Day 267: A taxing time.

There shall be dancing, in the sunlight

 Day 267 (30 Aug) Friday.

Light, at 6.12am

Tax. Taxing. Lovely play on words really isn't it. Today I have an appointment today with the taxation people (tax time) right after I take the next dose of the infusion medication (taxing) and in between get to friend in hospital and see my own doctor...good thing I only had a 19 hour day yesterday...

Convalescence, at 6.12pm

So given I didn't have to 'rush off' until a little later, giving me time to 'smell the roses' or at least observe the light and shade in the bougainvillaea. By the time 6.12pm came around, it was back at my friend's place, checking up on her convalescence and seeing that our colleagues were doing the right thing by her after all...

Day 266: Take yesterday, rinse, repeat...

Day 266 (29 Aug) Thursday.

Coffee essentials, at 6.12am

Yes, another day to hit what has become known on twitter as #theBruce...the Bruce Highway. It is usually why I find myself having breakfast at 6.12am, to be out the door before 6.45am and the worst of the traffic. 

Campaigning

Just as I leave however, I see my local member is spruiking his candidacy in the forthcoming election. His Rudd Reports are regular features in our post boxes, and they make useful resources for my teaching (always seek the silver lining...) 

Further meetings and tutes and lectures in the other politics course today: International Security. We are reading the same Dower text in the tutorials (it has interesting and relevant cross-over) and I'm interested in the way students are reading the text, depending on whether they are doing one or 
both of the relevant courses. 

Twelve hours down, with four hours to go,
at 6.12pm

With appointments in Brisbane tomorrow, I won't be up the Coast again until Monday. So although I'm in my office at 6.12pm, just after the lecture, there is another four hours or so of work to complete before I leave. The day isn't quite over yet...

Day 265: This multitasking life...

Day 265 (28 Aug) Wednesday.

Sometimes when I look back over this record (which was started just to see whether or not I was a creature of habit), with just 100 days to go, it is apparent that a) I do do pretty much the same things each day and b) perhaps sometimes I try to do too much...

Brekkie, etc, at 6.12am

So it was at breakfast at 6.12am where I find myself eating, reading yesterday's paper, watching the timeline and, of course,  listening to the AM program in the background. Oh, not to mention, taking a pic at this point...

Tute time, at 6.12pm

That's something of what appears to be a contrast at 6.12pm, where I am reading, apparently. Well, reading and listening and assessing a student presentation in a tute; the discussion moderation comes shortly. We've progressed some of the way through the Dower text, the students are starting to make sense of it and their discussion and analysis is developing along nicely. It's a satisfying job at times.

Back to the office a little later to finish up. Tonight I left around 10.00pm, not unusual. Back tomorrow, for more.  

Day 264: Bargains? No, bargaining...

Day 264 (27 Aug) Tuesday. 

It's an early start because again we are meeting over the bargaining for the enterprise agreement. This is work in addition to my regular schedule and it can feel like playing chess v.e.r.y.s.l.o.w.l.y...We are hoping it will be done soon, but at the same time, we seek to get the best possible conditions for staff. So the early start sees the colour appearing in the sky, it is getting lighter now and I do like the affect of the branches against the lightening sky. 

Sunrising, at 6.12am

Welcoming committee

At work, on campus, the alpha kanga is out and about checking his territory. It is moments like these I wish I had my main camera on me. I have met a gent who has taken over 5000 photos of the wildlife on our campus. It would be an easy thing to do. 

The extra meetings today mean a little extra time staying back in the office, reviewing notes from today; adding final touches to classes for tomorrow. Looking on the schedule for the next issue arising...

The desk, at 6.12pm

Meanwhile, there are friends to look after too...

Day 263: Witch's hat in the morning, ships in the night

Well, one way to start the day, at 6.12am

Day 263 (26 Aug) Monday. Notwithstanding all that is on, it was back to classes today but not before I had to do a little 'maintenance' out the front. The council is repairing the footpath and so there are the usual safety controls in place. It just so happened that one ended up on my garage roof overnight courtesy, no doubt, of a bored passer-by. An industrious start to the 6.12 morning. 

Later in the evening, at 6.12, I was approaching the carpark at work when one of the buildings (the 'tower') loomed up like a lost ship at sea. With the concert yesterday, there was no rehearsal scheduled for this evening which gave me a chance to work back a little, and work my way home a little more casually. 

It's back tomorrow, for a full day...

Ships in the night...at 6.12pm

Day 262: Concert day

Reflection, at 6.12pm 

The 6.12 dawn

Day 262 (25 Aug) Sunday. Another Sunday, another concert. No, not always, it just seems like that sometimes. And of course, with my mind on other things, should I be playing through distractions or indeed play to be distracted? Tough call. 

A break in the concert

I still like being up early, even on a Sunday and capturing that moment the light is breaking through at 6.12am, which is what I did. Concert days are always quite busy. We generally need to be there for a fairly early sound check before the 2.00pm curtain call. Today is out at the St Lucia campus, a repeat of last week's concert essentially. 

A good part of the morning then is spent in rehearsal. I don't have a lot to play in this particular concert so I sneak a tweet or two...live tweeting from the back row, just for fun.

I decide to call in to see my friend on the way home, it affords an interesting 'reflective' pic at 6.12pm. On the way, I notice the member for Griffith has stepped up his presence with the placement of a prominent billboard opposite the Gabba cricket ground. Yep, there's an election in the air. 

Tomorrow, it's back to work...

Caption not required...

Day 261: Life interrupted

Flowers

Day 261 (24 Aug) Saturday. Sometimes life can just be travelling along and then it knocks you sideways. This morning is back to the hospital, check on my friend and perhaps see her home. It's then awaiting the next stages, the coming extent of treatment, the extent of support I might be able to offer her and her family. 

Pondering, at 6.12am

Such things I was pondering at 6.12am before heading off to the hospital, just before I got up.  Still more flowers arrived at the hospital from friends and colleagues. So many in fact, it required a large trolley to get them all out to the car. But the discharge was approved so that was a good sign. 

Parliament, from South Bank

Today was also a 'play day' but should I stay or should I go. We are part of a group of subscribers who look forward to going but it was a case of operation interruptus for this one. Safely back at her house however, my friend insisted I go anyway. So I did, 'twas a nice day to be thinking about life by the brisbane River...

And, just to show everything was getting back to normal, at 6.12pm I found myself at the local pizza place, picking up our pizzas, usually Friday night, but just merely postponed. Maybe sometimes just sometimes, things in life are there to be interrupted...