Conference week

The tutorials begin the week this time. All is quiet and it's a small break after the rush of last Sunday. It also gives me breathing space to work on the app before the demand kicks in on Wednesday.

The tank has come in! True, it's not quite what I was expecting, but hey! It will do!

I head out to the lawn to watch.

The booths are mostly set up. We have a cut out at the stand and some are game enough to have photos taken... We have a wii at the booth. We are offering a prize and the geeks are happy to have a go. Admin2 badgers me to play but I don't like to do that when people are watching. Eventually a passing geek talks me into it. I've never played the game before and get a score of 586. It's not the best but it's not the worst either. *i'm happy. and now i think i want a wii. or maybe an xbox. i miss that...*

I'm waiting for the Gala Dinner. I've arranged the 501st for delegates and I hope they will like it. Not many people know about it and I've kept it that way so it's more of a surprise. I think it goes over well.

I've organised for them to arrest one of the speakers and take him from the stage. But OH NO! Everything is running about fifteen minutes ahead of the run sheet and 501st have missed their cue. The speaker went shorter than time and fled the stage quick smart too. Luckily, I had asked C her opinion about it before adding it to 501st run sheet. The GM took the stage, called the speaker back and arranged the 'arrest' photos. I didn't see the speaker again after so don't know if he enjoyed the experience. I'm told from those who could see that he was in seventh heaven.

I didn't feel well and left before Axis of Awesome.

Budget day and luckily this month is a three pay month. I decide that the bills can wait - MOTH and I will trip up north for a few days. I arrange with C and K to have the week off.

The conference is finally at an end. I'm doing pack up duty with Admin2 and it's between 1600 and 1630 when we finish. I don't like driving a work car in the dark so I had booked an extra night. We decide to stay. We haven't spent all the budget for the week, so we have dinner at the pizzeria. I have carbonara and MOTH a pizza. We sit, talk, wind down. The carbonara is absolutely delicious. We've arrived, been served and eaten within forty-five minutes. I crash after watching Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and don't stir till after 0600 the next morning. Excellent sleep for me.

Head out the next morning and within mere seconds MOTH says you probably should have gone that way. Things deteriorate from there. Karen tells me to go one way, MOTH tells me another but today he is a terrible navigator and says That way while vaguely waving his hand around. I take several wrong turns. I'm getting frustrated and stressed, MOTH is getting angry too. He asks if I put the right destination in when I started. Yes, I did. He is going to reset it just in case, has a go at taking it off the mount and gives up. Things are getting worse. I duck down an empty side street to do a U turn. We're still arguing and in the few seconds it takes me to pull in and turn, I've not checked the mirror and someone slams on the brakes and beeps their horn. A few seconds in an empty suburban street. MOTH thinks later that she has come around the corner pretty quickly too.

Karen tries to take us back in her original direction and MOTH throws his hands up. Just go where she says. I do. We're on the motorway in a very odd way *it looks like we are going south when we need to go north* and all is good for a time. We pass exit 24, looking for exit 23. Guess what! ... ... It's blocked off. No exit 23. Or 22. Or even 21. We take the next and come home a totally different way.

Finally home! And as I come in the door, MOTH is looking at Jerome. Jerome is looking at me and when I speak, he meows and runs to me, twisting around my ankles and telling me how good it is to see me. He's on the bed, nuzzling my hands and purring like an engine. He's barely left my sight since.... and yet, I have to leave him again...

I've been so busy!

I can't believe that it's been two weeks since I last updated! And I've not even kept notes...

It's the lead up to the conference. The last week and I've been running around like a chook with my head cut off. Last minute things like hoping some of the collateral arrives at the office before then!

It does, and I have made arrangements for it to be virus scanned before distribution. Yes, it's a USB stick. The sponsor has asked they all be scanned but I've managed to negotiate a higher than normal quota. I've tripled it. I have also managed to get two of the GTs to help with the task. I distribute the sticks and wait for them to come back to me for their final scan. There are 6 from each tray. And about 10 trays. This afternoon I ask Admin2 if she can help. Sure she can do that. I have one day to do it. It's the last day before we all leave for the Coast. I ask Admin2 for help. I'm sorry, she says. I can't, I'm busy.... (!)

My favourite GT sends and email. HE'S LEAVING! OH NOES! Now I think I am really going to have to work on finding another job. But I'm still close to my long service leave. Do I give that up or wait? I think I will wait a bit longer.

