Well . . . here we are in 2014 already. I know, I know . . . I am very slack for not even getting an update in by Christmas of 2013 to wish you all a Merry Christmas, but I was on the verge of getting some potentially big news and was holding off so I could share it with everyone in the update. Sadly, the news took longer to come that I had hoped, and so the update is only happening now. So . . . I sure hope you HAD a very wonderful Christmas, and I really hope that this year, 2014, is going to be the most wonderful year imaginable for you . . . I know, now that I finally have the news I was waiting for to share with you, that it has the potential to be just that for me. :) If you are not in the "reading mood", feel free to scroll down and look at the pics at least . . . they are a lot of fun. :)
But . . . before I get into my news I just want to just say a bit about all these pics first. I have shared with lots of people since I moved up here about the unique family Christmas Day tradition we have at Phil & Shellie's place . . . a great big water fight (big as in with buckets and not water pistols LOL!), but, because I am always in the thick of it, I never got to take any photos of the mayhem myself, and its really hard to describe just what its like in words alone. Now, part of what makes this water fight such a beauty, is the fact that Phil & Shellie have friends Jack & Jenny who run a backpackers hostel a few minutes down the road from them, and this water fight has also become a tradition for their backpackers on Christmas Day as well . . . this year there was about 30 of them that came to join in, and, thanks to Jenny, who took the photos, I am able to give you a glimpse of the fun it always is. We had these three huge tubs (below) filled with water before we started, but with 30 - 40 kids (in big bodies) and a good supply of buckets, it did not take long to empty them LOL!
I have quite a few pics to share with you, so what I am going to do is share a bit of news and info in between them, so you don't have a whole stack of words to read in one go, OK. Here, below, we see my nephew Harley (tall skinny guy with the tatts on the right) on a mission . . . probably to get a new bucket . . . those cheap plastic things are not really made for this kind of action and the place was literally littered with bucket handles and pieces when it was all over LOL!
OK, my news . . . hmmm, perhaps I should go back and have a quick run through from where I left off in my last update. I had quite recently completed my Certificate III In Aged Care, and was working at Carinya Home For The Aged. Well . . . I actually did not work there for very long. Despite it being absolutely perfect, position-wise, there were a few things about working there that I did not enjoy and when I thought about what I really wanted to be doing for the rest of my life, then Carinya was just not it. I mean . . . the residents were beautiful people, and I know I made a positive difference to the lives of some of them, and most of my co-workers were great to work with . . . and the whole experience of doing the training and working in the role was invaluable . . . but engaging in it for more than I had already done was just not for me. So, it was back to the challenging task of looking for work again for me. Here (below) we see me quick to get into the action and unleashing some serious water into the backpacker throng after arriving a few minutes after the fun had started.
As I had discovered before doing the Certificate III In Aged Care, work was scarce in the little country town of Atherton, and so I wondered several times, as my cash flow started going backwards again, if I had made the right decision in terminating my employment at Carinya, but each time I was able to remember I had followed my heart, and that the Universe would always support that, and so I had to just hand over and trust in the unfolding. In June, a door opened, and I did a Drumbeat Facilitator Training and in July, another door opened and I found myself enrolled in a Diploma Of Youth Work course with Community Training Australia (CTA) at their Malanda Campus. Why Youth Work? I'm not sure really. Maybe I just wanted to go in a completely different direction to Aged Care LOL! Here (below) we see some serious backpacker retaliation LOL!
Well, I loved pretty well everything about doing the Diploma of Youth Work. The venue was awesome, the lecturer was great, the time schedule was brilliant for me (one week full-time going through two modules on Campus then 4 or 5 weeks to complete the related assignments . . . and going through that process four times all up), and the group of people doing it with me were awesome fun (we laughed so much during our full-time on-campus weeks). The assignments were not that much fun though, especially towards the end, but the one thing I simply had no love for was my negative cash flow. It was not this course in particular, as any full time study would have resulted in it, but to counter this, another door opened in October when a friend of mine with the trolley collection contract for the local Big W store in Atherton lost a worker and needed someone to take his place.
