Two Weeks and 100s of Emails Later - it’s back to work!

Well the last two weeks have been a wonderful break. The sunshine, sea and isolation of Scotland were fantastic, a real tonic and totally relaxing. Last week was more unreliable weather wise but there were plenty of sunshine filled days nevertheless – but it was a week of chores and getting things done that are more difficult to do during the weekend.

The tree surgeon came for his annual visit – trees are lovely things but certainly need looking after. Cello went for his regular check up, as always an absolute star and of course loves being the centre of attention. I spent an hour or two choosing new shelves for my office at work, and thought I am possibly becoming too much of a grumpy old man to tolerate IKEA any more. But many thanks to our caretakers who took the flat packs out of my car and up to the new office. Jennie and I have swopped offices in preparation for the new enlarged School and although I am sure it was a pain to organise my thanks also go to Jennie and colleagues for getting things sorted while I was away.

Yesterday I called in and assembled the book cases – I really am becoming a grumpy and impatient old man, who should stick to buying ready assembled furniture. I abandoned the project after a few hours, and I guess it will take me some late evenings this week to get things sorted and comfortable.

Following on from a conversation I had a few weeks ago at a wedding reception I was invited to go and meet some colleagues at a mental health service in the West of what our new NHS SHA Cluster refers to as the NHS North. Whilst some might some think this a strange thing to do on holiday, it was partly business as well as pleasure. The morning was very bright and the sun shone. It was gorgeous walking around the grounds of a relatively unspoilt and slight old fashioned mental health hospital. Someone clearly had spent time, love and care on the grounds, and the space and quietness was soothing.

Today I will have to turn on my outlook account and start to look at the emails – 100’s, but hopefully, many of these will have already been looked at and responded to by colleagues – so it will be more a case of me catching up. A bit like Cello, who has been trying every night for the last two weeks, to catch Henry our resident hedgehog - every night he waits for Henry to walk across the front lawn, at which point he becomes beside himself with excitement - until last night Henry has always disappeared by the time Cello has gone out for his last walk - but last night he hadn't and Cello managed to catch him - Henry of course rolled into a ball leaving Cello completely flummoxed! Just as well...

...and now I am off to enjoy the last few hours of my holiday.

SLU 301

I've been putting this off for a week but I'm finally going to make myself blog about my trip that I didn't even post I was taking. I started to post before hand but got caught up in the prep. Anyway, last week I was in England and France for Student Leadership University 301. It was an amazing experience! For a little background I'll explain SLU. It's a leadership training program for students. There are multiple levels starting with 101 and going up to 401. 101's in Orlando and other places. It kicks off the program and introduces how to lead as a Christian. The next level is 201 and it is in Washington D.C., that one is about having the heart of a patriot and leading in your country. The next level is 301 and that is in Europe and it is what this post will be about.

Like I said, last week I was in England and France. I left the 23rd of July with a small group from my church and boarded a plane bound for Heathrow Airport in London. I can't explain how excited I was. This was to be my first time out of the U.S. and I was stoked for it to be to Europe. The plane ride was uneventful and long. We landed in London and spent the day sight seeing adjusting to the time change (i.e. a six hour difference) by not long after a dinner of fish and chips (what else would we have?) we went back to the hotel and hit the sack.

The next day we headed out early to the airport to meet up with the other groups from SLU and then head to Stonehenge. And yes, it was a huge pile of rocks but it was an awe inspiring pile of rocks. These stones were massive, at least two or three stories high. It's amazing to think that men, without the aide of heavy machinery set those rocks in place. We had our orientation on a field near Stonehenge where we were introduced to probably the most important tip about travel ever given: If there's a bathroom use it because there my not be one where your going. The rest of the day was spent on the ferry crossing the English channel to France.

Day two was touring the beaches of Normandy. This was such a surreal experience for. I've seen documentaries on the D-Day invasions and seen plenty of footage on the beaches but I never pictured them to be like they really are. Omaha Beach, where the worst fighting happened looked like any other beach but knowing what happened there and how many lives were lost there made it so much more. The truly eye opening visit was to Point Du Hoc. Before the invasion this was a flat piece of land that led to a thousand foot cliff and into the channel waters. The Germans set up defense there and had four huge guns. The Allis had to take this spot. On the morning of June 6, 1944, a battalion of Rangers landed at Point Du Hoc. These men scaled those thousand foot cliffs on ropes, in the rain, while being shot at. The fact that these men held this spot for two days with no relief is amazing. Because of the bravery of these men and countless others, Europe isn't under control of the Nazis. I'm so grateful for their "sacrifice of tomorrows." We learned on those beaches just what and how those soldiers, most the same age as many of us. We learned that dispute the odds or challenges we must overcome when the cause is freedom.