This week has been so rushed!

I've been enjoying myself a little more. C is finally trusting me to do more so I am being kept busy. Very busy.

One of the work projects has come to an end. That means no more tape changes. No more monthly report writing. And now that the conference has come to an end for the year, I have no idea what my duties will be. Perhaps I might not even have a job for long...

We've been told that for the gala dinner we will need to sit at a work table with named places. I hate that. Hate it a lot. I work with Admin2 and don't like her enough to spend time at the same table. Closer to time, we are given the option of seating ourselves. I jump at the chance and send an email to say MOTH and I will 'free range'. Fave GT edits that to add a bracketed "like crazy chickens" and the jokes come flying. Complete with chicken suits with the GT's head.... Conference girl comments on it - the nonsense YOU started, she says.

Dinner will be provided for staff on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights. Partners costs won't be covered but they are welcome to attend as well. I reply to say I won't attend any. The girl employed by us to help with conference stuff is somewhat stunned when I tell her 'none'. I tell her that MOTH is just as likely to say 'nah, too expensive', 'can't be arsed' etc. And he will. The venue is 5 star with 5 star prices. Think a 12 inch gourmet pizza for $30. We can drive to the nearest KFC and get something cheaper thanks!

I've collected the work car and I think I'm set for the next week. The house sitter is arranged so Jerome won't go hungry. Saturday comes and off we go. I take MOTH with me, although this year work will not be covering any of his expenses outside of the conference social functions.

As I go to check in, C is there. She tells me she is about to call me and asks if we will be joining everyone else for dinner. It seems that work is required to pay for a certain number of people anyway so if that number don't turn up, he can take one of the paid meals. I check with MOTH. He says ok, so dinner tonight is taken care of. Hopefully for both of us.

We have been trying to use an app for the conference program and proceedings. It works on smart phones and devices so you don't need printed copies of the program for everyone. It got buggy and the vendor tells me it will be right when the Apple store release the update. I grit my teeth and soldier on. One of the Managers has been trying to use it and gets cranky. Hey! It's not my fault! I can't help it and I've asked questions... I didn't write the bloody thing! ... ... siiiigh. It works fine for a day then gets buggy again... This isn't going to be pretty.

The work room is set up and I go to keep working on the conference app. IT'S WORSE THAN BEFORE! I decide that I have to let C know now.... I've been talking to the vendor and although they are helpful, they aren't giving me much I can work with. One of the GTs has noticed a massive packet loss and not only is it occurring for my app, it's also the conference network in general. Panic stations everyone!

I decide to quit for the day. The GT is still working on things, and I miss C when she comes to see what is happening. They contact the vendor and apparently their data centre is at a complete stand still. Not helpful Jan!

I am working on Mother's Day. It's Sunday and my work day starts at 0745. It's the start of a long, busy and often boring week.

That night, as MOTH and I return from buying our dinner, I get news that Ma is in hospital... What am I going to do? I want to visit but I don't think I can. C tells me to do what I need but I decide that I can't do much at present and continue on.

Living on a ... rush?

The conference is only a week away and I'm feeling very pressured now. I am not sure I will get this task finished in time. But I don't know who else can help me as everyone is as busy as I.

Anzac Day this week. A day to give thanks to our fallen for the sacrifice they made. Stan travelled out to Longreach for the ceremony. He was gone for a week. I arrived home from work to find a parcel on my bed. Stan had bought back gifts. I now have a FUSCHIA t-shirt. It's a tight fight but well good enough for home wear.

The sun has set and the night is getting dark. I'm minding my own business when Jerome starts to call. Yowl would be more like. Or yodelling. Uh oh. That tells me he's definitely not happy about a trespasser. I look out the bedroom window and I think I can see a shadow. Jerome continues to call. He's very loud! I unlock the front door and yes, there's a cat sitting at the top of the garden steps. I shoo it away. Or I try. It just stares at me. I shoo it again and it heads down the steps. I can see it silhouetted under the street lamp. They're sneaky but I am too. I stand there and sure enough, it comes back. I chase it again and it walks away. I stand out there like a fool for a few more minutes but it doesn't return.

It's a time for Police cars I think. I'm on the bus and there are three of them parked in a bus stop. There is blue and white checkered tape closing off the top of the stairs. Uh oh. What's going on here???

