JANUARY 2004
Saturday 31 January 2004
Oh, forgot to upload the latest Beagle Diary updates from the last few days.  How silly of me!  Have become addicted to making ecard graphics for the Paint Shop Pro Users Group site.  They've suggested I set up a graphic area on the net for my work.  Well, maybe some time in the future!

Friday 30 January 2004
Mistress Hellen went with Dilys to a different library and came back with the soundtrack to 'Pennies from Heaven' for me to use on my new show.  It's good having music for borrowing at the library and even better that Mistress Hellen is a library fiend, who enjoys visiting all the libraries in the area.

Wednesday 28 January 2004 (back to top)
Was told today that the Oldies show I've been covering from 10-midday Wednesdays is officially MINE!  Woah! Two shows at 2RRR.  Apparently not only are the listeners happy with my show, so are 2RRR decision makers.  I guess that when Mistress Hellen gets a job I'll have to give up the show because she won't be around to take me to the station.

Was thinking of a new name for this show.  Trying 'Tuxedo Junction' but it's not quite right!  Oh well - I'm sure the right name will come.

I'm still doing my 'Streamer Never Sleeps' though - I haven't abandoned my devotion to the music sent to 2RRR's Music Library!

Saturday 24 January 2004 ** Mister Darron's BIRTHDAY **
Missus Elizabeth visited during the day.  We're not going over to zeRellies for Darron's birthday dinner because Mistress Hellen is going out tonight.

Thursday 22 January 2004
Yesterday I sent more ecards to Paint Shop Pro User Group site.  They are on display at the Paint Shop Pro Members Gallery Page 3 with the user name 'Streamer' if you want to have a look.  They look a bit squashed, but that's just the thumbnails.  It's nice to know that my creativity will be on display and people can send them as ecards!

Wednesday 21 January 2004 (back to top)
I'm finally wising up to the temperature differences at 2RRR between my middle of the night show and the daytime show.  At night the air conditioning has been off for hours and the studio is HOT - with all that equipment humming away and the overhead lights and other night time announcer body heat.

However, in the daytime, it's FREEZING.  Today Mistress Hellen packed my puppy coat so I could put it on when I started feeling the lower temperatures.  This made for a much more pleasant show.  When the show was over and I discovered that the outdoor temperature had soared since we'd arrived at RRR, it was tempting to put the coat on again and spend the rest of the day napping in the studio!

Tuesday 20 January 2004
I now have a picture of Barney!!!  Ann, his human, left a note in our letterbox along with Barney's photo!  *happy tail wagging*  Barney is the best looking dog in the world!  Mistress Hellen put the photo on the fridge door.

Sunday 18 January 2004 (back to top)
Sent one of my graphic creations to the Paint Shop Pro User Group website.  They liked my work so I'll be sending more!!!!

Saturday 17 January 2004
Off to Michael's to welcome his new computer into the world.  I hope this one doesn't get as demon possessed as the last one.

Thursday 15 January 2004
Astonishing amount of spam in the mailbox today.  Wonder what inspired that.

Yesterday I was given access to the storage area at 2RRR which holds things that aren't being used regularly.  What a treasure trove of records!!  Yes, VINYL thingies!!  I found more material for the Oldies Show.  Spent a lot of time today listening to the records.  Most are in great condition, but I'm getting Mistress Hellen to do the washing thing to some of them.

Wednesday 14 January 2004 (back to top)
Saw Barney and his human (Ann) this morning.  Barney wasn't happy about the weather being overcast - he likes to chase lizards who come out to sun themselves.

The 'Down Memory Lane with the Pooch' show went well.  Today I had a young assistant with me - Felicity - the daughter of another presenter.  This 'during the day' gig is great - listeners ring in, people are out and about, there's lots of happy tail wagging and pats and ear scratches to be collected.  It's very different from presenting 'Streamer Never Sleeps' in the middle of the night, that's for sure.

Visited Dilys and Chelsea after the show and the four of us went for a short walk.  Chelsea said she'd just discovered the fun of chasing lizards.  Oh!  Just like Barney.  Can't say it appeals to me at all.

Dilys is still poorly and Mistress Hellen is still a little on the green side of well.  Those humans - too fragile!

Woah!  Playlists up to date, diary up to date - must be something going right with the system!

Tuesday 13 January 2004
It RAINED late at night - YIPEEEEEE!!!!

Sunday 11 January 2004 (back to top)
Oh dear, both Mistress Hellen and myself not quite right today.  She is claiming that someone must have taken a meat mallet to her upper body during the night, including her head.  Apparently the first time 'biscuiting' is always the worst - I think that may be because before embarking on a second ride, most people would take up some sort of upper body muscle building routine!!

Checked in with zeRellies, Missus Elizabeth also feeling meat-malleted despite having a decidedly gentler go on 'the Biscuit'.  Seems Mister Darron, who was smart enough to - a. not have a 'biscuit' and b. retire gracefully to the shore before the day got too hot, is the lone 'I feel fine' of the family.  Even 'the youngies' are feeling a bit off, with BoyGeoffrey reporting that yesterday was the hottest day they've ever had out on the water.