Paris was next. I loved the history of the places we visited. Notre Dame was amazing and in all honesty the first thing that popped into my head was that Disney got the details right. The Louvre was next and I didn't like it at all. The place was amazing. The art was amazing. But all the other thousands of people there didn't make it easy to enjoy. I wish I'd had time to look at all the rooms of stuff there but it just wasn't possible. Next was Rodin's Garden. I loved this place. I may just have been the fact that I went from mass chaos to peace but I loved it all the same. Rodin's famous for his bronze sculptures including the Gates of Hell and the Thinker. The Thinker is somewhat of a symbol of the SLU program. It serves as a reminder that life's decisions must be thought through and not taken lightly. It was awesome to see this statue in person. Of course we saw the Eiffel Tower it's massive to say the least. I didn't get to go up because of time but it was neat to look around at that place.

The next day we headed back to London. This is where my favorite parts start happening. We headed over on the Euro Star, so I have now been over and under the English channel. Once we got back to London we went straight to St. Paul's Cathedral. I can't explain just how much I loved St. Paul's. It was absolutely beautiful. I so wish I could have taken pictures and captured some of the prettiness but it wasn't allowed. St. Paul's has a huge dome and that dome has stairs you can climb up. There are three hundred and something stairs to climb to get to the top of St. Paul's. I climbed them all. It was awesome until I got half way up and remembered I'm afraid of heights and don't like being able to see through what I'm walking on (the spiral stairs in the dome combined those two things). After a very slow climb, I made it to the top. The view was awesome and I'm so glad I went up. After lunch, we went to Westminster. For those of you who followed the Royal Wedding, you'll recognize this as the place where Prince William and Catherine were married. It was neat to be in the place but it was strange being in a church where so many people are buried. The church was beautiful and, being the music nut I am, the organ fascinated me. Everything was very ornate and you could feel the history in the room. We also visited the Churchill war cabinet rooms where Churchill and his staff worked during WWII. It was neat to be in there too.

The next day was graduation and as part of our address, Churchill's grandson was there to speak to us and answer questions about his grandfather and grandmother. I was cool to hear a first hand account of someone so historically important. Our final address was given by Dr. Jay Strack, the creator of this program, and he spoke about always doing your best. I'll have to write a post about that later. After we graduate we headed off to Oxford and hit the town. We got to wonder around for a while and just take in the city before we had a session at the Church where C.S. Lewis attended. I really liked Oxford. It was a busy town but not a busy city, which I liked. There were a bunch of people but it is a university town, what do you expect? Oxford is beautiful and it's the first college I've ever been to that goes back several centuries. LIke I said we had a session in the Church where C.S. Lewis attended. That was neat. There wasn't really all that much left of this day. We ate and then went back to the hotel.

The next and final day was spent in London. We saw Abbey Road, one of the studios the Beatles recorded in, and the cross walk where that album cover was shot. Photos were taken and drivers made mad by the many teens trying to cross an actual street. We then went to the American embassy and walked around in the park in front of it. It was nice there. When then went to John Wesley's chapel and had a session. I had the chance to go in with a small group and tour Wesley's house which I will also have to post about separately. We went to several other museums but in all honesty I can't remember much about them. Our final stop was Windsor Castle. This place was massive and beautiful. It was fun just walking around Windsor and I enjoyed just being able to chill and be a tourist, not that we didn't tour all the other days...Anyway. WIndsor was a nice way to finish off the trip. That night we had closing sessions, but like the other two things, that will have to be another post for another day.
We flew home the next morning and since this is an already long post I won't write any more for your sake and my own.

Polly Dolly - Hippie Hippie Shake

Yay - a new Polly Dolly is here! Brought to you by the very talented ( and in demand! ) Dani over at Danimezza, this week we need to get a bit chillaxed, a little bit zen, and go all...

A sweet smock dress and relaxed denim vest set the tone for the outfit. Gladiator sandals are a must, but the bead and sparkles on these ones give the outfit a boost. A head scarf to keep all that long, luxurious, hippie hair out of Polly's face, and aviator shades and sunscreen keep the Polly sunsafe. Throw the rest of her stuff in a great brown satchel and Polly is ready to hit the hippie trail!

The Start Of A Journey

So - today is exactly 3 months until my wedding. 3 measly little months - but for all the little things i have to do in the meantime, it may aswell only be three days. But this post is not about wedding preparations... no, today i want to pose a question. Some of you may or may not be able to answer it, but it is really more about me getting things off my chest and out of my headspace.


So.... how long did it take you to fall pregnant after you stopped taking the Pill? Or more to the point - how long will it take me?

Pic from here

I've found myself really starting to think - and to worry - about trying to conceive this last week or so. I know this will sound petty to the beautiful few of you who have been TTC for years, and havent yet been blessed.... but i'm trying to figure out when to stop taking the Pill to give myself the best chance of conceiving by the end of the year.

