Life Work

I've been thinking how life is full of chores.  We are born and we work for survival. Some of us get paid for the work we do, others don't. If you think of each aspect of your life, and the work, time and effort involved in these aspects, it would tire you out before you even began. My mam always says that if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well. I like to do jobs well. The Machinist says that sometimes, I go far too deep into things. Like when he helps me clean the kitchen.  Now the Machinist never used to help me clean the kitchen, but now that all our family's work overlaps, everybody does everything. We've taught our children to be multi-skilled, too.  As young whipper-snappers, they would never say "mam, I'm bored", because they would get a job to do.

Anyway, where was I?

Oh yes - the Machinist and the kitchen. When he helps me, I take the opportunity to wipe down cupboards, as I'm cleaning the counters.  I take the opportunity to wipe sauce bottles and display jars as I'm cleaning the shelves.  He tells me "Helen," - that's the name he uses when he wants to be firm with me.  Or when he's cross with me "we're not doing the bi-annual spring / autumn clean.  Just the necessities for now.  I've still got to change the oil on Sarah's car and fix spot lights on our car..."

I think that looking after a family is a full time job.  Not just the physical needs like clothes washing, feeding, teaching, health care etc but rather - their emotional and mental needs.  Raising young adults is a full time job.  Encouraging a husband is a full time job.  Caring for aged parents is a full time job and helping to inspire them all is a vocation.

Sightings

Over thirteen years ago, we (the children and I) sighted a UFO.  The craft was rectangular in shape with lights on all four corners and it was moving in a way I can only describe as 'bobbing', as a boat would bob on the ocean. It bobbed for a few minutes then suddenly, took a 90 degree turn and sped into the dark of night.  A few weeks later, I did a search for UFO sightings in our area and found this story, telling of others who sighted a UFO in our area around the same time.

On Thursday, 5th of November this week, the Machinist and son were driving into town at 4.15am.  As they were leaving our tiny village, and had stopped at the 'T' junction, - preparing to turn right onto the Highway, they sighted a UFO above the gum trees straight ahead -  which is less than 150 metres away. The craft was bobbing; moving in the same way as the one our son had witnessed years ago.  Then suddenly, it disappeared.  It didn't speed into the darkness; it just disappeared.

On their journey into town, they saw a lot of kangaroo carcasses on the side of the Highway, which is unusual, as the high traffic movement and noise usually deters the kangaroos from the roadside.

As they turned off the Highway, into a country road which links the New South Wales border with the Australian Capital Territory border, they were plagued with more-than-usual kangaroo activity on the roadside, between the trees

Could their earlier sighting have something to do with this indigenous marsupial's unrest?

Fords

There's  nothing like the natural beauty of the Aussie countryside

The sun-kissed earth...

The flora and the fauna...

.

Relics of times long past...

And young hooligans to bring us back to reality.  Fords: TIMELESS

Will You Sponsor Me?

In the year 2000, my brother and his family arrived in Australia from South Africa. They were jobless and (almost) homeless - mainly due to the criminal activity prevailent in the current South African government. Their right of passage to the land of milk and honey was a 457 Business visa, as the Machinist and I had sponsored them.  Unfortunately, my brother could not meet the requirements (which change almost every six months) of the 457 visa and sadly (devastatingly so), they had to return to South Africa at about this time in 2004, which was the visa's expiration date.
You will understand, then, the whirlwind of emotions when I received this request through our business email:

To whom it may concern


I am a qualified Electrician with 20 odd years experience. I also have my Wireman's Lic. If I am lacking some experience I am a keen, quick learner.


We are currently living in South Africa. I run my own Contracting business for the last 16 years doing new house installations, upgrades to 3 phase, highbay industrial lighting, rennovations, lighting and general maintenance for homes, restaurants, gated complexes, etc. I am a perfectionist in my field and have excellent client liason skills.

We had a Sponsor and were meant to leave in January for Perth but the contract was cancelled due to the economic crisis. Are you in a position to Sponsor me? We would love to relocate to Australia. If you can offer any help or advice it would be greatly appreciated. If given the opportunity I would be loyal, hard working and give of my best at all times. I would like to give my family the safety, security and all the opportunities that Australia offers. I would need to do my Trade Assesment once in Australia because you have to apply for that particular state and not knowing where I shall get a job makes it difficult to do beforehand.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Kind regards, X

What Gives With This Generation?

It's a hard thing - working for others when you've worked in your own business for most of your life. You tend to compare.  You tend to compare a lot. You have to tell yourself  "...self, don't worry about what others are doing.  Focus on what you will be doing...what you want to achieve."

Number One son (third year apprentice fabricator) is working for a large, 24-hour-production engineering company in town. This company's finished components are rated (by themselves for quality control purposes) from one to five; - number one being of the highest quality.  Number One son began producing a grade two component, and within a week and a half of his new employment, advanced to grade one components.  His supervisor has informed him that should his performance continue, the company will consider promoting him to a 'team leader', with an offer of higher wages.

Please bare with me, as I tell you this not to brag on my son (although it is better to blow somebody else's trumpet, rather than them blowing their own) but to put a point across.

After spending the morning of one of his days off up the ladder, applying ESP to oil-based paint on the ceiling beams at the Pie Shop, my son and I sat on the front step and he was telling me of his trials at work.

"You know, ma, I always wondered what it would be like to work for somebody else and now I do, and it is no big deal.  I thought it would be hard, but the truth is, nobody does more than what they have to".

"At about two minutes to three, everybody packs up, and waits to clock out, no matter what they are working on.  There is no inclination to go further, to better themselves.  They just seem to be happy to float along, just as they are."

"It's at the point that a few of them are getting mad at me, and fights are brewing, because now that the boss can see what can be done, he is expecting the same from them, and has, in the meantime - demoted them.  They think I'm a smart-ass, when all I want to do is just go to work and do my job...."

"I don't want to talk to Dad about this, because I don't want him to think I'm bragging or doing more for my new boss than I would for him..."

Now I know that most of you who are reading this are older and wiser and will probably understand me when I say that I could have offered my son EXTENSIVE counsel as a response, but I often think that less is more and the most I could mutter was

"Speak to your Dad.  He loves you and is very proud of you.."

Fed Up...

I've just returned home from the first shift of the day in a torrid commercial kitchen.  Bubbling pots, steamy dishwasher, radiant warming lights, hot cooking oil, scalding grill. It's 32 degrees outside.  Hotter inside.

The Machinist has been working on a feacal-and-urine-infested horsefloat, and is aghast at what some fabricators can get away with as 'safe' and 'sturdy'. 

Roll on the opportunity to create wonderful metal art, as well as artistic pies! Delays suck...