Double pivot

On the final step of our course before heading off to work. Learning to tow 8 ton trailers (the trailer can carry a payload of 8 tons, the trailer itself doesn't weigh that much). Pulling it forward is easy, it just follows the truck. It's reversing that's hard.

Since they have an axle right down the back and another one on a turn table right up the front, you end up with two points of articulation.

The easiest way to think about it, is if you imagine towing a trailer behind your car - then a second trailer behind the first one.

Pulling forward is easy, like a train, both will follow. But reversing? Then it wants to snake and go every which way. Yes, it is possible to crash into your own trailer.

No point doing something easy - you have to challwnge yourself to become better.

Last weekend

Nearly done with Victoria, going to be headed up to Darwin soon. No idea what it'll be like. But looking forward to it.

Course finished!

Wooh! Finally done!

Well, sort of. Training is finished but still have one more bonus bit of training, runs for a week and a bit. But basically, it is done. Time to get to work.

Sad that I can't share it with the missus though, give her a hug and such.

Blargh...

Dinner was pretty sub par today. Goulash and rice with potato on the side. Did not go down well, but it ain't coming back up again.

Toothache getting a bit worse, on my to do list once I can get an appointment.

Other than that, life is peachy...

Excitement

Course is nearly finished. About a year of work, lots of ups and downs and no real injuries to speak of. Aches and pains, an overnight stay in the hospital and a few setbacks during training... but a week out from the end.

Almost a year away from the family, which has been hard. But long term this should be beneficial for us, more stable and better for when I retire.

Getting a bit more excited to be getting out of the course and into work. Going to be jumping into a bigger pond with bigger fish, that's both cool and scary. But being challenged is a good thing.

Missing the missus

Only had three weeks at home in the last ten months. And no idea when I'll be able to get home and see the family next.

It's a hard life. :(

Final days

Well, course is nearly done. Around two weeks left, give or take. Feeling ... calm? Not sure what I should be feeling at the moment. Been a long time coming, but progress is being made.

....and ... it's gone.

I was using Business Calendar with my Google calendar to track dates. Addmitedly I don't have anything important or critical on there but the latest sync pretty much wiped my data.

Loads of important dates and little memories, gone. :( Not a happy camper today.

Hunted and tried a few work arounds but no joy, it's definitely gone.

*sigh*

Another weekend rolls around

This weekend I think I'll focus on uploading heaps of photographs to my site. I don't have any new articles to upload, mainly due to not having any internet access.

Normally I'd put them directly on my site but since my host likes to shut me down every couple of weeks, I'm better off uploading them to something like PhotoBucket so I just need to upload the html when my site goes offline and needs reloading.

Might look at a few older articles that I have which I might upload again.

Empty hours

With nothing to fill them. I feel adrift, with too much down time where I'm still away from you, so can't relax.

*sigh*

Some day, I'll hold you in my arms once more...

Slow Sunday

Down at the local cafe, using their wifi since I have very little data on my plan. Had a nap this morning after breakfast. That was a bit weird.

Hunting around for a different host for my website. I have the domain paid for another two years. If I get paid hosting through my domain registrar, then it is about $7 a month. If I am going to get paid hosting then I'd be better off going through one of the bigger American hosts.

But I prefer free. :D

The drag with my current free host is that they shut down the site every 30 days unless I click a button (or get more than 10 visitors a month - that isn't going to happen any time soon).

Not a bad idea for them, weeds out time wasters and unattended sites. But still an annoyance. Might do an exchange next weekend.

Self sufficient

It isn't much, but I paid my own phone bill this month. Feels good taking care of some of my own bills. There is still heaps of bills and I give my wife all my money, so there usually isn't any left over for me. But having a few dollars available means I can leave more money for her and the kids.