Nearly there....

The time is drawing near for me to exit the flat and head off on my journey to Canada. So today is the last day at work for 3 weeks!

I wish I could feel more exicted, but the only person to share that I'm going on the camp with is really myself, as Dr T isn't really interested it seems. It perked up on Tuesday at Brownies, as the YG did some activities she'd found on the Guides Canada website, and I said bye to the Brownies until September! My sister had a great time at the Region Camp, so had lots of post camp buzz to pass onto me, there was about 1000 girls at hers, but mine is 2,500 ... I've never been on anything bigger camping wise than Gascit 2003 ... so its all part of the experience.

I've got various bits still to do before I step out the front door, puntuacted by a visit to 2 YLs for their final part of the ALQ, so its sorted by the time they start uni (and SSAGO!). Dr T again is apathetic as I spent some time this week on something for camp that was desirable rather than essential, which is the excuse he's giving for not helping me out a bit (if I'm lucky I might return from work to find the washing up done and the smoke alarm battery (which I purchased the other day) fitted ... unless playing games on the computer becomes more important (and if you're lucky 2 hours of dissertation) during the day) for an earlier night. I'm already tired from everything I've been trying to squeeze into the week both work and campwise ... so its not great camp prep & I know I won't sleep on the plane ...

Guide Photos?

My darling little sister took some photos of her Guides at their region camp held last weekend... however she then escaped to the Isle of Wight for the school trip on Monday without e-mailing them to me.

I tried to get hold of her or her hubby at home ... but no success to see if I could get it sorted.

I wanted the photos to put into my 'Guiding in the UK'presentation for Guiding Mosaic... which is all ready for OHP printing other than Guide photos.

So do the Guide Leader readership have any good photos of their girls doing Guide stuff (the GGUK download ones are rather staged like) that have all the permissions sorted for me to use? If not I'll go with the GGUK ones, even if they irritate me!

Still counting ...

Yeah! The International Necker has been found :) It was lurking in a not really touched since Tom moved in box along with some tights and gloves (see the lack of skirt wearing done by me means I don't look there ... ). Its in need of a good iron but otherwise OK (other than the white stripe having the odd pink tinge in places after I machine washed it by mistake a while back). I've asked Dr T to tie my friendship knot in it (as he can do them much flatter and better than me, and I believe it should be tied by a friend .....

The SWAPS are nearly complete. lots of bits of paper to sort out for Brownies tonight, for both pack related stuff and District Commisioner hat (some of which Kestrel is undertaking duties of as I'm out the country .. so she needs to know what I'm after for District meeting (yes I am indeed escaping for my 2nd meeting!)).

Mum phoned me last night to give me the lowdown on their recent trip to Canada & New England (it rained lots, dad was like a child in sweet shop in a outdoor gear outlet with lots of bargins!) and Region Camp. My sister was very helpful sorting/ helping mum (which she shouldn't of had to do ...) for her session to run (she arrived, no person on the gate, no table ... general clique for people running the event were swooning around the bod from CHQ, rather than people who sort stuff out!). There was a bit of C'bury divsion reunion as two escapees were there, along with catch up with mum updating the soon to be outgoing CC about what I was up to in the guidingwise (who I was about her first escapee from the county team, where I wore a RJC hat). Brown Owl felt really old and weird when Becca turned up with her name tag on showing her married name ... it took the old owl a while to get used to it. Becca enjoyed it, from the sounds of it Mum's session went down well (some of my sister's Guides chose it (not aware it was their Guide Leader's mum)) and reported back well about the session and some of the others wished they'd chosen it. They all seemed to have enjoyed themselves on the sub camps, although some of the activity planning could have been better.

Maybe the poor central planning of activities is a repeating theme, as the chair of Sci & Tech for GM has declined us helping set up Patrols when they arrive .. as we have so much to sort out when we get there (it seems I'm not the only one with purchasing/ supply issues) we'll need the time ourselves. Roll on a mass shop at Canadian Tire (Woolies meets Halfords)!

4 days and counting .....

The weekend was a busy one, with sorting out bits before my departure from the country (and the football hype!) on Friday.

I started the pack in earnest last night, and with pretty much all I need in the bag comes in at about 15kg ... so 5 kg left for luxuries/ useful stuff!

