G'day Vicki,

Friday November 29 1996 05:23, Vicki Crawford wrote to Gaelyne Gasson:

 GG>>> Mind, these won't show the gangs, burnt out houses and other
 GG>>> war-zone sights but they should be kinda fun anyway.
 VC>>
 VC>> Pardon?
 VC>
 GG>> The bits that never make the press.  :-(

 Correction:  international press.   I'll see about bringing a local
 paper with me, room permitting.

 GG>> The house next door to me has gang-writing on it (here, graffiti
 GG>> is  mostly gang related, not just kids having fun like it is in
 GG>> Oz).
 VC>
 VC> If you are taking photos make sure you take one of the house next
 VC> door.

 Will try.  I didn't have enough film in this roll, but I'm planning to
 pick up another one, as I'll be here for the Christmas lights display
 at City Hall and the Water works building.  Even as a child, I
 remember my family coming into town to see this, so I'm going to do my
 best to get a piccie of it to bring back.  Last Crissy the best Rod
 could do to show me lights on Christmas eve was take me up on the
 Ferris Wheel at Glenlg.  (That was fun, though).  So I'd like to show
 what I was anticipating.  So I'll try to get photos of the house next
 door too. Mind, they've been cleaning it up of late.  (Finally).

 GG>> Here, if a kid wear's the wrong coloured shirt or jacket, they
 GG>> can  get shot if they walk into a gangs territory, and in one
 GG>> area, drive  by shootings are so bad, people have bought cast
 GG>> iron tubs to use as  beds for their kids so they won't get shot
 GG>> in the night by stray  drive-by bullets.
 VC>
 VC> I'd say "you're kidding" except I know you don't kid so it must be
 VC> true.

 It is, but not in all neighbourhoods.

 VC> Shit! Can I ask if this is black neighbourhoods or white, and if
 VC> white are they non-american whites (Mexican springs to mind)?

 Err... In the city of Saginaw, the city is divided by a river so
 there's the east and west sides.  I live on the west, and most of the
 problems are on the East side.  The worst areas are the black
 neighbourhoods, the second worse is the mexican areas.  We have
 problems because the house next to the burnt out one (which is next to
 us) is owned by a Mexican who is in jail.  His family runs the place.
 It's a known drug house. If they were renters, they'd be gone, but
 because it's owned, we're screwed.  When drive-by shootings happen
 (around once a month on this street) it's always the house on the
 corner as the target.  :-(

 GG>> A house in this city got riddled with machine gun fire in a gun
 GG>> fight  between police and a guy held up.. the cops finally came
 GG>> in with a  bulldozer (the operator wearing a bullet proof vest)
 GG>> and took care of  they guy by buldozing his house in.  I thought
 GG>> it very clever.  Pity  it took 3 days to make this decision.
 VC>
 VC> Knowing that USA is litigation mad I would say that the 3 days was so
 VC> that the "officials" covered their backs so that they
weren't going to
 VC> be sued.

 Prolly.  They even tried tear gas with no go.  It made for quite
 interesting television for a few days, with the exception that there
 were several cops that got shot and it was surrealistic to see the
 ambulances show up and know it was live and real... coz it sure looked
 like a good television drama.

 GG>>> The wedding is cancelled.  :-(
 VC>> No no no. You can't get out of it that easily.
 GG>> OH???
 VC>
 VC> Oh! You and Rod have been promising us a wedding, so a wedding is what
 VC> we are going to have!

 Even if it kills us and breaks our bank accounts, eh?

 VC>> I have booked the Hilton Hotel for the reception. There is a
 VC>> forfeit fee if we cancel the ballroom for the reception. Then
 VC>> there is the
 VC>
 GG>> I didn't book it, so it's not my worry.   ;-)
 VC>
 VC> 'Tis in Rod and your names. As official matron of honour I was
 VC> meanly acting in your best interests.
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
     ^^^^^^

 ROFL!   The best freudian slip I've seen in *AGES* !!!!

 VC>> big society coverage for the press. The
 GG>> ROFL!  ROFL!
 VC>
 VC> What you don't like coverage by Australian Post?

 Australian Post?  You're having us covered in stamps?????

 VC>> brides-maids/flower-girls/page-boys outfits are nearly complete.
 VC>
 GG>> Eh... the bride will arrive naked, I guess, huh??   
 VC>
 VC> Of course, you said that's what you were going to wear so that's what
 VC> I have designed around. You will love the accessories though that you

 OH!

 VC> will have. I have made beautiful lace garters for your leg and hearts
 VC> for around your wrist and the head/veil arrangement has to be seen to
 VC> be believed. That's why Oz Post are doing the coverage for the press.

 Mmm... must be Valentine's Day stamps I guess....  ;-)

 VC>> matron-of-honour dress is close to being complete as well (you
 VC>> will love it, I look so good!).
 VC>
 GG>> Uh, huh, but the bride will be totally in the nick.
 VC> Hope for warm weather.

 Yea, or we'll NEVER find out who the "best man" is.  ;-)

 VC> Crumpets are English. Seeing it will be the middle of summer here
 VC> crumpets disappear from the shops because they go mouldy extremely
 VC> quickly in summer so they will be difficult to find so we have to
 VC> import them from UK.

 ROFL!  Sure, and don't forget to invite the Queen and Di.  And make
 sure they get the same table to sit at because it should provide
 entertainment for the rest of us.  :-)

 VC>> The wedding cake has been made and is being iced with marzipan
 VC>> and royal icing. (Did I tell you about the cake? 5 tiers high and
 snip
 GG>> 5 tiers!!!  How many people did you invite????

 VC> All your and Rod's friends and family as well as all from AVTECH. We

 What, even the bloody yanks??

 VC> have organised a special plane to pick up the Avtecher's from around
 VC> Australia at the major airports and those that live away from the
 VC> capital cities are being picked up by light plane. I have verbal

 Oh, sure.  I suppose you got Quaintarse to sponser a special flight
 just for the yanks, too.

 VC> replies back from about 500 so far. Won't know the final figure until
 VC> the official invites are posted out.

 Uh, but we don't KNOW 500 people between the two of us, I'm sure.

 GG>> Oh, and what day IS the wedding, or is that a secret kept from
 GG>> the bride and groom till the last possible minute??
 VC>
 VC> That part has been left blank on the cards for the date to be
 VC> inserted. You know we can't set a date until your divorce becomes
 VC> final and you are pysically here in Oz.

 This is true.  Just a few more days and the divorce can be scheduled.
 I should know the date the hearing will take place before I leave.

 GG>> As my defacto spouse would put so elequently,
 GG>> "Good, they can pay for it then."
 VC>
 VC> You forgot the Oz tradition and we also have already talked about
 VC> this. It will be a BYO.

Oh, ok.  That means you're paying for the cake, Hilton and whatnot.
:-)

Cheers,
Gaelyne

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