settling into life at OBA, ... Bronze Medallion update, ... plus, today we got our GEAR!!

... Teresa's solo day (January 13, 2007) ...
at peace with the world & with the "roos" :)

G'daye my dear friends & family,

This morning we finally got our own gear :)

* backpack, sleeping bag & liner, thermarest/self-inflating thin mattress, groundsheet,
* bivvie (plastic tarp to make a lean-to type of tent),
* CPR mask & first aid kits (one for us as an instructor & one for use with our participants),
* swarmi (nylon, webbing for climbing harness), carabiner,
* compass, water bottles, etc.

We won't be using our gear for a little while yet, since we have just begun the first of two back-to-back Core Modules ... basically self-drected study units that cover today & the next five days.

Equally wonder-full, later on today, I got my computer set up for tapping into the wireless network, YIPPEE!! So this afternoon before & after supper ("tea"), I have been adding pictures to my first OBA posting from January 19 "Teresa's 1st OBA Experience" and I've added a few more details to some of the stories ... so scroll down to that posting & ENJOY!

I'll try to post the pic's & additional stories from my solo day in the next day or two ( I am aware that I still have to posst the remainder of my WA pic's & my return to Sydney & Newie at the beginning of the year) ... but that will have to wait until tomorrow ... adding this last bunch of pic's has taken quite awhile & I need to get some course reading done before the day is over.

streaming sunbeams of light ... sunrise around 6:25 a.m. during our ROMEO Course Experience expedition

My days have typically been starting with my wake-up alarm at 6 a.m. , then by 6:30, I do my breathing exercises and then head down to the dining hall for my breakfast ... which lately has been corn flakes & toast or muesli & toast, ... I am now trying to back off of the daily hot chocolate intake which is a little bit of a challenge since it is right there & the hot water is at our finger tips with the tip of a red handle!!

I got out for about an hour on my bike last night before the sun went down ... it was great to get out on the road & to check out the countryside at my cycling pace ... I think I cycled about 5 km in total between cycling to the Namadgi National Park Visitor's Centre near the base of Mount Tennant and then back past the OBA base to the tiny little town of Tharwa, which includes the General Store & Post Office, a playground which is part of the recently closed public school. There's also the Blue Roof Art Gallery which I will take time to check out sometime while I am here.

Lastly, I survived the two day Bronze Medallion course that we had at the beginning of the week ... of the various things we were tested on, two of the assessments were timed swims ... both of my times came in as NYC :( (Not Yet Competent), ... although I redid my 400m (side stroke, survival backstroke, freestyle, & breast stroke) & timed tow test on the 2nd day and trimmed 1 min. 10 sec. off the 400m and about 12sec. off the timed tow ... I still have a little way to go to get my times deemed competent ... the 400m needs to be less than 13 minutes & the timed tow, less than 3 min. 15 sec.

I have 2 months to get my times down ...

So, I will be figuring out ways to get more swimming practice in at the pool in Tuggeranong (SW suburb of Canberra) ...

I'll keep you posted on my progress ... & on when it is finally time to celebrate passing all of my Bronze Medallion competencies. I am looking forward to getting myself in much better swimming shape & now I have these timed tests to inspire the workouts that I will be doing to get my times down to where they can be deemed acceptable :)

Time for me to get on top of the reading that I alluded to early in this posting. Don't forget to check out the pic's I've added to my 1st OBA posting ... & Nadia, please try to share some of my BLOG pic's with Baba Rasko when you see her for her birthday this week and let her know I am sending her birthday wishes & blessings from Down Unda! As well, Baba Borys, thanks for your e-mail note, I hope to connect with you sometime later this week over the phone or in cyberspace for sure ... just not sure which day that will work out ... hope all is well for you out in Vegreville :) Similarly, thanks for keeping so on top of my BLOG Mom, it's great to see that you are checking in & finding out what I have been up to!

Anyone else that is visiting my blog, please do send me a note or post a comment, to let me know how you are doing, it will be great to hear from you ;)

Be well my dear ones,

Hugs 'n' Bugs, love,

Teresa

(aka Tango Charlie)