Training Log Archive: PrueD

I wanted to run today but the heavy rain all night and morning made me consider other options - possibly swimming (i.e. in the back yard) or even doing NOTHING. After an uneventful morning conducting battle in Ikea, I decided to give it a go and jogged around my usual mid-week haunts. Had to stop midway for a conversation but turned the clock off for this. The rain has made me think of the department. We love rain whichever way you look at it.

SInce first starting with them some years back there have been a number of name changes - usually as a consequence of a change in ownership or management. There was the Dept of Coffuffle, the Dept of Constant Name Review, Sparks and Embers, Dosi and Dopi and several others. We've been joined up with other agencies (the "One NRE" campaign that ended abruptly after a change in government), and split back many times. The current name even includes a noun that is not in the dictionary (although I haven't checked lately)!

It makes me wonder what will be next. The Department of Fire and Water (Dept of FW)? - not really a good look. Or join up with the Bureau and become "Earth, Wind and Fire" or.... Or will we split and the fire section join up with our brother agencies? (noting that there are NO sisterhoods in fire).

There are several impediments to overcome if this is the case. 1 - nearly all names that combine "Victoria" and "Fire" were registered a number of years ago by some (probably now quite elderly) enterprising deputy chief fire officers. And 2. - a certain right-wing fireman's union would see this as extemely green pickings. At the moment they are actively pursuing a hate campaign against the govt - handing out pamphlets at stations, front page stories in the local paper, full page adds etc) . They have their own barrister in the RC who makes sure that they are on the front foot in every situation, even examining the lovely Simon over why he didn't use more of them). (I'm not going to explain why we didn't use more of them...). Their campaign at the moment is reminiscent of the mountain cow campaign following the 2003 and 2006 fires - "if we had cows here this wouldn't have happened" (noting that grass does not make a significant contribution to forest fuels, and I have never met a cow that eats sticks and leaves).

Anyyway - regardless - the fire agency brotherhood has the power to address this issue in the longer term - simply by increasing the IQ requirements for firemen at entry level.

An early morning's walk around Blackburn Creeklands and Lake in very humid conditions. However the bush smelt particularly nice today with the scents of lemon and eucalytus. Heaps of birds.

I was expecting to work this weekend but the damp conditions resulted in a last minute cancellation - so as a result I didn't plan to go back to Benalla and will most likely stay here this weekend. I will probably take my elderly mother Christmas shopping. She's the one who incited last weeks comments about elderly drivers - when, owning both a car and licence, she peered at me from about arms-length exclaiming "where are you dear?" - leading to Little Bub being appropriated accordingly! Mum is normally housebound and on a walking frame - so shopping will be done by wheelchair (does that count as training?) to ensure that there are no escapes.

I really need a map on which to focus when walking as otherwise my mind has a tendancy to run amuk, ie today. Anyway, today's story follows yesterdays. I thought I would describe what its like to go prescribed burning - a "bushwalk of no return"!

As orienteers we are all familiar with dressing in the lightest possible clothes and shoes and then flitting through the bush leaping rocks and logs in single bounds (although not always - such as in Mrs Prez's most recent example).

So imagine wearing huge, cumbersome overalls, with the crotch located fashionably around your knees, ill-fitting steel-capped boots and a plastic helmet (rule No 1 of "safety in the forest" is"never go under a tree without wearing your helmet")! Then head off into impenetrable bush (e.g the sides of Mt Samaria or in the Strathbogies). Follow a really poor map - contouring along steep hillsides and climbing through rocks, over logs and through patches of head-high bracken. Set the bush on fire behind you (note - beware if you are prone to making navigational errors - there is NO going back to the last known point). A handy tip (learnt only from experience) is - only light-up patches of bracken AFTER you have come out of them. And of course you have a partner (also for safety reasons) although they are completely out of sight somewhere - uphill or downhill - but are in occasional voice contact.

Have a nice day!

