Forget the trick, just give me the treat....

First time for everything, I had 3 little ghouls/ghosts/witches knocking on my door last night to celebrate that most American tradition of Halloween - what a crock - I announced that it would have to be a trick because I didn't have any treats unless you counted Dixie's dried liver treats in the house. So I asked what the trick would be - the little monstrous trio just shrugged and said "Dunno" and wandered off to more fruitful pastures. So there was no tricking to be had, they were only interested in the treating! Lazy little so 'n so's

On another tangent all together, I have been more disciplined of late taking Dixie for walks around the burb, since I now have my portable audio device ladened with books and music and even a video (by accident). I decided to turn right rather than the usual left (which confused Dixie no end and took some tugging to encourage her to come with me). I thought I knew my immediate neighbourhood locale quite well, but I came across a delightful little park being used for a small child's birthday party and a nearby little pond, complete with ducks and gorgeous cute fluffy ducklings. All this was only five streets away, so I am resolved to be more curious about my immediate locale and go wandering around checking things out and seeing what other treasures are presently unbeknownst to me.

My next module is Mashups - I am kind of looking at it but avoiding it at the same time, cause I don't understand it and not sure what it means, yes I know that the purpose of 23 things is to edify me on exactly that but I am kind of put off by the name, it just doesn't grab me, it doesn't tell me what it is or does in the name. But I will discipline myself and knuckle down and do the module shortly and am sure to have a couple of further lightbulb "aha" moments when I do.

Until we meet again...............

Only 3 more to go....

and I will have completed my share of 23 things! I have learnt much and still have much to learn, I will revisit some earlier modules to get a more complete understanding of what I have learnt. I was training last night and I asked Shihan about a particular stance that is used frequently and said that I was reviewing my "stance" since I was struggling with it. Shihan was rather pleased with me (rare occasion) as he said that it meant I was thinking about what I was doing and improving because of it.

So it is with 23 things, I have skated through some things that haven't gelled with me thus haven't grabbed my attention but then gone back and had several "lightbulb ahaah" moments when two apparently disparate things have connected and given me a better understanding of the whole concept.

The only thing I have not felt good at is when we are asked how may a technology be used by staff in a professional way. I am not a thinker in that respect - generally have NFI (no f_____g/foggy idea) - I prefer to be told this is the way we are going and this is the technology we are using ie the wiki - now that I know about it, and now that I know how to use it (mostly) well I want to use it like that now, so I propose we get cracking and just start using it NOW - holus bolus - both feet in - deep end jump!

But thats me, once i decide to do something, it's in like flynn,slicker than a rat with a shiny gold tooth!

I've figured out why I've come to a screeching....

halt with 23 things! I am absorbed in reading all the blogs that my talented colleagues have been busily posting! I love reading them and time goes by and before you knowit, your very carefully allocated 23 things time has vanished and real life is a foghorn shrieking for your attention! I got such a buzz when I read library luke's blog and he mentioned a snippet from a posting off my blog. I figure some people are reading it but it is hard to tell so keep the comments going, its a real boon for the old ego!

So I am determined this week to knock over a couple more modules and get moving again with the 23 things learning curve.

I am feeling very relaxed and happy and hopeful about things, I am not sure what has caused this state of being within myself but I am enjoying it immensely. If I could bottle it I would be a billionaress. I talked to my mum on Friday night who was just home from a week's retreat at Heartland with her partner George and sounded happy and relaxed albeit still tired.

I had a great weekend, nothing hugely exciting, other than a delicious lamb roast that my aunt made and invited me over for. I took Dixie for a very long walk and listened to my audio book with delightful happiness. I spent time playing board games, drinking wine and socialising with my friend Sharne an ex-bcc library lander. I fixed my bike seat height so I can cycle with ease up the mean old Scrub Road hill with ease and panache.

All in all - at present life is good and sweet and happy

Aaah the sweetness that is Friday...........

and I don't have to work Saturday..... I think the anticipation of the weekend is better than the weekend itself, it is full of endless possibilities and lots of options filled with potential fun and frivolity! I think about all the things I would love to do and then think about the things I must do and must do's win over love to do. I would love to do brunch but I must do the vaccuuming - I would love to do a drive and go somewhere I haven't been before and visit a place but I must do the laundry - you can see where i am going with this.

The probable weekend will entail - training tomorrow morning, back home to do laundry and vaccuum, visit my cousins and then go babysit other cousins. Home again and then up early to drop flatmate off at the train station and then more assorted things to do, hopefully a bike ride and a Dixie walk (but could possibly squeeze a solo brunch in) and the off to lunch and a board game afternoon at a mates place.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend.........

Success is so much the sweeter for the sweat...

I have cracked the nut of audio book downloads for MP3 novels and am soo happy! I have been chided for sweating the petty things and not petting sweaty things (does that include men, Kath)
and yes I am normally serene and calm but I do get very frustrated when the simple things should work and don't for no apparent reason! I had an interesting training session with iSkills - Digital Photography management - lots of different cameras, some with cables, some without, some talked to the PC some didn't, so lots of scenarios and takes a lot of managing, luckily for me I had two fabulous colleagues who troubleshot the difficult queries so I could get on with the class. Now the thing I think separates me from other staff is that I don't care if the punters know that I don't know, but am willing to have a crack at it and see what happens. Some people might have thought I was woefully under prepared but I wasn't because I could not be expected to know all models of cameras that would be brought to the class - I just operated on the idea that they are like cars, they all drive in the same way but just have individual idiosyncrancies and let's figure them out together. But I learnt a lot from the class and will take the learnings and approach the next one with an adjusted focus (pardon the camera pun) and see how it goes!

