Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Discovery Toy Party - Ethwathwa - November 2012

 Discovery volunteers were at it again! This time bringing festive cheer to the children's home in Ethwathwa!
Off we went to spread the Christmas cheer with hundreds of little kids in need!

 Discovery volunteers are here! The party can officially get started!

 We were entertained by the kids who put on a lively show for us! (Doing dance moves we couldn't hope to copy!)

Then we had a clown come in to keep the children occupied as we went to the classroom to deposit our bundles! 
(Don't worry kid, clowns make me feel the same way!) 

 And what was inside our mystery bundles?

 The kids were lead in with their eyes closed only to find...

TOYS!!!!
 Toys! Toys, toys, toys and more TOYS!!!

 And then even more toys! Over a thousand toys donated by Discovery employees, all ready for the playing with!

The  frenzy began as we were pushed aside and the toys found eager homes in eager little hands!

 Some where rather fussy about what they wanted. Cars? Nah, no thanks!

 Others knew exactly what they wanted!!

 Everyone had a great time playing!

Until finally there were no toys left!

 Then outside and into the jumping castles! Kids only I'm afraid!

As long as I'm on, no one else can have it!!

 Armed with good packets, presents and toys... Well, by the end of it all this little one summed up perfectly how tiring yet wonderful the whole day had been!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Jacaranda Sisters with Blisters walk - 24th November 2012

On a rainy November morning, two over excitable people leapt out of bed and prepared for the annual JACARANDA SISTERS WITH BLISTERS walk! Woohoo!!!
This was our third year and no silly soaking rain was going to dampen our enthusiasm!

This is probably more make up then I've worn the entire year! 

I must admit Bren stole the day with his Joker inspired get up! Dude was frikkin' creepy! 

Oh Mr B, how terribly unlady-like a driver you are!


 Rain rain rain! But still, the turn-out was pretty good and finding parking required some creative thinking!

 Some folk maybe got too creative?

 There were many men in skirts! And check those shoes! Foxy!!

Um.......no..........

 I was making some new friends!

 So was Bren....

 Milling at the start all moist and muddy and keen! Lets get walking people!

 After the breakup with Mickey, Mini really let herself go...

 What would a fun walk be without at least one fundamental group of fanatics? Curiously enough I never saw anyone head that way? Maybe best to keep it to Church bakes sales hmmm?

Everyone had a ball! From men in skirts to their little dogs too!
Now we have to wait a whole year for the next one? Poop!
Oh! Almost stood in some!

It was so much fun!!! 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Fight against Sebastian Cyst

Once upon a time there was a Sebaceous Cyst, who was born on Jo's jaw down by her ear. He came to be known as Sebastian and he was evil!
Oh mostly Sebastian just lurked about and you never knew he was there. He'd sit plotting and planning a comeback, popping up now and then to cause Jo grief and then disappearing, pretending to have left. 

But one day he decided to make a grab at Face Domination and became all red and inflamed  With the help of the dark, uncontrollable powers of Infection, he brought forth mighty eruptions and powerful pain!! Lost in power, Sebastian went mad.

Jo was the understanding sort, but Sebastian's insanity was a canker that had to be cut out before he became too much of a destructive force! Jo needed help!

So one day she went to the magical land of Medi-cross clinic. Here she consulted the Wise Doctor Wizard who gave her magic muti to calm the raging Sebastian and told her to come back in a week's time for him to see how well his administrations had worked.

Oh but Sebastian was strong! He was having non of it and he fought the good white magic tooth and nail (or would if he'd had any teeth or nails - Jo was rather glad he didn't).

So back to the magical kingdom flew Jo where she was escorted into another Wizards secret chambers known only as, "The Theatre!"

Within small Jo saw many wondrous steel and chrome devices! What they all did, she couldn't imagine!
Then she did imagine and shivered a bit...

Jo was laid down on a table, as the wizard (known only as Surgeon), began a battle against the poisonous Sebastian using his powerful Scalpel wand and mighty Mercurochrome potions!

Sebastian raged and fought! He was four years old and had the power of Old Scar Tissue behind him! In went the scalpel, but the Scar Tissue resisted! Back and forth, back and forth, this deadly interplay of magics!

