DECEMBER 2003
Wednesday 31 December 2003  * NEW YEAR's EVE *
Bit worried about Dilys - she's been sick for weeks.  Needless to say she's not up to venturing out and doing anything tonight.

Had sort of plans to see Maite and Chris (from 2RRR's French/Swiss show) tonight but decided it was getting too complicated to join in.  Seems that everyone we know is either missing in action, ill, out of town, involved in some project that can't be neglected, at work or socially inert.  I'm quite happy to stay home tonight because I'm working hard on my image slicing technique for my next website design.

Later in the evening we lobbed over to zeRellies who had decided to remain home for the evening.  Spent a very pleasant time hanging around and being patted.

Saturday 27 December 2003
Mistress Hellen pointed out there are photos of beagles on an exercise ball in my Nose Nuzzle calendar.  (see December 9 entry)  I said that just because some beagles CAN do something it's no reason for me to do it nor do I wish to develop the habit of using an exercise ball for a seat.

Friday 26 December 2003  * Boxing DAY *
Whoooo!  Just reviewing the activities of yesterday.  Forgot to mention the 'Killer Toaster' zeRellies bought for themselves.  HUGE and everyone kept commenting about which one of the family was going to study for the Toaster's Licence.  This will make the Sunday Breakfasts easier as their current toaster seems somewhat demon possessed.  Anyway, this 'Killer Toaster' doesn't fit where the other toaster lives, so Missus Elizabeth has plans for a kitchen clearout - which was a nice alternative to building on an extra room just to house the thing.

I'm having a great time with my Beagle Calendar - could almost be a Nose Nuzzle Calendar, there are so many Beagle Nose closeups! 

Off to Michael's place for our Christmas time together.  I hassled Michael a bit because I'm building him a website to promote his Tai Chi teaching.  Just can't get him to GIVE ME SOME CONTENT!!!  I want the website to build my portfolio of wonderful Beagle Built Sites.

Thursday 25 December 2003  * Christmas DAY *
Very Early Christmas Day: Around 1am - we were visiting the garbage bin and Mistress Hellen commented that we hadn't heard the usual round of Christmas Fireworks that normally happen in the neighbourhood.  Woah!  Spoke too fast - about 10 minutes later, whizz, bang, zing....  Righto - so if you wanted to enjoy your fireworks, I think that 1am Christmas Morning would be an appropriate time.

Mister Darron rang in the morning and said "we're all waiting for you!!!" so we accelerated the morning's planned preparations and head off to zeRellies.

A great day was had by all - lots of happy tail wagging and laughing.  From what I hear of other families, this is such a cool family to be in.

Mistress Hellen loved the tablecloths I gave her!  I was also very happy with my new food bowl, a great squeaky toy (which was confiscated while the humans watched a movie), a huge bone - decorated with a streamer, and a packet of tennis balls.

Wednesday 24 December 2003  * Christmas Eve *  (back to top)
On the way home from 2RRR we saw our Middle of the Night Gardener - well, we almost took off the end of his whipper snipper - he was doing the edges right at the gutter and wasn't very visible until we were almost upon him.  Big Swerve!!  Wouldn't do to take out an innocent gardener on Christmas Eve.

'Down Memory Lane with the Pooch' show went well today after a bit of a hesitant start.  This show seems to just take more energy than 'Streamer Never Sleeps'.  I think it's because the songs are shorter and I have more material to work with - means more decision making!

Monday 22 December 2003 (back to top)
This site won another award!!  A Bronze from WM8C's Ham Links.  The award and the accompanying message from Todd are on display on my 'Awards' pages.

Neeve came over for a visit and we ended up over at zeRellies to check out their Christmas lights.  I took the opportunity to discuss with Missus Elizabeth the obtaining of Mistress Hellen's Christmas Present.  It's great - I'm going to get. . . *pause* . . *slaps paw to forehead* - WHAT am I doing!!!!?? Of course I shouldn't mention it here because Mistress Hellen READS this Diary.

Mistress Hellen washed the singles we collected yesterday.  Is that you raising your eyebrows?  Well they hadn't been stored very well and it doesn't hurt to give them a refreshing bath.  NOT long enough so their labels fall off, mind.  There is one single we found that has no label and someone has written 'good' on one side and 'better' on the other!!  This turned out to be very much out of place in the batch - INXS with 'Devil Inside'!!!

