What to do???

Since I got back from the UK I've not had a great deal to do.  As I've been saying in these blogs, I've taken up painting again, which although a little frustrating to begin with, I'm starting to enjoy again.  However, I can't shake the feeling that I ought to be doing something more productive with my time.

I have a couple of options:

a) I can spend the time to get properly fit, weight training, running etc to a specific regime and come 6 months from now, hopefully be ecstatic with how I'm feeling.  I'd love to do this, but would feel guilty that I'm doing something a tad selfish and purely for my own gain (something I'm not generally prone to doing)

b) Devote most of my time to painting and slot the odd bit of exercise in when I have time, with the intention of hopefully selling some of my oil paintings and learning how to airbrush.

c) Go back to work.  This could be in engineering or any other discipline which I could do for a break.

I admit that this is not the normal way that people do things like this.  Usually people work for 40-odd years and then when they have reached retirement age, they take up a hobby like painting.  I'm pondering doing the painting and hobbies now, and then maybe go back into work in a year or so.  My worry is, 'will I want to go back into work if I take that much time off?'

I also am thinking about the future, financially.  If I were to work whilst over here, I could potentially be earning big bucks (50% more than Emma) which would allow us to save, to be able to go and enjoy some of those holidays we've spoken about with people, and when we do our round Australia drive next July, be able to afford to see all the sights.

I want to do the exercising, with a bit of painting thrown in, but with my sensible head on it is telling me to just go to work and save.

For these reasons, I've sent off my CV to an agent.  I don't know yet if it is going to be that straightforward to get a job or if I'll go all the way and take one, but I'll at least see what my options are.  And if Chris reads this (don't worry, if I do get anything I'll make sure I have a fortnights holiday when you are here!)

Expats ahoy

Following the three weeks in the UK, there has been quite an influx of British doctors into Terrigal.  This is because the current 'academic' year has just finished back home and so anyone wanting some time out from the NHS or a new start has just arrived.  Most of them seem pretty cool, with a few new recruits for the OzTag team looking quite likely, a bonus as they are girls and we are seriously lacking girls on our team at the mo.

We've had Chrissie (X) and Mariyam (Mizzle) staying with us for a few days, both of whom have previously either studied or worked with Em and Izzy, although they have now gone to stay in the infamous Hotel Gosford to meet some of the other new doctors and hopefully find some housemates.  They have found out why the Hotel has got such a reputation - apparently all the people that are in the bar are middle aged men, sitting and drinking on their own whilst either watching TV or gambling on the machines... and I think that the same people turn up every day, the decor is really grotty and the 3 star rating should be more like 1 star!

Took X out surfing yesterday, as she really wanted to have a go, although when we got to the beach we realised maybe we should have walked down to look at the surf first.  There were bugger all waves, and it made for a long few hours of constant paddling against the tide and rips.  Got a couple of sets at the end, but was a bit too dangerous to surf proper as the waves were sending us right onto the beach which was heavily populated with families and small kids.  Bailed after about 2 hours deeming safety of beachgoers was a higher priority.

Planning on some better surfing tomorrow down at Avoca with Rhys.

Bolt's Olympics

Not working is a great excuse to catch as much Olympic action as possible, and I felt I had to write about a certain Usain Bolt.  I unfortunately missed the 100m final as I was in the air en-route back to Sydney, but I managed to watch the 200m earlier this week and what a race that was.  I don't agree with most commentators that Usain is a freak of nature though, I reckon he's just the first of the tall sprinters which will now begin appearing over the next 5-10 years.  It has long been said that tall people don't make good sprinters and I reckon that's one of the reasons there haven't been any decent 6ft 5ins sprinters before, but he has now shown that if they can get the leg speed of the shorter sprinters that they will indeed fly down the track.

I can't wait to see him go all out in the 100m and run the 200m without a head wind.  I think that a sub 9.6 second 100m and a 19.20 second 200m must be within reach and possibly a sub 19 second run if he gets a tail wind.  This does unfortunately mean that the sprints may become a bit like F1 back when Schumi was on top form, and everyone will get bored of him winning in a couple of years when the only question to be answered is "who will get the silver this time?"

But personally I'm happy to watch a supreme athlete at work.

... and for all you people complaining about the wet summer, I can report that as I type the rain is absolutely torrential here!

Back home (yeah Australia really does feel like home now)

Well that 3 weeks flew by, which is more than can be said for the flight back.  Unfortunately, this time I didn't really manage to sleep during the flight (apart from the odd hour here and there) so it felt like it dragged on, and on, and on...

One up side to the flight, however, was that I happened to be sitting in the same row as a world renowned violinist, and had a pretty good chat with her and another guy on our row.  I only realised that she was a violinist after the first leg of the flight from Dubai to Sydney, where we had to get off and re-board.  It was when we were boarding again that we spotted the violin, and then got chatting.  She is only in her early twenties, but from the sound of it, has been touring for a good few years, leading with some of the biggest orchestras around the world.  She was on a personal trip to see some friends, so unfortunately I won't be able to catch her playing whilst she's here, and she wouldn't give in to the persuasive calls from all the people in our row asking for a mid-flight concert!!  Turns out she's played some of the best violins around, including being the first person to play on a violin that came up for auction last year and sold for 11 million pounds.  She'd currently fund-raising for a late 16th century violin which is going to cost her 1.2 million!  Oh to live in a world like that :-)  I've since listened to some of her stuff online and I love the emotion she puts into all the bits I've heard.  Definitely think I'm going to be a fan from now on, and will have to see if I can catch a concert  one day.  If you like your classical, then check her out.

