ONE FROM THE VAULT

Here is a delightful snap of Fritz when he was a baby.

TOON TIME

Have a look at this little gem, a simple yet delightful toy I've had since birth. All you do is squeeze the wooden handles and Mickey will perform gymnastics at an Olympic level for your personal entertainment. Many times I have rescued him from the rubbish or donation bags Mum makes up over the years. I refuse to part with his retro charm.

MIXED TAPE

Make your own cassette title here!

BOONIE

David Boon – Aka the Keg on legs, is the proud holder of a 52 beer can sinking record on a flight from Sydney to London. A true Australian icon.
The "Boonie" is a doll or figurine that interacts with cricketing broadcasts and says one of 37 pre-programmed phrases triggered by a special audio cue within cricket broadcasts on the telly.
After seeing all the fuss created over the Boonie doll in news papers and ebay last year, I decided it was a must have for my bazaar collection. After all, he is another Tasmanian Legend. But they were only available when you purchased a slab of VB and I missed out.
Imagine my delight when I went into my local bottle shop a few weeks ago and saw a row of them behind the counter. When the assistant asked "will that be all"? I boldly replied "no, you can chuck in one of those Boonie dolls with it love"! The dude smiled and handed me my very own to take home and love. And I did love him, for all of 1 week. As it was programmed for last year I though he would never speak again but alas, he talks and it's driving me nuts.
He seems to go off in the wee hours of the morning, screaming the likes of " Got any nachos? - I love nachos" or "Get me a VB, the crickets about to start". I did find it pretty funny the first few days but he seriously has nearly given me a heart attack on many occasions. It seems when ever I'm about to fall asleep he yells out something crazy like "I feel like playing table tennis", sending my heart to my throat. I thought it was some guy in the house. Why doesn't the little fella have an off button or batteries I could take out!
After doing a search on various other blogs I see I'm not alone, he's doing it to many around the country. He does seem to have quite a following with whole blogs dedicated to him. I hear they are releasing two more talking players this summer, I think I'll give em a miss.

LEADER OF THE PACK

Like Daddy like daughter, I love me wheels.

SODA POP

There is nothing better than to suck down a soda pop on a hot summer's day. When I was a spring chicken you could get these refreshing delights in a glass bottle. It has never tasted or felt as good going down since the cans and plastic bottles were introduced. I envy the countries that still provide the glass bottle. My dream is to one day own an old soda dispensing machine just so I can walk over, select a delicious cold soda, hear the bubbles fizz as I pop the lid and wear that refreshing Coca Cola smile.
For a trip down memory lane I collect the odd old bottle or two that I can find at local markets.

LAZY DAZE

Spring is knocking on the door and the dogs had a good shave down. Poor Syd wasn't quite ready to loose his big coat and as a result I have had to put him in thermal singlet. Fritz is coping ok though, seen here soaking up the sun where ever he can find it.