The Earth moved - blog the 7th

We - the town of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, felt the earth move here last night and the consensus was that it couldn't be a blast because, it was the wrong time.

We all know that blasting is earlier in the day around 4:45pm and the tremor was around six pm.

To say that we are all a bit blasé about this process would be an understatement. The blasts happen with monotonous regularity and we 'all' know the routine.

We also know when it's an earthquake. 2.8 on the scale is not considered very large and hardly rates a mention.

There are exceptions, like a 'pillar blast' - simplistically (i'm sure there are many variables) this is where the mine decides that to make things safe on an underground level, they blast out all the pillars of rock holding up the level above and drop one level onto the other. This is usually a large movement and noise and the town gets a big warning before one is attempted. These do not happen very often.

The other exception is when we have a larger earthquake, the last having been a few years ago and centred in the Boulder Town centre. Lots of older, turn of the last century buildings fell down. It was devastating, and happened early in the morning, when a lot of the population was on the road on the way to work and school. These also do not happen often. I had just started work and watched our library rock.

So raising a glass to the stalwart people of Boulder, who are completing fixing, plastering and nearly scaffolding free. I salute you. 

I hope the next time the town rocks it will be in concert with Jimmy Barnes at the race round.

@kalgrl

#blogjune

Blog every day in June

"My first library job"

Considering my last post was so brief, I have decided to start a meme with a post I have been considering for a while.

 "My first library job"

My first library job was when I was quite young and was a choice in a small country town between bank teller and library clerk at the small public library. No choice really, for a reader.

This was my first real job and coincided with a lot, moving out of home, meeting JB and considering life choices.

The job was to run the local Public Library and help in the Shire Office if needed. I thought I had been given a gift. This was my area!

The library was small, in one large room in the shire office, the secretary worked in the next room and as it was a joint Shire Office with another town, the other officers, including the Health Inspector and Shire Clerk divided their time between the two major towns and had offices at both sites.

This was a busy office and the library serviced a population of approx. 5000 people.

The stock was partly sourced by the Shire and also serviced by an exchange collection from the Library Service of Western Australia on a regular basis.

I still remember receiving the exchange and the excitement at the unpacking and shelving new items (not always 'new' but new to town) the hardest thing was choosing items to send back, from a very small collection of approx. 6000 items.

I had some training with LISWA in Perth - my first solo trip for work purposes and exciting to see how the circulation section worked. I believe that 'circulation' was in Murray Street at that time.
I even got to choose my exchange for that month, this was generally done for the smaller libraries, but we could request subject areas, and I had fun with that selection process.
I remember choosing a 'book of symptoms' as I had a number of requests for this kind of self diagnosis tool. Aiding, possibly, a small rise in hypochondria in the town as it was much borrowed. Many of my choices revolved around the town's children as they were the biggest users of the collection.

Amongst my papers I have a thank you note from the Grade Seven Class in the town for helping them and a photo of me and the Shire Secretary, from the local paper, on the hunt for some of our "missing items". It contains a very naïve quote from me, I blush at my youth and lack of knowledge, about all things life related, but I was eager and happy in my work.

I was sad to leave this job, when the time came and amongst other things, set myself on the road to working in another library as soon as I could. I still have and treasure, a hand written (fountain pen and ink) reference from the Health Inspector, Mr. Walter R. Saltmarsh, a true gentleman. He told wonderful stories and scared me by saying the most unsanitary thing he could think of was a door handle. I have been a bit paranoid ever since. *smile*

The best thing was the people and the worst thing was the horrid photocopier, a very early model and prone to breakdown. I learnt a lot. Funny thing is, many things have changed, but photocopiers remain the same annoying and useful things they have always been.

What was your "first library job"? student casual or shelf stacker or straight to Librarian?
@kalgrl

#blogjune
Blog every day for June

Tickets...

Joy
Pieces of paper
Entrance - ed
Possibilities
Endless
Joy

Long day..

Good night

@kalgrl

By the skin of my teeth #blogjune

incidentally images

 

I have always loved photos, but unfortunately didn't have much talent in the composition and planning area, always chopping of heads or having a really silly background I didn't notice.

I was always wishing I could take the shot again or alter things, which is why I love my smart phone and the apps.

