Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2006

Dear Friends & Family....

Merry Christmas from Tasmania,
& Happy New Year to all,

Just a little note to say thanks for all the help and support during the last year. And what a year it has been.

Biggest highlight was Noah's birth in March, but we won't go on too much, but obviously a great bundle of joy and smells, and a total life changing event.

It was great to get back to old blighty in May/June to visit people and places. Thanks for taking the time to come to us, really appreciated. Highlight being the week at the cottage in Witney, Oxfordshire.

It's been head down ever since then, given that we used most of our holiday days, and little N ate most of the cash. Jac's been amazing throughout, adapting to being a mother in a place where normal forms of support (family, etc) are a long way away. Noah's a fit and healthy organic food freak, who is also vege/pisco like his parents. Hey - he might have kangaroo one day - we won't stop him!

October brought a little break to Kangaroo Valley, but the fishing was (and probably never will be) the same as last year. More fishy tales next year for sure.

October also brought about the end of the old website (Internet v1) and along came this blog/photo (Internet v2). Go on, do it - it's the way forward. More politics and tales next year. Subscribe to our RSS feed (for those that understand that....).

Jac is now back at work 3 days per week, and we are over the childcare dilemma for now. It breaks things up a bit and our life is a bit more balanced again.

After our little break in Tasmania, we don't have much planned for 2006. Probably biggest thing, if it comes off, will be to save for, and buy, a house. I have a dream to be close to the beach and to build a fantastic eco-home, but prices in Sydney are a bit outrageous (better than a couple of years ago), but it's good to dream eh?

So put aside a slot for your dreamtime, and hope you get everything Santa said he would bring you. ;->

Take Care,

James, Jac and Noah x

Dolphins save swimmers from great white

Nice little story......

A group of swimmers has told how a pod of dolphins protected them from a great white shark off the north-eastern coast of New Zealand.

Rob Howes and three other lifeguards were on a training swim about 100 metres offshore at Ocean Beach near Whangarei when the dolphins raced in and herded the group together.

"They started to herd us up, they pushed all four of us together by doing tight circles around us," Howe said.

When he tried to drift away from the group, two of the bigger dolphins herded him back.

He then saw why. A three metre great white shark was cruising toward the group about two metres below the surface.

"I just recoiled. It was only about two metres away from me, the water was crystal clear and it was as clear as the nose on my face," he said, adding he then realised the dolphins had moved in to protect the swimmers.

The group were surrounded by the dolphins for 40 minutes before they were able to reach the shore.

Another lifeguard, Matt Fleet, was patrolling nearby in a rescue boat when he saw the dolphins' unusual behaviour.

When he dived out of the boat to join the group he also saw the great white.

Fleet said he was keen to get out of the water after the sighting, but didn't panic.

"I just kept looking around to see where it was."

The incident happened about three weeks ago, but Howes and Fleet said they had kept the story to themselves until they had a chance to catch up and confirm what they had seen.

Auckland University marine mammal research scientist Doctor Rochelle Constantine said dolphins were normally vigilant in the presence of sharks.

The altruistic response of the dolphins was normal, she said.

"They like to help the helpless."

- AFP

Come On Christmas

Wow - where does the time go?

Was it three weeks ago that I wrote the last post? Hate to give the very busy excuse (cos I hate it when others say the same), but a lot is on around Christmas and deadlines loom and it's quite stressful actually.... I've recently had so much on my mind I've been waking up at 5AM with things just 'popping' into my head. Don't like that - I have to read a book to focus on something else until I can fall asleep again. It was Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire - really takes your mind off things....

Noah is now pulling himself up to stand up, then falling over again, and then pulling himself up. He can sometimes go for 10mins just wiggling and grunting (yes, that's where his Piggy nickname came from - we all have them I'm sure). Two top teeth now through, and a lower one, so no more sticking you fingers in his mouth..... He's also developed this head-shake thing - like he is amazed as what happens to the world when he shakes his head. So now we have head-shaking competitions between - most amusing.

The next best thing to happen is my computer is fixed! And what was it (I hear you ask?) - a blinking power supply. The problem was, all the problems started after I installed a piece of software. After that point, it just kept crashing - total an utter instantaneous power failure. But I could replicate the problem. Well, after 2 months of it getting worse and worse, I bought a new power supply. Bingo - worked first time. How frustrating! But Happy.

Jac had a mini-victory on the work front, her firm accepted that 'Continuation-of-Service' was indeed applicable (he he), and she has now started back part-time. Shame of it all is the childcare crisis in NSW at the moment. We were literally 'on the list' of loads of agencies; finally we have sorted out nanny-share for 3 days a week. The bad thing is that about 60% of Jac's income (it's after tax) will go on childcare. :-(

Really looking forward to the Tasmania trip in a weeks time, but will try to get in a Christmas message beforehand. 10 days in a campervan from 'Devil' campers. We have bought a MacPac (read bloody expensive) backpack with baby carrier - buts it's fab and comfy.

Have been getting into the whole Texas Holdem' Poker thing, been playing on and off all my life, but about a year ago a friend and I got into online poker (from Ladbrokes) - just playing on the 10-20c tables, but the excitement is still the same. Well, I wanted to host my own poker nights with a few mates so I bought the 'World Poker tour' set and baise. Absolutly fantastic - on Friday and Saturday we played until the early hours... - but boy does it zap your time. Of course, I ended the weekend up (I would say that, no?).

Had a little BBQ & cocktails yesterday - which was nice to have a few friends round and not talk too much baby-shite for once... The most funny part being that Swaff, who has a habit of falling asleep any time after 10PM, did so with a glass in his hand.... Which led to the inevitable...
Which led to the inevitable...
Not much politics this week - aside from the usual battles with blinking work crap - you cannot believe the process to order a mouse which costs $60. Sign off by the branch manager, yup, it's true. Madness.

Take Care out there...