2nd last day of 2008

Today is the 2nd last day of 2008 and for now at least, my 2nd last day in Cronulla. Next year Mum will move to Brisbane so I do not know where we will have Christmas in 2009. I will really miss Cronulla, it is such a beautiful spot.

I went into the City today. I went to the Virgin Megastore to claim on the $30 gift voucher I got from Bill. After much searching I got hold of a CD from Katharine Jenkins and a DVD of "TheMask", the Jim Carrey movie. Not bad for less than $30.

I went for a walk to the Opera House, even though it was hot and muggy and had a beer the Irish Pub. I was glad to get home as it was a hot day and I went for a swim in the surf which was great.

T'was the Saturday after Christmas

I have not updated my blog recently as i have been away from Bendigo, visiting the family in Sydney. Here is an update of my progress.

Wednesday the 24th of December. Christmas Eve. I caught a Qantas flight to Sydney that left Melbourne at 1.30 pm. I was a bit late getting there and had to be rushed through check-in. The flight was ok, not too bumpy. When I got to Sydney, Kirsten greeted me, as she and Francis were now doing pick-up duty. My bag was put onto a later flight so i had to wait nearly an hour to pick it up. Pauline and I were staying with Mum. John and Lillian, plus Nick and Charlie and Alexandra came over for dinner as well. The kids are real live wires, so it was a fun dinner.

Thursday the 25th of December. Christmas Day 2008. We met at Mark and Lizzies new house in Cronulla. Literally, everybody was there. The whole family gathered plus a few extras including Mark's brother and Caitlin's boyfriend Jarrod. Christopher Gates was there as well. The day went off really well as I knew it would. There were plenty of presents and plenty of food as usual. The day started off cool but warmed up later so we could swim. In all, it was great to see all the family, youngest to oldest. This time nobody had to leave early which made it better. Lots of fun was had by all!

Friday the 26th of December. Boxing day. Today, I did as little as i possibly could. Watched the cricket and the start to the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. I went for a swim and a walk and not much else. Best way to spend Boxing day.


Saturday the 27th of December. I did very little all day. Feeling very lazy.

Finished up Friday

Thursday, the 18th of December was officailly my last day at BUCO. The folks there do want me to come back next year as I have made a real contribution, which they appreciated. I told them that I probably would come back if nothing else appeared on my horizon. It was really good to feel appreciated. That has not always been the case in the past.

By friday the 19th I feel that i have come down with a dose of the flu. That is great in summer! The weather has been so variable it has made me sick, literally. I am sure I will get over it if it warms up.

Friday the 15th - tooth out friday

It was an eventful day on the 15th. After a quiet day at work, i began to get some tooth pain. I suspected it was coming from a broken tooth and a cracked tooth. I contacted the Bendigo Hospital and they just so happened to have an appointment free at 3.15 pm. I got a lift there by Macka and was attended to by a young female Dentist, who did not appear to be very long out of college. She had to extract two of my teeth as there was really no way to save them. She did a good job and the operation was relatively painless. It just feels odd to be short of two teeth, but at least the nerve pain is gone.

A quiet Sunday

I was prepared to go to church today but chose not to as i was unsure whether or not I would get rained upon if i went to church. It is a bit hard when you do not have a car, so I decided to stay home. I got a lot of work done updating BUCO's website. I feel that it is coming along well. I did some shopping in town and spent the evening watching TV. I watched Adelaide United get beaten 1-0 by Gamba Osaka. It was a good match but the wrong result. The rain is starting to ease off a bit.

A very wet but festive friday

Today it has been really wet. I mean it has poured all day long and it looks like it will pour for some time to come. While we really do need the rain, it is a nuisance when you do not have a car. But, I still manage to get around.

In the evening we had our end of year break up for BUCO. We had a really nice dinner in the church hall in Forest St. I won a prize in the lucky dip and a young lady sang for us. Kath has awarded a nice certificate to all the volunteers. So it was a nice night.

A down and up Thursday

I slept really well and went to work refreshed. I had to catch up on a bit of work. I found myself getting a bit depressed after another chat with Kath who told me that I would be welcome back next year but only in a work for the dole role. BUCO could not afford to pay me. I left disappointed but when i got home I had a rest, fell asleep and had a dream in which i was told that "I had Graduated". I feel that is a confirmation that the Lord wants to move me on......! This will be interesting. I felt much better afterwards.

Last Men's shiraz group for 2008

The day did not start well for me. I had very little sleep the night before. My electric blanket packed it in and it was hard to get comfortable in bed as it was still a bit cool. I got to BUCO an hour late as i had to get a little sleep so as to do my work. It rained in the afternoon.

