Hello All,
Just me again :-)
Come on did you seriously think I'd not send another e-mail between the last one and Christmas? Admittedly my presence has been a little absent of late, but I am trying to make an effort here! So I fully moved into my room. Have been there about a week now I think, I'm not sure. If time is usually a little blurred, it's very much so at the moment. Pax Lodge can be eerily quiet at times. My room. Well it had a room warming party last Wednesday (7th) which by most standards was quite different to what we are used to here! My lovely HA compadre's while noticing my struggle to adapt to change, nicely went and brought two bottles of wine (Aussie at that!) and joined me for Lost, accompanied by crackers and cheese! Check that! Usually its shot glasses and mixed spirits...opps...This is a Girl Guide Centre...regardless, I'd moved up in the world I think, I don't know! I'd just like to note that Wednesday just gone (14th) I had them all back again for Lost, more Aussie wine and Pringles and chips and Candy Corn. Plus some German liquor which was rather interesting...just note though guys, most of the drinking was done by the others, not me!!
Saturday the 10th marked the welcome ceremonies for our newest additions where we learn about them, they learn about us and we generally make them feel, well, welcomed. Not that we hadn't all ready. I think the most interesting piece of information to surface that night wasn't about either of our two new HAs, rather the trivial piece of information about our World Centre Manager, Doreen, who told us she once had a Poodle called Flipper because her parents wouldn't buy her a dolphin...and to be honest, it doesn't at all surprise me!!
Christmas has been very well on the agenda too. A Guitar recital followed by Christmas cakes and tea on the 7th, our Volunteers Christmas Party on the 14th (which yours truly had a hand in organising) plus a Christmas Carol do on the 15th at Guide HQ here in London. Well we got a view of the Queen's back garden!! It was so big!! We explored what's known as the ICANDO Centre which is activity based and we had a ball!! While everyone is downstairs eating mulled wine and mine pies, we're up there re-living our childhood, not that we left it all that long ago...
I also spent two and a half days down at Goring-By-Sea again which was really nice and relaxing. Janet has been off on sick leave since November due to having surgery. Because of this she wasn't able to fly home to Canada and spend Christmas with her family. Back in September when she found out, I made a random joke about us coming down and singing Christmas Carols at her window. Well silly Janet didn't think too much more of it. Monique was supposed to come down with me, but in the end it turned out just to be me. Janet's flat mate Liz knew I was coming and knew what was planned. So picture me in the cold, finally getting to their block of flats, standing at their front door singing the Aussie version of Jingle Bells through their letter flap in the door. God forbid any of the neighbours came out to find out what the horrible noise was!! Well Janet was over the moon, had no idea and didn't realise I'd actually go through with such a random joke!! She'll know better for next time!! I also got to play post person with a huge stack of cards and gifts from current and past staff. So my couple of days down there were really nice.
A Pax Lodge tradition is that the ground floor has all it's doors decorated. We get to pull the name of a door out of a hat and we (with limits) get to do what we like with it. I somehow scored the Men's Toilets!! Typical!! Anyhows, Rebecca from new Zealand won the decorating competition with her sheep and Santa standing on the fence. Only issue was most people thought he was peeing on the fence...I'll send a photo of my door at some stage, nothing overly arty or spectacular, but I liked it!!
Other than that, life still goes on at Pax Lodge. We shut down on December 23rd and re-open on the 4th of January. In that time I think there are about four staff members here and that's it! Everyone else seems to be going away!! Including myself, although my plans have now changed and are really part of the reason why I am e-mailing you all. As things stood, I was supposed to spend Christmas on the Canal in Gnosall with The Witts Family who hosted me a couple of years back. I was very much looking forward to a) a white Christmas or just b) a Christmas very different to what I am used to!! Now by some crazy twist of fate and a quite amazing Christmas Miracle, Christmas won't see me in the UK, indeed not even in Europe. And no, before you all get excited, I'm not coming home to Oz!! The postman delivered some airline tickets with my name on them this morning, Christmas and New Years will be quite different to what I had planned! Saturday December 24th at 6:40am (Argh!) sees me depart London and fly to France where I wait for two hours before flying on to Cincinnati. Yep you read right, this little Girl Guide will be spending close to two weeks in the United States of America!! Goodness me!! Indeed all very last minute (obviously) and all very exciting. I'm spending Christmas with Erin and her family in their hometown of Richmond, Kentucky. I'll return to the UK on Friday January 6th 2006 to start work the following day. I am really, really, really excited!! So I know a few of you wanted to call...save you're money because I won't be here!
So that said, I don't believe I'll have another chance between now and then to e-mail you all as a group. So this time for sure, I do wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. If you want to send Christmas Greetings or still want to get a hold of me by phone, my mobile will be on and I'll be contactable that way. Just keep in mind that if you call me, I have to pay for it too!! Enjoy a safe festive season and if not before hand, I will speak to you all in the New Year!
Stay safe and be happy, signing out for one last group time in 2005, (raising a glass) here's to a fab New Year for all!!
Rachael :-)
Your Favourite Wandering Aussie...
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