Why, Why, Why Delilah?

 I remember when my children were young, they pestered me with why's.  These days, I rarely question what is, I probably should.  Why do we stop asking why?

Well I'm going to put a few why's to you.  Things that just don't make sense, they are because they are, who decided these things?  Why?


Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds? 

Why don't you ever see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?


Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist
but a person who drives a racecar is not called a racist? 

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?



Food for thought,  do you have any why's that need asking?

Will you fly Qantas again?

 I've been reading with interest all the media coverage of the Qantas problems, here's the latest online

Another Qantas plane has been grounded with engine failure.

The flight was due to leave Sydney for London at 6.05pm (AEDT) yesterday, but passengers were pulled off the plane after a loud noise emanated from the engine while they were taxiing towards the runway, News Limited reports.

The flight was later cancelled.

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Earlier yesterday, passengers watched as Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce held a media conference to assure the public the company is now "100 percent confident" A380 planes are safe.

To prove the point, Mr Joyce flew the Singapore leg on the first A380 plane to return to service since the fleet was grounded three weeks ago when an engine exploded on a flight from Singapore.

But while passengers on the A380 flight to London got away on time, passengers on board flight QF1 to London via Bangkok were pulled off their flight because of an engine fault.

"The aircraft was taxiing to the runway and the pilot had an indication of an issue with one of the engines, and following procedures it returned to the bay," a Qantas spokesman told News Limited.

The passengers disembarked at about 7pm and were given meal vouchers while engineers examined the engine, but at 9pm they were told the flight was cancelled.

It is expected to leave at 9am today.

AAP

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/another-qantas-plane-has-engine-failure-20101128-18bq7.html

Are they problems? I remember a few years ago Garuda seemed to be in the news constantly with problem after problem. At the time I had a friend who was a travel agent and she told me I would be surprised at how many planes are delayed or turned around because of mechanical problems and at the time the media were just catapulting it to front page news.  I tend to think the same thing is happening now with Qantas.  It was reported a few weeks ago that a Qantas plane was turned around because it hit a flock of birds,  does that really warrant reporting? Another news report mentioned how a Qantas plane was struck by lightening, seriously?  A few years ago my MIL was on an Air NZ flight that was struck by lightening and had to make an emergency landing in Auckland, this event didn't seem newsworthy.

I'm a Qantas frequent flyer and I intend to keep flying Qantas, hell I'll even take a walk on the wild side and fly on the A380 again.  Would you?

My baby boy

Today is a day of reflection, today is the day I no longer have babies, toddlers or teenagers.  Today is the day my baby boy turns 20.

The apple of my eye, baby brother of his 2 sisters, the boy who broke my heart as he muddled through those teenage years is no longer a teenager.

It only seems like yesterday I had his pudgy little hand in mine as we walked to school, I kissed his knees better after the almost daily scrapes, we made muffins together and I used to have to sit on the back step and count how long it would take him to run down to the corner of the yard and back.

It only seems like yesterday when I cried myself to sleep as he experimented with the wild side during the early teen years, battled with his sisters, actually battled with the whole family.

Now I celebrate the man he has become.  The man who now kisses me when he arrives and says "I love you" as he leaves the house.  The man who holds down a job and has purchased his own little flat.  The man who loves coming home for the weekend and just hanging out with his mum and dad.

Happy 20th birthday my baby boy, it's been a long road, but we're here now and I'm so very proud.

Who's my great, great, great grandmother?

We attended my husbands family reunion in New Zealand last month, and I was enthralled at how one industrious family member had researched the family tree and uncovered many scandalous skeletons.

In a fit of I don't know what, I had the idea that I would research the family tree on my mothers, mothers side.  I mentioned it to her, she in turn mentioned it to her older sisters, who then came forth with loads of names, dates, events with great excitement.  The words "excited" and "wonderful" were bandied about, it was then the pressure arrived.  I'm officially the family historian.

I joined ancestry.com.au and started the tree from me.  The next generation were easy, they are all still alive, the following generation were easy enough to find though I was disappointed to discover that there are no convicts or scandals in my heritage (on either side), the immigration records show "unassisted passage", so they paid their own way. oooh I thought, maybe they were wealthy... but no, I come from a line of gardeners (though that gene has obviously been watered down somewhat).

It was when trying to get to my great, great grandparents that things got HARD!!!  With surnames like ROYCE, BALDWIN, STOKES and BRADLEY it shouldn't be too hard should it??  How many Mary Baldwins were born in Worcestershire in 1815?  Well let me tell you, it was more than three or four.  So narrowing down our Mary Baldwin was tricky, but doable.  Now to the next generation,  how many William Baldwins were born in 1820's in Warwickshire? No less than 5!!  How many William Baldwins married women named Eliza? Would you believe 5?!!! How many William and Eliza Baldwins  had daughters named Mary? Every bloody one of them!!!

This gives me a massive headache even thinking about it.  Has anyone else had success in tracing their family tree?  I'd love some tips.

To anyone who's ever thought about tracing their family tree, a word of advice..... leave it to some other sucker!!