Positive note about the flight was the lack of jetlag:-)  And I'm also glad of the time back as it has put me back in my early rising mode, and have been up with Em and Iz since I returned.  Had been getting lazy and not rising till around 8-8.30, which for me is like midday!!!

Since I got back, I've not yet begun the job hunt.  Will look into that next week.  But I have picked up a paintbrush for the first time in about 5 years, and I have to say it has taken me an hour or two to get back into it.  The old technique is coming back though, so I'll post a photo of it when it is finished - hoping that it is of a decent standard.  Hopefully there will be a fair few pics in the coming weeks as I really want to get back into my painting, whilst trying to learn to airbrush (a forthcoming present from the parents) which has been an ambition of mine for about 11 years.

Tootle pip,

Rich

Long-time, No blog

First off, apologies for not updating this in over a month as many people have informed me over the last fortnight! I'll try and see that it doesn't happen again - I feel well and truly told off.

As our intention was always to return to the UK after 6 months away, we had bought ourselves a return ticket each and the return leg of that ticket was to bring us back home just under a fortnight ago, Em and I returned to good ol' blighty last Tuesday for a holiday. It has been a manic couple of weeks and I'm now only just beginning to recover from all the travelling!

After returning a week last Tuesday, we headed to Em's ma's place for a few days where we caught up with all her family, had a pleasant shock at the size of all the kids (amazing how much they can grow in only 6 months) and spent a day out at Hever Castle in the midst of running about trying to see everyone. Amazingly we caught some good periods of weather, although not the searing temperatures we'd been informed of just days before leaving Oz, but it was nice to leave the thunderstorms behind us (yes even Australia gets rain in Winter).

Drove up to Pedmore on Saturday to do the ashes scattering thing with family. It was quite a collection, with Nan, Aunty Joan, and Aunty Freda (Gill had been keeping her ashes at home as she didn't know what to do with them) plus a bit of Uncle Percy which Gill had dug up from round the tree they scattered him at a few years back!! All the family (Me and Em, Mum and Dad, Ann, Frances and Andrew, and Gill plus Olly and Anka - the two dogs) headed up to the Monument (same place as Gang's scattering a few years back) and did the honours. Ann going first and discovering that throwing to the right caused a bit of blow back, so the rest of us took a cue from that and threw leftwards!! The weather was really good, and at some point this week I'll look at taking pics off Dad's cameras and maybe uploading a few on here.

Sunday was the busiest day with visits to Em's brother in the morning, driving to Bournemouth in the afternoon to see Tash and Kat (thankfully Sascha had a hard night the previous night and wasn't able to see us on Sunday which gave us more time with the Moffatt's) and then heading over to Pam and Tom to talk wedding and get a viewing of all the pics from their big day.

Monday was the first day we could relax, and did a bit of shopping (new pair of boots for Em after realising that the ones she had on were letting in water) then met Sascha for dinner down by the beach. Quiet afternoon followed, then we met up with Tim for a couple of drinks in the evening at Yates's and then we stayed out till about 2am as we're not anticipating being back in Bournemouth in the near future.

More travelling on Tuesday to see Marita, Izzy's folks and my work before heading to see Tash and Kat again and staying with them for the evening. We'd found out the last time we met that Tash was going to Manchester Airport on Weds morning (getting a coach at stupid o'clock to get her to Manchester for an 11am flight) and as we were going that way anyway, we offered her a lift, and got a free night's kip in the process.

Weds we got back home via Manchester to find an empty house, no mother and no dog, so they were either in village or at Nan's house sorting stuff. Took a couple of trips round the village but found no mum and no dog outside any shops, went to Nan's and nothing there either, so decided to pop in on Mike and Liz as they were pretty much guaranteed to be in as Mike works from home. Spent a good 2-3 hours there with them and had some lunch (ta guys) catching up on everything they've been up to since their wedding which was the last time we'd had a good chat. Was introduced to Mike's shed masterpiece (I reckon the clear roof idea is gonna take off) and played with the cats before heading home. Out for meal that night, and spent Thursday going through boxes at Nan's to fins things for Em to take back with her. Marita et al, she did have that O&G book at home, so panic over!! Em went home on Friday - enduring a very bumpy journey with a number of sick bags used by all accounts - but is home safe and sound.

I'm taking it easy this week - gonna attempt to find a few more bits over at Nan's some time, and the odd bit of shopping over at Southport or Preston, but nothing much more than that planned. Got to see Ash last night after his trekking in the alps, and am seeing him a couple more times this week, but other than that, a relaxing week.

Since being back I think two of the most common comments I've heard are:
1. You two really look well (Which I thought was a comment on having a bit of a tan etc.)
2. You don't have much of a tan do you?! (Dashing my belief that everyone thought I was tanned)

I expect the surfing this summer will change all that once we don't need to wear our wetsuits anymore, so I may come back next year with more of a tan!

I'll have to try and figure out what I'm gonna do when I get back as my 6 month contract with work is now over. Hopefully I can get something similar as I don't fancy the commute, which I expect Em thinks is a shame as I could be earning more than she is out in Oz! Hey-ho, I'll just stick with the painting and a bit of part time work if I can't find anything :-)

Tootle pip!

Rich