tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48026097386801753952024-02-08T11:18:47.160-08:00Dr Quake's ChroniclesDr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-57101727920860374822011-07-12T23:55:00.000-07:002011-07-13T00:02:24.080-07:00Volume 7, Issue 10<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Greetings from 4 Cremin Close, Kew</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Whew –</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">a month has whizzed past since the last Quake.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Where did that go?</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Since then we have invested in the long awaited Apple cinema screen to attach to my laptop, replacing its 13” screen when used in my study.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Yippee.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I can actually see the images I am editing now.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A good thing, on the whole.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We’ve also invested in a copy of Toast – software to allow me to convert our vinyl music collection to mp3 files.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A task which will be tedious I’m sure but …</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">All that is required now is the time sitting down and doing it.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Somehow that hasn’t been a happening thing in the last month.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A highlight of the month has been the 95</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> birthday of my mother Mary on Friday 17 June.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We had a fantastic weekend of celebrations.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The children and grandchildren plus their partners took her out for a wonderful dinner at a great restaurant called Charcoal Lane in Fitzroy.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We made a group of 14, with a function room to ourselves, which was good.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Call me anal, but I developed three seating plans, one for each course, so that every constituent group had time adjacent to the birthday girl as well as opportunity to talk with everyone else.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It actually worked really well, with everyone having different neighbours on each side and opposite for every course.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On the Saturday we had lunch at Redesdale in regional Victoria with almost all of the Harpers.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Then on Sunday the Penrhyn Avenue neighbours came to #7 for afternoon tea.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Overall I think she feels thoroughly 95ed.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The house is still full of the floral tributes!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We got to the King Tut exhibition recently.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It was great, except for the background music.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Those pharaohs had it all sussed.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Armies of slaves in life and buried with armies of model slaves to do any god’s bidding in the after life.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">If you haven’t gone and plan to, a tip would be to get tickets for afternoon sessions from 2.30 onwards.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">There were huge crowds at 12, 12.30 and 1.00 but as we were leaving (it only takes not heaps more than an hour) it was two men and a dog.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The ingenious Dr Crumble rigged up acres of bird netting last weekend, attaching it high to the blind side of the house and across to the side fence to enclose a considerable outside area for the cats.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The percussive aftermath of hammering all those staples has not been good for his tennis elbow, however the felines of the family now have a sheltered workshop to ease them into the pussy cat neighbourhood.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We relocated the dynamic duo of Moneypenny and James Bond from Mum’s place on Tuesday of this week and they appear to have settled in quite well.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I do think they prefer her gas heater to our central heating. </span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Moneypenny in particular enjoyed sitting in front of the heater at Penrhyn Avenue with her nose just about glued to the glass in front of those lovely flames.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">However, they have located the ceiling outlets and manage to sit as high as possible underneath them.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Although at present they are sprawled in the sun in Crumble’s study as I type this. </span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Moneypenny has been leaving her mark on the carpet of the staircase – an irresistible scratching pole heaven.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As usual, the lavish provision we have made for scratching with several devices adjacent to their beds is totally ignored and they make a beeline for the verboten devices instead.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Supervision required at all times.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The difference between being a tenant and an owner-occupier!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Most of the Quake readership will be absolutely flabbergasted to learn that we have joined the Kew Recreation Centre.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Perhaps even more flabbergasting is that we are actually using it.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">All those years of sedentary work and total indolence, preparation for skiing one Christmas being the skiing of last Christmas, are behind us!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">At this stage we are aquatic members only.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Conjures up images for me of us as seals.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But I think they mean we use only the pool and spa.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The plan is to build some cardio-vascular fitness first by just swimming, then expand the membership.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Meanwhile, I have graduated from Osteopathy for my back to Clinical Pilates.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I have done four one-on-one hour long sessions and have another nine to go.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I’ll assess how I am at that point – I’m hopeful I’ll be ready to step into classes at the Kew Rec Centre, which will be a much cheaper option.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">With a stronger core, I’ll then start thinking about my knees.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">That’s the plan, anyway.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As I creak my way through sessions I reflect that while getting older is better than the alternative, it does have its downside!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The seminar phase of the Leadership Victoria Experience Bank program is now over and we have been regrouped to work on our project for the rest of the year.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I opted for a corporate governance / organisational structure problem faced by a community service centre/legal service in Melbourne’s north.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The intention is that each of us does about 20 hours of work on it – but we’ll see how accurate that is.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I need to get this out before 4.00pm NZ time, so that’s all for now from</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dr Quake (Jill) & Dr Crumble (Neil)</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-66989007836488795092011-06-06T04:10:00.000-07:002011-07-12T23:54:59.474-07:00Volume 7, Issue 9<style>@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }@font-face { font-family: "Arial Narrow"; }@font-face { font-family: "Georgia"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; </style><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Greetings from 4 Cremin Close, Kew, 3101 VIC.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Yes, we are in.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On Melways Map 45.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Only just at B3, but Map 45 nevertheless!</span></span><div><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I type this email from my new study.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The autumnal sun is sufficiently far across the sky to reach me now - Crumble's study gets all the morning sun.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I'll cook in summer I’m sure, but right now it is lovely.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When I started this Quake I was </span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">back in cotton – ha ha – it’s being behind glass that does it.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A week later and there is decidedly more of a chill on the air.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Our container cleared customs and all that jazz on Wednesday 11 May so The Shift happened / began on Monday 16 May.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Two guys only arrived to empty the truck, and achieved that in a surprisingly short time.