Meanwhile I gotta dog to walk and a book to listen to on my flash little jobbie - its shiny red!

Oh happy days oh happy days...........

I've got side tracked somewhat..........

I have kind of lost steam and progress with 23 things as I have been distracted into trying to download audio books via our providers and have had immense problems, in fact, speaking with a variety of colleagues it would appear that not a single solitary staff member has been successful in this endeavour. When something doesn't work and it should work - I tend to get a bit bull headed about it and keep persisting until I succeed, don't like to be defeated by technology!
Perhaps I should put this aside and keep progressing with 23 things and focus on that for a while but I don't want to - I know that sounds petulant but I get like that when things don't work for no good reason.

I am a bit concerned that when I conduct the iSkills Digital Photography session today that I will need to warn the patrons that it comes with a PG warning - because I fear that if I have any unforseen problems that my potty mouth is gonna erupt without fear or favour and the ears of the innnocent patrons may never be the same again.

My patience with obdurate technology is wearing rice paper thin at present and I am close to seriously doing my nut in a most inappropriate manner and possibly getting the boot in short order!

Stay tuned............

Technology is the pits................

I have just spent the better part of 3 hours dicking around trying to download an audio book, not difficult you would imagine for someone endowed with common sense and nous but noooo..........
This is a service that is freely provided by a public library service but in lip service only, cause it don't work and I fail to see the point in offering something via a library catalogue that seriously does not work. Now, of course, I could have failed by missing a key component but I do not think so. I invite anyone who believes they can help me to be seated at my pc and I will provide nourishment and encouragement to that individual if they succeed where I have failed. A spectacularly successful exercise in frustration and serious irriation, how do our punters feel about it I wonder!!

I did it and I am so chuffed with myself......

I rode to work today to honour my committment to the National Ride to Work day 15th October. I feel marvellous at the moment but time shall tell, by this afternoon it may be a different story and I have the ride home yet to do and a karate session tonight so the energy expenditure will be high today!
That's all for now folks........

Back at it............

As I kill time posting a blog before resuming training tonight at karate, I wonder how I will fare tomorrow when I cycle to work to celebrate National Ride to Work Day 15th October - I enrolled a few months back and thought "yep no worries, I'll be fit enough, will have worked to a plan to achieve this without too much sweat and exhausting involved" and now the day is imminent and I am 7 kilos heavier and lot more unfit due to outside impacting factors and also due to the fact at heart I am a lazy lazy sod and will procrastinate to the ends of the earth before doing any exercise. But nonetheless I have made this committment and I shall see it through - God help me!

I have done a cycle a couple of times to work to suss it out and survived quite nicely but I didn't have to be in a non sweaty state to do it so a towel and soap shall be placed in the basket along with the uniform and handbag so I can shower myself back to my sweet smelling self.

Will let you know how it goes!

Home again Home again...jiggity jig

There ain't no place like it - HOME - your place of retreat from the toils and frustrations of life. I have missed my home, my animals and my bed, Oh god have I missed my bed, my back is going to be awhile forgiving me for the insults I have caused it to suffer. Mum's little house was a burstin' at the seams so I had the choice of floor, couch or share with her. I tried sharing with Mum, but the woman is a bed and cover hog and difficult to share a bed with, the floor is too hard and the couch was too soft! Salvation came in the form of George's house (mum's partner) , George was away and had offered me the house as a retreat and spare bed which after two nights and a crippled back I took him up on. I would take his dog Bonny out for a run on the farm as she was cooped up in a back yard while he was away and being a border collie/kelpie cross, this dog has energy to spare no matter how much ball retrieval you do. She also made good company out at George's place which is off the beaten track a little and she is a good watch dog too.
Back to work and normal routine tomorrow including Karate, Oh boy do I have some work to catch up on in relation to Karate training but no matter I shall get there!
Until next time.........

Back online....

I am typing this new post on Mum's very cute new eec pc laptop my brother Steve bought her for an early birthday present! It is small, typing is of the two fingered pecking variety but effective enough for Mum's requirements. It may seem strange but i have enjoyed being up n the coast being with Mum, although there has been a lot of to'ing and fro'ing to dr's and treatment. Mum has been fairly blessed and not had too rough a time of it, in fact yesterday she was feeling so good she was in the garden laying out mulch despite my scolding, she is a little sore today but mostly OK.
I have been the domestic queen this past week , washing, cleaning and cooking, its been good to be of practical use, i am much better at doing things for people than offering emotional pats on the back although i can do that too in a pinch.
It is now a period of wait and see for a month then back to the radiologist to see what impact the radium has had on the tumours, reduction in size is what is expected and elimination is what is prayed for but no change or increase in size is what is dreaded.
But we can only hope, pray and beseech the entities of belief for a fair go!
I am looking forward to returning to my normal routine tomorrow and seeing my much missed and pined for fur balls, tho i am blessed that my flatmate Peter is so good at taking care of them and not just feeding them but playing, interacting and talking with them!