In the evening the Shiraz group met for the last time this year. We met at Rod Geri's house in Junortoun where we had a barbecue, then watched the movie "Mongol", which was great. We did not leave until 11.30 pm so it was a great night. Only six of us were there, but that was OK. I got to check out Rod's hydroponic system, which was impressive.

A "Missionary" Sunday

At Connect church today we had a guest speaker. A 76 year old gentleman who is a former missionary and missions director for the AOG church. He spoke really well. I was surprised to find out just how many people from this church are now missionaries. It was a good day overall. It is getting closer to christmas. I wonder what next year will bring.

Last day of November 2008

I went back to Connect Church today. I got to sit next to Christine Hill. She told me that her husband is back in intensive care again in Melbourne. I was surprised as I had seen him up and about a few weeks ago and though he was on the way to recovery. That was sad to hear.

Pastor Russell Harper preached on "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind". I felt that it was a sermon that was relevant to me. Only God can transform the ugly Caterpillar into the beautiful Butterfly. That sort of transformation is what he was talking about. Sharon Salmon and her husband were at Connect Church today. It has begun to rain again.

NOT one of my better days

Today was not really one of my better days. I had my interview with Kath at 11.00 am and the upshot of the interview was that she said she would like to keep me at BUCO but that she was unsure if the budget would allow it. She likes my work, she knows it would leave a hole in BUCO if i left but she is looking into whether or not i can stay due to budget reasons. In other words, I am still in limbo. This is beginning to worry me because it means i just cannot live properly. And frankly this is a fact of life that i am getting totally fed up with, Praise the Lord. I need to break out of this poverty cycle but do not know how.

Later in the afternoon, i missed my bus and had to walk home in the heat. I also got a bill from B.R.I.T. for my Xerox charges. I was not happy at the end of the day. But, praise the Lord, he is in control.

An idle Wednesday

I did not do much today as it was Wednesday and i do not have to go to work. In the evening the Mens Shiraz group met at Geoff Bray's house at 7.30 pm for communion. Geoff's two boys were present, which was nice. The we went for dinner at a restaurant in View St. About eight of us were present. The fellowship was good but i felt we paid too much for the dinner, which was not bad, just too expensive for what we got. After wards, 5 of us went back to The Bray's house for drinks. Rod talked about "The Book of Enoch". I must look it up. I enjoyed the night but it was not one of the better ones we have had.

A busy Sunday

I went to Connect Church for the second time. I managed to get there on time thus week. I met quite a few faces from the past there. A few old Vineyard faces and a few from my Apostolic days. I also got a gift for being a new person there and got to meet Pastor Russell Harper. He preached a really good sermon about the experience the Israelite's had first at the bitter water of Mara followed by the experience of Elim. I felt it was very relevant to my own circumstances. I feel that this will be the start of an interesting week. I long to know just what God will do. No doubt i will find out.

A new church experience

Today I went to Connect Church for the first time. I caught a bus to Murphy St and walked the rest of the way. I actually arrived about an hour late, as the service started at 10.00 am, not 10.45 am as per the website! Never mind, i caught the gist of the sermon. There were a few old faces there i recognized from previous churches and i thought it was a great experience after all.

Catching up on Friday the 14th

I forgot to update this blog last Wednesday. In the evening we had the men's Shiraz group once again at Geoff Bray's house. Only 4 of us were in attendance but it was a really good night as usual.
We briefly discussed where the Vineyard Church was going.

It started to rain on Thursday. The weather has really started to get hot, so the rain is most welcome. Also on Thursday i got my tax return back. It was only $36 but it is welcome.

Back to work Monday

A quiet day generally. Not much has happened. I got an email from Mum saying that my brother Bill fell of his bike and needed a few stitches. he is OK. Other than that, not much to report.

A big friday

In the morning , i went to Continuing Education for their 35th birthday bash. Jacinta Allen was there as well as a few other dignitaries. It was to celebrate CEB's birthday but also show off the new renovations. I got to talk to someone about possible future employment there. Donna Petrusma no longer works there, so I spoke to another guy. When i got to BUCO i had to work flat out to get finished by 4pm.

I had dinner at Subway in the evening. It has rained heavily all day long. Great to see!

A big wednesday

Today was my day off as usual but it was a very full day. Firstly i went into town to buy an airline ticket to Sydney, flying with Qantas on the 24th of December. Then i watched the US Federal election on TV and on the Internet. Barack Obama won. I am glad i watched it because i got a real sense that history was being made. It was a pretty good day over all.