But alas my international necker seems to have gone AWOL in the flat (arrgh!), despite me checking all the likely places it should be. It's not with my SSAGO and other neckers (where I'd expect it to be ..). So I'm now trying to think the last place I wore it .... if all else fails I'll be phoning CHQ to buy a new one or the only other Guider with one in the district to borrow!

Other than that its coming together, although I can see some late nights/ early morning occuring each side of work to get everything sort both for camp and at home before I go.

Grrrrr

I am not a happy bunny over camp this morning ... with 9 days until I fly out it seems I have to find a way of getting enough newspapers to site so my sessions can run!!!

You see despite me submitting 2 copies (at different times, they seem to have lost forms quite often as I seem to have submitted the same forms multiple times ...) they did the purchasing of a really old one didn't write and then left half the list off .... including the most essential bit ... large sheets of paper!

So between myself and the sci & tech bod we've been trying to get it sorted so I have the equipment for the session when camp starts ... lets hope they read papers like SAGGA so I can raid the 'Relax Inn' for my resources! As this morning's mail was rather disturbing as it basically said that all the purchsing had been done and the person sorting it was now on the campsite so it wouldn't get sorted until people turn up on site (which seems to be bad planning from my view!).

At least after much form submitting and chasing I've finally go an answer about the Guiding in the UK session, I've got an OHP to do it on.

In the meantime I'll cross my fingers (and toes) and I can see the odd Guider mission to the 'dollar store' of Guelph for supplies of a session nature (and maybe the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario aka offie) for wine to calm the nerves...).

Saying Thank You (and the odd spot of Guiding)

Life is pootling along nicely, if rather quickly towards my escape of the country on the 30th (10 days to go, 10 days to go!).

After the events at the end of May, work has ended up being somewhat more busy than I initially thought it would be so I’m rather tired some days by the time I get home to sort out Canada stuff. But it’s nice that after so long of being in a major lull, that I’m happy about my work and enjoying what I do once more. It’s a change, and it seems after yesterday a fairly long term one; as my big boss thanked me for stepping in and taking stuff over and sorting out some of the loose ends so well .. and to check I was happy working in Coastal (Hmm there is a job coming up there …. Do I apply?). Ports is awaiting a few major decisions which will increase workload, but in the meantime to sort out staff resources I’ll be staying with costal until at least the autumn probably. So does this mean I should change my blog name to 'Coastal Queen'?

It was rather nice to be thanked at work as too often when people do stuff they are rarely thanked (well that’s my view, maybe made cynical from Brownie Parents). In 2005 the new years resolution I made was to say thank you whenever possible … particularly when people would not be expecting it. As too often after I’ve put in a lot of work its nice to have someone say thank you for making that effort, not that it often happens. Mind you these days a few more Brownies (and their Parents) do actually say Thank you (previously we only expected the odd one), we must have some well ‘dragged’ up girls at the moment.

Otherwise things are starting to come together on the run down to the flight out … clothes are being washed and put to one side, UK badges sewn onto the new uniform, swaps (of a non badge nature, courtesy of freecycle) being sorted … just presentation posters to make up (which my Brownies and my sister’s Guides (who are nicely on a region camp this weekend along with mum) will be helping out as photo models & quote makers).

The Final Countdown

The countdown has started .... Two weeks today I'm outta here on a jet plane :)

So I escape the World Cup Final (yippee), the world cup was annoying me before it even the first match had been played and the final straw was last night when I found a shop I wished to make a purchase in had shut early ... why?

Mind you I'm somewhat busier than I thought I would be for the run up to camp, due to the recent events. But its been nice to spend the good part of my day out the office in the sunshine (although the heat was a bit much at times) getting to know the shoreline of the island which I'm now looking after. So lots of work to estimate and get sorted so that it ticks over during my three week escape.

Mind you this weekend a test pack is planed to see if 1No. 65ltr (I think it could actually be 55ltr) travel rucksack fits 1No. value tent, a summer sleeping bag, a ultralite thermarest and clothing for at least 10 days ('cos then I can have a mass clothes washing session for certain) and all the session programme bits I need into it and still stay under the 20kg limit. I did 3weeks in NZ (minus any camping gear) and still flew back under 20kg. The vacuum travel sacks will no doubt be in operation, if not on the way out certainly the way back, but I have another 10kg for shopping due to an upgrade (mum & dad's xmas pressie!). If the bag can't take the volume it'll be a change to the walking rucksack (the Lowe (90ltr max)), if dodgy weightwise I'm going to don the uniform & necker and smile ... it often works (nay we were told to do it in NZ!).

