Busy weekend and I had to hand in my peacock feather :-(

I decided not to rant about work. Needless to say the 30th was a bust. I go into trouble at work. Again. I am so tired recently I am making stupid, basic mistakes.

Grunt

This weekend was a busy one. I need to go to work to rest.

Saturday May 1


Herp show.. 


I had to get up early and had not gone to bed until 2am and so was crabby. I was supposed to join David in finding the PPP but when it was late and I was asked to hang around a random station I lost my cool. I was not in the mood to hang around anywhere.

Margaret had kindly allowed me to help at her stall and so I headed to the frog and reptile show.  She got me in for free, being a helper..and I had a walk around for a few hours before I gave the full timers a break for lunch. Food there exceptionally expensive. really. I had a salad, an apple juice, coffee and a yogurt and all this cost $28. Yes Almost $30 for a salad lunch. One apple juice was $3.50 and they were demanded $4.50 for a 600ml coke. Robbery!!

The show was at a new venue this year. A bit grunty as the show grounds are a pain int he arse to get to and even worse for parking. The show cost $15 which is a bit high for a reptile show. I think it was $10 last year.

It was crowded. :-( I was there really early and it was crowded. I had a wander around but my heart was not in the photo side. I was not in the mood to push ppl out of the way for a good shot.

I did look at the womas on sale and asked around for a female.  No one had any. Finally I found one supplier who had two.. but they were asking a premium price. They can too as female womas are rare. I never knew how rare until it was pointed out to me that outta a clutch of 8-10 eggs you would be LUCKY to get one female.  Most breeders got none this year.


I kept moving. I am poor atm.. SO I counted myself lucky that I had not brought my license or much cash.
I bought a bulk pack of rats for Tim and me, $50 for 6 packs or what ever size I needed was a bargain and I liked his sizing. SOme ppl's idea of medium is a bit small....

I aksed around some more when I got a lead.. A female woma, on sale for the show at $380. WOW!! I rushed to see and aksed the lady if she had been sold already. She thought so.. but had a look under other snakes.. and low and behold.. there she was hiding in the corner under straw, trying not to be seen. She is a cute as Sid. She really is. She was reduced form $600 for a show special but because she was inthe corner under some cheaper breeds.. she had not been spotted.

I asked if I could pay a deposit. I paid all the money I had left in my bank accounts. All $200.

- Black blue tongues

I skipped away and on my way out to take up my station, I saw Tim and his family in the queue.  :-) As I buzzed past, I whispered in Tim's ear that I was naughty and bought a snake.

LOL..

Tim's kids are funny. They are thrilled to look at the snakes and the Tassie devils. They are really a delight to watch. THIS is what the shows should be for. Get kids interested and the industry looks after itself in the future.

I worked a few hours and then D arrived with Drue in tow.

D, Tim and I had fun teasing Margaret, who gives back what she gets. A delight to work with her.  But D's parking expired and we had to go. :-(

Drue's party

Some interesting ppl at the party. Poor D had to work in Drue's roof and so Tim, after looking after his children, came over to help him. I was grateful D had someone to help him. I think D was too.

Rare Cranebrook Sneaker snake - Morelia Spilota Asics

Ben had made a B-day cake but we never got to it. The PIzzas were delivered efficiently and we all pigged out.  Casey, Tim and I found we had a lot in common, much to Ben and D's  chagrin. Finally the boys piled into the spa.. But Casey and I could not. :-(

After a very long day... I crashed and left the boys to it.

Sunday May 2


Firstly Happy Birthday Drue!!


The Boys got up earlier than D and me.. but with 20 mins to go, D got up. After a shower there was fiddling around with Ben and I standing in the cold.. Waiting to go back to bed.... :-) The packing was achieved and the Boys went off only 20 mins late.  They were meeting Evan at Blacktown.

With the boys gone Ben and I returned to our bedrooms.  As usual I was cold without D's body with me. :-( BUT I did manage an extra few hours sleep.

Tim appeared just after 10am.. and we all took Spot out into the sun.. BUT of course Tim was Itching to go to his new experience. He had missed out last week due to the rains.

We travelled some very pretty roads.. I had forgotten the back way through Silverdale..And we only got lost once due to lack of Vodafone at the Oaks.



We arrived and as much as Tim was excited I was terrified. Will I be able to walk back into my old industry? OR will this finally  get the better of me. I was shaking and sweaty and extremely unhappy. Of course Tim was bouncing off the walls.

:-(

We took pics which was a great exercise.  Some basic aviation talk and we waited. As is tradition in Aviation, the lessons were running late.

Finally It was Tim's turn. Geoff sussed us both out and he was told that I may not react well to being in a plane.

Tim bounded up to the little Foxbat and managed to fold himself in. Dunno how.. it was a little plane.



Off he vanished into the  skies....

When he returned.. I worked out how to take pics with the nikon so he could have a record of his inaugural flight.

Now me.. Geoff asked if I wanted to do the preflight, but I did ask him to treat me like a new student, not an ex-flying instructor.

He folded me into this little perspex bubble and we taxied off. I had not forgotten the basic checks.. but the controls were totally foreign to me.

He asked if a short take off was alright.. and I did not see why not.. still trying to be brave.



Geoff took off and it was then I realised just how terrified I had become of flying. No longer was flying a joy for me. THis will be a long 30 mins..

HE asked if I was ok and to say if I was uncomfortable.  I told him i was very uncomfortable and did not wanna go far from the airfield.  Straight and level it was. I was babbling.. but this meant that Geoff discovered that we used to fly with the same people 18years ago. :-)

It was a relief with he placed the little bubble back on the ground.

It looks like I may be grounded forever. Throwing money away  woud be silly. I feel stupid and highly embarrassed and was really shaking for a while afterwards.  Is it worth trying to overcome this Or should I just admit defeat.

Certainly I will go with Tim and shoot his lessons.. I can still do ground school.. I can to pre flight navigation but I dunno if I can do this flying bit. I never realised just how scared that student had made me and the 18years in between has not taken the fright away.

Ah well. Tim took me home and I had to buy some fudge just to stop shaking so much.  He found a mother's day gift then after a light much he took me home.

Off to work now. I hope the familar coocoon I have placed around myself soothes tonight.


I need a stiff drink..