Category: Personal

Just bits of information about my life

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New Job – Kinda

I started my new job about two weeks ago and so far it is, well exactly like my old job.  For the last 4 years or so I have been working on the Australian and Border Protection account for IBM.  This has been challenging and at time frustrating, for the last 2 years of this time the team size dropped from 6 or 7 down to one (me).  With it the impact I was able to have decreases as I was more involved in the mundane day to day work.  At the same time the Australian Federal government started to implement recommendations from the Gershon Review.  The review recommended many changes in the way IT spend was controlled within government agencies.  This provided the agencies with challenges and opportunities for controlling spending.

As a person external to the agency I noticed my influence was decreasing and the knowledge and skill I had acquired over my 20 years in the industry was not being utilized.  At the same time the agencies were advertising high level Architecture and Design positions that had the influence within the organization to make a significant difference.

So I am now a Technical Executive in Customs and Border Protection, working in a new team of 11 to refresh and rehost one of the most significant software assets the agency has and only 12 months to do it.

Wish me luck!

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Little brother has cancer

A couple of weeks ago my brother was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  He went to his doctor about an enlargement in one of his lymph nodes in his neck.  After two biopsy’s they confirmed that he had Cancer.  A full body scan showed another enlargement in his chest cavity, indicating Stage 2 lymphoma.

He start chemotherapy this Friday in Townsville.  He has had to move himself and his family 900km’s into a Cancer Council provided apartment for 6 months.  His wife, nine month old boy and himself had to packup his house, arrange for it to be leased out and relocate in the space of a week.  His employer has been fantastic, arranging leave and covering his income until his income insurance kicks in.

The outcome looks good, he is fit and healthy and the success rate for curing this form of cancer is over 90%.  My thoughts go to his lovely wife that will be bearing the load of looking after him and their son.

(Wedding in 2205)
(Wedding in 2005)
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Movember almost done

So the month is almost done, my Mo’ is getting fuller and the grey is really showing.

To donate to my Mo you can either:
1. Click this link Movember and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account, or
2. Write a cheque payable to ‘Movember Foundation’, referencing my
Registration Number 1975781 and mailing it to:

Movember Foundation
PO Box 292
Prahran VIC 3181

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Two Wheel Upgrade

After the last couple of rides with the Fat Bastards Tourers, it was obvious that if I wanted to ride with them more regularly I needed to upgrade my transport to something more than 250cc.  My Honda Forza scooter has been the picture or reliability and practicality, taking me to and from work every day no matter what the weather.  Over it’s 36,000 odd Km’s I have had only one part failure and that was the Stator in the charging circuit.

Over the last month or so I have been looking for a tourer or sport tourer motorcycle without and insanely large motor, something under 1000cc.  So I tried the Honda DeVille, and found the ergonomics all wrong and I had sore wrists even after 30mins.  The Suzuki VStrom was just a little tall but otherwise good.  The Suzuki Bandit (1250cc) was a great bike ergonomically, however that motor was just WAY TOO much for me, also the luggage options were just to optional looking.

So after riding a 2nd hand Triumph Sprint ST 955i with 40,000km on the clock, I loved the ergonomics and that motor!  The 995i has more than enough power and torque (88 kw and 100Nm) but it is really manageable, the power comes on steady and strong very predictable and controllable.  So I spent some time looking for a good 2nd hand one with the hard luggage option.  After looking around I found a good one about 300km away, a low k (6,400) 2004 model with the soft luggage at a price I couldn’t pass up.  I am aware I will have to sort out the luggage as the soft panniers are not quite shaped right for my trip to work but with the money I have saved I can sort it out when I sell the scooter.

I picked up the Triumph yesterday and rode it home.  For the hour and a half I was riding down the range in the rain and fog… wonderful introduction to the bike.  The rest of the trip was fine, however the road was wet and the police were out in force on the long weekend.  The bike is home now and needs a bath.

Triumph Sprint ST 955i

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Mum’s Accident

My mother has a little 50cc Honda scooter to get about the small city she lives in.  However on Sunday she had an accident and fell off the scoot and onto the traffic island in the middle of the road.  I only have a few details but it looks like mum clipped the concrete curb on the island and was thrown off the bike.

Although she was only going slowly around the corner her Humerus was broken just below the ball at the top.  Mum will be on painkillers for a while and will have the arm immobilised for a couple of months.

Wishing her all the best.

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Dani’s Shoulder

Dani went into hospital last Tuesday to have her right shoulder operated on.  The doctors diagnoses Bersitius a while back but were not keen to refer her to a surgeon.  However after 18 months since the incident  that caused the problem and the shoulder only getting worse, we insisted on the referal.