Things for the weekend (and next):
Write up worksheet for the bridge building ... and get sister to translate into Quebecois French ('cos she can and it goes with the Canadian bi-lingual thing) for the reverse.
Make signpost sign (to go up at camp).
Write list of all the camp blanket badges I have so not too many duplicates occur (that's going to be a long list) at GM06.
Tidy Flat
Make a card with a 'Tropical Paradise' theme (the light relief in the form of a virtual stamping event ... although I don't think mine will have any rubber stamping on ....)
Gather paperwork into 1 place for transportation and forward to hotmail account for 'in case of emergency printing'.
Work out what to do in my 'Guiding in the UK' session ... hmm Brownies are helping with that on Tuesday!
Sort out a best mate's b'day pressie with his wife.. and maybe see them!

... then I came home to find the County Commissioner had tried to get hold of me .... not to worry, is wasn't about my DC hat, but some advice with my professional hat on (and it seems I might be having words with the Campsite committee following her heavy hint to ask people in their area with knowledge in the area of construction .... but then she has the same concerns about the whole project as me).

Yellow Blob Holiday!

The weekend saw the energy fest that is Pack Holiday. Boy did we notice not quite so many bodies (last time was 4 adults + 2 17yr old YLs, this time 4 Adults) to sort stuff out and younger girls this time!!! We had lots at the 7yr old age end as opposed to the 10yrs end .. lots more attention required from them. We did seem to have a moment to relax while they were up, but I’d rather them be inquisitive and eager to earn the badges they could by doing the last few bits while at Pack Holiday than us have to chase them, and them be apathetic. The programme overran so lots of late late nights for the girls (hopefully no annoyed parents) but it did mean that by the time bedtime came, they had used up all their energy and just went straight to sleep (one night all we had to do was turn of the light … no reminder to be quiet). So the girls all went home happy but tired. We’re waiting for the question to be asked of when they will be going next on Tuesday … Something we need to decide on having had some sleep … so we can book Foxlease if needed for a year’s time.

Top activities were: T-shirt designing (using George @ Asda bargain 2-pack t-shirts & fabric pens), Sweetie making, cooking and loo cleaning (why do brownies have such an interest in loo cleaning?).

Mind you lots of the parents asked if we had enjoyed ourselves when they picked their kids… but couldn’t seem to understand the concept that we’re happy if the girls are happy. As one of the YGs put it, it’s infectious … if they’re happy it’ll rub off on us and we’ll enjoy ourselves more. We had lots of silly moments (mainly occurring in the kitchen it seemed!) which made the Guide YG who joined us see me (i.e. her DC) and Kestrel in a whole new light outside of District meetings and church parade when she usually encounters us. Mind you I’m not sure if she should of told her DC about trying to barter with a home shopping person in Tesco to put an extra mini danish in each box as you used to 6 (they’ve put it down to 5 now for the same money) when in uniform … she did then almost try it with the instore bakery …

Next on the list is buying all the interest badges they gained (lots of Cook, Wildlife Explorer & Home Skills gained at PH .. Brownie Holidays and Advanced Cooks need bits to be brought in for completion …).

Moving on ..

Work is moving on and we’re getting on with things, sorting out stuff following the other week’s events. The funeral is Thursday, which no doubt will be another step to sorting stuff out.

I’ve taken over a large amount of ST’s work as I’m quiet at the moment. But it’s a good change after nothing really much to get my teeth into for a while. Its steep learning curve time again as I move into the Coastal section for the next few months … but at least I’ve got a good line manager to work with there. We’ve got one bit that needs lots of sorting to be done, and that’s the first things I’m tackling … meeting due Thursday, post funeral (was meant to be just before, but as both parties are going to the funeral, we decided it would be easier to meet afterwards as the tide will still be OK rather than schedule for another day). I think through the events I will get the Project report project I’ve been after for my Civils (Core Objectives sign off due Wednesday!), so crossed fingers … I might even apply for the coastal post, which is soon to be advertised.