Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well, not so much leaving as left!!! In two days I will have been back for a week and already the hols are a bit like a blur. The temps are still quite warm here in the day - 38C yesterday, and last night I put the air conditioning on as my two duvets at night have been a bit too hot!

Thought this post would be a bunch of random items as my creative juices are running thin today.

* Nearly mixing with the Rich and Famous - I mentioned that I was reading an Ian Rankin book on the trip over to NZ - one of his 'Rebus' murder and mayhem novels. I thought I was seeing things at the airport when I thought I saw 'Rebus' aka John Hannah amongst the crowd of incoming passengers and then thought - no - you've had him pictured in your mind while you've been reading the book, and it could be someone that looks like him. THEN, I read in the paper, John Hannah and family were holidaying in NZ, in fact were in Napier by that weekend.!!!!!

My next OMG moment was at Melbourne airport when this bloke was standing next to me at one of the check ins again looked familiar, and it was Dylan Moran of 'Father Ted' and 'Black Books' fame (squeal to the Lee family, heh, heh). As I have not watched a lot of either of those series, I wasn't a 100% sure until I heard the Irish accent (swoon). Not only that, but when I arrived at Perth, I saw him again - must have travelled on the same plane!!!!

*The flight back was passable, not that impressed with Qantas service and I much prefer a straight through international flight than domestic travel. There were no individual screens to watch anything on - just a couple of big screens with the one option movie to watch. I either slept or read on the way back. I happened to be sitting in the row just under the main screen for my section of seating which was great for leg room but as there were exit doors either side of the plane at that juncture, it seemed to be freezing. I asked for a blanket and it took ages for one to arrive so was extremely cold by the then.

* Change is in the air - we have a new program for the students this term that will include boarding hours - we are finding out more over the next two days. It is a program that will help prepare the students for work with literacy and numeracy, rather than an academic program that follows the national curriculum. It should suit our students and give them work/industry based qualifications that will be more suited than studying for university in the long term. There has been some downsizing with staff with two teaching staff and two boarding staff (men) moving on. Will no more by the weekend. We are now down to 5 girls and about 12 boys.

* I am over moving furniture in either country. Spent Monday and today moving from girls' boarding UPSTAIRS to our new abode - the Principals house which has 7 bedrooms while the current Principal is moving underneath the WM's home in the old convent. We have moved beds, linen, kitchen stuff and lounge suits, hence the brain dead feeling at the moment.

* It was interesting experiencing ANZAC day in Aust. I watched the dawn parade live from Gallipoli and it was interesting to find out from Mum and Kay that they had done the same, live back in NZ. I also saw a part of the Perth Service and then one from Brettoneux in France (I think that is the right spelling) where Aussies turned the tide during WW1 for this village. I found the Gallipoli service very moving and it was good to hear the Gov Gen from NZ speak.

*Big thanks to Mum who stayed up until 3am the morning I left as I waited for the shuttle. I think I fell asleep pretty much as soon as we picked up the last passengers just out of Waiuku. The Workmate was at Perth airport to pick me up having dropped off another friend 3 hours earlier. It took us about 5 1/2 hours to drive back (with a stop at Bindoon bakery for a bite to eat and a coffee). I don't think we drew breath all the way back, lol, catching up on all the collective news. Haven't had a chance to get to the shops yet so the WM and family have fed me each night since I got back, bless.

* I did think I might bring some rain back with me, but no such luck. My spinach and parsley are still alive, thanks to staff who watered my plants while I was away. The country side is very dry. Yesterday as we drove into Mullewa to pick the boys up from footie practice, there was lots of dust in the air as farmers are ploughing in preparation for seeding. There was smoke also as we passed paddocks with wheat stalk rows on fire as burn off before ploughing.... There were hundreds of little patches of fire for acres, looked very like slow burning detonator lines as the patches moved along the lines of stubble.

Hopefully will be back to regular posting again. Need to pay the telephone/bigpond bill this week and all should stay good, lol.