Liz Randall's Cycling Blog - a life behind bars

"With ordinary talents and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable"



Saturday 7 February 2009

Air travel and TRAC update

Check this link out first. Koalas aren't know to be great drinkers.

Farewelling one of my work mates yesterday since she's off to Canada for 6 weeks, we got to talking out air travel. The topic was especially centred around what sort of person you get to sit next to on a long haul flight.


Me, I always go for the aisle seat and am very quiet the entire trip..no imposing myself on my neighbour and I hope to get a similar response from them. However the conversation this time was really about having to sit next to someone who overflows the seat...something I've never had to endure. But I was able to recount something I'd heard on the radio a coupla days ago...

This lady had rung in with a tale about a trip she had with (I think) Easyjet..a low cost airline. She is BIG and whenever she flies she chooses what she expects will be a less popular flight so as to be able to have an empty seat next to her. Anyhow this time she realised that the flight was filling up and so rang the airline, explained the situation and bought a second ticket to ensure she'd not be squashing anyone.

However when she got to the airport she discovered that the ticket clerk had given her one seat at the front and the other seat at the rear of the plane!

My training is going along well considering the overload the weather and TRAC is putting on my system. This week I have been trying to decide which day would be best to have my burgeoning nervous breakdown as I battled TRAC, my increasing clinical workload plus orientating and mentoring 2 brand new, new-grad Physios on my ward

TRAC update..we are now on the last day of the first week and already we have some hefty front runners who have bolted beyond Sydney (800+km) and are closing in on Queensland. Since there are floods in northern Queensland I've been telling everyone that for them only swimming will count this week! (giggle giggle). My team is not allowed to win (moral dilemma..can't win what you've organised) and clearly wouldn't anyway, cos I'm not sure we've even left Victoria (<400km)

I was talking to someone whose mother is a primary teacher and who asked if there was any copyright on the idea (no) as she thought it'd be a great thing for her kids to do..around Victoria with projects along the way at various locations eg gold in Bendigo, fruit in mildura, bushrangers in Glenrowan. The older classes will run it and all the school will take part.....

I've had the first nomination for a spot prize of someone whose breakfast was the first of many cola drinks and who never exercised...she's given up the fizzy brekky and is now exercising......now THAT'S one of the things we were hoping to acheive. The other was to encourage ALL the staff to pull together/bond rather than what usually happens which is bonding in separate departments/wards.

However we have learned many lessons along the way..one of which is keep it VERY simple..if we EVER do this again there will be no restrictions at all in what exercise can count..either that or it will be limited to walking running or cycling. By allowing sports and some gym classes to count we've included more people but made it more complicated.

2 comments:

Judith said...

It sounds like your project is going well, I am the clinical instructor (or mentor I guess) for the new student that started at my work this week, I am running with her for 6 weeks, and basically that means I drive every job, and just run around after her and make sure everything is done right and I get to talk a lot (Not much effort required there ).......it is hard work though as you have to be on your game the whole time and tonight we are working night shift and will have to review the full arrest scenario as this weather anything could happen.....

Liz said...

yup going well.

how's your training? you going in for the states? I was out this am at 6..along with every other cyclist I reckon.. Croydon to city via Springvale and Beach roads and then home courtesy of Connex...stopping all stations...fell asleep!..that effort and 45 mins last night might have got the TRAC team out of Victoria!(team name is Experience Beats Youth Everytime)