yellow & green

This week just gone was testing to say the least. I'm always glad when its the weekend, but this weekend particularly so. I think this time of year in general people are hyped up on the anticipation of xmas, holidays, nice weather, relaxing etc. Everyone is impatient to just get festivities happening, myself included.

This week my patience was tested by another work trip, where I took these photos. I really wasn't in the mood for spending 7 hours in a car and being in the middle of nowhere. I've seen some interesting things while traveling for work, and taken some photos I love which has made it worthwhile, but its really not my scene. I have things to do. In the city. Where I live. In the time after work which should really be my own time.

On a more significant note someone very special to me died this week. He had been unwell for a long time. I've spent a lot of time this week thinking about how lucky I was to know him, how the last 10 years were made better for having him around. He was my teacher (lecturer at uni) but more than that, a mentor. He was also a colleague and a friend. Its not very often someone in your life ends up being all those things at once, and it made it kind of hard to explain to people why I was crying. He wasn't just one of those things, he was all.

He had this knack of always making me feel like my ideas were valid, even though he was the teacher with years and years (and years!) of knowledge and experience, he made me feel what I had to say was just as important. He had an amazing life, knew amazing people, traveled, studied, taught, communicated. He was there for several significant events, or phases really, in my life - finishing uni, getting my first semi-real job, then the first real-real one, and buying my house. He held my hand at things I was nervous about, like one time when I had to go to a thing at Parliament House, and when we went traveling way up north. He always gave out compliments about my work (at uni, and then at my job), but the best compliment he ever gave me, that I will never forget was saying I had a highly attuned "bullshit detector", meaning I don't tolerate jargon, spin or general wankery. I like people to get to the point. This is true!

Thanks DD. For everything.

H.

xxoo