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">They then filled in time ‘til knock off time putting big / heavy things where we directed them.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">End of day one was very satisfying because you can really see progress being made.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Slash wrap with Stanley knife to reveal – fridge.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ta da.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Slash next wrap with Stanley knife to reveal – lounge suite.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ta da.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And so it goes.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The house is nearly furnished.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But then on day two, reality hits.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Open box to reveal – millions of paper wrapped parcels.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Open first parcel to reveal – one crystal glass.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ta da.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Into the crystal cabinet.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Only another 7 red wine glasses to go.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And then there is the set of white wine glasses and the set of champagnes flutes and the set of water tumblers etc etc.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Takes</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"> a lot of bending and straightening and unwrapping to fill a crystal cabinet, let me tell you!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I think I may have mentioned previously the guys doing the uplift from Poto Road commenting ruefully that “Geez lady you’ve go a lot of books.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">They were right.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We realized on the Tuesday, after the boys had well and truly gone, that we had issued quite a number of misdirections.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Not helped by the fact that nearly every box was labeled </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">N Study</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, regardless of eventual contents.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Boxes of books upstairs when they should have been downstairs, book cases in one room when they needed to be in another.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We have subsequently done a lot of shifting of pieces of furniture and boxes of books from room to room. </span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Boy oh boy aren’t they heavy.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Unaccustomed to physical labour, I have been absolutely stonkered by it all.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Crumble not far behind I might add.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Osteo (for Quake) and the Chiro (for Crumble) have been working overtime to patch us up as we go along. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Two weeks later and Wridgways have now come back to collect the mountain of flattened empty boxes and mountainous plastic bags of packing.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The removal of these has made room in the garage for the cars.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ah.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On the topic of cars, we bought a Volvo sedan last week.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The ultimate sensible car, it has a back seat, huge boot and the backrests of the back seats fold down to give a pseudo station wagon.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I figure that a black Porsche and a white Volvo average out as the equivalent of two silver / grey Holdens.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The fridge is full, we are hanging works of art and I am up to a Dr Quake to avoid my guitar and my cello, so I guess you could say that we are pretty much sorted.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Except for communications.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A landline or not?</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">That is the question.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Well actually, it is just one of the questions.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On the music front, we went to a jazz concert recently.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Bob Sedergreen and Friends at a converted church in Warragul.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Yes I know a long way to travel but we heard about it when visiting long-standing Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar friends the Beesons at Easter and it sounded good.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It was in fact a fabulous night.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dinner at a very good restaurant beforehand, terrific wine from the concert sponsors at the start and interval, great music from four very fine musicians and then back to Janalli to stay overnight in sumptuous luxury with Phillipa and Alan!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We are looking forward to seeing Paco Pena’s dance troupe in July.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">That’s it culturally to date.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The King Tutankhamen exhibition at the museum is on the to do list – we have been a bit busy and apparently it is crawling with people at present.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Trouble is I suspect it on of those shows which will crawl for its whole season. </span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Booking essential.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I had my next Leadership Victoria program last Wednesday. </span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In anticipation of questions, the LV Experience Bank is a program rather than a course.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">There is pre-reading and we are encouraged to reflect as we go along.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It isn’t quite sure what it is on about I think.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The web site does not really articulate clearly what to expect and the participants all have very different expectations so it is quite a fractious group I think.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Its point seems to be about building social conscience and social capital and recruiting talent for the not-for-profit sector.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This most recent day was a field trip looking at a range of social enterprises across Melbourne.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">From the pre-reading / viewing I anticipated that it would be particularly interesting.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I can feel this topic has the greatest resonance with me and is perhaps where I would like to head.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But we’ll see.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After one more seminar day we regroup and work on a project for the rest of the year.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">That could be interesting.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On the past two Saturday mornings we have driven past the complex of netball courts on Belmore Road which swarms with girls of all sizes sporting the uniforms of many familiar schools.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Crumble has offered to stop the car but I’ve been able to resist the temptation! </span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Similarly, driving through Melbourne’s leafy eastern suburbs in the private school zone at pick up time I have been appalled by parental behaviour on the road and around the crossings and gleeful that it is not my problem any more! </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Well – that’s all for now from</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dr Quake (Jill) & Dr Crumble (Neil)</span></span><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:11pt;" lang="EN-US"></span></p></div>Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-10628354729761747782011-05-10T21:49:00.000-07:002011-05-10T21:51:16.869-07:00Volume 7, Issue 8<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Wednesday 11 May, 2011</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt">Greetings from Penrhyn Avenue, Melbourne, site of the ancestral de Araugo family home and presided over by my mother Mary The Indomitable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Four weeks in Melbourne have zoomed by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not quite sure how.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We seem to be eating a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Partly that’s because we are staying at my mother’s still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Partly its because we are resuming a life and catching up with friends, typically over a meal.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">We are making progress I guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Poto Road sale has settled and the money is in the bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Wring side of the ditch but we’ll get to that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Crumble’s Beemer sold quite quickly but my Merc has been hard to shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It finally went just yesterday – so great joy on that score.