Welcome to the family, Teena!

My Teena Terror "Kooky Spooky" eBay purchase (lower left of the above image) turned up recently, replacing the custom Teena I'd made earlier this year, but wasn't happy with. Teena came without her original, reversible sign accessory (a heart shape with "Love"/"Fun" written on it), but I'd already made a customized one. I had to coerce a US penpal to do the transaction for me; fewer and fewer eBay sellers will ship overseas these days, and when one pays by PayPal the item has to go to the address recorded by PayPal. Thanks Melissa!

Teena now joins her family. I'm quite pleased with my customized Mama Kaskit, so I don't feel a yearning need to hunt up a real one.


The elusive Teena Terror; not my one, but notice the
brittleness of her broken-stick accessory.

These cool Hasbro toys are from the late 60s: I've added to the family of six (five originals, one custom-made replica) with some customs made of glow-in-the-dark Fimo, derived from early Patti Peticolas designs. Also Gilroy the ghost from Avon. Note that my Baby Spook'em has a "death rattle", an optional accessory suggested in Patti Peticolas' design sketches, from a time when her ghosts were planned as Colorforms-style paper/vinyl dolls that little girls could dress up and change hairstyles.

My Photo Peach slideshow, The Kooky Spooky story, tells the history of this 1969 phenomenon.

Enjoy!

A capital idea

There's something rather ironic about me calling this blog "Have Phaser, Will Travel" and the only time it goes dormant is when I'm travelling.

One reason is that I don't have a laptop (yet) and, when on vacation, the last thing I really want to do is race off to an Internet cafe, and do hilarious and/or witty blog entries on-the-spot, live from the scene. While the concept is exciting, I guess, I'm not so sure it's a good idea to announce to the world, "Hey, I'm on vacation, so's the housemate, the abode is unattended - and I even have the watchdog on holiday with me, not guarding the house, while I blog to you daily from this poky cafe!"


We are taking the
blankie, aren't we?"

A complete break from the Internet is not a bad idea, either. If I had a laptop, I just know I'd never get anything else - but a little blogging - done. I almost cherish time away from emails and web surfing so I can get some Star Trek novels read!

We departed on Saturday morning and were at our Downer (ACT), dog-friendly bed 'n' breakfast by the afternoon, having spent a brief time in beautiful Berrima on the way. We bought some pumpkin bread there, that will taste scrummy, and some sweets from the good ol' Lolly Swagman to keep us munching along the way.

On Friday night, before we left, I'd paid a few bills via the Internet. Then I realised during the car trip south - to my horror - that I'd forgotten to organise payment for some vintage Star Trek metal miniatures I'd won from a US seller on eBay earlier in the week. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet and public libraries, I effortlessly booked 30 mins Internet time at Dickson Public Library yesterday afternoon, just before closing. I even managed to check my emails online, change my PayPal password and send $$$$$ to my toy seller. Whew!

And no, despite the date and time on this entry, I didn't write it (or the next five entries) in the library, although i was tempted. I did it the old fashioned way - handwritten notes on a scrap of paper. Yay post-vacation "Post Options" hyperlinks!

Sunday's magic number: 91.0. Yeah, the French food and red wine did it, I think.