A very busy tuesday

At work today i was really busy. We had plenty of customers the previous day so there was a lot of data to add to the database. Also i got interupted by both Ruth and Ted to do little jobs for them. So i ended up finishing about an hour late.  This was the latest i have ever left BUCO. Perhaps it is a sign of the times.

Th election has begun in the USA. I think that there is no doubt that Barack Obama will win. The onlyquestion is by how much?

One day before the Melbourne cup ... like i care!

At work today i got a phone call from somebody who works for the Salvation Army, reminding me that tomorrow is not a public holiday in Bendigo and that i had to come to work. I really do not care for the Melbourne cup anyway, so big deal. I was busy at work today.

Another quiet saturday

I haven't filled this blog in for a few days as there has not been much to report. I found out on Friday that BUCO will shut down on the 23rd of December and resume on the 5th of January 2009. I am still not sure of my future there but i am sure i will find out soon.

A quiet saturday

I woke up early and could not go back to sleep. I walked up to McDonald's and had a Bacon and Egg
McMuffin for breakfast, then bought a newspaper. Actually, I found out later that for an extra $2 I could have got a better breakfast at Subway. I really feel that I need to get my life back, if you know what that means. I feel i need more financial independence. How that will happen i do not know, but things are in God's hands.

I spent much of the afternoon doing Coldfusion again. I also got back onto the exercide bike in the afternoon. It felt good as it was my first time since the operation that i had been on the bike. I am getting convicted that i need to exercise more.

A financially troubling friday

It was busy at work today. I found out that i will not get the $1400 benefit this Xmas as it only provides for pensioners, not people on allowances. Bummer!. Also when i got home i found a disconnection notice from Victoria Electricity. I am sure it is merely an oversight.

I did something different this Friday. Instead of buying a meal, i cooked myself a casserole instead. It was lamb ragout. It was nice. I feel that i need to start to eat in a more healthy way. I watched international rules later on.

Another work free Wednesday

It was another work free Wednesday. I spent the morning working out how to do a Log in for Coldfusion. Then i had to do some business in town. I watched TV when i got home and did not have dinner until 9pm. All in all, a pretty quiet day.

A busy Tuesday

It was very busy ay work today. We had people coming in all day long and were flat out all day. The weather has turned cold again.

The end of another week

Another working week has ended and we are a week closer to Christmas. I think i will enjoy Xmas a bit more this year as i will have a bit more money, thanks to Mr Rudd and Mr Swan and Continuing Education. I woke up at 3am this morning and could not get back to sleep. I began to feel tired at lunch time and have been a bit bleary for the rest of the day. It is really warming up.

Roger Connell rang and i told him all was well. Apparently, Kath wants a computer in every room and everybody to use the database. That will be interesting. I also typed up a letter for Carol Romeril today.

A busy thursday

It was busy again at BUCO. The weather is starting to really warm up.

An intersting wednesday

I did little during the day, as it was my day off. Just returned a video to the library. We held the Men's Shiraz group in the evening. We met at The Furness house in Junortoun. Fraser dove me and Trevor there. It was a more spiritual night as we prayed and shared for an hour first before we began to eat, drink and tell jokes. Mike Patterson was there as well. All, in all it was a really good night.

A busy Tuesday

Things are getting very busy at BUCO. Once again, i just spent the whole day doing data entry for emergency relief. We are really getting busy. On a brighter note, I heard today that all single pensioners will get a $1400 bonus before Christmas. Good on the government. I think it will be a slightly happier Christmas for me as i won't be broke this time.

On the sadder side. I got an email from MaryAnne saying that she has broken up with Graham. It is sad news, but nobody is surprised.

Back to BUCO

It was another really busy day at BUCO. It seems that lots of people come in on Fridays, and that it is taking me all day to do the data entry. I had a long sleep when i got home. I missed the news but i watched Michael Moore's movie "Sicko" later on. It was really good and very moving.

Sunday the 12th of October

I walked to and from church again. Phil did a really good preach. Also the numbers seemed to be up a bit. There was ome pretty good tv in the evening. A good documentary on the Galapagos Islands followed by "First Australians", an interesting documentary on Australia Aboriginals on SBS. It was very thought provoking. The weather is starting to warm up.

Friday the 10th

It was a quiet day at work as we did not have many visitors. That was good as it meant that i could catch up on some extra work. I was tired when i got home and did not watch any TV. I ended up having a late dinner.

A sleepy wednesday

It was great to sleep in again on wednesday. I had planned to do my tax online today but found out that for some reason i was ineligible. I will have to do it the old fashioned way. Other than that,  a pretty quiet day.

A busy tuesday

Things are really getting busy at work. I just entered data all day long. It took me all day to do what normally takes a whole day. I was glad when the day was over. The weather has turned cold again. The good news is that i am finally off the medication and do not need the home nurse any more.

