Training Log Archive: PrueD

I went for a really slow, but steady, plod around some of the smaller bush tracks in Reef Hills, including up and down some of the bigger hills. There was a bit of tightness in both legs (one hamstring, the other the medial ligament area) but otherwise OK. I could have kept going forever at this pace. It felt like a war zone - as today was rifle club day - and although the club is located nowhere near where I was, the sounds of distant gunfire were continuous. I passed a rather peculiar looking man walking a bike. He didn't smile and grunted when I said hello - and I was glad to be nearly back to the car. I planned my next guided tour of the area.

It rained all day and I was totally lacking motivation. In the evening I went to a party in the Lurg Hall. I haven't been to a country party like this for some time. As usually the cakes were exceptional, the music ordinary and the company very, well, country. Please shoot me if I even succumb to having grey permed curls.

This has not been my week for exercise. However it has probably been good to have a rest, given the injury problems last week. Today we went out for lunch and in the later afternoon headed back to Benalla - only to find that a skylight had caved in and my ensuite bathroom flooded. I was not very pleased as the house was re-roofed, with new skylights, only about 3 years ago. The builder will come on Monday morning - and hopefully it is an eay repair.

Not sick but somewhat on edge for most of the day. I decided not to watch the RC entertainment but media reports kept coming in so I was pretty much continually distracted. Then I heard that cross country skiing friend Robyn Rodd (a top Aussie skier even though she was over 50) was killed yesterday on the Mt Hotham road, while on a training ride, after meeting a log truck. Terrible!

Some sort of consolation was found in the very nice range of cakes that presented for the cake baking contest at morning tea.

I didn't go to street-o tonight. I've had a sinus headache all day and a blood nose on the way to work. So a quiet day and a quiet night in was/is in order.

Tomorrow is the last day of 'the circus'. They are leaving the best to last - tomorrow is all about 'who's to blame' (with a long list of persons who the RC says are 'not on trial', including Christine).

My mother, her 40+ something guests from everywhere and I all survived my mother's 90th birthday celebrations at the Lyceum Club today. Phew!!! And what an effort getting her and everyone else there, organised, fed and dispatched home again. But all good. I was MC and even the speech went well. Her age was supposed to be a great secret (a lady never tells her age), but what's the point of a 'special birthday' celebration if you don't know what it is for.

90 seems like an awfully old age for a mother - but I need to remind all those late producers (and I know quite a few of these) that their offspring will be in the same position as me in a few years time.

It's a horrible gloomy wet day and I have no intention of doing any exercise.

The stretching and back exercises seem to have paid off and my left hamstring is much better, so decided to do street-O at Camberwell tonight - but only walking. I lowered my handicap so that I got a longer walk (don't care about results). I forgot to take my torch so spent a bit of time straining my eyes under street lights.

The big excitement of the moment is the 'leaked' submission by Counsel Assisting the RC, which names a number of individuals as being 'to blame' for the Black Saturday disaster. Some people I've spoken to seem quite confused about the context of this report, as the papers have pretty much reported it as though it was the final report. So, to clarify
- It is only one side of the story. The state submission has also been submitted, refuting these claims (as insufficient evidence has been heard to make these findings). The submissions are due to be heard on Wednesday and the RC will make up their minds after that, with the result in their report due at the end of July.

CA has been strongly influenced by the Police Association and the UFUA (both strongly connected) - both of whom see this as an opportunity to gain political mileage by leaking (we think) this information early so that various people appear 'guilty' even before their case has been heard i.e. 'trial by media'.

Overall, the report and its leaking are symptomatic of the long standing bitter relationships within the fire/emergency industry and of which the public, up until now, have been almost completely unaware. Unfortunately the RC and the surrounding antics have entered into very nasty territory.

FYI - the report also inluded reference to me - but CA very nicely stated that I seemed to be the 'building manager' and not to blame. I would normally be offended by this title - but not in this instance. DSE's real building management would also not be impressed.

I have tomorrow off. It is my mother's 'very special' birthday party. No, not that one. More. But not the really big one yet. She had me late in life. More tomorrow.