There is the notion that it takes a month or two for the hormones in the Pill to leave your system, so maybe i should stop it now - but then there is the advice i read that says you only have to miss one single, solitary little pill for your body to start ovulating, which means you could fall pregnant straight away. I tend to believe the later. Why? I was ON the Pill when i fell pregnant with Flynn. From memory i think i missed two pills one weekend ( i had gone to stay at Micks and forgot to take them with me ) and though we were "careful " i managed to fall pregnant in those two days. ( I think that is partly what upset my ex-best friend so much - she had, unbeknownst to me, been trying hard for a while to have a child with no success, and i'd done it with no intention, and at the drop of a hat ).

But thats the thing - i acknowledge that it was incredibly against the odds for me to fall pregnant after being unintentionally off the Pill for two days. I was ( even though it wasnt planned ) extremely lucky. Surely i cant be that lucky again, second time round? I cant just assume that because my body adjusted itself so quickly that time, that it will be able to do so again. I'm hoping that i can, staying on the Pill, have a period the last week in October, get married the first weekend in November, and then fall pregnant on my honeymoon, or by Christmas at the latest. Thats the dream scenario - no period craziness for my wedding and honeymoon, and pregnant within a two month window.

Am i reaching for the stars here? Am i going to be beyond devastated if it doesnt all fall into place so easily? I've been wanting another child for months now, been getting clucky ( and jealous ) for every woman i know who's fallen pregnant while i wait to fit into my wedding dress. I've watched Flynn cuddle a 4 week old baby, i've watched him stroke the babys fluffy head, and say softly " aww, baby Mum...baby ", and i've wanted for it to be us - for it to be mine and Micks baby, for it to be a baby brother or sister for my Flynny.

I guess all i can do is wait - 3 months for the wedding day ( and night! ) and who knows how long til i get two blue lines on that little plastic stick....

Pogo Was Right

About ten years ago, my cousin told me of his bankruptcy settlement. I wondered how it was possible that he could have so much debt forgiven and still keep his house and his truck. I figured I’d wait and see. When we were kids he had been so hyperactive and impulsive that I could only hang out with him for short intervals before feeling so drained I had to keep my distance for several months. He had moved to Florida and I hadn’t seen him for a few years, but he called me every month or so and even his phone calls left me feeling tired.

He had told me a couple of years earlier that he had over $40,000 in credit card debt and I was shocked. He had owned a house in New Hampshire at the time though I don’t know what the mortgage was. We were riding in his then-new, four-wheel-drive pickup truck equipped with every option, and I didn’t think he and his wife together made $40k in a year. He said he was worried and I could believe that. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I were in his shoes, yet somehow, he was able to sell his house in New Hampshire and buy another in Florida, and that’s where his questionable bankruptcy judgement was made. It was all difficult to swallow and that’s how it had always been with my cousin.

I’ve been thinking a lot about him while watching the debt talks in Washington. My cousin said he was able to keep his house and his truck, and if he was, it was only because his creditors had to eat his debt. Others would have had to pick up the slack for him because he wouldn’t discipline himself enough to control his spending. I believed he would get himself right back into debt again if he were ever issued more credit cards - and I don’t see our government behaving any differently either unless we pass a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution.

The eleventh-hour budget compromise in Washington will supposedly prevent bankruptcy for the USA, but I’m not confident it will. How can this congress bind future congresses for the next ten years? Doesn’t the Constitution allow them to tax, borrow and spend under Article I, Section 8? Without a balanced budget amendment they can do what they please and I don’t trust them to change any more than I do my cousin. Both sides claim there are huge cuts to government spending included in the compromise. How can that be true when the plan adds $7 trillion to the debt over the next ten years? Presidents and congressional leaders set off my internal BS alarm just as much as my cousin always did. The way they conduct their personal lives is similar too, but there’s not enough space in this column to go into any of that.

My cousin depended on everyone else when he went belly up, but if the USA goes bankrupt, who would save us? China? According to one Chinese official, we’ve already defaulted on our debt to them because we’re paying interest on it by printing dollars that are worth less than the ones we borrowed. US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke likes to call it “quantitative easing” but you could also call it counterfeiting. He reminds me of my cousin too.

Another of our creditors, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, said the other day that: “They [Americans] are living beyond their means and shifting a part of the weight of their problems to the world economy.” The way he describes us Americans, we’re all seeming more like my cousin, no? Putin went on to say, “They [Americans] are living like parasites off the global economy and their monopoly of the dollar”

Is he right? I’m afraid he is. How did we get to the point when a communist Chinese official and the former head of the Soviet KGB are making more sense than the US Federal Reserve Chairman and the President of the United States?