A no church Sunday

Today is the start of daylight saving for 2008-2009. We had to put our clocks one hour forward. When i woke up in the morning i was really tired, so i did not go to church. I just did not feel like it, which is lazy but it is getting hot and i am tired of the walk anyway.

I went to the computer swap meet in the YMCA in the afternoon, but i did not buy anything, except a sausage. In the afternnon the NRL grand final was held. Manly won 40 to 0 against the Storm. O' well, too bad.

A nice pleasant Saturday

Today was Saturday. It was really quiet compared to last week. I did little except keep studying Coldfusion and watch the video "Enigma". Which was OK.

A cold wet Friday

The weather was just starting to get warm but today it got progressively colder and wetter. In the evening the movie "War of the World's" was on TV. it was the modern version with Tom Cruise and it was really good.

A quieter thursday

It was quieter at work today. I was not as busy so i got more done. The night before, we held the Shiraz group at Manny's place at Longlea. We had chicken and lamb on a spit as well as some fish served Greek style. Manny's brother was there and it was a really good night. The food and fellowship was great, even though we got home late.

A long Tuesday

It took me all day to get my work done as there were a lot of entries. Adding the case notes makes the job longer. Julie Nelson showed up briefly in the afternoon.

Another Mundane monday

Back to work again. Life at work is pretty mundane, but i enjoy it. I had to go to the clinic again, but did not need the dressing changed. I bought some anti-biotics from the chemist. I got an email from Pauline. She is back in Australia. I think she might want us all in Brisbane for christmas day.

AFL Grand Final day 2008

Today was grand final day 2008. Hawthorn caused an upset and was beat Geelong by 26 points. It was not a bad game. I did not do much all day long except watch TV.

A tiring but interesting friday

In the morning the district nurse failed to show up to dress my wound so i went off to work. We has a meeting at lunch time in the hall next door that was very informative. There was also a nice lunch on offer. I found out from Kath later that i had to start putting the case notes onto the database. That will happen in earnest next week.

I had to go to the clinic to get my dressing changed. The doctor is pleased with it. I met Nick Van Dalen there. He had to get something out of his eye. I was really tired when i got home but there was an interesting documentary on Stuart Sutcliffe "aka the other beatle" which was interesting.

A quiet Wednesday

Thank goodness for Wednesdays. Today was another day off. I spent most of the morning studying up on Coldfusion 7. I got a haircut in the afternoon. I had a chat with Graeme Phillips in the bus on the way back. Otherwise, a quiet but not very exciting day.

Monday, monday

The nurse came around early and dressed my wound. I should have had a shower first, but she said the wound is looking good. Blood is getting in, which is a good sign.

I had a good day at work, finishing off the cheques database. The weather has turned cold and windy.

Sunday the 19th of September

I walked to church again today. I am really getting sick and tired of it. Actually the service was interesting. A different guy preached and he was quite interesting. Got us all talking and thinking about "the mess". Something that God is in control of. I quite enjoyed the service, but i am really tired of walking to and fro.

Friday the 19th

The end of the working week again. I felt really tired when i got home. I feel that the anti-bio tics that i am taking have made me a bit drowsy. After a bit of i lie down i went and hired a DVD called"Stargate: The Ark of Truth" and did a bit of shopping. The movie was good, i really enjoyed watching it, so i felt better later. I had planned to go to Melbourne the next day, but i think i will give it a miss.

Last hospital visit for a month

I started the day paying a visit to hospital to get my wound checked. The doctors seem pleased. They told me to come back in a month. Ruth has gone on holiday for a week. Other than that, not much to report.

A wild and really wet Monday

Today the weather was really wet and really windy. I had to take my raincoat to work. I went to the bank at lunchtime and on the way out i ran into Ps Phil. As it turns out, he has been wanting to have a chat with me about the website. I have arranged to go to his place on Wednesday afternoon. Should be interesting.

When i got home i found out that the District Nurse had visited. I called and hopefully i will catch the nurse tomorrow morning to get my dressing changed.

A Windy Sunday

When i started to walk to church it was very windy, so i did not go to church today. I really need a car but i just cannot afford one so far. It was a quiet day otherwise.

A quiet Saturday

I did not do much today except go to the clinic to get a new dressing. I walked from the clinic to Bendigo as i had just missed the bus and would have to wait an hour for the next one. The weather is clearly warming up. I feel that the antibiotics i am taking are working but are making me a bit drowsy.