The Elder tells me it's Starlight week this week. Her employer works to raise funds for the Starlight Foundation, a children's charity. I think she even managed an extra day at work. She was totally chuffed. AND she got to wear her pyjamas to work. Why can't I do that? Oh wait, I had to retire my mad fave Jim Beam jammies. That just wouldn't work.

Starlight Foundation is also a favourite charity of the 501st Legion. I get off the bus and there they are! Brilliant! I am rushing to the next bus stop and I only have my bus fare in my pocket. I wish I could have taken photos! It turns out that I did have enough time after all. I had forgotten I had actually caught an earlier bus and now had twenty minutes for change over. The costuming this group wears is amazing. Not something tacky, but Lucasfilm's preferred Imperial costuming group.

This morning I go past the bus stop where the Police were parked. The steps are still roped off but today there is a sign advising a partial collapse of the bike path. I hope no one was hurt yesterday.

I'm not in the office today. I have training so I'm out of the office. I've not done this training before and it's usually two days. They've squeezed it into one. I'm expecting a loooong day. The course starts at 10.30am and I'm not certain of the location of the training room. I arrive at 10.00am. Early I know but the trainer is already there. I apologise for being early; he directs me to the coffee and continues to pack up from the previous class while we chat look at some of the pictures hanging on the walls.

Closer to 10.30am and others start arriving. It looks like I'm the only woman in the class... but no another turns up. This training is for my department at work and I know the other lady well. We fill out our forms and the training begins. Yes, people I am now a First Aid Officer. But goodness knows how I became that. CPR was up first. I can't even remember if I actually used the dummy. I think I did. Briefly. I DID get to use the defibrillator. *whoo!* That's easy because it tells you what to do.

CPR finished and .... everyone else left. That left just me for the Senior First Aid certificate. Ummmm. The trainer gave me a multiple choice questionnaire to complete. Take a guess he says and we'll go through it when you finish. The first ten questions had been included in the CPR training so I started from question eleven. There were thirty questions in all. When I finished, we went through them all. I got five wrong. He was impressed, considering I've not held a certificate before. He did a quick demo of bandaging a bite, use improvisation for a wrist splint. Showed me how to use an epipen, an asthma puffer with an improvised spacer. We ran through a couple of scenarios. Someone has fallen over and hit their head, split their lip and hurt their elbow; which one would you treat first?

So, somehow, I'm a qualified First Aider. And the whole process took ... two hours...

Time is aflying!

The conference is looming and it all seems to be going too fast! MOTH still wants to come with me but I think this year will be more expensive than the last. We were told partners get everything. And perhaps they do. Just not everything everything. I'm thinking I will have to fund his lunch on a few days instead of having it supplied.

The week started off well too.

Been so tired lately. I can't even bring myself to cook a decent meal. You know, with vegetables and all that. I guess MOTH could do it but it hasn't even occurred to me to ask. Tonight I decide on a premanufactured chicken schnitzel with a fried egg. I'm talking to MOTH and dishing the food onto the plates. The egg is not dead. It throws itself from the pan to the floor. MOTH smiles and takes pity on me, even 'keeping' it after I offer him mine. He 'reassures' me while eating that there are no gritty bits so all worked out fine. Sheesh.

I'm a little later this morning and the line of traffic to get under the bridge is taking its time. The usual assortment of motorcycles go past, lane splitting in an effort to get ahead. I hate that. It's dangerous. Suddenly I notice the scooter which has just gone past has two front wheels!

A conference meeting today and I think it's my turn to supply the snacks. Usually Bee does it. I get up early and make cheese scones. I think they are pretty good. None of them came home so I guess I wasn't the only one.

It's a bus day today. I'm staring out the window and plotting the bus's next move. I do that sometimes especially if I don't ride the bus very often. I don't know why. Left here, I think. The bus goes right. Oh. I must have got it wrong. A passenger in front calls out YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY! Nope, I was right. Now the driver is confused. So is her sidekick. I think they are learning a new route and the driver map seems to be marked wrong. She doesn't know how to get out of where she is; streets are really narrow here and there is no room for a bus to turn. One of the young passengers directs her down a side street and back across the traffic. We've effectively done a loop and are on our way again. I'm later than usual. But not too late.

I'm driving home and I can see red and blue flashing lights in the distance. Wonder what's going on there? I get closer and I see a police vehicle cross to the wrong side of the street. The lights are still flashing. I have enough time to notice that it has parked in front of an ambulance. Behind the ambulance is the paramedic. Parked on the footpath is another police car. Police get out of the car just parked and run toward the back of the unit complex. I can't see anything from the road. A little further down, a motorcycle policeman is headed that way with lights and sirens.

