New job and other stuff

I've been in the new (ITS) job for 3 days now, and I feel sure it's been a great move for me! The people here are great, and they really look after you. Being the 'information technology' centre of the uni, I guess it's not surprising that I was asked what sort of new computer I wanted, and was a 22" 2nd monitor big enough for my 2nd screen! (My last 2nd screen was about 15"!) And - give us a list of all the software you'd like us to get for you ... for someone like me it's almost like I died and went to heaven :) But they're also asking if there's anything else I'd like. [ed: I'm getting a brand-new iMac, with lots of Adobe software - yess!!]

My immediate supervisor is a coffee fantatic - brought in her own very expensive espresso machine and buys really good coffee beans. She won't let anyone else use the coffee-maker, but makes coffee for us all during the day!

The travel is a lot more than I was doing, but it's doable. Most days I'll be getting an inter-campus bus that goes between the campus I was working on and the main one in Brisbane. Once or twice a week I'll drive in. Takes about an hour. The problem with driving in isn't so much the drive, it's the finding somewhere to park when you get here! If you arrive later than 8.30am you're pretty much 'stuffed' (to use the vernacular!)

Anyway - I drove in today as it's choir practice tonight, so no point in catching the bus home and then turning around and driving back in almost immediately. And I'm going to go to yoga this evening - there's a 5.15pm class at my yoga school. So that's great ...

Finally - this is a really interesting blog/article on the future of newspapers - well worth reading if you're interested/concerned in this issue.
http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2009/03/newspapers-and-thinking-the-unthinkable/

Pussycat, yoga and job!

Latest Jedda photo - crashed out!

I've been feeling pretty good all week (marvellous what antibiotics can do!!) and went to class yesterday full of enthusiasm. It was one of those days when the teacher decides to lead people through the sun salutes and the next couple of poses - up to trikonasana. That always shows me where I'm taking extra breaths! That would be in surya namaskar B! Don't know when I'll ever be able to stop doing that, but it's good to be reminded!

Practice was really nice - I felt so positive about it all. I ended up being stopped as I was going into Karnapidasana (I had to look up the name in my David Swenson book - it's one of the shoulderstand variations!) Anyway, the teacher told me I was pushing myself too much and needed to build up strength before I carried on further! Oh well, such is life! Last weekend I stopped a lot earlier - at navasana (boat pose) but I think that was mostly that I was feeling a bit off, possibly because I'd had a flu injection the previous day. So it was a real thrill to have a practice that, if not back to where I was 18 months ago (was it only 18 months ago that all that health stuff happened?!) at least felt quite strong and positive!

On Friday I went for an interview for one of the jobs 'on offer' in a couple of weeks. It was good, although there wasn't as much web development in it as I had hoped. But they said there was quite a lot I would be able to do, just not in the position description. And if I go and work there I can have a Mac (they'll get me a new one!) and it's a big group within the University so other opportunities may well come up. I've got an interview for the other job on Tuesday, and I'll decide after that ... :)

Definitely time!

Definitely time that I posted again! Have been having a few health issues, in that as soon as I stopped taking the antibiotics, the coughing etc. started up again. So I'm back on them until I see the specialist in 10 days time. On reflection, I remember this happened last year when I had that long long period of coughing etc. And I had to keep on the antibiotics for quite a long time. Sigh! Just have to hope that in time the immunoglobulin infusions I'm having will raise my immune system to a level where it can cope with these things in a more normal fashion!!

I missed a bit of yoga last week, but have been back to it this week which is good. Even the doctor said I should be doing yoga for my health! I guess I can let myself off when I'm feeling physically ill, but otherwise not!

At work, in the whole restructure thing is slowing winding down to the end date (20th March). I've now got 2 possible redeployment positions lined up at the university, which is good. I'm leaning more towards one than the other, but will go for interviews for both anyway. We went to a very good 2-day workshop called something like 'Career Transitions' last week. Although we were all a bit jaded and suspicious to start off with, it turned out being really worthwhile, and I learnt a lot! Plus we all gained in confidence, as we were all put through a job interview by the person running the workshop, in front of everyone else. And even though each of us was pretty nervous, the rest of us were able to reassure the person being interviewed that they came across very well, and not at all nervous! It was really eye-opening.

One door closing, another opening ... and so it goes :)

Yoga at last!