I have to admit, I never really expected to find myself working as a trolley boy, but after swallowing my pride and "just doing it" I really loved the work. The money is almost as good as what I was getting as an AIN at Carinya, and it was perfect time-wise, because it was only 3 days a week, which meant it did not disrupt my full-time study (assignments) too much, and the one on-campus week that clashed was easily worked around. It was outdoors (even though it was very busy and hot over Christmas), I lost about 4 kgs, my fitness improved dramatically (its physically a lot harder than it looks), I was my own boss pretty well, so could take breaks when I wanted, and I was able to catch up with lots of people each day because practically the whole town shops there. Here (below) we see Shellie's demise. Harley (behind his mate Callum) holds her firmly while another mate of his, Daniel, unloads a bucket all over her.
Anyway, it was about this time that I also began the process of applying for a job with Queensland Correctional Services (QCS) . . . as one of the 20 odd new Correctional Officers at Lotus Glen Correctional Centre (LGCC). I say process, because that's exactly what it was, as the recruitment was handled by a recruitment agency from Victoria that was particularly thorough. This process included an online IQ test, then an online psyche test, the customary police checks, a full medical examination, an emergency response physical test, and an assessment day in Cairns that included an interview, group problem solving (with observation), and a computer aptitude test. It also included interviews with two referees, and although that proved to be a little challenging to organise, it worked out in the end. Oh, by the way, I did complete all my assessments for the Diploma Of Youth Work (below), and received my certificate in the mail earlier this month (February 2014). I am not sure if there is going to be a graduation ceremony or not.
I think the fact that I was doing this Diploma, had done the Drumbeat Facilitation, had worked for 5 years in Mental Health in Victoria, and had a Diploma of Teaching . . . all played a part in the success of my application, because at 55, I think I might well have been the oldest applicant . . . that was successful. Yes, I found out in January when I was offered one of the positions, and this was the news I was waiting for before I did this update. Basically I was going to share with you either that I was happily working as a trolley boy at Big W, or that I was about to start a 10 week training as a Correctional Officer with QCS at the LGCC, and I am really happy that I can share the latter of the two, even though, as I said, I did love my trolley boy work. Here (below) we see me getting backpacker water from all directions, but I have to say I did Queensland proud on the day LOL!
The Correctional Officer position feels perfect for me right now. It means a dramatic and considerable reversal of my cash flow (which is such a weight off my shoulders), and I am sure it won't be too long before I am in the black again. The initial 10 week training is 8 hours a day I think, five days a week, but once that is finished, I will be working 12 hour shifts, 3 days on, 3 days off, which I expect to be much more enjoyable than 9 to 5, five days a week, with a two day weekend. Now . . . there's a few people I want to thank. The referee checks were crucial to this recruitment agency, and so without my referees, I simply would not have been offered this position, so thank you to Edith, my old Community Residential Support Team (CREST) boss for being one of them, and thank you to Bruce, my parent's doctor, who agreed to be the other. Also, thanks to Lisa, an old CREST team leader who was so helpful in helping me to track down Edith. Neither of these women worked for CREST any more, but Lisa worked for another agency under the Eastern Access Community Health (EACH) umbrella while Edith had actually left EACH altogether. Here (below) we see some sneaky tactics by yours truly . . . all captured on film LOL! With the tubs of water empty over near the house, we had to resort to getting our water straight out of the irrigation channel. A nice friendly backpacker offers to help . . . I don't need it but thank him, we chat, and he drinks his beer . . . then when he's not expecting it, I empty my bucket on him LOL!
So . . . we are almost up to date. I completed all the paperwork that I was sent regarding QCS employment, and two weeks ago I attended an orientation day at Lotus Glen where we were fitted for uniforms ,etc., and taken on a tour of the facility. I am writing this on Sunday 16th February . . . the day before my 10 week training begins, so I will be up early tomorrow and raring to go. :) Here (below), due to the water running out in the tubs, and the pump that pumped the water out of the channel to fill them being unable to provide the volume of water necessary for such a water fight, the water fight moved . . . to . . . and into . . . the irrigation channel LOL!
Well . . . that's it guys! I finally got this update done. I finished working as trolley boy two weeks ago, and have had a "to do" list of considerable length that I have been working through. Now I have one more item to cross off the list. Woooooo Hoooooo! Yeah, I know it's been over 12 months since the last update, but better late then never I reckon, and I do intend, at this point in time, to improve on that with the next one. Here (below) we see the water fight crew when it was all over . . . some of us had even dried off and got dressed LOL! I hope you enjoyed these pics and that they enabled you to get a real sense of our Christmas Day water fight . . . so . . . until next time, blessings and In Lak'ech to you and all your loved ones . . .
Well the first thing I'd like to do is wish you (whoever you are that happens to be reading this) and all your loved ones a very . . .
