What Actually Happened in The Mountains...

Debra is one of my 3 ACE keepers and I love her (and the others) but sometimes there appears to be other things going on in her life that get in the way of my blog being written! I would do it myself but it was decided when I was commissioned that money could be saved but skimping on cloth. I don't even have arms let alone hands and fingers to type myself. I have tried voice recognition but the only people who can hear me speak are the 3 keepers and Mrs Norris.

Still this is meant to be my final holiday blog not a rant at how unfair life is. I was just explaining why this blog is out of order in the timeline. I told you about the journey up to the mountains, well what happened when we got there? If you are a Facebook Fan of mine there are a lot more photos posted there but as usual I was the best behaved of the lot.

My friends are Geeks, IT is their life and the first thing on the list of needs for a suitable condo is Internet access. They need to stay online or become very ill. It isn't an obsession, and in fact most of it is talking to each other, I know Debra often emailed people at the same table not just those who couldn't join us. But this is not about them, this is about me.



One tradition is the hot tub and here you can just make out Alex Gorbachev holding me up and hidden by the steam is Jeremiah Wilton. Then I am left out over night to freeze.










Last year I was then used as a sledge and then Frisbee, but this year I was taken upstairs to the faux oak table.













I got in the way a bit so then they used me as a table! Problem with that is that as all the 'love' in the room warmed me up, I started to drip as I defrosted, so I was banished to the shower to thaw out.

Last year they tried to murder me with a noose but I was too quick for that this year however Debra nearly stabbed me with a very sharp icicle, which would have been very clever as all the evidence melted away soon after.

All too soon the holiday was over again. Thanks Tim for organising a great trip to the mountains and for all my friends who came along, see you again soon.

New Fans and My Big Night?

I am not finished with my RMOUG postings but I had to get this one out quickly, so I apologise for the order.

Debra teaches basic computers to people who live in sheltered housing (for retired people), the program is called Silversurfers. Anyway they all follow my blog but the computer in the complex is locked down so tightly (I think pornography is a big problem with the over 70s), that they cannot watch any of my videos.

But today Rita, new girl Kate and Jean were in for a treat Debra brought my latest video in on a memory stick and we were able to play it on Rita's new notebook. She also brought me and they were so excited. They know all about me and could not wait to have their photo taken with me.

The girls all tried to fight over me and it was all I could do to get away and they loved the video and am sure I am going to win my oscar tonight. They also loved Mogens which worries Debra as it all goes straight to his head.

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On my way to the mountains Feb 2010

Sorry this is so late but I have been tied up (literately, that Debra is quite mean). I have been trying to tell you about my annual trip to the mountains. So in a previous post I told you about the dive at the aquarium, and here you can see me with my dive shirt.

It is a bit of a tradition that on the way up to the mountains we stop for something to eat, it also means that all the cars meet up and we can be sure everyone is OK. This year we went to a buffalo joint in Idaho Springs and they had a real live buffalo (well as alive as I am). One of my friends get a little jealous of all the attention I get and so pretends to be asleep.

We left behind one of my stickers so the restaurant will remember me. Not really necessary, once you have met me you never forget me.

What happened in the mountains follows.

Great to be back

I love RMOUG, they take me really seriously, I have a badge and it even has an ACE Director Ribbon, they know how to treat me.


This year RMOUG had a keynote panel session for the ACE program that was facilitated by Duncan Mills of Oracle. I was so proud to be part of this, and you can see Alex Gorbachev holding me up, and do you know that he is so proud of this the photo that it appeared on his blog first. I love being the world's most popular ACE Director.

But what I like best about conferences is meeting up with friends and RMOUG is special, it was a rare chance for me to get together with Dan, Debra and Mogens. I said in my diving post that Mogens was unwell so we only had one chance to get together before Dan had to go back home, he did not go up to Breckenridge with the rest of us, more about that in the next post.


This very RARE photo of the 4 of us, I don't think there is another, was taken just before Mogens gave yet another spontaneous presentation.

There was an ACE dinner and the next day Victoria (who looks after us very well) sent Debra an email saying 'I have to tell you…. Last night I was telling my husband about the evening and I said I was talking to Debra and Dan and he said “Debra Lilley? The one who has Stanley the vest?” I thought it was funny that he said your last name. And of course he had to mention Stanley.' Debra of course thinks it is about her, but really he just wants to be part of the Stanley phenomena, and he is welcome, I just love my fans.

Diving & My Youngest Fan

Yesterday I made some new fans. I as you know love diving, Monterrey,(Iceland should be on this list), Florida and Denmark so I was really pleased that yesterday I got to go with my friends to the Diving with Sharks at Denver Aquarium.

I don't actually dive all the time, you see with no face I have issues with the breathing equipment, I have buddy dived with Mogens in the past but I am quite content just to watch most of the time.

So yesterday was even more exciting than usual because for the first time in ages, Dan, Mogens, Debra and I were to be together nothing could get in our way, but the life of an ACE vest is not meant to be easy and Mogens was poisoned by James Morle who wanted Mogens dive spot. I was gutted but perhaps that isn't the right word to use as I kept away from the Dane's guts that were working overtime.

At the aquarium whilst everyone went off to get ready Debra and I went to see the fish, and I made some more friends.

I also met a lovely little girl Zariah who was celebrating her 1st birthday. I hope she sees this posting but when I last saw her she was eating my business card! Zariah can almost walk and her mom and dad were enticing her into walking by using my card as a bribe. so those of you who think I am just a useless rag, I am not!

There are lots of photos and I will post more on my Facebook Fan Page later. The people diving are James Morle & Margherita, Graham Wood, Alex Gorbachev and of course Dan Norris.

Valentine's Day is For Lovers

I said I had a date yesterday for Valentine's Day and it was more than I could have hoped for.

I started the day by sending a message to all my fans on Facebook, if you want to talk to me or see what I am up to between postings then you need to join. What was lovely was the number of people who then said for the world to see that they love me.

Then I went shopping with Debra, her daughter Brooke and Peggy King. We were in a shoe shop (how many pairs of shoes can a 21 year old girl need?), when Brooke spotted the perfect women for me. Now you will remember Brooke does not love me (or that is what she says), but she said 'quick mum get the camera for Stanley'. You cannot simply take photos of random people in public but a few weeks back Mogens had taught Debra the trick was to take a photo of a friend and ensure the subject was in the background, so that is exactly what Debra did. So not only can you see the lady with a knitted ACE jumper, oh how georgeous she was, and so soft, made of wool, I wonder if it is the lady who thought I was made of wool in my last posting? but we also now have a photo of Brooke. I am aiming for one of us both by the end of the week.

Then I had my date........you know I am from Vietnam, well I had a date with a Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig called Aggie. Oh she is adorable and owned by Dan Fink.

Valentine's Day is for Lovers and I loved it.