, alms for the poor. Can you spare us any money? We're so hungry - help us!
Val (to guide's 'wife'): Do they always beg like that?
Me: Yes, every 3-4 minutes.

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Computer would not send my presentation last night...Would not after repeated tries. I fell asleep waiting for it to tranmit. At my computer - sleeping there is REALLY BAD for my neck. Remember, I have an MRI on it in the morning? We're talking really bad.

Anyway, when I woke up at 3:30 a.m., I tried again. Shut the thing down. Rebooted. Struggled for a few minutes and it finally went.

Didn't make it to bible school today. Made it to church, barely. Ran the presentation.

Another man and I need to go play with the projector and computers and get them set properly to maximize the beauty of my presentations. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> Seriously, they need to be calibrated because our contrast and brightness levels are sort of out of whack and nothing looks as good on the screen as it does on the monitor.

Neak, tell the powers that be that, next year, Simian the Shepherd needs to be one of the Wise Men. Then dress him as if he was from Russia - think Peter and the Wolf, Fiddler on the Roof, Fantasia. You might could get him a featured dance if you could get him to kick at the right time while he is bouncing.

Just a very quick hello ..2.20am

Aussie has just got home and had something to eat so off to bed .. volunteering tomorrow at neices school she is graduating into high school so I'm having a leave day and going along to cheer .. and .... cook & clean & ... sounds like home to me <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Have a great drive Neak and hope its a smooth run.. see ya in a day or so

AW <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Cinders - you're right. Glad you thought of that now, so we have a year to think up Babylonian names that mean "rotten little kid". <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> (If he doesn't have those pumpkin seeds picked up from the floor of his sister's room by the time I get in there, there may not be a next year.)

AW, better get to bed quickly and distract him before he decides to wake up Mikey.

How old is Mikey, now, anyway? Isn't he about 1 1/2? Bet he's into e v e r y t h i n g !

Just passing through.....a day of dr appts


MRI
chiropractor
psychiatrist
physical

For 3 of the 4, I won't need to take off my clothes. For the MRI, I did have to take off my bra. Lots better than the mammogram and pap smear on the same day.

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> That sounds like loads of fun.

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NOT!

(I saw that clip of Borat, too. I have not seen the movie.)

It won't be a bad day....off now, to the bank, to make a deposit...so I can spend money. At the Doctor.

Hi All

yes Mikey is 18months well into everything and a wriggler if you try to hold onto him.
I mean who taught him the word NO already is what I want to know ??????????? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> ...somehow I think I know who is guilty of that one!

Well went to the school today and watched my lovely little niece 13 yr old and the splitting image of my DD at her age ..... freaky ..
can you believe it? she was actually in a DRESS!!! It was such a happy place not like the school I went to!! lol
<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

SS does a drive by...................

Yells
Hiiiiiiiii as he speeds off into the sunset.

On the way to Neak's thread.

SS

MRI, EKG, CBC - all yesterday.....along w/ chiro adjustment and psychiatrist appt.

So far, I haven't died from all that......but we'll wait and see. Don't have the results of the MRI yet. Don't want to have spinal surgery on my neck. But I don't like the tingling in my arm and I don't like the perpetual pain in the neck with which I live.

Oh yeah, my purse was stolen today. If you see it, let me know. I want it back.

Cinders sorry to hear about your purse. Didn't have house keys or cards etc in it? Just remember to change locks if thats so ... a police woman at the community station advise us of that..even if no address on the keys as sometimes the thieves have been watching their victims for some days.

Any news on your tests? Hope its are good news when it comes.

HUgs AW <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Suffering a miserable head cold ... all that going into & out of airconditioned offices .. and I have to cook for my neices school Xmas party today as well. homemade party pies, sausage rolls and mini pasties .. and whats the worst thing about that? I'm sick on my paid day off!!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

AW - How is Aussie? We had a PTSD conference at work today, and I thought of him.

Hi B!!

So good to hear from you! Hope all is ok on your end and that you are finding life is fulfilling.

Aussie will love to know you remembered him B, he still says you helped him a lot even if you didn't know it.!!
Well Aussie is ... well aussie... no complaints, no talk on anything about the war at least with me or the family (anything we know comes from his mates after a few drinks), fit, healthy, and totally focused on this next mission whatever that is, he is putting in 18 hr days for it.
I don't think I need to tell you how much I hate that idea.
However the physical work probably helps him cope with it all.

I'm enjoying time with him when its available, Mikey is thriving with dad around, he is so proud of "his" oldest son & "his" Princess .. his I like that lol <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />
I was a little bit concerned about his drinking initially but its seems he was just partying after getting home in one piece and he has the odd one now.
He is cynical about life in general, yet enjoys his family and even says he loves me and lets me meet as many needs of his that I can. He can still be so distant at times and I have to accept that. I believe he is mostly happy.
He seems to have little faith in God though and that worries me.

I wouldn't worry about his faith in God. I have been praying for Aussie for a couple of years now. I believe God is taking care of him, whether he likes it or not.

I can't remember helping Aussie. Just remember him as being an honorable man - very rare these days.

I think you remember that I work at Camp Pendleton, and did the volunteer work with the casualties from Fallujah. My heart is very heavy these days, because of the charges against the Marines. Five of them killed what was apparently an innocent man, and are going to jail.

There is another bunch that apparently killed 24 Iraqi's. They are coming up to trial. Many of these men were on their third rotation in Iraq.

I just HATE that this war is going on and on.

B he feels you helped him, perhaps it was some comments or observations maybe. But you did help both of us and thank you for that.

Thank you so much for praying for him. I pray for him so hard and have faith that God has not given up on him

I kinda think he pretty wonderful too <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I do feel for many of those young Marines though. You take young men & women who have not been under fire and suddenly place them in situations where friends of many years die in front of them. They naturally want someone to pay. Innocents on both sides pay.
Though its not an excuse, I feel a lot of responsibility lay with the decision makers.
It would be far far better if the Marines who did these things spent the rest of their lives supporting the relatives and families of those they killed. At least there would be some personal & public act of contrition
I know such revenge incidents went on & of course goes on today in any conflict by both sides.

Oh God I pray this war will end soon.

Did you know my daughters fiance is a commando? Hes been out of contact now for 18 days and she is beside herself with worry. You know its funny, we have become so much closer. And I wont let her make my mistakes if I can help it. She swore to never ever fall in love with a soldier, avoided them like the plague and then meets one at a friends house party and fell so hard she thought a truck had run her over. Hes such a lovely young man too, easy to love, he reminds me so much of Aussie. Isnt life funny?

Maybe it would be good for her to take a real look at her dad and at your marriage.

There is something I once heard referred to as "Grass Roots Expectations."

What you grew up experiencing is what you will expect to have when you grow up. If your parents had certain mannerisms/values/traits, you will expect those things in your own life. So, you will seek, subconsciously, such a partner or life when you are grown. That is why children tend to choose certain people as partners.

In my case, my dad did not have the emotional ability to love - he had not been loved. He was totally emotionally shut-down. He was noncommunicative. He demanded that things be done his way. He could not express appreciation for anything you did for him. He was unaffectionate. He kept everything bottled inside himself. And I married a younger version of him.

That was not a smart move on my part. I went from one emotionally unhealthy man to another.