Enough gibberish - sorry! It is a very hot and humid day - I haven't done any exercise and, at this stage, dont intend to.

I'm currently revelling in my new job. I'm still one of the 1000 or so people rostered into the recently rebuilt state control centre but am no longer responsible for the rostering, the operation of the centre, the agency's state-level emergency management function and, worst area of all - community information! Burnout material!

My new job, with the same employer, is writing witness statements for the RC (and no, I don't invent "I did this.." and "I said that.." statements) but rather collate statements relating to the upcoming RC review of prescribed burning, which has always been a political hot potato (half the community wants more and the other half wants less). Anyway, it has been interesting learning about the politics of the various parliamentary inquiries and the extent of the government's subsequent obligation. In a nutshell, fuel reduction burning made a minor impact on fire behaviour and intensity on "the day", and more burning was unlikely to have had an impact on the outcome. However burning is a useful risk management tool under less severe conditions.

A leisurely evening walk around Blackburn Lake area.

In view of the rising temperature all day, I have decided to tone things down a bit this evening with a more mundane topic - cats.

There are two cats in my life. Eddie, the ugly redhead, who lives in the flat upstairs and who, along with the very large screen television, form the entire universe of my neighbour Mark. The other is Benalla resident - the formerly gorgeous and glamorous feline fatale Claudia (yes - named after HER), the chinchilla (not allowed to say "cat"), who now sports an unfortunate "bed-head" hairdo of the variety favoured by teenage boys, as the result of a pre-summer home hair-cut.

And how do I get on with both cats? Well, like many forming human relationships, any attempt at friendship is frequently met with a bite. However, fortunately, to date neither cat has sustained a serious injury.

I only have dial-up in Melbourne and the rotten thing keeps logging me out just when I am putting the final touches on my story. So now I have to type tonight's story again quickly.

Anyway, tonight was Wednesday Street O at Bellbird Dell. Attendances were down because of school exams. It was a warm night and although most people complained they also ran. I ALMOST ran all of it (but not quite). There was plenty of route choice. This was followed by a BBQ. Adam used his massage table as a dining table - and this conjured up all sorts of ideas (sorry Adam)!

Yesterday's story ((written today) relates to the aboriginal boy who was to be charged with receiving a stolen freddo frog, but who thankfully got a reprieve at the last minute. This situation indicates the sad and sorry state of our justice system when dealing with juvenile justice in indigenous communities.

Anyway, as the recipient (or should that be "receiver') of goods falsely acquired, the story was of personal concern. In April I purchased a property from a vendor who had originally purchased the property with the proceeds of crime (some of the $20M defrauded from Clive Peters - "so..so.. eeasy!!" ) The crime was discovered in July and, although the property was settled in April, the title was only lodged in the Titles Office in June. I wondered why the property was so cheap and why the vendor did not haggle at all. I think she knew that the game was up and was trying to offload property quickly. Anyway, the property is still mine (well - really the bank's) having not been reclaimed, and I am still a free woman.

C • Chocolate 4

Another close-up view of a rising tide. In other circumstances (beach, at sunset, with the right company) this could have been romantic. However the view through a pair of leaky goggles at the Nunawading pool was not. However, the good thing about both Nunawading and Benalla pools is that, when the aqua-aerobics sessions are being held, one never feels fat.

I have story to tell - but it's been a chocolate day (incited by a slightly messy work bus trip to the funeral) and I've lost interest - so it will have to wait until tomorrow.

Early morning walk around Blackburn Creeklands and Blackburn Lake.

Benalla made the news yesterday when an elderly (80+) gentleman visited the KFC near my house along with his car. Not sure how you could fail, on such a grand scale, to circumnavigate a roundabout in a 60 kph zone. 500+ on-lookers also felt the need to be there.

Benalla is full of elderly drivers who wouldn't have a hope of retaining their licences in Melbourne. Those who dont have a car drive their scooters down the middle of the road pretending they are in cars.

C • KFC 2