There's nothing on the news bulletins later that night that could have clued me in. *sigh. only time i'm actually interested in something and all is quiet*

Finally home for the weekend. That is, it's Friday and I'm finished work. MOTH has had some work done on his teeth yesterday and his mouth is still a little sore tonight. A light easy tea; he's cooked his winter supply of pea and ham soup so we have that. I had chicken mince out and decide that we can have it for lunch tomorrow. But I cook them up later that night and we snack on them. Miss Fisher's Mysteries is on and I settle down to watch that. And read a book.

It's raining this morning. In fact, it rains all day. MOTH is cooking roast pork. I make an apple crumble for dessert and send him to the shops to collect cream or icecream to go with it. He gets both. Cadbury caramello icecream in fact. MOTH comments that he hopes the crumble topping cooks through. The last few times I've made it, it browns on top but is still floury down near the apples. It's done this for as long as I can remember. I turn the heat up a little. Perhaps that will help? Time passes. OOPS! I can smell something crisping when it shouldn't be. I rush back to the crumble. I forgot I had turned the temp up. It's beginning to blacken on top, just. Juice from the apples has bubbled up and begun to caramelise in places, burn in others. And when I dish up, it's STILL floury underneath. *just can't win* I tell MOTH that maybe I won't bother to cook it anymore. He disagrees. The pork is amazing, the crackling perfect and dessert is accompanied by a chilled glass of wine. Marvellous.

Not raining so much today. I wander out and while outside I decide to pull some weeds while the ground is soft. I grab a handful of ferns. Ugh! It's tough. I don't have a garden fork. I keep tugging. Eventually it comes out but I've probably wrenched my shoulder from its socket. Well, not quite.

So much to choose from lately. Do I play WoW? Do I facebook? Do I watch telly? Do I read? Reading is winning the battle a little lately. It's that Song of Ice and Fire series. I've got to reread the first volumes before I can get to the new one, right?

Blogger has ... changed

Well, I'm sure they said it would but I am always slightly startled when the page looks different.

It's a bit of a pea-souper on the way to work today. I try to take a photo but I'm either getting no red lights or they change before I get the camera aimed. Why does that always happen? And how come it never looks as foggy in photos as it does in real life? Oh, my life's conundrums!

An invitation arrives in my inbox last week. To a cocktail evening at one of the hotel chains. I don't normally accept but this time I think I might. It has come from handing over my contact details while attending the travel expo last month. Was it last month? Or is the passage of time fogging my sense of life's direction? Ah well, no matter. I don't want to go by myself though. I've dismissed the idea of inviting Admin2. She wouldn't accept anyway. My supervisor, C has been ultra stressed lately so in the interests of self preservation I have asked her. It's on this week and I'm looking forward to it.

A taxi into the city and after waiting for C, we're away. As soon as we hit the venue door we are greeted by a very chirpy gentleman who escorts us inside to the sign in table. By the time I chat to the lass there, sort out my name badge and things, C has disappeared. I'm not worried 'cause I know exactly where she will be - at the drinks table. I find her there, we vote on bubbly, and meet some more very friendly Rendezvous staff. C and I stand together and are soon joined by other staff. They are all circulating and so very very friendly. C and I grab some nibblies from the circulating plates and gravitate to the outdoor area to admire the cityscape. We chat for a while then notice there seems to be a speech going on. The speech and prize draws over *i didn't win anything. hardly a surprise there* and everyone is directed outdoors. They have a surprise for us...

Everyone goes back inside for more food and drinks but C and I stay outside. It's a beautiful night. Soon we are joined by Roger, the bloke who greeted us at the door. He is from Christchurch and is very, very chatty. We sit and talk for ages. Something comes up about anniversaries and I mention I am looking for ideas for MOTH and I. *it's not till august but i want to begin examining my options* Soon C has to leave for another engagement and Stefan has joined us at table. Roger mentions to him about anniversary plans and Stefan offers some suggestions.

I think I've had about 4 glasses of bubbly by now. Roger asks if I want another, and talks me into trying a white wine. He leaves to get it and is gone for some little while. Stefan and I chat some more, with the occasion passerby stopping to chat to him. Roger returns - with a coffee. Gosh it's a great coffee. Not too hot. The crema is perfect and two sugars is just right. And absolutely no bitterness in the coffee at all, only flavour. PERFECT!