As I think about all this, it occurs to me that, for decades, my cousin would call me after a long hiatus and I would go and hang out with him again. It also occurs to me that we Americans keep electing presidents and members of congress who act like just like him. I believe Pogo was right when he said: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

You Are My Sunshine

Without trying to sound too sappy - dont you just love the sun?
I've been feeling bogged down, weighed on heavily by worries and stresses for a good month or two - and after one weekend away and a few days of sunshine i'm feeling better. Lighter. Happier.

Pic from here

I can say with all certainty that the weather has definately played a part in my down-in-the-dumps mood. Some people would say that Seasonal Affective Disorder is a load of crap but i tend to think not. Not that i'm saying i would be officially diagnosed with S.A.D ( a mood disorder wherein the change in season - usually from warm to cold - affects the mood to the point of depression ) but i know that when i was living in New Jersey the long, cold, snowy winter did see me more homesick, more lonely, and more melancholy than usual. I longed for sunshine and summer, for the chance to go without sleeves, to walk on grass without shoes.... and when that warm, humid, breezy summer did come, i blossomed.

So my fingers are crossed that this mid-winter " heat wave " doesnt leave us for too long. I'm hankering for spring, for happiness, for long days that turn into nights around an outdoor dining suite with family and friends. This little sun seeker is just waiting to get her sunshine on....

How about you? Do you think S.A.D is a valid disorder, and do you ever feel adversely emotionally effected by the seasons?

Weekend Adventures In Fun

So you may have noticed that i've been missing in action from the blogosphere for few days. ( You didnt notice? Oh...ok. ) No, i havent had any mishaps like last weeks sprained ankle, nor have i given birth to anymore children ( which is what happened last time i had a prolonged absence from my blog ). No, no...nothing like that. So where have i been? I've just been on a long weekend with my beautiful boys....and having fun!


We packed our car up with what seemed like the entire contents of Flynns room ( clothes, nappies, toys, books... ) and one bag of our stuff and headed down to Sydney last Thursday lunchtime. Its at least 4 and half hours of driving, plus a half hour stop for a food/toilet break - which potentially meant a looooooooooooong trip with a toddler in the car. Lucky for us Flynn proved to be a good traveller, and only got really bored and whingey right towards the end of the trip ( although the kilometres and kilometres of roadworks across the Blue Mountains proved to be a good distraction, with all the excavators and bulldozers and trucks to draw his attention ).

Roadworks over the mountains ( pic from here )

As you do when you have a young family and not a lot of funds, you stay with family - we were very graciously hosted Mick's Aunty Kerry and his Uncle Mick ( and yes, quite often their was a bit of confusion about which " Mick " was being spoken to ). Aunty Kerry is the kind of host who cooks enough food to feed a hundred people, so i'm pretty sure i've stacked on at least 2 or 3 kilos in the last 5 days. She is also the kind of host who refuses to let you help with anything, so we end up being completely catered to for a few days, which was really nice.

What was also nice was being able to get out as a couple - Mick and I left Flynn with his great-aunt and great-uncle while we went to see Cirque Du Soleil's " Saltimbanco ".... which was awesome! We caught the train into Homebush and got to pretend we were teenage lovebirds - we held hands, and cuddled together on the train, and stopped for a coffee date before the performance. It was nice to be able to act like a couple, without having an (adorable) little person in tow. It was exactly the romantice date night i was hoping for (but didnt get ) a few weeks ago. Ah - the magic of the circus...

But its not like Mr Flynn got left out altogether. We managed to squeeze in some tenpin bowling - where Flynn got to have a turn, and where i kicked Micks arse twice; a spot of shopping at Penrith Westfield - where i scored 3 cute dresses at a great price, Mick got some much needed new hoodies, and Flynn got spoiled with books and plush " Hoot " toy; lots of running and jumping and digging and tricycle riding and playing with Mia the giant fluffy dog in Aunty Kerry's backyard; and even a shared ice cream or two. Plenty of fun stuff to keep an energetic 19 mth old amused!

And - aside from the Cirque Du Soleil - even though shopping and ten pin bowling and playing in the backyward is all stuff we can do at home... it WAS fun. It was nice to get out of town, to get away from the routine of our everyday lives and just be somewhere different for a few days. It was nice to eat bacon and eggs for breakfast instead of cereal; it was fun introducing Flynn to new experiences; it was good to catch up with family over a few drinks, and around a suprisingly warm outdoor heater. It just " was " and i enjoyed it.

Yay for Cityrail! ( Pic from here )

What about you? What did you get up to over the weekend? ( If you went to Blogopolis i'm sure you've already blogged it tho... )

P.S Please excuse the lack of original photos with this post. I did take my camera but kind of forgot to get it out most times....