. . . and may 2013 turn out to be more wonderful and miraculous than you ever could have imagined it to be for you as well!! Yes . . . I know this update is well overdue . . . but I think 10 months is better than 12 (the last update), so perhaps I am improving LOL!
I do have things to share . . . it has been almost a year after all . . . so I will get on to do that in a little while . . . I just had to start off by sharing another cute JibJab video I made, starring my awesome children, Nick and Sarah, and myself of course . . . this time in a sled race LOL!
And . . . for those of you who enjoyed the Jackie Evancho videos in my last update, I have included a few more of her to help spread the Christmas Spirit. This first one is "Silent Night", and she performs it with the Canadian Tenors . . . wowww . . . what beautiful harmonies they come up with! :)
This next one is "I'll Be Home For Christmas", and they created a really beautiful video clip to go with the beautiful song and the beautiful voice LOL!
Ok . . . now for the boring bits like what I have been doing this year for those who are really interested . . . so if you are not one of those, then once again, I wish you and all your loved ones a joyful, loving, and peaceful Christmas, and set you free to go look at something else *smiles*. Ok . . now . . . for those who really want to know . . . where do I start???
Hmmmm . . . well . . . all the legal stuff was finally sorted after Mum's passing and her funeral, and after my Centrelink income switched (and decreased considerably) from a Carer's Pension to Newstart allowance, my focus switched accordingly to looking for work so I could eat and pay bills, etc. I really was not having much luck when my sister-in-law Shellie suggested I explore a Certificate III in Aged Care course she saw in the local paper. Well, I did just that, taking a step in the general direction . . . and before i knew it, I was in it. LOL!
I entered a few weeks into the course, and had some catching up to do, but with my head down and tail up, I managed to catch up to the rest of the class and keep everything up to date for the rest of the course, graduating as an AN (Assistant in Nursing) on 7th December.
A considerable component of the course was placement in an actual Nursing Home, and I was fortunate to do my time in Carinya Home For The Aged, which is a short stroll accross a park from where I live, and which therefore would make it the "dream job" when it comes to travel time and cost, if that was where I happened to get work when the course was completed.
Well it seems I did good *smiles*, and it was not long before I was being given shifts there, even before graduating, but after all the course modules were completed and handed in for assessment. The hardest thing was getting back into a "normal" (for want of a far better word) working life and spending a third of most of my days working to get enough money to provide comfortable shelter and food for myself. The whole thing is crazy, but I find myself falling into the ratrace once again . . . and wishing that the end of the Mayan Calendar meant a whole lot more than the end of one cycle and the beginning of another, and something that would shatter this crazy world as we know it and set humanity back to grass roots of living and sharing together . . . harmoniously . . . in community as we were designed to. Oh well . . . Iit dont hurt to dream LOL!
Now . . . what was I saying . . . oh yeah . . . I am working at Carinya now, and despite my dislike of the social system I find myself in, I am also able to step back and see, from the bigger picture perspective . . . just how incredibly blessed and fortunate I am to be living where I am, and doing what I am doing. Anyway, what else has happened this year? I will briefly run through a few things that spring to mind before I wind this update up and submit it into the Blog ethers. Oh yeah, one highlight was going down to Cairns and being part of the Cairns Ukulele Ensemble that attempted (sadly unsuccessfully) to break the world record for the most Ukulele players playing the same song. We were only a couple of hundred short, but it was a lot of fun LOL!
I had one of my friends from Melbourne, Caz, and her guy David come up and visit for a day during their week long vacation up in the tropics, and I had my daughter Sarah come up for a week so she/we could experience the Solar Eclipse we were blessed to have fall right on us up here in the far north. It really was an awesome thing to experience, and although I did not video it myself or anything like that, this video I found of the eclipse on YouTube gives you a good idea of what it was like . . . though no video is going to give you the true experience of actually being there in it.
Another highlight was my brother Pete coming up for a visit . . . and to pack up the piano (that was left to his daughter Bec), all the china (that was left to his wife, Barb), and most of the paintings (that were left to him), and organize to get them all transported down to Victoria. Thankfully, everything fell into place easily and efficiently, and not long after he had returned to Victoria, the transport company arrived and began their trip to their new homes. Hmmm . . . what else . . . well there might have been a few more things, but that will have to do so I can get this update completed, and some Christmas emails sent out as well today.
