Down Under Again

Well I figured it was about time that I updated my blog so here it is..

I got home safely from the USA with only minor incidents on the way home with my luggage, and luckily I have a wonderful friend in the states still that is kind enough to send over all the luggage that they wouldn't let me bring back ;-).

I flew back into Aussie Land on the Friday and started work again on the Monday. Not too bad but I found that I still had a slight case of jet lag. Sunday night before work my boss calls me and tells me that on Tuesday after I finish work at 1500 I will have to drive 4 hours south to Ballarat to do a 3 day class for work, (that is the AMPDS class). Now I was quite happy to do the class, but so soon after getting back?? Yipes.. So after finishing the class I am now qualified as an International EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatcher). A very usefull skill to have in this day and age.

I have been back now a little over 2 weeks and am finally back and settled into my "routine". Banjo was not happy with me when I came home and then up and left him again for 3 days.. He has become a real house cat now and doesn't like to go outside anymore, just wants to watch the world go by from inside the house. ;-).

Yesterday I was invited to attend a training day with the Country Fire Authority where I am a volunteer. I had a great time and learned lots and got to put into practice some theory I had previously learnt. In words that we use here I got to put some of the "wet stuff on the hot stuff" ;-). As we were on our way back to the station from the training we got dispatched to a small fire, so I thought that i would get to attend my "first real fire" but alas another truck got there before us and put the fire out so we were cancelled. Oh well there is always a next time. And with the way that the summer is shaping up here, it is guaranteed that I will get lots of experience.. We are in the 8th year of Drought here and because our winter was warm we didn't even get the rain to get us part way through the summer. Water restrictions are in force already in some of the small towns and we will not be far away, and we are not really in summer here yet.

I hope to add a few more photos from my trip soon but am still trying to organize which ones i want to print and put in my scrapbook, so one day they will get in here.