So the operation removed the excess fluid, soft tissue and a bone spur found in her shoulder.  Within 3 days of the operation Dani had more movement than for the last 12 months, today she was able to brush her own hair and put it into a pony tail using her right arm.

The doctor is removing the stitches on Thursday and I will give you all an update.

Danis Fixed Shoulder
Dani's Fixed Shoulder
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Treatment

Well I am still not well.  I am still getting headaches most days. My neurologist has given me a different set of tablets and at least they don’t effect my mood but they are not effecting my headaches either.

So I have decided to attach this problem on several fronts.  I have found a Chinese Medicine practitioner and he is giving my acupuncture and  herbal treatments and a Chiropractor to work on my neck and back.  They are both happy that I am seeing the other and believe that the dual treatment should work out for me.   Over the last week I have noticed some improvements and I am just praying that it is not a placebo effect.

If none of this works the neurologists next option is to give me Botox injections every 3 to 4 months.  Not my idea of fun.

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Great Surprise

Yesterday work had a big function for the end of the year. Each business unit head presented highlights of the year and the Matilda’s Coach (Australian women’s soccer team) gave a talk on team work. Drinks and snacks were laid on and it was all very nice.

However the big surprise was that I was given an award, a nice framed certificate and $2500 to spend. So Christmas will be a little bigger this year and we might even get to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

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Quick updates

Ok the new year has snuck up on me and caught me totally unaware.

Some of the things that have already happened this year:

  • Changed the car over due to the old lease running out – now have a new Peugeot 307 Wagon (Diesel)
  • Was made a job offer from outside my current company
  • Had the rent increased by the landlord
  • Was off for three days sick last week
  • Dani has started a new job
  • Kids have started school again

Things in Australia are getting crazy with the Federal Election coming up later this year and all the money and promises being put forward by our politicians.   Apparently we need to build 23 nuclear reactors, to stop the production of CO2, of course that is if we want to wait 10 years for them to be designed and approved then 20 years to build and commission.  That will fix things in time I am sure, yea right!

Ok I will be posting more frequently and posting more rants.

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Last few months

Ok I have been slack again.  For all you people that read my blog to figure out what I am doing (all 2 of you), I am sorry.

I will spend the next day or so going through my photos etc and will have some new posts up in a day or so.

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Splinter – Not a Vampire!

Apparently I do have a life during daylight hours. My family is seeing me before sunset for the first time in over 3 months. This has nothing to do with the longer days coming into summer and everything to do with the fact I am now working sensible hours.  The last two months of my old role had me working 65 hours a week on average.

I have now started my new role within the company and I am getting home at a reasonable time each evening and not working weekends.

With all this new free time I should be updating this Blog more often and taking and uploading more photos.  Sorry this site has been a little dull lately.

Splinter

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Working Hard

As you may have noticed I have been very slack with updating my blog and photos.  This is due to the fact I have been working 60 – 70 hours a week for the last two months.

Things should be back to normal in a week or so.

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Another year!

Well I have survived another year on this planet! With one year left before I hit the magic 40 I am happy with my life, family and future. We have all fitted into Canberra quiet well Dani is getting a good amount of casual work, the kids are doing well at school with my girl getting awards for her English and Science and by little boy working and playing hard. Down here I have had more opportunities and job offers I have ever had in my life, it is so good to be wanted.

Besides the extra grey hair I got some great stuff this year. A new tire for my scooter (I have worn the old one out with over 13000km’s), a new razor (I think I got this because my wife is tired of me using hers), a cool Mag Warrior and the movie Serenity as a special boxed edition.

I am currently going through a detailed security check by the Australian government so that I can work on my government accounts and opportunities. So I must say a big thank you to my friends that have acted as referee’s for me.

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Updates

Ok since I have been so slack I thought I would do some updates.

Work
Recently I have had a promotion and a payrise, which was very pleasent. However this has meant that I have had a lot more work and pressure. Over the last 3 weeks I have been working long hours on very High Focus project. This is putting me very much in the face of upper management.

Home
Dani has been working 5 days a week at a local school so we are all busy and tired. Also I have an update on my Grandads war record, the other day I recieved it in the mail and am now currently going through the information.

Scooter
I have now clocked up 9,000 Km’s on my scooter and all is going well. I have added a headlight modulator which flashed the High beam light at about 240 times a minute during the day. This makes me so much more obvious to cars and I am having some move out of the lane in front of me while commuting. In addition I have added a brake flasher to make it obvious to following cars when I hit the brakes.

Photography
I have done little photography lately and am missing it. This weekend is the start of the Hot air balloon festival and I am going to be filling up many memory cards.

I promise I will keep this site much more up to date…. really,… honest.

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Slack Again

Ok work has been pushing me hard, doing my stuff and others.

I promise within the next week or so I will update with some real information.