The preparation for this 'Oldies' show is more labour intensive than my normal show.  I expect that would change over time, but this is only a temporary fill-in, there IS a different show planned for the 10am Wednesday timeslot.

Sunday 21 December 2003 (back to top)
At zeRellies today we went through all the old records - yes, those little black 7 inch things!  I'm looking for music to play on the extra show I'm doing - the 'Down Memory Lane with The Pooch'.  One of the listeners who rang during the show last Wednesday suggested music from things such as 'The Student Prince' and 'The White Horse Inn'.  Upon hearing this, Mistress Hellen said that her parents had owned singles of music like that.  So off we went - yes Breakfast was eaten first - then a plunge into deep nostalgia.

The sisters took to this task like the proverbial Beagle to the Hunt - bursting into song every few minutes, exclaiming "wow, remember this?" and "ahahahahah, Oh My STARS!!" and that sort of thing.  It was their talent for co-ordinated bursts of really old songs that kept me the most amused.

They explained to me about the missing middles of records, showed me the inserts, read me some of the cover notes - which seemed very close to explaining to the reader exactly what a record was.  They even had a PAPER record - a picture disk!  It was a piece of cardboard with a clear grooved bit over the top.  Made me think about the claim that 'Farewell Aunty Jack' was the first picture disc in the world - after all, in front of me was 'Volare', light blue and white with a drawing of a couple dancing, and MUCH older.

THE find of the hunt, in great condition, was 'Little Donkey' by Nina and Frederik!!!  We also turned up a lot of 'operatic highlights' singles, including 'The White Horse Inn'.

Saturday 20 December 2003 (back to top)
I now have my very own copy of 'All the Beings' by His Holiness the XIIth Gyalwang Drukpa and Jigme Kunga Shonu.  Very interesting album, Tibetan spiritual leader gently speaking on various topics with great music in the background.  Sort of a Tibetan 'Blues and Grooves' album.

Because my order was the *first* order through their newly set up online store at the Bairo Ling site - Kellie (my contact about this album) sent a set of Tibetan prayer flags!!!

Thursday 18 December 2003
Spent time today watching our outdoor Christmas tree sparkling in the sunlight.  The decorating of this tree had me thinking that it's a wonder there aren't more wars - considering that even speaking the same language is no guarantee of understanding what's being said.  Here's conversation between myself and Mistress Hellen on the day we TRIMMED the tree.

Mistress H:  Wanna come help trim the tree?  I'm feeling very Christmassy which is unusual.
  Me:  What?
Ms H:  Trim the tree (*holding up a bag of tinsel*)
  Me:  I thought you used secateurs to do that - not Christmas decorations - and besides, didn't you do enough damage a few months ago.
Ms H:  You're not right in the head some days - TRIM the tree means put on the Christmas decorations.
  Me:  Oh, like PRUNE the tree means applying dried plums?
Ms H:  Ho Ho Ho - very clever.  So are you joining in or not?
  Me:  No, I don't trust you.  How could trim the tree mean add something when trim means to take away?
Ms H:  It just *IS* - you should know that sort of thing about the English language by now.

This led to a conversation about the word 'trim' which can mean to take away or to add.  Oh dear.  We put trimmings on things but trimming something means we take away. 

Wednesday 17 December 2003 (back to top)
Woooo!!!  BIG DOSE of Streamer happening at 2RRR.  Firstly the two programs before me didn't go to air, so 'From the Music Library Volume 3' was played for 3 hours - I asked for the last three hours to be played.  I arrived and did my show - another two hours of ME!  After my show I put the 'Music Library Vol 3' back on - from the beginning - so that would play until 5am, so add another two hours!

Later in the morning I returned to 2RRR to do a show I'm covering for a few weeks.  So that's ANOTHER two hours of me!  I hope no-one is sick of hearing me. 

The show I'm covering - this is very exciting!!!!  Playing Oldies - and knowing there are people out there listening.  I had THREE calls from listeners.  This really made me feel wonderful.  People very happy that I've continued playing the same genre featured by the departing show.

Of course people can still hear Bruce Argyle on Mondays doing his show.  I'm keeping the name he had for the show 'Down Memory Lane' but adding 'with the Pooch!' at the end!

Later: Spent STUPID amounts of time doing maintenance and improvements for this website.  I'm reading up award criteria so I can apply for more awards for the site - by gum some of the rules are tough!  Still - if it means I produce excellence, I'll do it - and it keeps me out of Mistress Hellen's hair - although it wouldn't be a problem if she'd go and get A JOB!!!!