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">We have bought one car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Wait for it – it’s a 2002 /3 black Porsche Boxster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Rag top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Manual gear box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Yippee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I don’t think I have stopped grinning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I thought Crumble was joking when we stopped at a Porsche shop after trawling around Melbourne in search of BMW Z4s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Turns out he was serious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The drive way at Penrhyn is long, narrow, uphill and rose bush encrusted, so I have been relieved that I have been able to negotiate that successfully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And using the mirrors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I had another back episode on Good Friday so twisting is not an option for me – still.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Crumble’s transport will come from the balance of the car budget allocation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He is nobly considering unicycles as his transport mode, in an effort to make me feel guilty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s not working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have been amused by Porsche reactions from members of my family, by the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am certainly the odd one out in the set.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">We have consciously decided to rent for ourselves and continue to view Locke Street as a rental property (which we will probably be selling, but that’s another story).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We have travelled probably 600km around Melbourne, looking at places we might live in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We have gradually got our act together and become clearer about the marriage between what we want and what is possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Two cats impose some constraints and secure parking for the Porsche another with three very large pieces of Blackwood furniture completing the set of issues for us to accommodate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The furniture led us to rule out heaps of great places in South Yarra and Toorak, which was a pity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Anyway, cutting to the chase we have finished up in Kew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Still on Melways Map 45, but only just at B3!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It has ticks in all the boxes except for trains /tram access.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But we don’t live in a perfect world I guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>4 Cremin Close is the address and having signed the lease we are set to move in on Monday 16 May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Next task is coming to grips with internet connection and how to achieve that speedily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The information available is soooo confusing.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">The cats by the way are greatly enjoying their stay at Mary’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s to do with the gas heater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Moneypenny thinks this kind of heat source is the best thing invented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She stretches out on the floor hogging the space immediately in front of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Luxury.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">The tabby from over the back fence continues to have our two bluffed by the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>James Bond in particular is very reluctant to venture outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Moneypenny is not so bad, but she does take refuge up on the garage roof a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So avoiding the issue one might say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We discover that we have to get them registered with the local Council – which involves compulsory micro-chipping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That might have to wait until we have access to their vet records.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">I am relieved to report that the Bunnings visits have subsided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Charles Street is now let (the cause of the multiple visits) and we have been focused on getting ourselves sorted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I suspect that when we get up to dealing with the upstairs bathroom issue at Locke Street we will become Number 1 Ticket Holders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But not yet…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Ah, the autumn sun to which I referred in the last Quake and the cotton T-shirts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Well winter approaches and Icebreakers are back on the agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was nice while it lasted.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Well – that’s all for now</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">From</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Dr Quake (Jill) & Dr Crumble (Neil)</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-34159628505936119052011-05-10T19:23:00.000-07:002011-05-10T19:25:16.602-07:00Volume 7, Issue 7<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Monday 25 April 2011</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt">Greetings from Penrhyn Avenue, Melbourne, site of the ancestral de Araugo family home and presided over by my mother Mary The Indomitable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">Hard to believe that the last Quake was sent from Poto Road the day before I finished up at Chilton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Seems like a lifetime ago in a number of ways and only a heartbeat back in others.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">You will realize that, being in receipt of a Quake, we have sorted temporary internet access!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Other contact details are:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Dr Quake (Jill) +61 48801 8797<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Dr Crumble (Neil) +61 422 9191 22<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">With our email addresses as previously.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">My last day at Chilton was a very special one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The short version of this story is that we had an absolutely fantastic whole school assembly which was a feast of music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Three girls (Azmarah in Year 6 and Mikie the Head Girl and her Deputy Lucy) spoke really well and presented me with a marvelous album, which I will treasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the evening there was a cocktail function for the adult groups – staff, Board, parents, Old Girls, colleagues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My 2-i-c, now Principal Elect, spoke really well and the Board Chair also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All in all it was as informal as it was possible to make it while still being “appropriate”.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Recounting logistical details, the sale of Poto went through without any real hitch in the end, with settlement on Maundy Thursday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The money is in the bank, as they say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We recovered the cost of purchase and the cost of sale, which is the good news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Lost on the perishingly poor exchange rate – but I guess that’s a case of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">c’est la vie.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Crumble’s Beamer has sold, both beds, so it’s just my Merc to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am amazed it is proving so hard to shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is a lovely car and a great buy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I guess an indicator of the NZ economy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Our stuff (and believe me when I say there is lots of it!) was uploaded without incident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Our program of planned red wine consumption, combined with strategic ferrying courtesy of my two trips for Leadership Victoria, saw a grog free container in the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We were absolutely delighted of course - ha ha Mr Swan – no duty payable by these little black ducks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The shifting guys were rueful about the number of boxes of books they had to ferry up our quite steep driveway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Poor devils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not to mention solid blackwood furniture.