End of another week

Today marks the end of a difficult week. I had the flu on Tuesday and could hardly carry on. Then i had to go on antibiotics on Thursday. I have decided to drink no alcohol this weekend as a precaution. They say you shouldn't mix alcohol and medicine. I got a letter in the mail telling me of another doctor's appointment next Friday. I later bought some pads for my dressing. Today marks the seventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks in the USA.

Back to hospital

I had to go back to the hospital to for a follow up visit. The doctors told me that the wound was infected. They tried to drain the fluid out but as it was infected i needed to go on a course of anti-bionics. How annoying. I will have to take two weeks of antibiotics and have the wound dressed regularly. I hope that this will finally be the end if it.

Another wednesday free.

I went to the hospital and picked up a certificate from the doctor who saw me at the clinic last Friday. I am seeing the other doctor tomorrow. I feel that i am over the flu.

Back to work

It was good to get back to work. A couple of Uni students have started work experience at BUCO. They both seem nice. I got most of my work done. I have taken the dressing off and it feels ok.

Desmond came around to see me in the evening. He looks terrible. He has had a bike accident and showed a few scars. He told me he feels that demonic spirits trip him up. I told him to pray against them and to take authority over them. I hope he heeds my advice.

A kind of of Super Sunday

I walked up to church again. The hall was still cold and there is no indication of when we are moving to Fitt Crt. Never mind! A word came that went like this, "Now it will spring forth". I really feel that that is applicable to me. I have been wondering lately just what these last twenty or so years have all been about. Now i believe that the Lord will reveal it to me.

I walked into town and went to the Computer swap meet. I bought a copy of Google Sketch up and a new mouse pad. It was an interesting day overall.

The Wednesday after the operation

This was a fairly full on day. I actually saw two movies in the one day. I went to the cinema to see Batman: The Dark Knight. It was very good, very intense. Heath Ledger was marvellous as the villain. Pity he is dead!

For the Shiraz club we went to Rod Geri's house. We saw a movie called the farmer astronaut, a fictitious movie about a farmer who launches himself into space. It was not bad. The fellowship was great as usual.

When i got back home i got to catch the Apprentice, the british edition.

Back to work

It was my first day back a twork in nearly a week. Everybody was glad to see me back, and it was good to be back. Even though i was snowed under with work, it was a really good day. The outreach was much busier than usual.

Another rainy Sunday

When i awoke the sun was shining. I decided to walk to church but before i could leave it started pelting down rain, so i got a lift home with Trevor and Terry Clarke. They mostly preached on abortion at church today. I did not do much for most of the afternoon.

In hospital

On Wednesday the 27th of August i had to go to the Bendigo Hospital for an operation. I had to get a hernia that had developed on my belly button fixed up. I was elective surgery, which means that i did not have to get the operation done, but it was advisable that i do it as it could cause serious problems later, if unattended.

The operation went smoothly. I woke up feeling groggy and hungry. I had to stay overnight in a small hotel they have on the campus. The accommodation was good but i found it difficult to sleep. I just could not get comfortable or feel warm enough. I discharged myself as soon as possible. The bus went by the hospital at 6.30 am, butt here was not a bus to Flora Hill until 7.30 am so i walked home. I feel the walk did me good.

I contacted Ruth at BUCO to tell her why i will not be at work. She told me to take Friday off as well. I will certainly do that. I am in some discomfort but i am glad the operation has been done.

A busy tuesday

I came to work thinking that i would not have much to do. Wrong! Ruth told me she liked what i have done but that she wanted the figures for the cheques from July 1st 2007, not from January 1st 2008! So i have to really busy myself getting more data into the database. There is no other way but to type the data in manually. This will keep me busy for a while i feel.

Olympics are over

It is Monday the 25th of August and the Olympics are finally over. They have been a good games but I am glad they are finished. Australia did well.

It was back to work today. I have got all the problems with the reports sorted out and now i am not sure what to do. I am sure I will find something.

Back to the Vineyard

I was back at church today for the first time in a few weeks. It was a very spiritual day. The Holy Spirit said to Phil an Jane that he had found a place to dwell with them, which is great. A word came about getting the "green light". Another word came about opening the roof further so that the light of the Son could shine in. I feel that both words are applicable to me personally.

I found out later that Kevin and Jenny Furness are now fellow shipping at their daughters church in Kangaroo Flat.

A frustrating Friday

Things were going well at work until the software program i was using started to glitch on me. I could not get certain numbers to add up, which was frustrating. I am sure i will fix it on Monday.

I scored four blankets and a nice rug from BUCO today. The weather is still bitterly cold.

Wednesday and Thursday

I did not get to update this blog on Wednesday evening as i had left my glasses at the Furness house. I had a quiet day on Wednesday generally. In the evening we had the mens Shiraz group at Kevin and Jenny's house once again. There were seven men present and this time we met in the lounge room. We had a great talk and even discussed the idea of going to a rugby league test later in the year.

