Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Land cruising

Thanks to Brokeback's dry heat, our smoke alarm is oversensitive to humidity and decided to go off like Mulga Hill Tavern (aka The Vulga) on a Friday night. Hello 3am and 4am wake up calls. And noise induced deafness. A horrid night sleep, made for a pretty tiring day of working with the kids at one of our prac's many partner schools (upholding Speech Pathology Australia's Ethical Principles over here so no real names).

Highlights:

Taught a 6 year old lass the meaning of the word "not" and "don't". Powerful word that one. Wait til I hit her with the double negatives rule.

Played "Buckaroo" with another fella, let's call him "Cody". Kid only has about three consonants to his sound-system so is completely and devastatingly undecipherable. He also only uses the stressed syllables in words. Oh, and doesn't use any of those three consonants if they appear in the middle of words. But, boy can he say "Lego!" BYO blocks next week.

When they talk about flash-flooding out here, they mean it. The water just buckets down for about thirty seconds then stops. Was in the middle of the playground conferencing with two parents, then downpour. Drenched. So I had to sit sopping wet through a special school assembly. The kids were being inducted into privileged positions on School Council. Library Monitor - yessss. The Principal played lead guitar on Advance Australia Fair. A touch of the David Brent going on there. And the school song - which was sung in a key that only dogs can hear. It was great ceremony actually, the proud parents of the new Student Council reps weren't just spectators they were invited to pin the school badges on their kids. Such a brilliant touch. Some parents were adorably formal and shook their children's hands. Others just went the full mum-hug. A couple of forehead kisses. One parent went in for the hug and was met by the hand. Awkward.

I was driving around in the Hospital's land cruiser today. Good thing it's got massive roo bars. Don't even recognise myself out here. Who am I? Land Cruisers, joggers, dress shorts, white polo, backpack, baseball cap. I look like a lady golfer. Photos to come.

Meanwhile, what nimrod decided that white polo tees would be a good daily uniform for working in remote and rural schools??? Yesterday's stains: ice-block, highlighter, whiteboard marker, beetroot, red dust & suncream. And that was before I hit the streets and the schools. This is why white I don't wear white after Australia Day.

"Study Day" tomorrow because Wilcannia is at flood risk. So off to the oppies only open between 10 & 2 monday to friday - which just doesn't work for me. They better not disappoint.

x Grotty G.


Anna and "The Cob"















Ms. Kovacs, 1. Self-contained dippin' unit, 0.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Mum'o'cino at the famous Bell's Milk Bar, South Brokeback















Nb: Bushman's beard in background, stage left

I'm OK You're OK















The Oxide Street Cake Shop that never ever ever opens has the greatest, fadedest trinkets in its windows. Sigh.



Afternoon delight















The view from my beloved Oxide St.

I hate Mondays




Joe Keenan Lookout

We went to the lookout at sunset, only to realise that it's the sunrise lookout.
The next day, I cycled to Pro Hart Sculpture Park at sunrise, only to realise that a fence and trees obscured the view. The pick of sunset spots apparently. Not sure what's going on with my sense of direction. Broken Hill definitely has me "spinned" around (sic).

In local news I met THE Joe Keenan's grand-daughter-law. She explained the Broken Hill grading system for locals and blow-ins. Blow-ins are known as "Away". People who weren't born in the Hill are B-Graders. People born in the Hill are A-Graders. A+-Graders are locals who've lost family members in the mines. Joe Keenan's grand-daughter-in-law = A++

I'm so far away, I'm practically Out Of Office.

Timecapsule plaque reads, "Not to be opened until 2087."















My fellow "Steechies": Stef, Meeral, and Anna aka "Nushi"
I'm the one with the netball legs.

Today I got asked...

"Do you play netball?"

Best "come on" ever.

May have also had something to do with these:



















Bruised like a Broken Hill Peach!



The Unofficial Flag of Broken Hill












Broken Hill - neither metropolitan, nor remote.