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Now we are on the ground in Melbourne and doing some reconnaissance on apartments/houses to rent, our resolve to down size stuff is re-affirmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We’ve done a preliminary skirmish across a wedge of Melbourne’s suburbs from East Melbourne, St Kilda and Elwood through Elsternwick and Caulfield up as far as Balwyn and Kew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That has helped us refine our thinking a bit and we are off to see the accountant in the next day or so before really throwing ourselves into the rental fray in earnest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We start paying for storage from 2 May, so no mucking around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>An issue will be that we actually need some space to get things sorted into keep or sell piles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Very tricky.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Another after Easter treat will be the Car(s) Decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Zero, one or two?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Roofless or not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Back seats or not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Stay tuned on that one!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">The cats travelled over on the same plane as us and have settled in at Penrhyn Avenue pretty well after a prolonged dram at the QANTAS cargo terminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Very unimpressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I let them venture outside as from last Sunday and they have subsequently struggled a little to carve a niche from under the feet of the tabby from over the back fence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A small puss but feisty, and importantly, with unclipped claws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Our two are at a bit of a disadvantage in that regard and both are licking wounds currently – literally.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Some of the Quake readership will be amused to learn that since our return to Melbourne we have spent quite a lot of time at Bunnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A bed-sit we own in St Kilda is untenanted at present and in need of some TLC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We have been painting and doing some repairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With no power connected of course, we are confined to working only during daylight hours and pick up after ourselves by hand rather than vacuum cleaner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Very efficient!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We keep on not having the tools we need (they are in the container), hence multiple trips to Bunnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Torture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I think Crumble has been doing it deliberately!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">We have been enjoying Melbourne’s autumn sun and I have worn cotton T-shirts every day since our return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Believe it or not but I have been an Icebreaker free zone!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Well – that breaks the back of getting you up to date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That’s all for now</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">From</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Dr Quake (Jill) & Dr Crumble (Neil)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-2370333137766981302011-04-09T21:59:00.000-07:002011-04-09T22:00:25.310-07:00Volume 7, Issue 6<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">Greetings from Wellington.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Woo hoo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Where did that month go?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The last Chronicle was 13 March – exactly one month before our departure date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Lots of people have been asking me if I have been in count down mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My truthful answer has been no – until now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Selling real estate in this country is an interesting experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Despite having received and accepted an offer ages ago, no money changed hands and both vendor and purchaser can re-neg – it’s weird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This means that the place stays on the market until the deal goes “unconditional”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So we have lived in excessive tidiness for weeks and weeks and cleared out every Sunday afternoon for open homes to proceed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Thank goodness it went unconditional last week, so that is a major job ticked off on the to do list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">We have commissioned a friend to sell the cars and happily there are some nibbles on those - finally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With any luck they’ll sell over the weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>One bed has gone to the son of a Chilton teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He is setting up house for the first time with his girlfriend so we sent them off with crockery and cutlery and glassware and linen and and and – it was a win-win!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Two book cases are earmarked for a Board member.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Although their call to come and get them is long delayed I have realized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That deal may be about to fall over!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Stop press – it’s on, but only one bookcase.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">A former member of my staff, recently returned from a stint in Singapore, generously offered to host a private party for us at their fabulous home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After umming and ahing we agreed and that was Friday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was actually nice to have the chance to mingle with a small group of people with whom I have worked most closely and of whom I am fond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Official Bash is on Monday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have managed to persuade my Chair that one function is the way to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>One speech to write that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Problem is that I used a modified version of the speech as my editorial for my last weekly bulletin and now feel I need to do something different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>More writing.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">I think that departing feeling has been accelerated by arriving home from work on Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Between two professional packers and Dr Crumble, a huge amount of stuff had been disappeared into boxes, rooms and walls cleared and generally great leaps taken towards exiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Apparently one of the guys has a 3 year old son and he was sidetracked (the packer I mean) by our collection of picture books and children’s books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He was reading instead of packing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Same guy finished going away with a whole box of titles of which we had doubles plus a spare teddy bear, so he was pretty happy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">The rest of the packing happens tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So after I have done this Quake, I will be up to getting gear needed for the next few days into bags which wont go into the container.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All good fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Did I say that I had enrolled in the Experience Bank program run by Leadership Victoria?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Well I have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That has entailed two flying trips to Melbourne for the day of 23 March and again for 6 April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The 6 April was particularly relaxing because my syndicate was the duty group and of all the tasks to be done for the day I landed the job of preparing the research paper and presenting it to set up the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I think that takes a really special sort of talent!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Duh!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">The next Quake will be sent from Melbourne and I don’t know how long it will take for us to become communicado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We are staying with my mother in the first instance and 03 9889 3276 is the landline there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">That’s all for now</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">From<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Dr Quake & Dr Crumble<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-72390471340677589072011-03-18T13:57:00.000-07:002011-03-18T13:59:24.866-07:00Dr Quake’s Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 5<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">Greetings from Wellington.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Earthquakes seem to have dominated life here since 22 February.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Poor old Christchurch is devastated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Apart from the significant loss of life, the city is now on its knees in an economic sense. And with it the nation I’d say.