Sitting here wondering if I'm Pollyanna or Eeyore - Day 350: Advent chocolate, movie with Michael, Spiders

I caught on my sadly neglected Spiderman advent calendar chocolate then caught the movie The Captive with Michael S at Dendy Newtown before jumping on the train to the City for a haircut and Spiders at Circular Quay with Wade, Kris (gave me yummy homemade chocolate balls and brought along her own teeny-tiny Christmas tree) and Sel ... only downer was I was sickening for a cold and needed Berocca and Aspro Clear to keep me going ...

Sitting here wondering if I'm Pollyanna or Eeyore - Day 168: Spiders and not Coldplay

Spidersgroup tonight which was tons of fun as usual with Wade, Kris and Kat and for some reason a weird arty selfie (we were all taking them; such fun!)

Only bummer note on a day I had to work was that Coldplay decided to film a clip for their song A Sky Full of Stars in NEWTOWN. Normally I work Thursdays and some Mondays but this week Alicia need to work the Tuesday, of all Tuesdays! Aarrghh!! Ah well, c'est la vie.

Holding the Reins of the Runaway Extrovert 2013: Day 352 - Fahmi, a kookaburra and Spiders

Started the day early at 5am walking with Fahmi, snapping some more shots of Christmas displays in shops along King Street as we went ...

Busy day doing a Photoshop module, blogging etc and caught a kookaburra sitting on the balcony. He was utterly unfazed by me and let me get really close to take pics, only flying off when I was back inside ...

Then off to Spiders for an impromptu meeting with Wade, Kris (who gave me a reindeer Santa in a mini snow globe present), Mel, Selena and Michael ... I took along caramel Lindor balls. Selena had cooked up rum balls with rum-soaked glace cherries inside and we had a ball catching up ...

Holding the Reins of the Runaway Extrovert 2013: Day 341 - Christmas picnic-ing fun!

Our annual Christmas picnic arrived at last!

After baking the meatballs and quiche yesterday, and packing lots of stuff that we needed (plastic plates, cups, forks and spoons all taken from my ample stocks so no extra money spent), getting to the supermarket for last minute chips, drinks etc, to the petrol station for ice and to the park - all from Steve's place where we stayed overnight so it was easier to get the tent and table and chairs - went relatively smoothly (apart from me leaving some of the tent decos at home but it only took Fahmi and I 10 minutes to zip back to my place and get them) and we were set up in no time flat!

I had a ball! The weather was PERFECT - sunny but cool breeze - everyone turned up (bar some Spiders who were sick poor things such as Kris and Nikk and Zja), got on famously, ate lots of yummy food (including Tricia's AMAZING Christmas present cake) and chilled from 11.30 to about 7pm when we packed it all up.

AWESOME DAY! Just AWESOME.

Waz does his best tiger claw impression with one of the tent support pieces

Fahmi also helped us set up

Stylin' the Christmas tree hat!

Waz's red drinks container was perfect for chilled icy water

Tricia is so phenomenally talented! Her cakes are works of art.

Waz's cheese and fruit plate

Yummy sausage rolls and party pieces from David B

Steve M's antipasto platter part 1

Loved Wade's t-shirt

David B and Steve M

Fahmi blowing bubbles

Vivienne is SOOO cute!

Justin and Sunny chill

Justin's beetroot salad was YUM! 

Fab that Alan and Pieta could make it this year!

My first ever quiche and it turned out beautifully!

John and daughter Sophie

Gerald and Vivienne

So many photos! Wade and I took snaps of each other

Info and his lovely friends - Paulo in brown T, Erica and I think Tom but can't be sure