Back to Work

So, today, I went back to work. By about 2pm I was wondering what the hell was I thinking? Why am I doing this? I have joined a very busy and full-on multidisciplinary practice in Taree, working Thursdays and Fridays. It is a paperless office so there was a rapid 2.5-hour orientation to the practice, its people and its computer system, about a tenth of which I retained, followed by four counselling appointments, all with new clients of course. The practice manager was very apologetic, they forgot to allow me a lunch hour. Not a good start. Let's hope tomorrow is a better day.

In other news, we have bought a new BBQ, another Weber Q. So now we can torment the next door dog, Chaz, even more.  Chaz comes to the boundary fence whenever we eat outside, and sits with his nose pressed to the gaps in the fence, trying so hard not to bark, but occasionally getting overcome and making desperate little woofy noises. The previous tenants used to share their BBQ's with him, but we have promised his family that we won't do that...Sorry about that, Chaz.

Have you been watching that excellent SBS program on refugees? It is required viewing, don't miss it. http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/goback How often have I felt so ashamed of Australia and its politicians in their current response to asylum seekers.  It's a far cry from the 70's and early 80's when I was part of what felt, at that time, like a popular community movement to help resettle refugees from SE Asia. I sponsored a Lao family and did voluntary work for the Indo China Refugee Association. Why are asylum seekers reviled and rejected now? What is wrong with us all? Have we lost all sense of compassion?

You may wonder what became of our famous artist Fred Williams, whose major retrospective opens at NGA Canberra in August. http://www.nga.gov.au/artonline/148/default.cfm Well, I am able to reveal that he ended up in Taree, making water skis. Beautiful, artistic water skis.

No, not really. I just made that up. Different Fred Williams.