Now I am still a rubbish photographer, but even I can make things look good with the camera on the phone, and the incidental photography that is possible as I have it with me all the time.

this is a shot I snapped in a shop

 

 

same shot framed and given a 'grunge' effect

 

 



 and edited with 'colour splash'

 

The smart phone makes this easy, the apps make it fun.... off to snap a shot of Max the dog having a nap. Here's one I took earlier..

 

 

happy blog everyday in June

#blogjune

@kalgrl



 





Dear Ms16...

Year 11 first semester exams tomorrow and I wanted to say, 
I know what you are going through :-)

Just Joking, anyway...

Eat some brain food (not the zombie kind)

Get some rest (not like this...)

Its not as bad as you is it think 

#wait #what?

Just remember we love you (even if..)

(psst I know you don't swear, sorry... just an illustration of my point.. it happens to us all xxx)

@kalgrl

#blogjune

Sunday - reading

Just a short post for Sunday as enjoying an e-book - "The Greatest Knight - the story of William Marshal by Elizabeth Chadwick - inspired partly by following Kerry Greenwood's FB page, she is in England visiting famous places. I had to buy it after reading the comments on her post on visiting his tomb at the Temple Church in Fleet Street London. Enjoying the tale hugely and remembering loving "The Lion in Winter" film, years ago - set in the same time frame. (Even thought the costumes, to quote a friend were "dreadful 70's meets medieval") I enjoyed the story and the acting immensely.

Have a great Sunday for #blogjune

@kalgrl

A message in a bottle...

To my brothers... Just throwing it out there...

"Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply..."  ~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814

Recently, after many years, I had FTF time with both my brothers in the same place, for a weekend. Unexpected extended contact because JB and Ms. 16 were sick and not able to travel.

This weekend was not in many ways what I expected and in some ways everything the same again.

My brothers have for many years lived long distances away from me, I was the one who put down roots and stayed. (Not sure why - possibly life as a mining brat made me want a 'home town' for my children - but that is another post for later.)

They have both travelled, had careers, married, had children and moved along with their lives, always while keeping close contact with each other.
They have similar interests, skydiving , flying and making remote control aircraft (note I do not say 'model planes') photography and tech.

My older brother was 'cable guy to Melbourne' and I have seen many photos of Melbourne from the top of some building he was working on. He had a rough time recently with work problems and has now come out on top with a new job he likes, and with a gold Virgin travel thingy (sorry we live in a Qantas town) goes to jobs in many cities.

My younger brother works as a project manager running projects that include installing large electrical bits on mine sites and the coordination of same. He doesn't really like the travel for work, preferring to be home.

Being in their company over a weekend for our Mother's special birthday, made me realise they were still the same, talking in the same language, riffing off each other, sharing new tech toys and basically enjoying time together before one headed home.

They picked me up at the airport, took me to run an errand (picking up something I had bought - thank you Hoi) and talked, joked, answered phones and worked on the hour journey in the car.

I remember watching from the backseat on the freeway as one brother talked through a problem with work colleagues and the other answered a question from his Perth office, marveling at how they both use the tech available to be tuned in and online. The funniest thing was a new GPS voice on one of their phones  and their attempts to change it.

I like that they connect with each other, it is a good thing to see them using tech. and offering advice, sharing stories. They both work at the pointy end of tech. installation and talk a similar language, but not mine. :)

Unfortunately they don't use social networking online - so they are not yet in what I consider 'my space' (not the app, the place) where I dwell online.
My older brother shuffles around the edges joins a few things and what he sees no use for, leaves. My younger brother has no good opinion of social networking and always talks - privacy issues - always.

I will talk about something I saw via twitter, a comment from a cousin on FB or a connection I made with a friend via their blog or website - I could be talking Martian, as they hear  'social networking' and think 'over sharing personal information' and imagine the worst. They feel I need to be shown the error of my ways, and shake their heads at my foolishness.

What I get from this...

They love me and still would protect me from the harsh world, and i love them for it.
As for making me feel like I am 10 years old again, well grrrrr :))

A 'message in a bottle' to you both (you will never see...:)

I enjoyed watching you 'work the room' for Mum at her birthday, taking photos, taking with cousins, aunties, uncles and friends.  The care you took to see that she enjoyed her day and the many kindnesses of the day.

I'll see you at the next significant family occasion and socially network with you then. I love you both, fly high.

(meanwhile if you ever join/discover twitter my handle is @kalgrl)

Kisses and hugs.
Teresa
Your sister online and loving it..
@kalgrl

June 1st 2013
#blogjune