But in the end, Sebastian could not beat the the clever Surgeon and, without a whimper or sigh (again thank goodness!), Sebastian was finally subdued and Surgeon annihilated him by sewing, in the shape of two stitches, a charm into Jo's face to banish him forever!!

There was not much left of pitiful Sebastian...

Jo left feeling very grateful. She asked the mighty Surgeon, "How can I ever repay you?" To which Surgeon replied, "Here is my bill, pay at the counter"

It was a hefty bill, for Surgeons have many needs like new magical equipment and golf on Sundays. Jo paid it though, for she had heard the dungeons of the wizards where far nastier than anything Sebastian could have pulled forth.

Still in the end the foe was conquered, and Jo could show her charm off to the world and rest knowing that good had triumphed evil once again!!

 THE END


Monday, September 10, 2012

Kasparov vs the Company! - September 2012

Garry Kasparov came to Discovery! 
For those who don't know him, Kasparov is a Russian considered by many to be one of the world's greatest Chess players that has ever lived. Now chess to me is hardly an entertaining game. I know it to be a game of strategy and quick thinking, if slow action, but who wants to watch a man play chess?

What if it's against 8 of your co-workers?

All at the same time?

That's right, Discovery got 40 members together to play chess until only 8 players were left, the cream of the cream. Could these 8 players beat the master?
Let the games begin!

All 8 players where on an L shaped stage that allowed Kasparov to move from one table to the next, playing against each person in turn. They got to rest and think strategically, while Kasparov moved continuously from one player to another, with no time for a "sit and think."

We got to watch each choice the Pro made before moving on to his next victim, sorry, rival. Even the most ardent chess hater couldn't help but watch, secretly hoping, maybe we'll get him yet!

Please! Kasparov moved so quickly from table to table that getting a photo of the guy was almost impossible as he was always moving! He was a chess playing machine!

Yeah ok, let me move my pawn, you just lost yours, next player please!

Occasionally he stopped to think. Usually just long enough to come up with another devastatingly clever move that made almost every single player on the stage huff, sigh and hold their hands together in new found religion.

Even Adrian Gore was there to watch the master at work. Keeping an outer cool, I bet inside he was cheering each of his employee's on screaming, "Win you moneky's, win!!"

Eventually Kasparov was down to just one opponent. Would she clear the floor with him?

No such luck! In the end, Kasparov reigned supreme, sending 8 of our very best back home, tail between legs.
It was quite the show! Well done to our guys and congratulations to Mr Kasparov, what can we say other than... W  O  W!!!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Salvation Army Fete - Saturday 25 August 2012

Bright and early, and I do mean EARLY, we headed off to what was advertised as one of the biggest do's in the bargain hunter calendar, the Salvation Army fete! It was... an experience!

 Even though we were there before 8am, the official opening time, the place was, oh, some what crowded...


Perhaps all the police there, and guys with helmets and nifty guns they won't let Jo's hold, seems a tad too much? If you think so then you've obviously not seen the horror of one bargain item and three determined housewives! 

 Jo plots her course of action. Maximum ground coverage is essential! Each tent must be explored! Take no prisoners under 99c!

Sadly there were also a lot of lines to get into the more interesting tents. We decided to give those a skip. The crowd could sense we were not die hard browsers and they're always keen to take out the weakest first! Being battered to death with a stuffed chihuahua - they lose more first timers that way...

Oh my section! A tent full of fat, fluffy toys! Just go on without me!!!

Seriously though, these tents held some weird stuff and, like hungry gazelles, we browsed!

Glow in the dark "golden" Halloween witch! A must have!

 PVC toy dog that looks like a prop for a video that could get daddy into a lot of trouble if mummy ever found out about it!

More sweets than you could shake a stick at! (And trust me after eating half of that candy, you would only ever be able to shake!)

Hey they could be selling actual babies for all I know...

A true blood bargain hunter can spot at least 3 things in this photograph they absolutely HAVE to have!

A life size sarcophagus! I'll get one for my mummy!

 Bren enjoys the spoils of war! Victory is sweet!

And I got something as well! Envy is an ugly emotion.

We had a grand time of it, but my my, aren't I glad we don't do this every weekend? The crowds and lines and people, people, people, would just be too much! 
I wonder if anyone bought the sarcophagus?