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">At Chilton we are hosting 7 or 8 girls, refugees from a range of Canterbury schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We have had an extraordinary mufti day – red and black theme (the Canterbury colours) universally adopted. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The school looked fantastic I’d have to say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And last Thursday we had a K to 13, House based sponsored walk to raise money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The sun shone and tit was a fabulous event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With any luck a lot of money will have been raised as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Members of the public were stopping their cars and pressing notes onto the girls as they walked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Of course the two quite big quakes we had in Wellington last week plus the big quake in China and the monster quake in Japan on Friday have fuelled a level of anxiety which is threatening to steamroll the Chilton OSH Committee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have new insights into how runs on banks work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sales of gas cooking units and big plastic containers for storing water are walking out of places like Bunnings.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">After a whirlwind of open homes we accepted an offer on Poto Road a week or so ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is like playing poker I’ve decided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Turns out their financing was partly dependent on mortgaging a property in, you guessed it, Christchurch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We now don’t know what the state of play is at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Suffice to say we live in an agony of tidiness and depart every Sunday afternoon to keep the way clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Wearing thin I’d have to say.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">We are about to lock in to a removal company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After no hassles entering NZ, we are appalled to learn that we will have to pay duty on all wine and spirits we seek to land in Oz unaccompanied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Bloody cheek I’d say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not as though we have either in commercial quantities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We have put in place a cunning plan to ensure the Australian government makes no profit from our return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But we will have to maintain a cracking pace of consumption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Oh well – someone has to do it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">The quiet and bitter battle over the cats has been waged and ended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I opted for a Socratic approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While we are both well aware the two cats will limit the range of accommodation options available for rent in Melbourne, adopting out a cranky old bastard like James Bond was never really an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Moneypenny is relishing having become an outdoor cat and is a rotten stay out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We see little of her these days.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">We are grappling with the logistics of the shift at present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The plan is to downsize and rent – issue is what to do with all our excess stuff – of which there I heaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sell it here or back in Melbourne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Et etc etc<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Now I the time for a magic wand really.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Crumble has applied for a job in Melbourne this weekend – immediate start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The odds are he’ll get it I reckon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That would be poetic justice, making me Office In Charge Of Re-settling!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Yippee – that way I’d get to choose the cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Yes, there is a god.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Ah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We have a definite shift date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We fly our of Wellington on 13 April, just one month from today.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">That’s all for now from</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Dr Quake & Dr Crumble<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-87969587683546007382011-02-22T00:43:00.000-08:002011-02-22T00:45:04.761-08:00Dr Quake’s Chronicles Vol 7 Issue 4<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">Greetings from Wellington.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Big quake in Christchurch this afternoon is dominating the news here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ve been lining up special services for the morning with the Chaplain and talking to members of staff who have family connections in Christchurch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It doesn’t look too good down there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I reflect on our own personal state of readiness and it is not terrific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I keep on meaning to do something about that and keep on doing nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Hmm.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Otherwise, the whirl of the start of the new school year has continued pretty much as usual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Lots of nights out hosting evenings for parents to meet the members of staff caring for their daughters this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sunday night’s cathedral service marks the end of the beginning of the year, thank goodness.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">It has been gratifying that over the course of all these functions so many parents have seized the opportunity to speak with me and express their regret that I am leaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sometimes, with nose firmly applied to the grindstone, one wonders if anyone really gives a damn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Apparently they do.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Dr Crumble has been busy busy busy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He has been working very solidly on Lule’s thesis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This has been a very long story of one step forward and seemingly two steps back throughout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She had the bricks put to her by her university – show cause why you should retain you job without a PhD – some chap recently finished his has put up his hand for Lule’s classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This had the effect of galvanizing Lule into fevered action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Hours and hours of Skype later, Crumble wrote the sign off letter last week and the production moves to the next phase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Her university uses the North American model – internal examiners and then Viva Voce and/or Full Defence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am not sure what the difference is between the Viva and the Defence but either way it sounds like an opportunity for academic with an axe to grind with the poor candidate’s supervisor can eviscerate the candidate in a public display of brutality with impunity and regardless of how well informed they are about the aspect of the thesis which they are gnawing at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Having knocked over Lule he moved onto Richard’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This seems to have been faster in these closing stages and I believe he has signed off on that one also.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">So a man of leisure I hear you all think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Oh no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Crumble has picked up some consultancy work with Retail and more importantly, is Officer In Charge of Shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Poto Road has been on the market for a week and a half and we have had 20 or so lots of people through with about 8 or so repeat visitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Agent is now marshalling offers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We would rather accept a lower offer as long as it is not conditional on the sale of another property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The market here is pretty depressed and the recession shows no sign whatsoever of abating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not the Lucky Country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Removalists are in the process of quoting for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We definitely need to rationalize our stuff as it is going to cost an arm and a leg to move it and then store it until we have figured out where to live.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">If any of you have any ideas about jobs, I’d be very pleased to hear them by the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The only absolutely fixed item is that whatever it is I’ve gotta be able to ski in the northern hemisphere in late January/February.