17th February, 2016. Tuesday and off to Melbourne Airport and flight to Delhi via Singapore

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The weather is cooler after several beautiful days.  We have most of the morning to pack and complete the final chores, feed the worms and cover the pool with blanket after back washing and topping it with salt. 

Jeanette does most of the packing and we remain somewhat apprehensive as to what clothes we will require in the cooler cities and at night. We are finally packed and about ready for an early lunch before Gavin picks us up at 1.15pm for the trip to Tullamarine and the airport. We are excited and very much looking forward to another Tauck tour and expedition through Rajistan and across to the Taj Mahal.

The final task is letters to three neighbours advising of our holiday.

 

 

 

12 February, 2016. Our Friday Preparations for our Indian Tour with Tauck and holiday in Phuket.

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We awoke realising that our days and time is passing very quickly and we only have a few days prior to our flight from Melbourne to Singapore and stopover before flying to Delhi.

The morning is very busy with a commitment to mow our Church lawns and then "blowvac" the area.  At the same time Ken is engaged in a significant change to the Office with our office Manager changing to a part-time role of 20.5 hours per week and recruiting the Office Assistant ( Casual) to work 2 days for 4 hours.  There is also the issue of meeting the Award requirements and fulfilling our legal obligations.  In addition, this morning Ken has to pick up the updated signs from the printer and instal these upon the windows adjacent to the entry doors.  Jeanette after assisting with the mowing and pruning of the ferns also need to visit our Chemist and pick up our medications as well as the usual precautionary items when travelling in these area.

We finish about 10.45AM and Ken has to be home to engage in a telephone conversation as to our new blog on this website.  That conversation occurs at 11.00AM and Ken and Andrew enjoy a good working call with Ken committed to doing a post this evening.

Concurrently, there are the Award, contract and Letter of Offer reviews and consideratons and updates via email.

Jeanette returns home at 11.20AM to find Ken in deep discussions with our Architect and subsequently our builder Dean as to Air-conditioning and Heating at our new house as well as tiling for the pool.  Later in the day there is the subject of progress payment arrangements.  There is also a need to follow through dimensions and size re a television in the new office to enable cabinetry to be progressed from up to date drawings.

Lunch comes very quickly and we sit and relax and enjoy fresh salad sandwiches and fruit. 

After lunch, Ken works on the pool and will also finish that tomorrow with more salt as well as topping up the water level.  Jeanette in the meantime, has also been very busy with our mail delivery arrangements at Australia Post and reminds Ken that we need to telephone the Security Company.  He will do that Saturday or Sunday.  we also need to advise our neighbours.

We had also dropped off a mower and "whipper-snipper" and we received an email thanking us and confirming that the latter is now fully operational. 

Tomorrow we will finish all of the mundane items before we are ready to begin packing.  On this occasion there are quite stringent demands upon our luggage size and weight.

Later whilst Jeanette is relaxing , Ken decides to have a swim in the pool.  It is a perfect afternoon in mid / late summer with 29 degrees Celsius and clear blue skies. Another day has passed and we are closer to departure and many items are off our list.

 

12 February, 2016. Preparations for our Tauck India Tour and Phuket holiday on the way Home

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We awoke this morning realising that we only have a couple of days to complete preparations and finalise updates prior to our departure for Singapore and after a brief stopover flying directly to Delhi.

Jeanette and I are usually well prepared but on this occasion there seems a plethora of issues and activities occurring in the lead up to our trip.

This morning we have the moving of GWUC Church lawns and some work in the garden there to clean up the ferns.

Concurrently, Ken is finalising the recruitment of an Office Assistant as well as completing contract negotiations with the Office Manager , who is becoming part time for 20.5 hours per week whilst commencing University theological studies.   At the same time we are negotiating the range of issues to modify the office hours to 10.00AM - 2.00PM, with the issues of Award requirements and the political dynamics within the organisation.  Following the mowing which takes a good 75-90 minutes and several bin loads of grass and soil etc, there is the task of blowvacing the surrounding areas.

Ken then collewtcs the new signs for the doorways and entrances to the Church.  the reprinted signs clearly depict the change of hours and is another means of communicating the changes.  Some will read , others will see the signs and note the changes but still expect the previous availability.  We are home by 10.45AM and Jeanette visits the Chemist for our medications prior to our departing.  Ken has a telephone conference in relation to the changes in our website and in particular the use of the new blog.