I'm Officially Orientated

Oreintation Day for my Photography Course today.

Ten o'clock start, so at six o'clock in the morning I was awoken by Eloise waving a tangerine in my face with the query "Does Mummy want one?" to which I woozily replied "Probably not, she's asleep."

And after a little further fidgetting Eloise fell asleep again, and remained comatose while Nicole got up, showered, breakfasted, I got up, showered, breakfasted, fed the dogs, packed my bag, shaved, woke her up, made her toast, woke her up again, got her milk, then woke her up again.

At ten past nine we set off on the bike and were soon hurtling down the road to drop her off at nursery. The last hill to the nursery is damned steep, and was walked up. I expect to be able to manage it through pedal power alone before too long.

I arrived, hot and sweaty, after having cycled down hill and up (admittedly urbanised) dale and become only slightly lost on the way, ten minutes in advance. After writing a cheque for a horrendous but reasonable amount of money I sat down with the rest of the 24 students.

Who seem to be a quiet lot, some young, some older, many in the middle, predominantly female.

We were lectured for a couple of hours on where fire exits are, when we should turn up, and what footwear we're allowed. Thongs are out (Aussie thongs for the feet that is, obviously).

I need to get a calculator, but that's about it. On Monday I guess I'll be buying film and so on, when the lectures start for real.

I talked to a couple of people and they seem to be well-adjusted if slightly nervous.

About midday it was all over. I planned to toddle around the city for a few hours then meet Nicole at the nursery around four o'clock and pick Eloise up, but after touring the city, the Botanical Gardens and South Bank my legs started to hurt and I got hungry and I decided that grocery shopping needed to be done - so I biked home about three to collapse , sweaty and sore-legged, on the sofa in front of ABC Kids to remind me of what I have now come to regard as the "Old Times."