Teresa's OBA ROMEO training schedule 2007 (part 2) ... & update on Teresa's "paws"

feathery clouds moving aloft on a sunny day in the Blue Mountains

Here's a splendid poem I've been wanting to share with all my northern hemisphere folks back home who are enjoying the onset of summer ...

We welcome summer and the glorious blessing of light.
We are rich with light;
We are loved by the sun.
Let us empty our hearts into the brilliance.
Let us pour our darkness into the glorious , forgiving light.
For this loving abundance, let us give thanks.
And offer joy.
Amen!

~Michalel Leunig, The Prayer Tree

...

Hello my dear family & friends ... & early HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes out to Laurelie!!!

Back here in Tharwa, the changing of the seasons means that "winter" has set in with colder temperatures and shorter days while preparations for heading north to slightly warmer temperatures have been ramping up. It is time for the ROMEO's & much of the OBA staff to be heading north for the mobile season up near Kyogle, in northern New South Wales. I am looking forward to exploring the new landscapes up around Kyogle AND to reconnecting with a few of my Seed Mates & other folks I know up that way from the Womyn, Earth, & Change conference that I volunteered at a couple of years ago (Bobbi & John, Ruth & John, Terri, Nan & Hugh, Jill, Elaina & Jess, ... perhaps Pauline from Maleny. My dear friends Jill & her son Ethan who will be enjoying their big Aussie adventures around the time that I have my big RDO break in August, YIPPEE!!

bogong moth ... a master of transformation & physical changes :)

Bianca holding this magnificent moth

...

JUNE 11, 2007 ...

I have quite a full schedule for the next couple of months, which culminates with my ASSESSMENT course in August ... yet change is ever present in this world, as with the day-to-day goings on of my life with Outward Bound ...

here's a roo with an update on Teresa's "paws" ...

From the discussions I had with Chris, my Canadian physiotherapist, this past Friday, he is not satisfied with the tingly/numb sensations that are still persisting with my tingly/numb toes & fingers, despite the physio work he has been doing with me, and the stretches he has had me doing since the first physio appointment I had ...

Sooooo, Chris wants me to see a neurologist so that we can get a better understanding of what is going on with the nerves that go out to my "paws" ... my feet & hands that is ;) Although Chris thought it would take a couple of months for me to get in on such an appointment, it turns out I was able to get an appointment for June 28th. As well, the Dr. I saw to get the neurologist's referral wants me to see an Occupational Therapist to assess & document these challenges in my paws for the purpose of Workers' Compensation diagnoses, etc. I managed to get an OT appointment earlier than perhaps possible on a cancellation that had opened up a spot, & that appointment is set for June 18 ...

All this said, in discussing things with the OBA folks here & given the 700 km (~14 hours driving time) between Tharwa & Kyogle, I have opted to hold off on heading up to Kyogle until after my June 28th appointment. I'll be able to head up there on my RDO's on the 29 & 30 in time for preparing for the Amercian FIeld Society course that I'll be ASSISTING on. Unfortunately, I will miss the first 2 weeks of the Kyogle season, but I'll help out around here wherever I may be needed ... otherwise, I will have time to dig into more of my Cert IV course work and exams & get that much closer to completing my certificate ... and I will get a solid routine going with my stretches. So, this morning, I sent the ROMEO's off on their 2 day road trip to Kyogle with some treats (biscuits ... or cookies as I know them in Canada) to enjoy when they need a sugar hit ... it will be great to meet up again in 19 days & see how they've done with the first course that some of them are involved in with ( a mix with some on BACK-UP, ASSIST, & about 4 of them on their ASSESSMENT course) while others are on some time off ...

I will also have a chance to get back into some kind of cyclng & swimming routine which will be great for my body & mind :) Vilas, my OB friend, who is also one of my new "pod mates" (we are in the same accommodations now that the ROMEO's have moved out of the apartments), .. Vilas is cycling into Tuggeranong every second day to practice his swimming so that he can do his Bronze Medallion, so I look forward to joining him for most, if not all of his trips in for a swim :) I've also been helping Vilas in the kitchen a few times, since he has been our week-end chef as of late & treating us to many delightful & tasty Indian dishes that are completely veggo (vegetarian or vegtabelarian as I like to say) and not too spicey :) :) :)

I imagine that the 16 day break I have scheduled in August may be impacted by the additional RDO's I will be having in June, but I will request leave for the first part of that RDO break so that I can meet up with Jill & Ethan for sure. Jill, I hope to connect with you over the phone while I am still here in Tharwa so that we can make some plans for the beginning of August.