Tuesday 16 December 2003 (back to top)
Our time with Shamila continues with the humans just blabbing and blabbing.  I also showed her my website efforts to date and she was VERY impressed.  When it was time for her to leave, I stayed behind and did more website work while Mistress Hellen took her to the railway station.

The rain that happened late last week has everyone in the family very amused - since it started almost as soon as the water tank at zeRellies was all installed and ready to go - what a bargain eh???

Monday 15 December 2003
Shamila arrives and brings greetings for me from Kai, the golden retriever.  I spend a happy day being patted and praised by Shamila!!!

Very tired tonight because we went on THREE big walks today.  No dogaerobics needed today, that's for sure.

Sunday 14 December 2003
Despite both myself and Mistress Hellen vowing to not overeat - we do - yes, at our breakfast at zeRellies.  We went over today to pick up the CDs I'm borrowing for next Wednesday's Oldies Extravaganza.

Mistress Hellen pointed out that I'm letting the updating of playlists go sliding in preference to playing with infant websites.  I must admit I've been dodging my responsibilities of late.

Saturday 13 December 2003 (back to top)
Ooo!  BIG surprise!!  Shamila rang - she's in Sydney.  We'd not kept up much communication in recent months and she's coming to stay on Monday so a whole lot of catching up can happen.

Mistress H off to the shops while I work on my website again.  With my sudden re-interest in applying for awards I'm keen to clean up and few things and implement some great changes.  Driving myself batty really.

Still no Andrea Bocelli DVD emerging from the local video store with the staff not much fussed about its disappearance.  Mistress Hellen commented - "what can you expect from a store that has 'Lolita' filed in the childrens' section??" - that's a very good question!!!

Friday 12 December 2003
I forgot to note down the exciting thing that happened on Wednesday.  I've been asked to fill in for a vacant program spot at 2RRR while the intended permanent new program is organised.  I'll be looking after a spot that Bruce Argyle has been doing.  The program is 'Down Memory Lane' and is all about really OLD music, such as Bing Crosby, Vera Lynn, Hoagy Charmichael.  I'm going to play the same sort of music too - which is funny because it's at the opposite end of the spectrum to my normal show - playing new releases!

We already own a heap of suitable music and to help along Missus Elizabeth has also offered the use of her 'oldies'.

Thursday 11 December 2003 (back to top)
Good news!  The missing Christmas decorations have turned up.  Missus Elizabeth found them when looking for the outside Christmas lights.  Yes, she found the outside Christmas lights too!  The offspring and friends helped adorn their house - I must get Mistress Hellen to take me over at night to see the effect.

Spent a lot of today working on behind the scenes things for this site - whooeeeee, what a LOT of work.  Finished converting all the older beagle diary pages to shtml files so I could take advantage of the 'include' command.  This will make life easier because the menu for all the pages is now on ONE spot instead of on every page - easier to update!

I'm also working on things for the 2RRR website.  Plus waiting for Blue Pop to get back to me with more content for their site - wow, I'm so busy!

Have started applying for website awards again - just for the fun of it.  Been a long time since I did that. 

Mistress Hellen ventured forth in the heat and did some Christmas shopping.  When she came home she wouldn't let me help with the packages - and she put a few of them right on top of the wardrobe - where I just can't reach them.  When I asked if they were for me - she said "some of it is - the rest is stuff I don't want you blabbing about in Beagle Diary which will be read by the intended recipients".  HRRUMPH!!! AS if I would????  *pause**  Well, OK, I might slip up and be excited about things.....

Wednesday 10 December 2003 (back to top)
Poor Beagle Basket.  It's a wire framed basket that I use to transport my CDs.  On the way to 2RRR it fell over when we went around a corner - scattering CDs all though the back of the car.  On the way home it was more securely placed, but unfortunately a little (disposable) doggie ran out in front of the car and when Mistress Hellen braked hard - the Beagle Basket had no chance!  Woopsie, over it went, upside down on the car floor - more CDs all over the place.

Later in the day: Mistress Hellen and Missus Elizabeth off out for the morning.  I stayed behind at zeRellies and watched (from a distance) Mister Darron welding a frame for their new water tank.  The arrival of this tank is causing much joy in zeRellies' household.

Oooo!  The day is too hot!  Rang Dilys and asked if we could come on over and visit with her and Chelsea.  We went over in the evening after things had cooled a little.