It's nearly 8pm and everyone has left *i'm still outside and didn't notice* and now the Rendezvous staff are all heading down to dinner. Roger, Stefan and I say our goodbyes and perhaps the bubbly has affected me more than I thought. I allow myself to be hugged and kissed before I head out to catch a taxi home.

A couple blocks walk and as I get to the rank I'm hoping that the lead is a silver service. Nope. Just an ordinary one. I get in and am very pleasantly surprised. It's a little worn but CLEAN! Very, very clean. Seat covers and all. I tell him when he drops me off that it was a pleasure to ride in such a clean cab. He seems pleased.

I have caught the bus directly to the office this morning, rather than to campus. I'll catch the shuttle over so I don't have to take extra stuff with me. I have arranged to collect something from another ITS staff member while I am there. I do my usual task then pop over to her office to collect the CD. We have a little time so we go to have a cup of tea and stand out on the balcony. Relaxing. I check the time; it's 11.26. Time to head for the shuttle. I get there and the driver is ready to depart and isn't looking he begins to close the door in my face. I knock, he opens it and says something cheeky. I look at the clock at the front of the shuttle. It says 11.30. Seems my time is a couple minutes slower than his!

The trip back is slow; there seems to be a car full of tourists out for a Sunday drive on a Thursday. They are doing 40km in a 60km zone and no passing opportunity. Up to a corner then suddenly decide which way to go. Swing really wide on the wide sections of the road but don't pull over. The shuttle driver is frustrated and shaking his head. There are a couple of comments from other passengers. But we get there.

Usually MOTH drops the scripts off at the chemist before joining the lads while he waits for it to be filled. I'm with him today and we've settled in the corner before he's gone by the chemist. After everyone has gone their separate ways we head to the chemist only to find there is a 25 minute wait. We're standing outside and for something different I decide to look in the bottle shop. I talk MOTH into coming with me. We're walking through and I see 3 bottles of wine I like. I ask MOTH if I can get one. He's feeling generous and tells me he hasn't quite blown the budget so yes, get one. I can't decide which one I want. Get two he says. REALLY? Yeah, why not. So despite the fact they are about $17 a bottle, I buy two.

One is cold so I put that one in the fridge and the other in the cupboard for another day.

I don't do much else on the weekend. I see in my email that Blizzard have offered me a spot as a beta tester for their new expansion pack. I'm excited because I think it will be a while before I can afford the expansion pack once it's released. I look at the specs. Ok, I need 10GB of free space. No problem there. I set to download and see that it is telling me I'm actually downloading 18GB of stuff. Whew. That's going to take ages! *maybe we are spoiled and think that ADSL is too slow? i'm not sure but ADSL+2 isn't available in our area so mighty downloads just seem to creep. glad we don't do dial up anymore!* I let it install overnight.

Alright! Ready to check this out. Everything is going fine until everyone else arrives to do the same quest at the same time. And people aren't waiting their turn and blocking the quest objective, a small brazier required to light a torch. Because you can see everyone else's character, imagine them all crowded around the brazier, six or seven deep and you can't click on the brazier because you can't see it. There are other questors trying to get people to back away so we can all have a turn in a multitude of languages *and being completely ignored*, people who are lining up to wait their turn, people who are completely disregarding the line and pushing around the brazier, and people spamming the chat trying to get a macro to work which clearly isn't. There are people complaining they've been at this for hours *it took me a couple* and the situation hasn't changed for them. The first time, I got to within a couple of the head of the line and everyone abandoned the line. I guess the line was rather futile since everyone was pushing in anyway. I tried again later but it was just the same. Eventually I got it completed using a mild 'cheat' from the first time I was there. I'd tried it then but couldn't get it to work because I wasn't fast enough. This time I must have been because I got the torch lit and I was away!

MOTH talked about purchasing some necessaries. I mentioned that I would like to purchase an ebook. Or a set of 4 novels for $27, otherwise it was $10 each. Volume 5, I said, was $14. Just do it, he says. Later that afternoon, I had forgotten and MOTH reminded me. Later again he came to me and said I may as well purchase Volume 5 as well. *falls off chair*

I shut the computer down and realised I hadn't made the purchase. I boot up again and do it. Oh my!

I have the iPad with me today - so much reading to catch up on!