David Graff – davidgraff.com Today with Dave, Downunder it's Tuesday, March 19th, 2024 @ 2:22 PM

Entries Tagged as 'Life'

I haven’t worn a watch in months

This year is not a normal year.  That is no surprise to anyone reading this from 2020.  I haven’t worn my watch in months, because of a workplace rule called “Bare below the elbows”.  In the past I have just worn a watch anyways.  I love my watch and it’s waterproof, and I wash it with soap and water every time I wash my hands, so it doesn’t seem much different than a bare wrist.  But this year I’ve felt the need to lead by example.  This little quirk stands out to me at how much this year is not normal.

I have no idea how long this thing is going to take.  When or if life will be normal again.  I doubt it will be the same, but I think we will feel normal again.  Just like it’s normal to take your shoes off at the airport, or drink your water bottle before security…

I should have written more when it was happening.  This year has been a lot of things, notably by missing out on a lot of things.  Right now it’s August.  Australia is in the middle of their second wave of the pandemic with a new surge wreaking havoc and killing people in Victoria.  Queensland is largely sitting this one out, but could spend some time in its own wave in the future.  This year has been a stressful roller coaster, oscillating rapidly between worrying about my fellowship exam looming and the possibility that I might be killed by a virus at work.  Not the best, to say the least.  Right now, my friends and family and really everyone I know has been safe and healthy, and I’m so thankful for that.  I hope it stays that way.

 

I don’t have much groundbreaking revelation to put here, but just thought I would acknowledge where we are right now.  I am learning a new way of walking through the world one step at a time.

The End of an Era

This post is back dated about 4 months. It’s one I’ve been thinking of but for a number of reasons has just been delayed. My life changed a lot around this time in a lot of areas. One of which is work. I’m no longer a resident doctor. I have moved on in the stages of training to be a full time emergency trainee. I won’t rotate out into different fields or teams, except for a few elective rotations. From this point on, I’ve got about another 5 or 6 years until I’m fully trained. It seems like a long haul, but I suppose the start of med school is further back in history than that is ahead. So here we go… headlong into the future. I’ve got a lot to figure out, and a lot to do, but that’s what makes things great in the end.

Ready?

It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There’s almost no such thing as ready. There’s only now. And you may as well do it now. I mean, I say that confidently as if I’m about to go bungee jumping or something – I’m not. I’m not a crazed risk taker. But I do think that, generally speaking, now is as good a time as any. –Hugh Laurie

The boys are back in town

Just recently I’ve had the chance to catch up again with some good friends… My old house mate and friend John got a chance to visit Townsville for work, then Craig came back from seven weeks abroad and then surprise of all, Sean popped in to town for a short visit. It’s good to see these guys and have a laugh.

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John and me at Outback Jacks

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Sean, me and Craig

One day

Let your heart hold fast (click the blue triangle to listen)

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All my days are spent
All my cards are dealt
Oh, the desolation grows
Every inch revealed
As my heart is pierced
Oh, my soul is now exposed

In the oceans deep
In the canyons steep
Walls of granite here I stand
All my desperate calls
Echo off the walls
Back and forth, then back again

To believe I walk alone
Is a lie that I’ve been told

So let your heart hold fast
For this soon shall pass
Like the high tide takes the sand

Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!

Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!

At the bitter end
Salt and liquid blend
From the corner of my eyes
All the miles wrecked
Every broken step
Always searching, always blind

Never fear! No! Never fear!
Never fear! No! Never fear!

So let your heart hold fast
For this soon shall pass
There’s another hill ahead.

Lunch Guest

We had a visitor here on Boxing Day, just after lunch. It’s a Blue Tongue lizard. It moves kinda like a snake but they are pretty harmless I think. A reminder of where we are.

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Merry Christmas!

Here are a few snaps from our first Australian Christmas. The kids were great fun and were very excited about it all.

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Whitsunday Memories

Just sitting here on the deck at night in Byron Bay… It’s Christmas Eve, and everyone is headed to bed. I found some videos on my phone from my sailing trip a few weeks ago so I thought I would try post them here. It might work, it might not…. We’ll have to see!

The first one is motoring out of Hamilton Island, and the second one is under sail, later that day. Try not to get seasick!

PS… It didn’t work! I’ll figure it out soon.

Australia Zoo

The other day we had the chance to cruise up the coast and go see the zoo that Steve Irwin made famous. It was a good, fun day.

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Eli sneaking a pet of a little roo.

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Annalise with her popcorn trough in tow.

Day’s End

This is on the way home from the hospital, and I always love coming around the corner and seeing the sun set over these hills. The view is not to last however, there is a construction site hiding in the glare.

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