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That rules out schools!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">That’s all for now from</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Dr Quake & Dr Crumble<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span></span><div><br /></div>Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-81286833359686525442011-01-29T19:47:00.000-08:002011-02-19T12:49:15.842-08:00Dr Quake's Chronicles Volume 7, Issue 3<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Greetings from Wellington.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dr Crumble and I enjoyed a fab dinner on Friday night at Logan Brown – one of the swisher restaurants in Windy Wellington.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We were celebrating Neil’s last day at the Retail Institute.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This means that on Monday morning I will have to remember that he is unemployed and stir myself out of bed to be on time for work.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While he may well consult/do some contract writing for them in the coming weeks, for the moment at least he is a gentleman of leisure.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Actually it was a double celebration.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I tendered my resignation from my role at Chilton at the start of December and with the company of my Board, have been sitting on the information for nearly two months.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I announced my decision to staff at the first staff meeting, held on Wednesday and parents / caregivers were advised in writing in Thursday’s post.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I had been hanging in my straps a bit.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It is good to be out in the open.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have a 6 month notice period but in discussions with the Board across December and January </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">we have agreed that I will take some of my accrued annual leave during the notice period and that my last day will be Monday 11 April.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An odd day perhaps, but it separates farewells from the Easter Services on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 April and conveniently coincides with the scheduling of the usual weekly Principal’s Assembly.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Efficient and no fuss.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In anticipation of likely questions some of you might have…</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Why – where has my decision come from?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My sabbatical leave last year gave me the time and space to reflect on the things that really matter.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My experiences here and across the Ditch in recent years </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">have taught me powerfully that life is short and relationships matter very much.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have been reminded of who I am and what I value.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My mother’s very dear sister Edith died in December 2009 and her remaining sister Lucy died in December 2010.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My cousin Peter was murdered not long after our return from overseas.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The long-term partner of a very dear friend of Neil and mine dropped dead totally unexpectedly during fourth term.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In this context the facts that Mary de Araugo turns 95 on her next birthday and Neil, who was fifteen years older than me when we were married and unsurprisingly is still fifteen years older than me, is not far off approaching his 70</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> birthday have confronted me over the course of the year in 2010.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thus, compelling personal reasons have led me inexorably to a turning point after having completed six years as Principal of Chilton Saint James School.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Crumble and I intend to return to Australia to be closer to family and in particular, to my mother.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We will base ourselves in Melbourne in the first instance and see what happens after that.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I anticipate that we will be back in Melbourne by the end of April and maybe sooner.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have had to overcome my terror of an immediate future without a job.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now that I have moved beyond fear, I actually feel quite liberated - I am still grappling with the question of what I want to do when I grow up!</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have enrolled in the Experience Bank Program with Leadership Victoria – a program targeted at people like me in the 45 + age bracket and with substantial leadership experience already.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I hope to meet a lot of interesting people through this and with luck, my future employer.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am not ready not to work but do realize that picking up a job may take some time.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That’s all for now from</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dr Quake & Dr Crumble</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"></p> <!--EndFragment-->Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-50136924417547306742011-01-23T14:34:00.000-08:002011-01-23T14:36:09.641-08:00Dr Quake’s Chronicles Volume 7, Issue 2<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">Sunday 23 January, 2011</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span lang="EN-US">Creakings from Wellington – oops I mean greetings from Wellington.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">Crumble and I have been back in New Zuland for just over a week and are going for the Guinness Book of Records in terms of amassing trips to the chiropractor. We have groaned out of the blocks each morning and have probably worked more productively in our time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">Our chiro is a really great bird called Jane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Little by little she is getting all the bits back to where they are meant to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is not a comfortable process and really illuminates the aging process – which as we all know is better than the alternative but which is nevertheless disheartening in terms of limitations on performance and extended recovery times!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">Looking back it was a fantastic trip to Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We certainly had a bit of everything in terms of weather – zero plus temperatures with rain (oh joy) at both Whistler and Fernie which turned snow to gelati and taxed legs sorely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Way way sub -20 temperatures at Fernie made it too cold to stay out long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But for the most part it was -10 to -15 which is very comfortable, heaps of snow, lots of powder days (yippee) and generally great skiing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">My downfall was in fact Fernie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Small enough for it to be absolutely sensible to ski in home at lunchtime, take off wet layers to dry and (herein I note was the trap for old players) scoff a handful of Vitamin I tablets (Ibuprofen for the uninitiated).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This meant that, fortified by Vitamin I, Quake was able to ski on through the day and have heaps of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>By contrast at Whistler, which is way too big to go home for lunch and given that Quake is way too disorganized to take drugs in her pockets in the morning for consumption later, as the day progressed and the bodily discomfort increased, I throttled back little by little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I suspect the Whistler approach saved the aging body whereas the Vitamin I break kept me harder at it on the snow and I am reaping the benefits with Jane the Chiro now!!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">Jane the Chiro has suggested to me that after 400km of walking on the Camino in Spain mid 2010 and a month of skiing over Christmas, Crumble really has earned a holiday at the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I suspect that Jane is right!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">We have had a run of sultry weather in the week or so we have been back, with a good bit of winter thrown in for good measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The heater has been on more than once (and this in just a week!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The only good thing about the wintry weather is the clouds at sunset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Our view was very Turneresque last night.