Jobs

So I am a bit down at the moment, I just got another letter from AIMS saying 'thanks for your application but unfortunately you were unsuccessful this time'. It is like the third or fourth time I have applied for this position I loose count a bit. So no Benthic Ecologist position for me this time round.

This leads to the Question though What the hell am I going to do when the position I am currently in runs out at the end of next August. the honest answer is that I have absolutely no idea. It's rather hard when you work in an industry that has fairly few prospects and limited resources. I still want to work in Science. I am suited for it my brain just works that way, also you get to meet interesting people and go to some of the most spectacular places. Tom was right when he said that even though you do not get the financial rewards you get rewarded in other ways that are much better ( the lack of funds though does on ocasion make it hard to live though).

Still on the optimistic side I do have just under a year to try and find something. Who knows I might be able to apply for the Benthic ecologist position at AIMS agian ;) I can make it like a tradition every time that job is advertised I can apply. Then thereis the fact that you never know what the future hold and you are better off enjoying the ride rather than worrying about the destination.

Pinapple Chunks (Rowers will Know)

So on Sunday the corporate rowing had it's first regatta. The Port Authority team had training at 7:30 am then we hung around and went in some races later in the morning. There are 12 teams going in it and some of the teams have been in corporate rowing for 3 years. Anyway now I'm a financial member of the Townsville and JCU rowing club. It's not a bad sport good excersise but just doesn't last for very long. I mean the races on the weekend were 250m, not all that far, but then our team might have trouble balancing our boat for a race that is longer than that. Not that we are bad but that's the way rowing goes you have to learn to balance the boat then you can learn to get your stroke right then you can concentrate on perfecting the technique. each of these steps has a different time frame as well. 5-8 trainings to get the balance alright. then 20-50 more trainings to get a decent stroke technique, then the perfect technique is like the search for the perfect wave "maybe the next one will be better".
This is our team, Min is the Cox in the stern and I am in seat 6 the third rowing seat from the stern. We were not the best team but neither were we the worst team and there are some easy ways for our team to improve by about another 10-14 seconds over a 250m race. For the record our Time over 250m was 0:1:26 which I thought wasn't bad untill I thought about our 500m time in the ocean in an outrigger cannoe was 0:2:02 which is considerably faster in a boat that is much slower. Oh well we just have to work on it, what was it in the last post oh yes 'Better pick up the pace'.

Pick up the pace

So right at a time when I thought that I would have more time I actually have less time. All the Rogaines are finished and the paddling season is over, but Dave our Paddling coach has decided to start training for next year now. Also Min's work sponsored a corporate rowing team which had 13 people in it so I volunteered to drive the tinny for the Coach (Min). Several people droped out though and it ended up that for balance of the boat and lack of people I ended up rowing, which is good I wanted to experience rowing and what it is like to be in a rowing Skiff (I think they are skiffs). They train on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday which is good because I'm free those afternoons. That now means that I train for paddling tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Then train for rowing wednesday friday and Sunday. Leaving only monday free to persue thet goals that I set for September which is finish off the Main bedroom and get the house back into some sembelance of order. Then Saturday and Sunday Afternoons I can do the corrections for my thesis and I will have time to rest once it's all finished.

I think I'd better pick up the pace a bit!!!

Holidays

I know I know, it's a bit early to start sorting out the Holidays for Christmas. I do have a fairly ambitious plan though. A plan to bring people together and hopefully see my whole family and I have Mine own and Mins Holiday times to consider. Anyway with all of this stuff to sort out I thought that the web would be a good forum for everyone to letme know there plans for the holidays. That includes you by the way Dad. What I need is for everyone to leave comments about there plans for the holiday.
My Plans are that I will head down to Sydney/Wollongong a bit before Christmas maybe on the 21st or 22nd hang out have Christmas, then I might go down to Durras on the 1st of Janruary have some fun then fly back to the Ville maybe about the 6th or 7th of Jan.
What do you lot recon.

Note to those that are not family I am still interested in what people might be up to over the holidays so please leave a comment letting us all know what glorius events will fill your time over the Christmas Holidays.

Cheers

Slack

Maybe Slack is actually a bit of an understatement. I haven't posted on my website in ages, but at least I have something to say now.
Lauryne Grant a friend organised a weekend trip to Paluma. We all stayed at the house that is owned and kept by the JCU. It's basic but lovely. Paluma is such a nice place it's quiet and there is so much wildlife around that you just feel calmer just by being there.
There are especially alot of birds and Tom has just gotten into 'Twitching' which I discovered is just spotting birds and recording where and when you found them. Tom was all set then and was off spotting birds whenever he could. Ben and Jane are also rather Keen and were joining him ocasionally.
The Weekend was great we arrived after a busy day in Townsville (busy even though no-one from paddling turned up to paddle so the morning was a bust), then proceeded to relax and talk the night away. It's really nice to have good friends that you can talk to and go away with and have relaxing weekends. The next day we went out to birthday creek had a swim in the absolutely F*#*&%$ Freezing water (sorry for the expleative but in this case it's justified and nesecary). It was so cold that your feet hurt imediately when you put them in the water. The problem was that they never stopped hurting. Anyway we clambered around in the water for all of about 1 minute then climbed out and shivered on the rocks in the sun for a while. Then we went back to the house packed up and went home. It doesn't sound like a very exciting weekend but it was relaxing and a wonderful place to get away to. The only hitch for the weekend is that I left my Toiletries bag in the house so I have had to buy a new toothbrush.

More Posts to follow soon.......