Later in the day we went over to zeRellies and BoyGeoffrey recorded a promo for my 'Streamer Never Sleeps' show.  It was fun working with him.

Saturday 10 January 2004 (back to top)
Despite not feeling well, Mistress Hellen accepted an invitation for us to go out on BoyGeoffrey and BoyGraham's flashy boat.  I think that if she had any idea on how BAD she'd feel in the days following, we would have stayed right here at home!

Oooo!  Very exciting on the water and IN the water.  I had a swim - and did the doggie thing of shaking myself off to let others enjoy the water too!!  One of those moments - someone says "Streamer, don't, no, aAAAAaaargh!" and we all pretend that no-one likes being showered by water from the dog!

So why did Mistress Hellen end up feeling worse after our great day out?  A few factors, one being 'the Biscuit' - which is a floaty thing that is towed behind the boat.  When it's being towed at top speed and bouncing around, the human body has to do a lot of muscle work to stay put and also suffers a lot of jarring to delicate areas - such as the brain and the spine!

It was also a very hot day, with a hot wind and really, Mistress Hellen is more an indoor, nocturnal sort of creature, so while we had a good time - she, and the others, I may add, certainly felt less than great by the time we decided to head home.  This was in spite of all the hats, blockout, wet towels, sitting in the shade and water drinking.

Thursday 8 January 2004 (back to top)
Mistress Hellen rang Dilys and found out she is still very sick.  This is not good at all.  Another thing, now Mistress Hellen is reporting to be very off colour and I'm not far behind in the 'feeling yukko' score.

The last few days I've been working again on this website.  Mostly little 'cleaning up' type of things.  I removed the font 'Lucida Casual' from the entire site.  While I really liked the font, I decided that it was too loose and made the site look dated, PLUS, I doubt whether a lot of people saw the site in that font anyway.

Wow, I do so much work on this site behind the scenes!  I started keeping a change log and am astonished at how much change I'm implementing.  I'm working on a white version of the site - a very modern look, but won't be publishing that for quite some time - too much work for me at present in my 'not quite healthy feeling' state.

Wednesday 7 January 2004
Saw our Middle of the Night Gardener again - this time he was raking up leaves and safely away from the kerb.

Later: Did another 'Down Memory Lane with the Pooch' show today - the music from the 30s, 40s and 50s - well, the crooner and swing sort of music.  I did manage to squeak in some Madonna from her 'I'm Breathless' album, which has the same feel and sound to it as the crooner era music.

No new CDs arrived at RRR again - so I can have another holiday from my Music Library cataloging activities.

Monday 5 January 2004
Hmm, seems like Mistress Hellen took my comments to heart and has now started applying for jobs with some degree of enthusiasm.

Much excited squeaking - tonight we went over and visited Pawl EJ and his newly refurbished recording studio.  Ooooo!  Had the living daylights scared out of me when the control panel moved all the slider controls without any human or canine intervention.  These new fangled digital things!  It wasn't a slow move, more a 'ZAP' and suddenly instead of being at zero position, they were all over the place.

Sunday 4 January 2004 (back to top)
SECOND unscheduled bath for the year - this time involving cocoa powder.  I'm thinking that either Mistress Hellen will need to give up this cookery nonsense, or I'll have to just steer clear of the kitchen when work is in progress.  I think she needs to get a job to deter all this creativeness.

Saturday 3 January 2004
Visited Dilys and Chelsea and while the humans went grocery shopping - Mistress Hellen said an outing would be good to stir Dilys back to good health - Chelsea and I played.  She had a pair of socks!  I asked if it was really OK for us to be playing tug-of-war with these and she said that her humans had given them to her.  Oh well - far be it from me to argue.  A great time together.

After spending the afternoon lamenting the fact that our friends seem socially inert, at work, ill or away on holiday, Mistress Hellen suggested we invite Missus Elizabeth and Mister Darron over for dinner.  So we did!

After a great meal the humans played 'Squatter' which I'd never seen played before.  Hmm, very interesting concept - the life of sheep farmers.  Lots of laughter, which was good - I watched Wallace and Gromit for a while then hung around watching the 'Squatter' game progress.

Friday 2 January 2004 (back to top)
First unscheduled bath of the year happened today.  Unscheduled baths are in response to accidents and incidents and are generally the result of something Mistress Hellen has done.  THIS was no different.

You know those pancake mixes in a bottle - well Mistress H bought one of those the other day.  I have no idea why, as she makes top pancakes from scratch anyway.  SO..the big moment - add water to the mix, put on top, shake bottle.  All the while I'm watching on.  Next step - taste the uncooked mixture.  "Oh Streamer, this is YUM" says Mistress H.  She turns on the hotplate, decides to give the mixture just one more shake but neglects to notice she hasn't put the bottle top on properly.

Can you guess who copped the flying pancake mixture? YES....Myself, the fridge and the floor.  If only she hadn't turned the bottle sideways for that final shake, then SHE would be the only one having an unscheduled wash.  I did lick an awful lot off but after she finished laughing, she pointed out that I still had lots on the top of my head.

Thursday 1 January 2004  * Happy NEW YEAR's DAY *
Must have been an exciting day - I cannot remember what I did - which serves me right for neglecting this diary for so long.

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