Oh . . . I just remembered . . . I have one more video . . . for all those people able to see the spiritual significance of the amazing time we are in right now, and the unparallelled shift of consciousness we are going through as a result, here is a meditation designed to assist us make the transition from from the vibration we have considered normal till now . . . into one that better reflects the truth of who we are and opens more doors into All That Is than we have imagined. Enjoy . . . and hugs and blessings to you all . . .
Hey Everyone . . . just had to share a couple of things . . . had a real fun day yesterday, and helped put Cairns on the map by being one of the 3000+ people to set a new world record for a Zumba class size, with a resulting entry (if there are no hiccups in the process) into the Guiness Book Of World Records. Woooooooooooo Hooooooooooooo!!! Here is the only Youtube video I have found on it, though I am sure there will be a few more, once the people who made their own version on the day get them uploaded.
Cool Huh!!! LOL! Okie . . . but . . . as the title suggests, I have more to share than just this giant zumba class . . . and so . . . on a different note (pardon the pun LOL!) . . . I would like to introduce you to . . .
JACKIE EVANCHO
My God, this young lady (10 years old . . . maybe 11 now) is TOTALLY AWESOME!!! . . . well, her VOICE is, anyway . . . truly brings tears to my eyes . . . OFTEN!!! . . . and seriously, folks . . . you just HAVE to take a few minutes and listen to at least ONE of her current Youtube videos . . . and I have put some of my favourites here for those of you who are as enthralled with her as I was the first time I heard her sing, and want to hear more . . . and you have more than a few minutes of spare time, too I guess LOL! The first one "I Believe" is the first video of her I ever saw after a friend sent me the link, and its then followed by "Pie Jesu", then "O Mio Babbino Caro", then "Nessun Dorma", and finally (and it might seem a little back to front), her FIRST appearance on America's Got Talant, where she blew the audience AND the judges away . . . in one angelic swoop LOL! Anyway . . . enjoy . . . may she touch your heart like she has touched mine . . . and seeya next time :)
Well . . . somehow I have actually been able to get all my cards sent out as well as all the thank yous to people who sent cards and/or flowers when Mum left her body behind for the last time . . . but in case I happened to miss out on somebody . . . and you happen to have found your way here . . . then this "Merry Christmas" and "Thank You" is for you as well as everyone else. As you can see in the video (below), thanks to my wonderful friends Vic & Elizabeth who put me on to it, I have discovered the Jib Jab website, where you can create some pretty cool greeting card videos using faces from photos you upload to the website. This one still makes me smile and chuckle every time I watch it.
Yep thats us (Nick & Sarah, my two amazing children, and me) in that there video singing & playing "Rockin 'Round The Christmas Tree" LOL! This is our Chrissy card for you . . . and we hope it brings as big a smile to your face as it does to ours :) . . . and once again . . . Merry Christmas to you, and all your loved ones . . . and my 2012 be the year in which all your dreams come true!
Love & Blessings from John, Nick, & Sarah :)
Hey guess what . . . I just turned 53, and to celebrate, my wonderful friend Sheryl invited me to share a "Breakfast With The Beasts" at the Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve with her and her friend Helen. It was a fantastic way to spend several hours, even though it was pretty hot there . . . we started with a hearty breakfast and then proceeded to move around the reserve to where different animals were being fed every half hour or so, and the extremely knowledgeable staff at each feeding location generously shared a wealth of information about the animals as they fed them.
We noticed this rather angry lioness (above) just after breakfast, and could not work out why she was growing at us all so fearcely . . . until we saw a piece of meat our side of the electric fence just out of her reach reach LOL! She sure didn't want us to get that meat! Fortunately for her (and maybe us too LOL!), a very kind young guy eventually pushed it over to her under the electric fence with a stick, and she was one happy tabby after that :)
The video above was made during the lions feeding time. You will notice a few of them get too close to the electric fence at times and get a bit of a wake up call zap. It was amazing to be so close to them as they ate. Here we are (below, Sheryl in the centre) taking a break till it was time for the brown bears to eat.
In the video below, Sheryl gets up close and personal with the ginormous, but extremely gentle giant of the Reserve . . . the White Rhinocerous . . . all two and a half tons of him. It was pointed out to us that the wire barriers would not keep him in if he really want to escape (did you see Jurasic Park?? LOL!) . . . so we were strongly encouraged to move slowly and not make any loud noises while we all took turns to say hello to this guy as he was eating. Wowwwwww . . . what a great birthday pressy . . . thanks so much Sheryl! :)