Tuesday 9 December 2003 (back to top)
The other week we borrowed an Andrea Bocelli DVD from the local video place.  We very much enjoyed it - and wanted to borrow it again.  Ha!  Tough Luck!  No one in the video store can find it - although it's marked as being there and not on loan.  Very disappointing, that's for sure!  Although I must say that the Saturday Staff were very much more helpful in their efforts to locate the DVD than the Tuesday Staff.  Mistress Hellen is going to ask after it again in a few days.

Hrrrumph!!  The seating arrangements at the computer have been most unsatisfactory of late.  Mistress Hellen has taken to sitting on one of those exercise ball thingies - instead of a chair.  This might make HER back feel good, but I am not a circus puppy and do not have the talent (or desire really) to be balancing on the top of some inflated poly-vinyl (or whatever it is) globe.

Each time I want to use the computer I have to push the globe out of the way and then drag my CHAIR over to the desk.  Today, during that operation, the globe rolled away and knocked over a pile of CDs I'd been working with.  I *almost* lost my grip on the chair I was dragging and if that had fallen....oh dear.  Mistress H popped her head around the corner and said "Streamer, why don't you just ASK me to help move the chair?".  Um, good question!

Monday 8 December 2003 (back to top)
Visited zeRellies to drop off the tinsel and other Christmas decorations we found last night.  Figured out that even more of theirs are missing.  A quick trip again to the garage revealed they still hadn't emerged from wherever they are hiding.

Missus Elizabeth says that now she's used to the tree as it is and so only uses a teeny bit of the decorations we brought.  Oh well, that's OK because maybe this year Mistress Hellen will put them up around our house!

The renovations of this website continue, to the detriment of other things such as updating the latest playlist - must do that this evening!

Sunday 7 December 2003 (back to top)
Breakfast at zeRellies again!  Then Missus Elizabeth and Mistress Hellen put up the Christmas Tree.  Big Mystery emerges - some of the classier decorations and the tinsel aren't around.  This necessitates a trip to the garage where all the humans and myself stare in dismay at the pile of 'stuff' (read: things wot BoyGeoffrey, BoyGraham and BoyNicholas have put there) in front of where we suspect the absent decorations are hiding.

Mistress Hellen says she'll look out what decorations we have at home.  After all, she rarely bothers putting them up so someone may as well use them.

I learnt a very very big lesson overnight about website design.  DO not, ever, ever, ever show a major direction change to your client when the site is almost finished.  Just for the fun of it last night I did screen dumps of the Blue Pop site and recoloured them - one of them so the site was white based instead of black.  Guess what - David LIKES the white site...oh dear.  Spent today bogging up a white version for evaluation.

Saturday 6 December 2003 (back to top)
Still working very hard at the Blue Pop site.  Now entered the phase where everything is fiddly and it's fine tuning time.  Also working hard on this site here - feel a bit like I'm surrounded by renovations.

Michael visits with his old car - back on the road again - yeeeehaaarrrrr!!!  We all go out for a little drive.  It sure is nice to be in a stylish car with real character again.  People point and stare as we cruise the streets.

Mistress Hellen begins to get nostalgic for the time when she too drove an unusual car - and then snaps out of it when she starts talking about some of the problems this brings.  As she often says "nothing quite like being able to go into any garage any place and saying "fix it please" and have no problems with parts being unavailable or people just not knowing how the car actually fits together.

Thursday 4 December 2003 * * * BoyGraham's Birthday * * *
Happy Birthday BoyGraham!  zeRellies and Mistress H go off out to dinner - I stay behind and continue working on both my website and Blue Pop's.

Wednesday 3 December 2003 (back to top)
Now this is a first - we SLEPT IN for my show.  I woke at 12:45am and had to jump on Mistress Hellen to get her awake.  Talk about fast moving - out the door and off to 2RRR and fortunately the standby tape that was running was still going when we arrived - only about 5 minutes or so after 1am.  Oooo, Errrr, that wasn't good at ALL.

Spend a lot of the day working on Blue Pop's site.  When it's all fired up and ready I'll put the link here.

Lots of happy tail wagging when David of Blue Pop rang to discuss the site progress.  Haven't spoken to him for ages - all communications have been via email.  He was without electricity after the big storm that hit Sydney and the wider Sydney region.

The Beagle Diary
A fascinating (perhaps) insight into Streamer's life with and without Mistress Hellen.  The diary is updated frequently.