Ya Better Watch Out

Because Christmas is almost here. At work I have started getting the business ready for the holiday break, sending out reminder messages for people to get their orders in, finding out when people are closing etc. Means it's not too far away now.

Dobby is getting ready for her graduation in two Wednesdays. It's all happening.

This week, Dobby had a sore stomach. I told her I thought it may be a pulled muscle, although she was convinced she had a lump under her belly button. But although I had made her an appointment, I cancelled it because I thought it best to wait a few days. Sadly, though, over the course of the week, it doesn't look like it has. She thinks the lump may have shrunk a little is all. So, probably better to have it checked. Her dad has to go see the doc Monday for his script so if I can I'll see if he can take her along too. Don't like my chances though.

In other news this week, we had the Caravan Club Christmas Rally this weekend. Hermione decided at the last minute to come, and we were told there could be charges for her, aside from dinner, as she hadn't been to 3 rallies this year. But when I told Nan, she made no mention of reimbursing costs. Not even an offer. Well, I suppose I have to bare that cost, although it was not my idea for her to come. Dobby had mentioned it a couple of weeks ago and she still hadn't given us an answer.

As it turned out, I really wish she hadn't come. That is, we don't get along anymore because she thinks I boss her around, and I think she is rude and doesn't show respect.

Friday afternoon, after picking up Dobby from school at lunch time, and Hermione at 2.00, we arrived about 3.00. It was a little cool but quite a lovely sunny afternoon.

When we got there, as always, the girls disappeared. No problem, we can work faster without them. We were at the end of a row, with a lot of space between our neighbours and us. But the ground was hard gravel covered dirt, and there was no way we were going to be able to drive tent pegs into it, so we didn't extend the awning and had to pitch the tent across the way. See, the site was at the edge of a sports oval. We were right next to the pavillion, and the other vans were around the edge of the oval.

We stuck Dobby here....

...next to the Handicapped parking sign!

Neat and rather apt, I think!

Our neighbours had their teenage granddaughter with them, who was also named, well, for this blog, Dobby. Rather nice girl, very quiet. 16 as well.

We spent the afternoon sitting under the awning, just doing nothing. How lovely! Friday night we took the girls into town and bought fish and chips for dinner, ate that at home, and then at 8pm had a lady from the CFS come and give us a talk about fire safety when travelling. Given that we are going to the Eyre Peninsula over Christmas, this was very interesting. I must make a note to follow the safety tips on our trip.

Anyway, early Saturday morning it started to rain. Horrible it was. Everything under the awning was okay, but the chairs that were outside got wet. And apparently the dog blanket did too because when I checked it later that day it was saturated and the only way it could have been was the runoff from the rain.

By lunch time the light misty, cold, miserable rain eased off to give us a somewhat sunny afternoon. Saturday morning we had morning tea in the pavillion, and sat around telling tall tales. A friend and I went into town looking for a particular wine and wasted a good bit of time. Just us. Lovely. When we got back the kids had Kids Club where they made table decorations in preparation for our Christmas Dinner.

Fluffy and I decorated the van with some lights. It looked pretty good. I had a shower just before happy hour, so I didn't have to join the rush for the 3 showers later, and it had started to get cold.

Speaking of cold, that's the other reason I was very disappointed in Hermione. She didn't bring a coat. She didn't tell me, just lied to my face and said "I'm not cold". Mind you, she had huge goosebumps all over her. Silly child. So while I was out, I passed a second hand store and bought her a zip up jacket. She just said "thanks" when I gave it to her, then not one more word about it. Like I was supposed to do it. Later, when Nan asked her if it was Dobby's jacket, all she said was "no". Not one word about where it came from or how she got to have it. Rude.

Anyway, back to the afternoon. Guess who paid a visit? This bloke!



It was his first year doing it as our regular Santa left the club earlier in the year. I think he did a pretty good job too.

Hermione got her gift.



Then Dobby got hers.



And Fluffy got his.




