It is with great sadness that I learnt today that my Grandmother, Isla Hamilton, died yesterday aged 91. It had been on the cards but it is always still a shock when it happens.  We (brother and sister) spent a lot of time with our grandparents growing up as they were just up the road from us, 3km.  Their house was always a happy one and we loved the sweets we got there as they were rationed at home.  My Gran and Grandad were great entertainers and there were always visitors at the house or they were off visiting friends.

Both my Grandfather and Father passed away before Gran, and I think the passing of my Father, Garth, was the hardest one for her. She missed the talks that they had together and his sense of humour and common sense.  Gran loved her cross words and would complete the one in the ODT (local newspaper) every day.  Gran’s other pass time was the phone, and she often commented that it was her life line.  She enjoyed going to the local church on a Sunday and taking her dash hound Lilly for daily walks.

Niels and I spent a wonderful couple of days with Gran last April when I went over to do the Routeburn with my best friend Rachel Routeburn.  We sat and talked and drove up the Ida Valley to the base of the Hawkins and had a picnic.  Gran told us about how she came up here as a girl helping cook for the shearers.

I think Gran was ready to go, all her friends from her generation had gone and she was having trouble with her back and her blood.  Gran grew up in Ophir and it was great that she got to see the Pitches Store refurbished.

Rest in peace Gran and make sure you say hi to Dad from us down here.  It is certainly an end of an era.

Finally I have paying job again.  I am so relieved!  Now here are some facts.  I have not been in a paying job since November 2014, that is 28 months, and I have applied for 37 jobs in Brisbane, Tasmania and India and I have had 2 interviews.

During my daily internet surfing time this article took my fancy: Article I related to

About 2 and a half years ago I got made redundant from my job where I had been for over 4 years.  To me it was like the loss of someone very close to me,  I experienced a form of grief.  For everyone it is different but I would not wish my experience on anyone.

Most people would say you are so lucky not having to go to work; you can train, watch TV, have coffees with friends and relax.  Well, that is not the case.  Everyone I knew worked and if they didn’t work they have children, so who do you hang out with?   I have found that you can only watch so much TV a day.  So, what did I do?  I took up bridge and got beaten repeatedly by a 90 year old (I was the youngest playing) visited museums, did courses on line, became an expert watcher of Netflix, and started my family tree.

With the job market the way it was I did the only thing I could, volunteered overseas in Vietnam and unfortunately had to leave Niels behind, someone had to pay the mortgage.  That was hard, but to me, I had no other choice.  The year I spent in Vietnam was one of my best.  I was independent, doing some good and meeting some wonderful people.  Coming back home to Brisbane from Vietnam was like coming back to where I left off, nothing had changed, no job and everyone still busy during the day.  The one thing that I am truly grateful for is there was no financial pressure on me.  Thanks Niels.

However, now I have managed to secure a role with a company that I respect, is vital for the community and is what I love doing.  I am truely relieved and ready to start the next chapter of my career.  Oh, and I can talk to people again during work hours:)

I have written about my tour of the Mekong and my trip up Cam Mountain in this blog: Me Kong Tour Part 1.  Because I was sitting on the back I could take a video which I have now formatted and here it is.  Downhill express

It took 18 mins to go each way and it was so steep going up that the driver and I had to sit as far forward on the seat as possible.  Downhill was a bit easier, it was one of the highlights of my time in Vietnam.

On the weekend Niels and I were lucky enough to watch the National Cycling Track Championships live at the new velodrome. It is named the Anna Meares Velodrome after the legend track star from Queensland.  The velodrome has been built for the Commonwealth Games that are being hosted by the Gold Coast next year.

The facility is amazing and all the seating allows a fantastic view of the track.  Due to the steepness of the boards, you have to be going a minimum of 30km/hr on the steepest slopes (corners) to stay upright.  What struck me was the noise that the cyclist create riding over the boards, the surface is made out of wooden planking.  

There is so much to capture your attention there, not only the cycling but the preparation in the middle of the track, mechanics, bike inspections, athletes warming up and officials doing their jobs.

They can get up to about 70 km/hr and with these bicycles they have no gears and no brakes and you can’t stop pedalling so it sets up the situation for some crashes.  We witnessed one and fortunately the rider was ok.  They also have individual pursuits and they use a frame to hold the bike until the count is complete.  

It is great watching them then moving the equipment off the track before the cyclist comes around again.

Here is a video of the U19 25km Sprint event and every 10 laps they have a sprint for points.U19 Sprint Race – 60 laps

I have done one season of track cycling on a concrete surface and think that help me negotiate the street of Vietnam as they use the same principal of only looking forward and worrying about what is happening ahead of you.