Yes, I made it to class last night. I guess it hasn't been that long, but it seems like ages! Because I'm still coughing quite a lot I decided to only do 3 of each sun salute. And then I just felt my way back through standing, and up to navasana in sitting. I was tired but it felt so good!

I did feel sorry for the people around me though. Class was packed and I was coughing quite a bit! But maybe I'm being over-sensitive / self-conscious ... that's probably true!

Got home (to a complaining kitten wondering when she was ever going to be fed!), had a quick dinner and was in bed by 9.30pm! I was exhausted! And slept like a log - it was hard to wake up this morning. But I'm feeling good, and ready to do yoga again at lunchtime today - as it's one of our work yoga days!

Other news - content for edition 6 of the foame poetry website is flowing in, and it's on track to go live on St David's Day (traditional publication date because the person who set the foame site up is from Wales!) Another website that I quoted on, and which we did the graphic design for about 6 months ago, has finally been signed off on and should be ready to start on in the next week! And there's yet another website waiting to be done after that too! So I should be very busy in my so-called 'spare time' for the next couple of months!! Lucky I really enjoy this sort of work ... :)

Things are looking up!

I'm definitely feeling better today! Still coughing but apart from that, things are good! Have spent the weekend working on websites (current and upcoming) and watching the cricket. Hoping (fingers crossed!) to get to yoga tomorrow.

And as requested, here are a couple of photos of Jedda, taken today.

Consequences and pussycat bravery

One unexpected and unwanted consequence of my holiday was that I caught a cold, which promptly went to my chest and has left me 11 days later still coughing and sniffling (to put it mildly!) Unfortunately I've been told to expect this sort of thing at least until my immunoglobulin levels rise higher in a few months' time. (see latest post on my lymphoma blog for more details if you're interested!)

And one extremely annoying consequence of this is that once again I don't feel I can do any yoga at the moment. Hopefully I will be able to go to class on Saturday afternoon, but I'll just have wait and see!

Sweet pussycat (whose name has now changed to Jedda - from this film about an Aboriginal girl made in the '50s and considered shocking at the time to White Australian society!!) is still going mad, waking me up at 4am wanting to play, etc etc. On the weekend she was introduced to more people and even a little dog! I was working on the 2009 issue of the foame poetry ezine (due out on 1st March - St David's Day) and the editor/owner brought her dog on the Sunday. I was so impressed with Jedda - of course she hid in the bedroom at first, but within 30 minutes she had come down to the living room to investigate this strange creature, and I think the dog ended up being more scared of her than vice versa!!

Happy Holiday weekend

Australia Day long weekend is the end of the summer holidays for schoolkids - it's back to school next week! I had a really lovely long weekend - took the Friday off too, making it a 4-day weekend. I've been down the coast staying with a friend in Ocean Shores (which is about half an hour north of Byron Bay).

We had such a great time - went swimming in the surf almost every day. Went out for dinner with some friends on Saturday night, and a party on Sunday. Saw the wonderful film Milk - which I highly highly recommend, and also found time for lots of talking, plus of course keeping up with the cricket (Australia vs South Africa, one-dayers) and the tennis (Australian Open).

Did try to go to the wonderful Sunday Bangalow market, but just as we drove into Bangalow the heavens opened and a real tropical downpour ensued. I ended up being dropped off in the town while Vic went to do a small amount of shopping in the markets. But it was chaos - shops were sweeping water out the doors, the only business being done there really was in the coffee shops! And in the markets, apparently the stallholders were there but everyone was just sheltering under their stall umbrellas and wondering if the rain would ever end!

Yesterday evening we had to go out to a party, and were forced to leave the tennis with Roger Federer at 2 sets down, seemingly headed out of the tournament! Luckily there were a few tennis fanatics at the party, and after a while someone managed to turn the TV on (with no sound!) But that match had finished and we were convinced he'd lost till someone else got his laptop out (mainly to get some music playing) and we discovered that amazingly Federer had come back from the brink and won the next 3 sets and the match!


Since then I've come home via the cattery where I picked up young Jessie from her first (of many to come in the future!) visits there! Had the usual complaining all the way home but she is happily snuggled up between my back and the back of the sofa now, purring away!

And tomorrow back to work, and more importantly, yoga at lunchtime!!