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Pink to gold light on the undersides of heavy clouds and dull to gleaming water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was yet another occasion that, having noticed the spectacle and been drawn from our seats at the dining table to the kitchen window to admire it, the sprint upstairs to grab a camera and try to capture it was just that little too late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Some nice pix but the optimal lighting had passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Drat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That has happened to us so many times here – it is very often a beautiful spectacle out the kitchen window.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">It is Wellington Anniversary Day tomorrow so a long weekend here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Yippee.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Saw The King’s Speech this morning and may see something else tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then it will be all systems go.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt">That’s all for now from</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"><span lang="EN-US">Dr Quake & Dr Crumble</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:-21.6pt"></p> <!--EndFragment-->Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-61733810209086184152011-01-12T21:10:00.000-08:002011-01-12T21:12:25.055-08:00Dr Quake's Chronicles Vol 7 Iss 1<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">Sunday 9 January, 2011</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">Happy new year and greetings from Fernie – home of 30 feet of legendary powder snow annually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Or so they say.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">We have enjoyed a white Christmas at Whistler and had a fantastic 14 days or so. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A bit of everything – sun, snow, rain, snow, snow – the lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A few powder days, one or two cement-snow days but for the most part heaps of snow and heaps of fun – 2m of snow fell over the course of a week over Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was amazing really.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow"">I must say my scepticism about the Peak to Peak gondola, built for the 2010 Winter Olympics to connect the launching pads for the alpine areas of each of Whistler and Blackcomb directly, and thereby avoiding a long trip down one hill to the village and up the other hill, has been replaced by my eventual acknowledgement that it does serve a useful function.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In fact we used it on more than one occasion to get over to Blackcomb to the Crystal Hut to get a fully loaded waffle for lunch!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Now there’s a use for you!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow"">Whistler of course was crawling with people after 26 December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Observation – heaps of really attractive dogs on holiday in Whistler too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Lots of poodle crosses and cute looking terriers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was struck by the contrast with the dogs that seem to teem over New Zealand, or in the Hutt at least – which all seem to be jowly, deep chested, slavering pit bull types. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not the least bit cute anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">We did First Tracks at Whistler on our last day, which happened to be 1 January.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We figured that everyone would have a hang over and so we would have less company and we were right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Only about 100 of us uploaded at 7.15am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was a beautiful gondola ride, starting in darkness with Venus glowing brightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Breakfast was way better than our usual rush job at home and then at the ring of the bell at about 8.00am we hit the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As lift after lift was gradually opened we were amongst the first down at each – fantastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To cap it off it was a blue sky day so all in all a great last day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">January 2<sup>nd</sup> we transferred to Fernie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That involved a beautiful bus journey back down the hill to Vancouver, a flight from there to Cranbrook and an hour-long bus shuttle ride to the tiny ski village of Fernie. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We haven’t been here for many years and it is little changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">Snow has been falling ever since, except for uuugh – rain on Thursday and above zero temperatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Since then however it has been dumping and the temperature has plummeted so it is all good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We look forward to the avalanche control guys getting things sorted and opening up all the high bowls very soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They have been hampered by the very low cloud and poor visibility apparently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Need to be able to see where to let off their explosives and what effect the munitions have to guide their next steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Apparently the White Pass chairlift was destroyed by an avalanche 4 years ago so they take the whole avalanche thing very seriously.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">Over this past weekend we have met up with Brenda and Donna who we met at the Pari Centre in Italy in May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They live in Calgary and drove (along with Bruce, Brenda’s husband) to Fernie to ski with us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was really great to meet up again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow"">The disappointment of the trip would have to be the beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I had this recollection/vision/image of very distinct and tasty local beers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Kokanee very different from Kootenay and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This trip I have been struck by the soapy tastelessness of all the local drops and have resorted to old faithful Stella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Seems a crime to drink a Belgian beer in Canada but there you go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Crumble proposes the theory that this phenomenon of regression to the beer mean can be put down to the global beer hegemony of Fosters and Lion Nathan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He is probably right.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">Nothing too esoteric to start the year, but that is the overview of what we have been up to!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">That’s all for now from</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow"">Dr Quake & Dr Crumble<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-75547166535776311582011-01-12T21:08:00.000-08:002011-01-12T21:09:26.548-08:00Dr Quake’s Chronicles V 6, Iss 15<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">Tuesday 21 December, 2010</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">Greetings from Whistler!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">As you see we have headed off to skis again this Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And having been slow out of the blocks upon our return from Spain, Switzerland was all too difficult and here we are in Canada by default.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Easy peasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No issues about the day of week that you arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No issues about the day of the week you check out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Etc etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Air NZ flight direct from Auckland to Vancouver is a great invention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No mucking around on LAX or SFO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No grappling with unfriendly US immigration types.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">Funny how every year in early to mid December I reflect that I really should take some annual leave immediately after the end of term for a few days and then come back into the office to clear the end of year back log feeling fresh and able to be productive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Instead, I plod on and take way longer to get it all done than is reasonable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Every year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Same story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Old dog, new tricks.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow"">We darted over to Melbourne for breakfast on Saturday 10 December. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was a rush job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Just time for dinner with a group of friends on the Friday night, breakfast with the de Araugo connections on Saturday, lunch with David and off again on Sunday morning early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was good not to be on the red eye getting back into Wellington at midnight.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow"">We left Wellington again on Friday 17 December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Last minute rush to get the cats to their accommodation and even more last minute rush to pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Now that we are here in Whistler we are purchasing items of gear that did not make it to the suitcases!