On thirsday it was fairly quiet a t work. The good news was that i rediscoved the glasses that i had lost previously at work.

Back to work Monday

It was back to BUCO today. I had a really good day at work as i got the final report sorted out. It was another cold wet and rainy day, but i prefer this to the 40 degree heat.

Sunday the 16th of July

I did not go to church again. Basically, i did not feel like it, which i realize is a bit weak of me but i am getting sick and tired of not having a car of my own. I do not feel like walking to church only to sit in the cold unheated building. I realize that i am probably living on my feelings somewhat here but i feel that i must move on.

I read the letter from the Bendigo Health Care group. I am booked in for elective surgery on Wednesday the 27th at 9.30 am.

A busy Saturday

For much of the afternoon i kept practising Adobe Illustrator. I watched "KIng Kong" on DVD while i was having dinner. It is a fabulous movie. Then i watched Olympic soccer later. All in all, a quiet but busy day.

A mixed bag on Friday the 15th

I got to BUCO feeling a bit sleepy. I had slept fitfully during the night. As soon as i arrived, one lady asked me if i was a diabetic! She is one so she assumed i must be one too, because I am overweight.
I am actually losing some weight.

The good part of the day was that i have sorted out the problems with the cheques reporting system. They are working a treat.

As i was leaving, i started to collect some food when Rex told me i couldn't do it. Apparently we are not allowed to take food home for ourselves. I wish they had told me earlier.

The Olympic week drags on

I have forgotten to post for the last two days. That is ok, as there is nothing much to post about. I am making good progress at work, getting the report system updated and improved .They have installed a tv at work so we can watch the olympics in the lunch room. I am glad Australia is doing well, but i will be happy when it is all over.

Moving on Monday

It was back to BUCO again. Kath Tointon has moved out of her office and is now in the cottage. When i got home i lay down for a snooze and slept for more than two hours. I was obviously more tired than i realised.

A cold wet Olympics Sunday

I did not go to church as it was a very cold morning and i did not feel like walking to and from church and getting caught in the rain again. I watched some off the Olympics on TV and kept up my studies on Adobe Illustrator. It was a quiet day all up, and really cold.

The eighth of the eighth in 2008

Today was the eighth of the eighth in 2008. It is considered a lucky day by many. There were a few weddings in Bendigo today. One was in the Uniting Church next door to where i work. The bridesmaids were wearing dresses with bare tops so they must have been freezing. I started to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic games but i got bored and watched a DVD instead.

Thursday the 7th

I have got the bugs sorted out with the report system. It was a good productive day. BUCO has decided to install a cable network, not a wireless network as the wireless is too easily accessible by others.

A pain in the back on cold wednesday

When i woke up today all the windows were misted up. It had been a really cold night. I did not have to go to work today. I had this back pain and soreness that is bothering me. I rode the bike for about ten minutes and that seemed to clear the pain up a bit.

We held the Shiraz club at Kevin Furness's house again. We met in the shed where we shared some of Kevin's latest wines. There were six guys present including Manny and Fraser. We did not leave until late in the evening as were having such good fellowship. Rod Geri was not there as he was sick, so there were no egg sandwiches, which i missed. We prayed for each other and prayed for the wine, so it was a very spiritual night.

A busy reporting day

I have begun to get the reports sorted out at work. People needed to know just how much we gave out during July and how many people did we serve. I was able to get a few reports together to show them, the correct figures. Access 2007 has some fabulous new features.

Nothing much happened today....

Nothing much happened today except that a meeting at BEST at 4.00 pm was cancelled. Which i was glad about.

An interesting sunday

I walked up to church today but when i got there i found out that Fusion had taken over the service and where just playing games with the kids so i walked home and did not hang around. I later went to the computer swap meet in Mundy st. I bought a copy of Adobe Illustrator for $5, a full working copy of Photoimpact 12 for $10. It was a good bargain i felt. Desmond came over in the evening to tell me he had some contract work with the schools.

End of the working fortnight

Today was the end of the working fortnight. During the previous night it rained very heavily, so heavily it woke me up and i could not get back to sleep. As a result, i felt very tired towards the end of the day. I managed to get a problem sorted out with my report system. In the evening i bought a 12 inch subway for dinner, and then hired "Beowulf" the movie. It was excellent. Best i have seen yet.

A busy but tiring wednesday

Today as usual is my day off. I did not have to go to BUCO today. Instead i went to town and gave back a few DVD's and rented "Honey, I blew up the kid" from Roundabout Video. Desmond Loong came over in the evening. He has left Excelior and is trying to get some work with the Education Department. We downloaded VB Express and SQL Server Express along with the Dot net framework but could not get it to burn to DVD. We also had dinner and watched the news on tv.

