Cool School Race Camp 1

The Carine version of the Cool School Race Camp started today so I'm heading up to Perth with TH and FD to check how it's going, and to do the briefings for the two Perth schools who'll be joining our camp next week. We'll finish off the prep, drop off clues etc ahead of next week. I'm not ready yet but I'm making some progress.

I went to the Dr at Dunsborough today and he confirmed what I suspected, I have tennis elbow. Voltaren and a bandage are supposed to help. I had a blood test to check on my testosterone levels, and discussed starting some medication to help address a chemical imbalance and hopefully stabilise my emotional health. We'll see.

Dunsborough was full of school leavers and I felt decidedly over-dressed! Bikinis and towells and low slung shorts were the dominant attire! Hopefully they'll keep themselves out of trouble!

I had a YouthCare meeting tonight, followed bya catch-up over a drink with some of the other chaplains. We went to the Ship and sat in the bar where my paintings are hanging which was a nice feeling, the others liked them.

Quiz Night

Sorry this picture is so dark, the Blogger-Google-Picasa love triangle seems a bit dysfunctional tonight and this looks like the best I'm going to get!
You'll have to trust me when I say that the picture shows a room full of smiling happy faces at tonight's quiz night at the Esplanade. According to the members of the BPW (Business & Professional Women's Association) for whom I was running the night, it was "brilliant". Modesty prevents me from confirming this affirmation personally but who am I to question their judgement? The night did seem to go very well and to plan and I enjoyed myself in the process, all good signs.

Certainly the quiz night went better than events earlier in the day when I continued to have computer frustrations based on my prolonged enforced disconnection from the network due to software changeovers that have taken nearly 5 weeks to resolve! I had to work on another terminal in the front office to get the Country Week Pricing Sheet finalised and was so tied up getting that done that I COMPLETELY FORGOT my doctor's appointment!!! Considering there is usually about a two week waiting time to see this Dr I was pretty frustrated!

Things brightened when I "vented" (gently) my frustration to Rae the Principal and she referred me to the "Sweeper" (IT Guru down from Perth to help with the installation and associated problems) who proceeded to correct the problems I was having and successfully reconnected me to the network, got my email up and running and in the process made my day.
There were only 270 emails in the backlog awaiting my attention!

No time to deal with anything except the urgent stuff before I set off for Dunsborough for my rearranged Dr's appointment with an alternative Dr. As expected he confirmed the results of my blood tests as showing I have low testosterone levels and gave me a prescription to commence replacement therapy, and a second for anti-inflammatories, plus a referral to a counselor who comes highly recommended. I celebrated the end of the school week by buying a packet of chocolate and raspberry Tim-Tams and reading art magazines in the newsagency.

Quiz Night Poetry Challenge

I set the teams at the quiz night the challenge of writing a poem with a minimum of three verses with four lines each, containing a number of designated words and topics.
The response was impressive and amusing, with a mixture of humour, romance, pathos and the bizarre as people tried to include the required content, or construct rhymes around it.
Here is the winning entry which was based on audience response. The mandatory elements are highlighted.

A Brush With the Law by Table 12

I thought I'd just remove my pants
And shimmer through the night
But as I streaked across the road
The oldies died of fright

The cooking stopped in kitchens
And artists dropped their paint
And kangaroos in paddocks
Collapsed into a feint

The policeman said "explain it"
As I turned a shade of red
"It must have been marijuana scones
They went straight to my head."

My Mum she likes to cook them
And I took some for my lunch
And now I'm stuck in this small cell
With bikies and that bunch

I want to call my lawyer
To unchain me from this bed
And tomorrow when I raid the fridge
I'll steal two pies instead!

and another offering which was pithy and funny but disqualified for brevity.

I saw him remove his jacket
He shimmered pale in the light
I thought of fresh green mint
I'll explain, I'm having spuds tonight.

Tuesday

It's late.

Sport Boy has only just settled down and gone back to sleep after a couple of hours of pain and discomfort with a tummy ache. Sophie comforted him for quite a while and he eventually succumbed to the sandman.

Sophie drove me to Dunsborough today for my Dr's appointment. The Doc spent extra time with me, had good insights, made some good suggestions and referred me to a good counselor.
He's of the opinion that I don't need medication. I'd thought the same. Got stuff to work on, alone and together.

After the Dr. we went for a drive to visit a couple of galleries and saw some great art work before headinh home. Sophie's driving is getting better all the time. I'm not sure she's ready to pass her test yet but she's getting closer. It's her 18th birthday on Saturday. Wow!

Carolyn and I went to a movie, Tuesday night being cheap night. We both enjoyed the film, "Music and Lyrics" (Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore). It was pop and nonsense but well written and acted and a feel good film.

I spent the rest of the night adding countless layers and colours to a painting I've been working on, trying to get it "right". Not as easy as it sounds, or than I anticipated. It's close, but probably not quite there yet.

Stu is taking me out for breakfast in the morning so I'd better get some sleep before then!