The totally off-topic thread

[JessicaTam]

That is so true. Ron has been doing locums for 10 years now - all over Australia, anywhere from two weeks to 12 weeks, and he phones me twice a day !!

Well I won’t be phoning anyone for the next few days. Out of range across the desert so no moderation either. Sorry @Admin!

Play nice everyone!

 

[Hvr]

Sometimes a call to the recruiting contact to ask 'is there an incumbent in the role?' is the biggest clue and can save a lot of time.

Agree but sadly the contact officer wasn't the best and didn't pass the hint on.

 

[Hvr]

Well I won’t be phoning anyone for the next few days. Out of range across the desert so no moderation either. Sorry @Admin!

Play nice everyone!

Travel safe and enjoy your two fridges.

 

[straitman]

That is so true. Ron has been doing locums for 10 years now - all over Australia, anywhere from two weeks to 12 weeks, and he phones me twice a day !!

You just need a break from those Golf Shorts!

 

[love_the_life]

Was just talking to my mother on the phone and she mentioned Lennie Gwyther and his ride. I wonder how it would go these days if a nine year old wanted to do the same. It was a different time then.
Leongatha's legendary 9yo Lennie Gwyther garners a statue for epic Sydney Harbour Bridge pony ride - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[whatmeworry]

Only a day or two after clearing the Halloween cough off the shelves, the Christmas cough is now on the shelves.

 

[love_the_life]

Only a day or two after clearing the Halloween cough off the shelves, the Christmas cough is now on the shelves.

The Christmas stuff has been around since at least September Think it means I probably should think about presents etc.

 

[Denali]

We haven't been home for Christmas for about 5 years now.

Instead of having to visit my sister's family, my mum and family, my in laws and then in laws extended family, we just go somewhere new and enjoy.

One year we flew to Hobart on Christmas day, just for the day. This year Kangaroo Island for a week.

 

[love_the_life]

We haven't been home for Christmas for about 5 years now.

Instead of having to visit my sister's family, my mum and family, my in laws and then in laws extended family, we just go somewhere new and enjoy.

One year we flew to Hobart on Christmas day, just for the day. This year Kangaroo Island for a week.

We've been away a few times in recent years though this year I will be visiting my mother as I haven't been there for Christmas for many years. Only spending a few days though as it gets too much for her.

 

[Pushka]

We've been away a few times in recent years though this year I will be visiting my mother as I haven't been there for Christmas for many years. Only spending a few days though as it gets too much for her.

Just her?

 

[whatmeworry]

Oh and I forgot the local born again Church/Ministry celebrated Halloween with a party. Isn't Halloween sort of Satanic?

 

[amaroo]

Some of our family are currently in Mexico where Halloween is a big deal as is Day of the Dead.

View attachment 109443 View attachment 109444 View attachment 109445 View attachment 109446

These were their Halloween Costumes.

View attachment 109447 View attachment 109448 View attachment 109449 View attachment 109450 View attachment 109451

These were their Day of the Dead Costumes.

Pretty cool! We're 4 weeks away from our Mexican holiday - starting to get excited.

 

[serfty]

Oh and I forgot the local born again Church/Ministry celebrated Halloween with a party. Isn't Halloween sort of Satanic?

No - Halloween is "All Hallows (or Saints) Day" eve, a Christian festival for remembering the faithful dead.

For an easy reference, see this wikipedia article:

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of All Hallows' Evening),[5] also known as Allhalloween,[6] All Hallows' Eve,[7] or All Saints' Eve,[8] is a celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide,[9] the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.[10][11]

 

[Pushka]

Oh and I forgot the local born again Church/Ministry celebrated Halloween with a party. Isn't Halloween sort of Satanic?

I’d have thought in order to follow religion you need something to scare you into it.

 

[drron]

I’d have thought in order to follow religion you need something to scare you into it.

True for more than just religion in today's world.

 

[Pushka]

Maybe this is paywalled but 26 years ago I did the prospective adoptive couples assessment for Kiri. Seems like the assessment reports worked well.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...d/news-story/819c093b07fd160d706fbdff86c6b248

Kiri was an orphan abandoned in a shoe box in Cambodia. He had no hands or feet. Plus multiple other issues. He was found by an aid worker and one of my friends basically smuggled him out of Cambodia and into SA. I was doing adoption assessments at the time and three couples had asked to be considered and I had to prepare those assessments. At the same time Kiri was about to start mammoth and pretty much lifetime corrective surgeries. Prof David David - whom we also know personally through Uni Cricket days undertook these surgeries. He has just been nominated as SA of the Year. His brother Michael David is a Judge in the Criminal Courts. David David describes Kiri’s adoptive parents as fabulous. I’m having a ‘feel good’ moment. The assessments were high risk as it was somewhat played out in the media and could have gone through court. But I gave each couple the right to review each report before being submitted. They were all happy with them but I knew what was going to be important for Kiri’s need in the final selection of parents.

 

[straitman]

I guess it's a balancing act? Many parents sacrifice to be able to provide for their families and children. FIFO workers, crews on ships (away for months at a time), maids in Hong Kong and the ME (go home once a year). And most of those workers (FIFO perhaps the exception) work for a fraction of the wages pilots make in a day... and don't enjoy conditions nearly as good. Nor can those sorts of wages provide for top notch health care, private schools, or anything else the family could possibly need. And they certainly have to work more than 90 hours a month.

Perhaps 5 days away from the family is a small price to pay for all of that?

I did it for years in the AirForce. I went to New Guinea for an indefinite period (turned out to be13 weeks) one week after getting married. It was meant to be six weeks after marriage but someone planted a helicopter in a hill so we got moved forward. Other than when I was instructing at a flying school my wife asked, literally, every day where i was off to next and when. It was the norm.

The other thing that needs correcting is that FIFO etc workers work for a fraction of the wages of SOME pilots. It's only those at the top of the tree who earn the big bucks. I know many who struggle through most of their careers. GA is poorly paid and also airlines in the USA where benefits have been eroded just to keep a job.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Maybe this is paywalled ..................

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...d/news-story/819c093b07fd160d706fbdff86c6b248


Yep !

What I can never understand is people who give their kids crazy names ... if your surname is David why give your kid the first name of DAVID !!!

 

[Pushka]

Yep !

What I can never understand is people who give their kids crazy names ... if your surname is David why give your kid the first name of DAVID !!!

Didn’t hold ‘em back though!

 

[rainbowgirl]

Kiri was an orphan abandoned in a shoe box in Cambodia.

Is this the same story. I was able to follow the link without being paywalled.

No Cookies | The Mercury

These articles also worked for me.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...y/news-story/57a7d43179b3f4e3a0af2e1a84098bb6

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...d/news-story/8df5cf67a0b74fc56b22902f60cf3726

Very interesting story. Your thought and hard work helped make a difference.