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow"">We have just over a fortnight here and then we are heading to Fernie for a week or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We haven’t been there for ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Donna (the dancing lawyer) and Brenda (the engineer) the Calgary duo who we met at the Pari Centre in May are meeting us for the weekend in early January.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We are looking forward to catching up with them and meeting their husbands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then back to Vancouver, brief catch up with Joe and Jen Belanger before heading back to NZ and the office.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">Our big news is that Crumble has tendered his resignation from his job as Principal Advisor to the CEO of the Retail Institute after two and a half years and having completed Stage 1 of the Literacy and Numeracy Training Implementation for the Retail industry in NZ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s a long story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It appears that John the CEO has scope to engage him as a consultant so things may not change all that much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We’ll see.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; ">We look forward to a continuing white Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Season’s greetings to all the Quake readership – stay tuned for Volume 7 coming to you soon.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow"">That’s all for now from</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow"">Dr Quake & Dr Crumble<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial Narrow""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-54295263830054311502010-10-01T22:01:00.000-07:002010-10-03T12:27:30.211-07:00<style>@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Arial Narrow"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1;</style><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">Doctor Quake Chronicles</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">Vol 6, Issue 13</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">Saturday 2 October 2010 </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">Greetings from Wellington. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">It is a sunny Saturday afternoon.<span style=""> </span>A bit of a shock after a truly sodden September.<span style=""> </span>The past week in particular has been an absolute shocker: landslips, flooding, train derailments, you name it.<span style=""> </span>We have all the downstairs doors open and most of the upstairs windows.<span style=""> </span>It is a little bracing inside I am finding but is great to swap staleness for oxygen.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">The aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake will linger for some time.<span style=""> </span>After shocks seemed to have subsided but the rebuilding will take over a year probably.<span style=""> </span>People in the worst affected suburbs are still using portaloos in the streets for instance as infrastructure is only very slowly re-established.<span style=""> </span>Crumble and I had a bar-b-q sausage at the shops this morning – a Christchurch fundraiser.<span style=""> </span>It has stirred troops into action around the country really.<span style=""> </span>Although I do realise that two snaggers may be a far cry from a major rebuilding contribution!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">The last Dr Quake was sent the afternoon of the Sports Dinner which <span style=""></span>went remarkably quickly really.<span style=""> </span>I am still smirking about having met the school magazine deadline ahead of time.<span style=""> </span>I am quite motivated to get going on speeches for the valedictory dinner and the three prize giving but I have been diverted on to other tasks in this first week of term holiday.<span style=""> </span>I have caught up with correspondence and a back log of meetings.<span style=""> </span>Such fun.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">I have been using the more relaxed timeframe of the holidays to play around with IT a bit.<span style=""> </span>I have got onto a web technology blog called ReadWriteWeb, the RSS feeds from which I am trying to keep up with. I have also been making a conscious effort to keep up with feeds from the ABC and SBS along with a variety of education sources.<span style=""> </span>I think I am only close to being a success because of the term break.<span style=""> </span>I’ll see how I manage all the information during term time.<span style=""> </span>There is certainly an avalanche of it.<span style=""> </span>Potentially overwhelming.<span style=""> </span>In the exercise I have started a Twitter account but not learned what to do with it yet and rediscovered a blog I began in 2006 and haven’t visited since 2007.<span style=""> </span>Oops.<span style=""> </span>I’ve decided that I will play with making Dr Q’s C into a blog and see how that goes.<span style=""> </span>Then I could probably just send the link to it by email – maybe.<span style=""> </span>More playing while I find out. Stay tuned.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">I’ve been getting a daily feed from a guy called Ian Yorston (The Unreasonable Man if you are interested) who was a fantastic speaker at the recent ISNZ conference.<span style=""> </span>He is Director of Digital Strategy at some posh school in the UK.<span style=""> </span>His website feed contains links to quite interesting titbits.<span style=""> </span>I have been sending them on to the relevant members of my teaching staff where I can.<span style=""> </span>I have been intrigued by the discovery that it has been like dropping stones down a very deep well – mostly never heard of again.<span style=""> </span>In the space of about four weeks I have had only three responses to what I have sent.<span style=""> </span>I find this apparent dearth of curiosity/interest somewhat curious.<span style=""> </span>Hmm.<span style=""> </span>Anyway it has probably been Ian Yorston who has spurred my recent activity.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">I read a couple of books last weekend.<span style=""> </span>Celebrating the end of term I guess.<span style=""> </span>I considered going out to buy a Labrador on Monday... <span style=""></span>I was driven to try my “new” glasses (which I have actually had for probably two years but which I don’t like – there is something very odd about how they make me see, I feel cross eyed) to discover that they are still no good, even when I am desperate as is the case now.<span style=""> </span>I dug out the glasses which I had made even further ago than that and which are straight reading only.<span style=""> </span>I haven’t worn them until now because they made me feel like I was looking down a pair of toilet rolls (only magnifying toilet rolls - just imagine).<span style=""> </span>To my joy they are now fantastic so I will perhaps be able to read again.<span style=""> </span>Apart from the time thing, it has been just too much like hard work for me to read a book for ages.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">Dr Crumble is working on L’s thesis – again / still.<span style=""> </span>He is up to chapter 3 this weekend. He is being driven crazy by her somewhat obtuse approach.<span style=""> </span>I need to tiptoe around a little bit!<span style=""> </span>The Retail Institute seems to be keeping him very busy indeed.<span style=""> </span>He hasn’t travelled for a while<span style=""> </span>but is off to Auckland this week. They are shifting office in the middle of the month which promises to be fairly disruptive.<span style=""> </span>The new location is more spacious apparently but much further from the station so he is contemplating driving to work.<span style=""> </span>He bought a month’s train ticket yesterday and will test walk for two weeks in October to see how it goes.<span style=""> </span>Ah – here’s a good one.<span style=""> </span>GST went up from 10% to 12.5% on 1 October here.<span style=""> </span>In the wet weather Neil has been catching the bus a bit.<span style=""> </span>With the GST change the bus fare went from $1 to $2 – now that is a very big 2.5% dont you think?!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">Moneypenny seems to be chirpier and with a glossy coat again.<span style=""> </span>Goodness knows what was going on there.<span style=""> </span>James Bond continues to be his dignified self.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">Well that’s it for news.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">Good bye for now.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;">Dr Quake (Jill) & Dr Crumble (Neil)</span><span style="font-size:11pt;"></span></p>Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4802609738680175395.post-45062969196746100952010-10-01T20:21:00.000-07:002010-10-01T20:26:11.138-07:00Test run<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Greetings from Wellington<br /><br />It is a sunny Saturday after a rain laden, sodden, land slip ridden week of wetness.<br /><br />I am busying myself with technology related stuff since it is the term break and I am thinking it is really professional development. That's fair.<br /><br />The next edition of Quake is about to roll off the tips of my fingers but I thought I'd just see how this would work as an alternative medium<br /><br />Bye for now<br /><br />Dr Quake<br /></span></span>Dr Quakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06024326648896142092noreply@blogger.com2