29 April 2009

Peregrinations

Home again. I'm having a little trouble keeping track of what city I'm supposed to be in at present: last week it was Palmerston North and Hamilton (away all week), and back to Morrinsville (flying out of Hamilton) this week. Next week it's Auckland on Monday (heading to Nelson on Monday night), Tuesday-Wednesday in Nelson, Thursday in Wellington, Friday in Christchurch..... It's all getting mildly confusing. Thank God for internet and online diaries - and skype! I discovered skype on this latest trip, and got a tiny webcam to carry with me - last night I could actually see my small daughter to say goodnight to, and then hubby and I could chat online without freaking out about the length of the cellphone call. Awesome. Makes the being away a bit easier.

Last week was awesome though. The three days in Palmerson North were for a contact course at university for my research paper (mine's called 'The Sinister Accident: accident rates of lefthanders in New Zealand industry'), and it was really good to meet most of the other course members and discuss our research topics. We spent a lot of time looking at process, developing proposals and the actual craft of researching and writing up: I've spent ten years or so at university (including writing another major research paper) and some of what we discussed was absolutely new to me. It was also lovely to be back on campus: Massey (Turitea campus) is gorgeous at this time of year, all those lovely mature trees changing colour and dropping leaves, and showing a rich blue sky through the reds and oranges and yellows. Quite breathtaking in the cold fresh mornings.

We stayed with my aunt and uncle up there - the family came too this time - and it was really great. So nice to see them again and they're quite used to having small people about their house (they've got 3 grandkids of their own, with another one pending), so our small person was quite at home! It was refreshing to have them there when I was away too. Then they drove home to Wellington and I flew up to Hamilton to deliver another Health and Safety Representatives Stage One course (Reps1!) the rest of the week. I am very concerned how familiar I am with Hamilton now: that's about the fourth or fifth time I've been there in the past six months and I know my way around the central city as well as I do my own hometown. Worrying! Yesterday and today it was Morrinsville (about 20mins from Hamilton) delivering a bespoke course for a major client - first time I've done that course but it's basically a condensed Reps1 so no dramas - and then I'm in office the rest of the week. Thank God - I'll actually sleep four consecutive nights in my own bed....

Mildly worried about the whole swine flu thing with all the travelling though.

Pachyderm tssf

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