This young lass is the funniest person, and she is also from Queensland. She and Fluffy share a passion for cream buns. She has threatened that when she goes back to Queensland over Christmas she will send us a pic of every bun she has - they are much easier to get up there!

This is what Fluffy and I received. He got a pack of solar Christmas lights, which he is going to hang in my kitchen window. That will be lovely, walking up the hallway in the dark and seeing those lovely lights in the window. Looking forward to getting some sun to charge the battery now!



Mine was a lovely little serving dish and a huge tube of vanilla and pineapple hand cream. It feels very lovely on too.

The girls received a bag with a pack of eyeshadow, a pack of lip gloss, a pack of nail polish, and a manicure set. Very lovely. Some of the little kids got neat gifts of balls, buckets, totem soccer sets, handbags, wonderful gifts.

Dobby was very jealous of this fellow's gift - a Kombi tin of biscuits!



After presents we sat around and ate ourselves silly and the kids played with their presents. The dogs ran amok on the oval, and so did the kids. Ozzie actually got into a fight with another dog, who resented Ozzie trying to round him up. Lucky Fluffy intervened, but scored a nip on the arm for his efforts. It didn't break the skin though.

After everything had quietened down, I sent the girls for a shower. Dobby did her usual and argued. Hermione just stood there. I said "Hermione, are you going to ignore me to?" She turned her back on me. I seethed. Later, when they came back from "doing their hair" (and not having a shower), Fluffy pulled her aside and chastised her for being rude to me. She complained to Dobby that she did nothing wrong. Dobby said, well, we both did. No, she insisted, she did nothing wrong. Hmph.

Anyway, we all straggled over to the hall for dinner. It was a wonderful spread of roast chicken, ham, pork, baked potatoes, salads, gravy, and rolls. Plenty left. We even took up containers this morning to bring home!

At the dinner there were felt pens on the tables. All the kids went mad drawing on each other.



Would you believe, the bloke across the table took a pic as well, and she smiled for him. And it was a beautiful picture! Little worm!

They had raffles through the night. Some people win everything, don't they? One bloke, who we don't particularly like because he is always big noting himself, and whatever you do he has to do better, won about 5 prizes.

He was also a joint winner in the best decorated van. Last year we won it because we were pretty much the only van that did anything. This year there were more... He copied us with a huge blow up santa thing. We didn't fire up ours this year because we didn't have the power board in the van anymore, so we just did lights.

Here are a few that were on offer:


One winner


Other winner, who copied our blow up Santa (but because his didn't have an internal light like ours, you can't see it in this photo).


This was our van this year. On the table is the little golfer mum knitted wearing a Christmas bib and hat with little lights across the top, and the bright light on the wall is a Merry Christmas sign.



Isn't she pretty?

After dinner and raffles, which we actually won one of this year - a kids activity pack, we retired to wander around the park and look at the lights.

Then back to the hall for some Christmas cake. We were all in bed by 10.30 but I heard the party continued into the wee hours as usual.

Then it rained again. All night, heavy rain. Because the dog didn't have a blanket he had to sleep in the van. As soon as I woke up, or should I say, he thought I woke up, he wanted to go for a walk. So I grabbed my jacket and his lead and took him for walkies. Lucky I did because it rained again up morning tea.

It continued to rain while we were milling about, but it seemed to ease up for morning tea, giving us enough time to dry out the chairs anyway, if nothing else...

After morning tea we all packed up and left. We got home about 1.30 or so. It was a great trip, easy, and fuss free. I had a good weekend. Now, Dobby has about the 4th layer of nail polish on, stuff spread out everywhere, Fluffy is napping, and I am uploading photos furiously for my blog.

I always end up with a headache on these trips, which I suspect if from having to make conversation and listen to what is going on around me amid all the noise. That usually gives me a headache. So, after I am done here I will probably go vege for a while before I start dinner. Tonight it's bake up with leftover salads, baked potoates, and maybe a little gravy for me... aaaaahhh.