Results of 20th November 2008 destruction of the old kitchen below (Photosynth, this time 100% synthy!)
Avril enjoyed the de-tiling process. Sometimes, destroying inanimate objects is cathartic.
Category: personal
“It’s Not a Sad Time”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grief
“It’s Not a Sad Time†was one of my Nana’s last wise phrases whispered to my Mum. Said more for those around her than herself, it is a canny reflection that behind the synthetic opiods her mind was active.
It is a phrase that I am pondering; as the funeral was a celebration of her achievements. I only realised how she treated everyone as special. From Dr Agarwal her final Doctor; Dean Martin one of her Aboriginal students from the mid 1970’s; to the staff at the Lutheran Homes in Glynde.
It takes a character larger than life to constantly impact the lives of so many other for 95 years.
I hold a deep and lasting respect for those in my family that dealt unselfishly with this stressful part of life. Palliative care, and the very tough decisions that are made go to the heart of why we are alive: to keep living.
In the end, remember: that who we love, and who loves us is all that matters.
Edna Dutschke
Edna Dutschke (nee Elix) passed away peacefully in her sleep, and under medical care during the early hours of 14th November 2008. She was 95, and had seen much in her life. Including giving life to two sons and a daughter. Her daughter is my Mum. Edna was by Nana.
Her grandparents immigrated from what is now Germany and religious intolerance to South Australia’s Barossa Valley.
A jolly person with a cheeky sense of humour. A hard worked who never suffered fools gladly. Along with her late husband, Arnold (passed on December 1984) she taught at many Lutheran Primary Schools in South Australia.
She had a sweet tooth (a trait passed on to her grandson, but don’t tell my Mum), a love of gardening, Inspector Rex, the Port Power, her family and keeping empties under her bed (last one is a family joke)
In her final years she was quietly frustrated by her body failing her active mind. Walkers and wheelchairs aided her mobility and did little to slow her down. A keen eye was watching everyone when the hearing aid’s battery failed.
My memories of her are all pleasant. As her first grandson, I am sure I had a special place in her heart. She put up with me and passed on some lessons in life. I lived with Nana from 1985 through to 1988 at a time I completed my Matriculation (HSC) through to finding Avril. Nana was the first in my family to meet Avril and provide approval.
Her physical presence will be missed. Memories, stories and thoughts remain.
Many memories.
Bathroom Renovation: The Destruction
After nearly 10 years at this address, the bathroom and kitchen need a massive makeover.
Above is a Photosynth of the bathroom after this morning’s destruction.
Next step is the rendering prior to plumbing then tiling.
More medical stories
Sometime in 1986/7 I went to a doctor for what I found out was a sebaceous cyst on my left shoulder blade. Not going into detail, but I was left with a permanent reminder of this cyst. That is, the bulk of the scarring remained.
Yesterday, after an inflammation and a 6 week battle of with anti-biotics, I could finally get the beastie removed. Under the careful assistance of Avril, I had the cyst professionally removed. The size of a grape, the surgical excision took 45 minutes under local. Now I have a 4cm scar with 5 stitches. Strangely, apart from the pain of a deep skin wound; my body seems to be relieved that the nastiness has gone.
The left hand side of my body is a war zone. Scars, infections, palsies. LOL
Creativity++
Microsoft has a financial year that matches Australia’s financial year: July to June.
Each financial year the cards are thrown up into the air, and depending on which tarots are on top: the organisational entrails are read and the future is foretold. Or, at least that is what it seems like from deep in the trenches of “individual contributor†from “subsidiary†land (I am quoting the management-speak, just incase you think I’ve totally lost the plot)
What does that mean for me?
Thanks to an excellent manager, Anna Liu, and a very flexible organisation: I get to change my job a little.
Half what I’ve been doing: web/blogging/on10.net/videos and sundry journeyman things for DPE in Australia.
And Half Web Development Evangelism.
Which is really cool. C#, IronPython, IronRuby, Silverlight, Virtual Earth, Live Mesh et al: here I come!
Why the change?
Time to become more creative, build things. Help others build their things.
Also a change is as good as a holiday. My synapses were starting to atrophy.
ROI on MBA
In 1993 I started on the road to a Masters in Business Administration. More commonly known as an MBA.
Completed in 2002, the MBA has given me a deeper understanding to theories driving business. MBAs are designed to provide a broad understanding of how organisations work. I found the most enlightening topics related to Legal studies and Accounting. I can now read a P&L, Cashflow and Balance Sheet with confidence.
Within a year of taking a management role after completing my MBA (est cost $16,000) I had recouped my fees.
What an MBA does not provide is how to manage people.
If destined for a management role, people management where you spend most of your time. Not reading contracts, dealing with paperwork and accounting. Each of these are specializations that have strict regulatory controls and therefore organisations employ experts to fulfill the roles.
People Management cannot be left up to HR. All managers are people managers first and foremost.
I contend that People Management: keeping your team motivated, working together and productive is the hardest job.
Learn this, and you have done your MBA.
1968
1968 is the year where the summer of love turned into the year of protest, riots and an escalation in world tension.
World events of 40 years ago seem obscure today. The fear of rising communism, increasing multiculturalism, and general chaos as a new younger generation struggled against older strictures and structures.
Some events seem similar, with names changed: US Presidents squeezed between domestic tension and international ego and guerrilla warfare stagnating into needlessly killing. The Tet Offensive, the pivotal point of the Vietnam war, was fought in 1968.
France during May of 1968 witnessed protests and riots as an authoritarian de Gaulle combated both the left wing movement, and a younger generation demanding radical change.
In the midst of this turbulent month, in this pivotal year, I was born.
Thanks Mum and Dad. I wouldn’t be dead for quids.
Movie: Kurt Cobain About a Son.
Photo: Rod Yates, editor of Empire Magazine interviewing Michael Azerrad on his movie, Kurt Cobain About a Son.
Kurt Cobain looms out of the cinema screen like a melancholic Viking, ready to pillage our minds. Like the images of other dead celebrities, the image sets off thought patterns and we classify: drug addict, father, musican.
Like all narratives perpetuated by the one dimensional main stream media, he was also a son. A talented person with real problems, real skills and dreams.
A son of divorced parents, a common afliction of children of the late 20th century, this and the times haunted Kurt. The lyrics and music of Nirvana described the world of the US Pacific Northwest: dark with low hanging fog and cloud. This description also applies to his life, and the life of many of Generation-X. Cold war, AIDS, unemployment.
The movie, About a Son, is Kurt narrating his life in his own words. As captured by biographer, Michael Azerroth in 25 hours of taped interviews during 1992-3. The imagery paints a Washington state that Kurt lived in. A child of his parents, age and area.
Using Kurt’s own words, and showing the real life Aberdeen, Olympia and Seattle one gets a sense of the angst of Nirvana. Kurt also talks about his addiction via self medication to opiates to escape pain; depression and scoliosis.
The movie is about an ordinary person; it humanises a driven person. An complex artistic soul that expressed the nihilism of my generation.
Most importantly, Kurt touches the ultimate poison that is the cult of celebrity that has only grown in the last 15 years. Especially fighting the negative narrative.
Any Nirvana fan or member of generation X should see this movie.
Thanks to PopcornTaxi for bring this movie to Australia.
When Insurance Companies Go Bad
Uncle Mike has a story that illustrates the increasing lack of customer care in businesses.
One day I’ll write my AMEX story up.