Welcome back

[Labbie]

Welcome back every one, I love to hear what everyone did for the holidays, Welcome to some new members also. No question is silly or will be looked at as silly, so ask away.

[remlap12]

Hi all,

Today is my first day back as I don't work Fridays. It was hard getting organised this morning!! I got to school and realised I'd left my keys at home........ah ....good start to the week / year! So I won't be getting into the chem store, I was going to make up some acids, oh well, there's always tomorrow......
Didn't do a lot these holidays, movies with the grandkids, lunches with friends.....I could get used to all that...... and I shouted myself a new car! a mazda cx-5.

Happy 2017 everyone, hope it's a good year for us all )

[melsid]

Thanks Labbie, it's great to be back! So far, that is...
No new car for me these holidays, just filing, painting & re-decorating a room, and the usual stuff where you *think* you're busy but there is nothing to show for it.
Have a great term/year everyone!!!
Mel

[Merilyn1]

New year and a new school for me. I started back last Wednesday and the school was closed Friday. So we got a four day weekend. Took the opportunity to get away for a few days as we weren't able to go away earlier. The 16yo son enrolled in a uni summer school which meant we had to cancel the beach holiday.
So today...we're waiting on the new science block to be completed. Will be another week or so. I'm in a demountable with all the science equipment packed up around me waiting for the big move. I don't have a laptop yet (should be today) so am using my phone. It's all good and it will make for some interesting stories for future years.

[Labbie]

New schools. New cars wow. I do hope your new school and science block are ready soon. Enjoy it all.

[mtg]

I had a big tiger snake move into the vege patch with my blue tongues! So no strawberries thanks to Baz (the blue tongue) and no raspberries as that's where the snake has set up home! But it's been a quiet holiday, no major bush fires for us (so far), so nice and restful.
But second day back and I cant get into edumail. So I have time to catch up with chemtalk.

[tuesday]

Welcome back everyone, I've hit the ground running already but it's nice to be back.
We went camping in the hunter valley , spent a few weeks with family and friends in Newcastle/Port Stephens.
What a wonderful time we had. Wishing everyone the best for the New Year

[fibreweb]

We went for a "drive"
We left from home in Tamworth and drove to the Snowy Mountains via Broken Hill and Mildura!
Basically we wanted to see the Menindee lakes full of water, then down the Darling River to the Confluence with the Murray.
We then followed the Murray, mainly from the Victorian side as the roads follow the river more closely, right up to Thredbo and Charlottes Pass.
In Thredbo we discovered a Blues Festival and stayed 5 nights instead of 2!
Walked to the top of Kosciuszko, not a difficult walk but 6.5 Km up then 6.5km back. There would have been over 100 people at the top of the mountain when we got there.
Most people passed us as we were walking, but we are both 62 and there were very few that looked older then us.
All up we travelled just under 4,000km in 12 days.
Can't wait to retire and do even longer "Drives"
Only 3 years and 39 weeks of work, but whose counting!

[Merilyn1]

Hey, Fireweb, that sounds great! We did a trip last year from home (near Mittagong) to Balranald (Yenga N.P. - excellent spot), Mungo National Park, north to Ivanhoe, Coonabarabran then across the coast to Corindi (north of Coffs) and home. Excellent trip, travelled some really isolated roads. The road from Mungo to Ivanhoe was just two tyre tracks in places. Great fun. My husband and I are planning on doing lots more "drives" when we retire - but I'm 10 years behind you and hubby is five years behind me. Have to be patient. So pleased I'm now in a school that seems to be a happy work environment, it will make waiting easier!

[J]

My husband and I are planning a drive to Adelaide in May. We'll take some LSL and we'll head off to who knows where along the way. Check out some inland places and drive along the Murray on the way home. Maybe do a daytrip on a paddleboat. We are edging closer to retirement but still a few years to go. Working towards it though

[shellythenewlabby]

Thanks Labbie, had a good break after hubby and I built the back pergola on the house. Our house was very quiet as 1 child is overeas exploring and our other one worked so it was just us.. (very unusual). Did a trip to Canberra and spent alot of time down the coast. Oh and like remlap12 got a new car but a Ford Ecosport Trend.. Hope everyone else had a great break.

[Wayne]

Last week was my first week back since November. I had surgery on 1 December after several months of treatment for cancer. Thankfully I recovered quickly from the surgery and was still able to go on my trip to the US on Christmas Eve. Overall I had a great month visiting San Francisco, Orlando (with a visit to Kennedy Space Centre), New Orleans and Dallas.
Trying to play catchup as lots of things weren't ordered or done at the end of last year, but everyone is understanding when I go to the shelf and say we appear to be out of that!

[Labbie]

Welcome back Wayne, I do hope all is great with your health?

[gotolady]

Good luck for a full recovery Wayne. Remember to pace yourself.

[Wayne]

I'm doing quite well. The pathology results from the surgery were great, there was no viable cancer cells. So the radiation and chemo did its job, which only happens 15% of the time.
The trip away was tiring but it was a great to get away and not have to go to a hospital or visit a doctor for a whole month!

[remlap12]

Wishing you a full recovery Wayne!
Sounds like a great holiday, too.

[Merilyn1]

Wayne - praying that you have a nice speedy recovery. Good news about the pathology results. The holiday sounded great, now you're back at work having a rest?