A nice tuesday

It was a good day at work. Nothing much happened, i made good progress with the reporting set up. I rented the video "2010, the year we makde contact" from the library. It was a good movie.

A wet Sunday

I did not go to church today as it was raining very heavily. I visited with Graeme Phillips and family in the afternoon. Graeme had invite me to come over at some time, so i thought i would drop in for a cup of tea. It was a nice pleasant visit.

A relaxing Saturdayl

I joined Videoland which is just up the road from where i live. I rented "City of Angels". It was a really great movie.

Working on the new reports

Now that the database at BUCO has been fixed up, I could not wait to try out the new report writing system. They seem to work really well as i can now make more sense of them. I did not do any data entry but concentrated on putting new working out the new system.

After work i joined Video EZY in Mitchell St and hired the documentary "The great global warming swindle." It was great to see it again.

I felt unwell today

I struggled through work today as i was feeling unwell. I think i may be coming down with the flu. I had so far avoided it this winter but now it looks like it is my turn to get it.

Another 'fairly' quiet wednesday

As usual, Wednesday is a day off for me, which just means that i do not have to go into BUCO for the day. I got a few dvd's from the Goldfields library, got a haircut and tried to download the latest version of dot.net, that is version 3.5. As it was a 63mb download i soon gave up, it was taking too long. Inthe evening, we had our men's shiraz group. This time we met at Rod Giri's house in Junortoun. We watched a really good movie called 'Wild Hogs', that was great. We drank a lot of wine and had a great general discussion and a good prayer time afterwards. It was a pretty good day after all.

A good tuesday

I was allowed to come to work late, as i would be leaving later. Roger Connell showed up in the afternoon. He spent all of the afternoon at BUCO. He uploaded a new version of the database software, which was really good. He also helped me sort out a few outstanding issues with the software, especially in regards to the access reports. In all, it was a really good afternoon as we got a lot done, and a number of issues sorted out. I feel that a lot of bugs were ironed out.

Monday.....again

It was a fairly quiet day at work today. It was cold and windy, the wind really got up in the afternoon. In the evening i watched a documentary on Four Corners about Tim Johnson, the con man behind 'Firepower". It is always fascinating to see how people can be conned.

A cold wet Sunday

It was raining but i still decided to go to church. It was cold in the building but it was a good well attended service. I got a lift home from Trevor and Terri Clark.

Another quiet wet Saturday

Today was cold and wet. I went into town and borrowed a couple of PC User disks from the library.
In the evening i recommenced my study into Visual Basic. I feel that i will need it soon. All in all, a very quiet day.

Friday

I could not post a blog on Thursday the 17th of July as i could not get my internet to connect. I think it must have been the fault of the ISP's computer. At any rate, things are ok now. Kath, my boss told me that there would be a lot more IT work to do. Also, Peter Darlow told me that Roger Connell is visiting next tuesday. I am looking forward to meeting him as i have a lot to ask him.

A busy wednesday

I did have a good sleep in, it was my day off after all. When i went to get the bus i found that i did not have my Health Care Card. I have misplaced it somewhere. I am a bit worried that i have started to lose a few things. I could not find it later on. I discovered a really good article on Facebook in PC Authority so i bought a copy and will check out the DVD at home.

A cold wet Tuesday

It was a very cold and wet day today. I spent most of the afternoon updating the cheques database.
I overslept a bit when i got home.

Falling over.....

My day did not start out well. I fell over in the street on the way to work. Nothing was damaged except my dignity. I think i slipped on a wet piece of concrete. Other than that it was a quit day at work. The good part was that i was given a new work chair to sit on, bigger and more comfortable.

A quiet Sunday

Today it was raining, cold and wet. So i did not go to church. Also i knew there was no heating in the church building so i did not go but stayed home. I really do feel that i need a car and i am praying to the Lord that he will grant me the funds to buy one soon.

A quiet Saturday

Today was very cold and wet. The temperature did not get above 12 degrees. I stayed home most off the day and kept up my study on SQL Server 2005. I feel that i am making good progress. I watched a DVD called Tremors 4 in the evening.

End of the working week

Today was the end of the week for another working week. Antoinette from the Salvation Armt came to see me today and told me that my stay lasts until December. I am getting glowing reports, which is great. I hope this will translate into something more concrete! We shall see.

Doctors appointment

I had to go to the outpatients section of the hospital today to get checked in for surgery. The doctor told me that i had a hernia which needs to be stitched. It is not serious, but should be done. I stayed at BUCO for an hour longer because i was late getting there. The weather is really cold and wet.

