Tuesday 06th December 2011 - Day 295

Hi Friends,

"What's been going on?" I hear you ask.  Well, a lot and not much.  The last month or so has consisted of me successfully completing my promotion course, finishing up work in HMAS Success and (as of Friday past) starting 6 weeks of leave leading into my posting in January.

I have felt almost no cravings for nicotine since I last posted on this blog, but I have finished one more of the tasks on my list (which is looking more and more like I won't finish it).  I have done a painting of Sydney Harbour.  I copied a photograph that I took, and did it as a finger painting (to justify my complete inability to make anything look truly beautiful in art).

So....here's the original picture and the painting:

Original picture of Sydney Harbour coming around to Mrs MacQuarry's Chair from Woolloomooloo

Finger Painting of Harbour in picture above

So there you have it :)  If nothing else, I got my artistic finger (right hand, finger beside thumb) out and finger-painted this.

I have also covered the volunteer work item.  I have started volunteering for St Vincent De Paul (how funny given that I'm the least Christian man alive), for a special work that they have called the Redfern Task Force.  Volunteers for this group go into the homes of people who have called the office asking for assistance, and we take them food or power vouchers (or occasionally phone bill vouchers....but these are the proverbial hens teeth), to help them get by.

I have volunteered for 2 nights each month, and it only takes a couple of hours each time, so it's not really much time out of my life.

I have also completed the induction training for an organisation called Compeer, who also work under the auspices of St Vincent De Paul as a special work.  It is a friendship program for people with, or recovering from, mental illness who don't have much social interaction.  At this stage, I'm waiting for the St Vinnies to get my police check back and then to (hopefully) match me with a "friend".  This will only be an hour a week with a promise of a minimum of a year, and once again isn't really that much time out of my life to spare, and hopefully make someone else's life better.

Finally, I've found an organisation that helps the elderly (which is the original volunteer work that I wanted to do), so I'm filling in paperwork to send back to the Benevolent Society, so that hopefully I'll be able to be a part of their program, helping the elderly stay in their own homes longer by helping with chores and doing social visits.

Well, on a complete change of subject, I have managed to catch up with an old school friend, Adele, for a chat on facebook tonight, which has been awesome.  It's always great to catch up with people you haven't heard from in a while, and it's been about 6 years since I last spoke to her.  Double win is that through her facebook page, I noticed another old schoolfriend of ours who I'd fallen out of touch with, so fingers crossed I can re-ignite that friendship also.

On the no drinking front, I am still finding myself conflicted as to whether or not I want to start drinking again once my year is over.  I'm really looking forward to a couple of glasses of wine or a few beers, but then again, I am really happy with my life while I'm not drinking........what to do...what to do?

Ok, I think I've prattled on enough for one evening.  I hope this finds you all well, and thanks for reading my testament to exhibitionism :)

Take care Friends,

Howie..