...

Here's how my schedule has been planned out for the next 3 months ...

JUNE

1-3 RDO's
4-5 All Staff Symposium
6-7 4WD (4 wheel drive) training
8-9 RDO's
10 pack up day for transport to Kyogle - northern New South Wales (NSW)

11-12 transport to Kyogle
13-15 touring begins at Kyogle, NSW
16 preparations of Kyogle mobile base
17 & 18 RDO's
19 prepare for Hunter Valley course
20-26 Hunter Valley (BACK-UP)
27 deissue & maintenance day (D & M)

NOTE ... June 11-28 ... instead of the above schedule, I will be here in Tharwa at the national OBA base, awaiting the above mentioned medical appointments

28-30 RDO's
29 & 30 transport to Kyogle

JULY

1 prepare for American Field Society course
2-9 American Field Society (ASSIST)
10 D & M day
11 RDO
12-14 Core Modules 3
15 & 16 RDO's
17 prepare for A. B. Patterson course
18-26 A. B. Patterson (ASSESSMENT)
27 D & M day
28 ALL Staff Day
29 RDO
30 & 31 River Training

AUGUST

1 & 2 River Training (con't)
3-18 RDO's ... YIPPEE!!! ... meeting up with Jill & Ethan hopefully :) ... this break may end up beint shorter but I'll book off time so that we can meet up still :)
19 & 20 pack up Kygole mobile base camp
21 & 22 transport back to Tharwa (National Base near Canberra)
23-25 Core Modules 4 (wrap up Cert IV as well)
26 RDO
27 8 Month Review
28 RDO
29 --> ...

Since I'll be around the national base for awhile now, I'll be able to add a number of new postings in thetime I now have before I head up to Kyogle & before I am "in communicado" for all of July & a chunk of August. Once I am up there, I'll try to make a few phone calls on some of my RDO's & if I am able to hop onto an Internet connection I will do what I can to post a brief update ...

Until then, enjoy the warmer, 27 degree Celsius summer temperatures that Laurelie & my Dad & Cecilia have been telling me about. You can bask in knowing that it is much warmer in Canada that where I am ...

sun bathing lizard (back in January when it was hot outside)

I am feeling rather lizard-like with these colder temperatures & temperamental paws of mine ... they seem to be feeling the cold much more than usual for me, especially in the winter months back in Canada ... and/or they seem to become much more uncomfortable in the colder temperatures we now have. I need to wear pants & jackets these days & have the heater on in my room if I am hanging around for any length of time. Only some afternoons can I have my shorts on for a little while ... then warmer clothes are needed for the evenings for sure. We even had frost forming on the under side of our bivvies/tarps when we were out for our Safe Leadership field time & this morning on the windshields of the cars!!

I hope all is well for each of you and that there is an abundance of light blessing you as you enjoy the seasonal transition into summer ... and for those of my friends Down Unda, I wish you time to nurture and take care of yourself in this time of decreased light while we are positioned further away from the sun for awhile. I will make the most of this convalescing time and keep you posted on how things shape up with my Cert IV course work, my stretching, cycling, swimming routines, and what I learn from the OT & neuro appointments.

Be well,

Hugs 'n' Bugs,

Teresa

p.s. I will still be able to receive mail up in Kyogle (my address is below), it will just come by way of our National Base near Canberra ... so if you get a chance to send me a note, I'd love to hear from you & find out what you've been up to lately :)

Naas Road (OBA)
Tharwa, ACT 2620
Australia

my new telephone # is:

(02) 6235 5738 (Murray cottage/pod)

or while I am up in Kyogle, if an urgent message needs to get to me, you can call the OBA reception desk ... it will still take time to get a message to me but this is likely the fastest way to get a message to me

(02) 6235 5700 (Sandra at OBA reception line)

... Tango Charlie (Romeo #13) ... OUT