Of fire alarms

Today we had our second fire alarm. We're beginning to wonder if they come in threes.
The first was on Monday when burnt toast in one of the units set off the alarm. We took a little while to actually realise what was happening because there are so many beeping security alarms we initially thought it was just another. A disembodied voice ordering us to evacuate the building followed by the arrival of a fire engine sent us all racing to grab valuables - like lap-tops - then we hung around outside having no idea of assembly points etc. We do now.
Then today we were settling into the crit room when a very loud alarm sounded and we had to evacuate the building. This involved heading down six flights of stairs and consequently I'm in a lot of pain and reduced to hobbling. So I'm off to bed although most people have gathered in our common room to play games and I'm really missing something judging by the hilarity. I've just been hanging in until I could take some more painkillers. The story will have to wait until tomorrow although I'm now nearly up to the 1500 word mark.

Day Three

Had my story critted yesterday and got lots of useful feedback. The only trouble is with three or four crits to do a day and a story to have ready for next Wednesday applying it will have to wait until I get home. Talking of that, getting it and all the other paperwork home looks to be a challenge in itself. I have, just for this story, 18 copies each of about 20 pages when the crits are added. That's a lot of trees. I think to keep temptation away (because what I want to do, of course, is sit down and act on what has been suggested) I'm going to have to post it back.

This apartment is great fun. Lots of talk and even more laughs and we need the relaxation because the workload is heavy and the crit sessions demanding.

The day goes like this. Up in time to fit in a shower and have breakfast before we go to the Crit room by 9.00 am. Group critting and discussion until 1.00 pm. Then lunch and writing or critting for tomorrow's session unless it's your turn for the one on one session with the tutor. In between times there's the normal household chores - washing, shopping, cooking. I still haven't quite overcome my jet-lag so I'm apt to fold up around 9.30 - 10.00 pm.

Crit sessions are strictly policed with an absolute rule of what happens in the crit room stays in the crit room. We each get 2 minutes to deliver our crit, which is enough in most cases, then the tutor gives his crit followed by a short group discussion.

A tradition has developed of the students providing a meal for the tutor one night and we're doing that this evening with each floor providing a course. One of my room mates produced a yummy pumpkin soup which we served up by lamplight to help hide the most glaring deficiencies of the furniture and crockery.

I'm off now to try and get over the 1,000 word mark of my new story. Wish me luck.

Wow!

What a lot has happened since my last post. I've said goodbye to family and friends - human and furry - and flown across the country. Great flight marred only by the lack of a window seat (which helps provide a distraction when you are claustrophobic) and followed to my great amusement by a comedy of errors at Brisbane Airport which one day will make a great story. A night at the Hotel Ibis in Brisbane where I met briefly with some of my classmates. They kicked on but I was simply too tired. Then a pick up by one of the organisers and we were here.
It's basic but that's what I expected. A besser block building in a bushland setting and that sounds worse than it is. The rooms are typical student accommodation with a desk, chair and bed and plenty of storage room. It's a bit stark so I've done some customising. A crimson cushion added to the chair, a sea green throw over the drab blue bed cover, my books on the shelf and a pretty candle in a squat square glass holder which I'm not allowed to light but that doesn't matter. I still need a lamp of some sort. A central light that has to be turned off at the door will quickly lose its attraction. The organisers have kindly supplied me with a student chair since the Griffith issue one was playing havoc with my back. And I need a pot plant. Bush is all very well but I want something green in my room.
I've some critting to do and I have to work out exactly what I want from my tutorial session tomorrow so I'll tell you more then.

Build up

I knew things were going too smoothly. Added to my illness there have been a slew of family problems to deal with. Still I'm further advanced than I was - if not much. I've caught up with family and my closest friends. I have bags and piles of stuff all over my bedroom, the playroom and the dining room. Now I just have to get it into the appropriate suitcases.

The animals know something is up. Jaz keeps putting herself to bed and doesn't want to be enticed out even for her favourite treats. I think she remembers the last time this happened on such a scale Virgo vanished for months and suspects the same is about to happen. Little does she know that this time it will be me vanishing. On the other hand Puss, who is not known for expressing affection, has suddenly turned into a cuddling, purring smooch.

One good thing - I finally managed to track down some of the writing by the tutors so I have quite a pile of reading for the plane.

So now it's back to sorting and making out the list of household tasks Pisces wants.

Not summer anymore

Since I last posted the rain has fallen and with it the temperature. It's 9.52 AM and currently 19 degrees Celsius according to my kitchen thermometer. It must be much colder inland - we live about fifteen minutes walk from the beach. So where has summer gone I wonder? This is Perth in January. It should be around 30+ degrees right now. Instead I'm hauling out winter gear. Weird.

Slowly getting better

Wouldn't you just know it. I had to come down with a bug. I've been struggling on trying to ignore it for a couple of days. Didn't work. So now I'm way behind due to having to lie down frequently and involuntarily over the last three days. Never mind. I was way ahead of schedule. Now I'm a little behind but nothing that can't be coped with except Perth has kindly supplied us with unpleasantly warm and humid weather to acclimatise us in preparation for Brisbane. We even had rain if you could call it that - enough to soak the dog who thought it was great fun - but with a cyclone brewing off the Pilbara coast what else could we expect but we all know how I loathe humidity.
On a brighter note, we got our first stories for critting yesterday. I haven't had time yet to do anything except download them but it made me rush out and buy the stuff I still need and with that I think I'm done.
Now I'm giving in to my miseries and off to bed.

Happy New Year

Not an original title but...

I've been visiting friends' blogs and live journals. Lots of folk seem to have found 2006 traumatic. It certainly hasn't been an easy year for us with serious family problems, deaths and ill health not to mention the on-going world troubles, but a lot of good things have happened too. Pisces, who always sees the cup half empty, may not agree but on a personal level I think we've weathered it well. Hey I even managed to pretty much carry out my last year's New Year's resolutions and, given this is the first time I've ever actually made any, that's got to be good. Besides I got into Clarion South, didn't I. Not much could top that in the writing area.

As for Clarion with only five days before I leave I'm pretty much focused on that. I have lists everywhere and everything is going so well that I'm starting to feel nervous.

Apart from the luxury (followed by exhaustion I gather from the blogs of previous attendees) of being in a writing world for a few weeks I'm hoping to catch up with cousins who live in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, not easy when you live on opposite sides of a continent.

OK: got my ticket, laptop and a couple of suitcases ready to be filled. Yep I'm ready. All I have to do now is find and pack some ideas.

While I'm thinking about that a happy New Year to you all.