A day off.....

Today was another idle Wednesday. I did not do much at all except visit a couple of op shops. We had the Mens Shiraz club again, this time at Geoff Bray's house in Beischer st, which is Peter Wilding's old home. Rod geri told me about Browns gas, which apparently can save you a lot of money on your gas mileage.

Winters blast

We really know that Winter is here. A cold front has moved in and it did not get above 10 degrees Celsius anywhere in Victoria today. There is lots of snow on the Alps, and plenty of rain, which is good. I am making good progress in learning SQL Server 2005.

Mondayitis

I went back to work at BUCO. It was a good day but i was still tired from the weekend. It is cold and raining, which is great. I was unable to do any exercises when i got home because i was still tired, but i did have a brisk walk.

Moving Sunday

Today there was no church service as usual. Instead we spent several hours moving stuff from Abel St to Fitt Crt. We got most of it moved and it was a tiring day. There was a great documentary
on SBS in the evening about cars of the future.

A quiet day

I had gone to bed early and slept in late, as i was tired from the end of the week. I did not do much today except take out a membership with Video EZY and keep on studying SQL Server 2005.

Back to work

It was good to get back to BUCO after the previous days break. Everything went weel until late in the afternoon when the network decided to play up. Lots of annoying glitches.

A day off

Today was my day off for the week. I got $86 from Continuing Ed, $43 more than expected. It seems that i have been paid for my preparation time as well as the teaching time. A very quiet day otherwise.

End of the finacial year

Today is the end of the financial year. Tomorrow we officially start using the new database program. I found out from Ruth that Roger Connell will be up tomorrow so i can come in later.

When i go home i watched the final of Euro 2008.

Last service at Abel St

Today, effectively we have had our last Sunday at 2 Abel St. From this week onwards we are relocating to Fitt Crt, East Bendigo. Next Sunday's service will also be a working bee. We also said goodbye to the Gower's, who are relocating to Geelong soon.

Doctor Who was back on the ABC. Kylie Minogue was his one off female attendant.

Saturday

I visited Clive Peeters new shop to see how it looks. It is OK. I had a good sleep in the afternoon and watched "Triumph of Love" on DVD in the evening. it was a very quirky romantic comedy, but kind of fun.

End of the working week

I was really tired by the end of the day. I rented a new DVD from the library called "Triumph of Love". I later watched the last two episodes of "Torchwood".

Going well at BUCO

As i was leaving work this afternoon, Peter and Ruth told me that the new database system would officially start next month and that they were very happy with my work. That made me feel good.
Later i watched the match between Germany and Turkey on SBS.

A day off...so to speak

I went to Ccentrelink in order to get a few things sorted out regarding my payments. In the evening , Kevin Furness picked me up after work and we went back to his house where we had a nice dinner with Jenny. I did the washing up.

Afterwards the mens Shiraz group met for some fellowship. Present were myself, Kevin, Geoff, Rod Geri and another Rod and Fraser from the Lutheran Church. We watched a John Bevere video on the Holy Spirit, which was really cool. Then we chatted and prayed. it was a really good night.

Moving on.....

At church on Sunday, Pastor Phil told us that we would be out of the building in Abel St and into the new premises in Fitt Crt by the 7th of July. That only gives us about two weeks. I feel that the Lord is moving us on. Just what it means for me personally i am not sure.

Last day of over 50's course

Today was the last day for teaching the over 50's computer course. I taught them as much as i could about the internet. I feel it went very well, even though it was very hectic. I feel my short teaching stint has been a success, and there was some money in my account afterwards.

Later in the day i had to go to Medicare to get my account adjusted. They have listed me as "Gerald", not "Gerard". I have also paid my medical fee and got back complete rebate through medicare.

I had an interesting day. At church Pastor Phil said that we had to be out of the building in Abel St by the 15th of July. A lady at church bought a prophecy that said that "God had not forgotten us. His timing was not our timing and that he would do what he had promised....concerning our portion of the kingdom of heaven". In the evening i went over to Desmond's place, where we had dinner and watched an aminated movie called Kung-Fu panda that was really funny.

Hell everybody. My name is Gerry gates and this is my first blog entry. I have just come to this page from the Google home page and i feel that it is about time i had my own blog. I have been keeping a diary for a while so i will now keep a blog online. I am currently studying up on the Internet in order to give a lecture for next Wednesday. The course i have been teaching is going well, the students seem quite enthusiastic. I have only one more class to teach. I do not know if i will be offered more lessons to teach. I hope so because i enjoy it and the extra money is useful to me.