Round Robin

Yes! It is that time of the year again - it is Christmas and what does Christmas mean? Catching up with those friends and relatives that you have forgotten for the rest of the year - its the round robin. So for all of those I have forgotten here is my round robin.

It has been an extraordinary year for all concerned, I for one had no idea what living in America would bring! But it hasn't just been an exciting year for me, Oz finally completed his undergraduate degree and met with a potential graduate school supervisor! Aunt Marjorie finally completed her patchwork on the history of clocks throughout the centuries, although she jokes that it will never really be finished! But before we get carried away let us not forget to mention the passing of Percy our Parakeet, he had been Majorie's best friend for neigh on twenty years and following his untimely demise due to an unfortunately out-of-date date she could barely bring herself to finish the patchwork.

Cousin Dermot was ordained as a man of the cloth by ordinations4u.com, we are all very proud of him and have booked him for all our christenings, weddings and funerals for the foreseeable future. If you would his services (his speciality is funerals and bar mitzvahs!) email crazyrevderm@hotmail.com.

Oz continues to astound us all, he got straight As in his quarter at UCSB and has now finished his undergraduate, we are all very proud of him. He is currently finishing writing a ground breaking manuscript that is set to change the field of avian palaeontology forever! We all wait with baited breath. Just this week he visited LA and met with the one-and-only reknowned Dr. Luis M. Chiappe, Director of the Dinosaur institute at the LA county Natural History Museum, whom he hopes to continue Postgraduate studies with, they were locked in an office in heated debate for many hours! Oz is currently travelling around California with Martyni before returning to Australia for six months to rest on his laurels.

Martyni passed her first year of her degree with a grade good enough to continue her scholarship, however she has left her home university for a year to study abroad at UCSB. She has found the experience interesting to say the least, and has so far resisted the urge to strangle certain teachers, although how long she will be able to continue resisting is uncertain. She has bravely attempted to study Arabic and to our amazement passed this quarter with a flying pass! She found it surprisingly enjoyable, stretching her brain in previously under-utilised ways. Oz is encouraging her to stretch other parts of her anatomy. She has found the experience of having a room mate interesting to say the least, and is slightly unsettled at the prospect of not having her own room until next October. After completing her studies at UCSB she intends to spend the summer with Oz in her in Melbourne, working as an assistant teacher.

With the craziness of 2008 all but over, we eagerly anticipate what the new year shall bring!

With love,

Martyni and Oz xxxxxxxxxxxxx