Wow

This week disappeared in a cloud of dust. Gibbo went to the chiller at 4am Monday to inspect cow carcases then continued on to Bris for meetings; he brought Drew home for mid-semester break.

Tuesday saw us getting ready for 3 days of meetings in Twba; Drew went spraying.

We left early Wednesday for a day of succession/continuity planning within the Group. The session was presented by a favourite of mine and all the attendees were very impressed with the content, delivery and her ability to keep them all focussed for the entire day - no mean feat when you're dealing with a bunch of blokes who normally can't sit still for very long. That night at dinner TS and I delivered a surprise presentation to G on his 25 years of employment here - GG, this is your life.... He was lost for words - momentarily.

Thursday was 2013 budget day, round 1. This was a considerably less stressful process than last year although there is a way to go. Meg picked me up in the afternoon and we raced over to buy Drew two masquerade masks for an upcoming ball. Note the giraffe patterned fingernails.

The group ate at Weis that night - always difficult for me to get my money's worth but G makes up for it.

This morning I drove back to D to pick Drew up then took him to Twba so that he could get a lift back to Uni. Budget work continued until lunchtime then we all split to head back to our respective properties.

And - there's chickens. Our annual breeding program has started and these aren't the first of them....and they certainly won't be the last, not by a long shot. I've sold all my barnevelders and will just breed and sell rocks and silkies. I've got a lot to save my pennies for - my 2013 bike ride, my trip to NZ, a junket to Hawaii next April...and maybe a thermomix.

These are (Gibbo's) 2 large white wyandottes and a silver laced, cradled ever so carefully in the bosses hands. There was an accidental drowning in the incubator at work this morning, in the bowl that keeps the humidity and moisture consistent. The girls in the office were traumatised.

Now I sit on the couch, tired and glad to be home, planning the next few weeks in my head. I have a lot of lists to make. My ear operation is only just over two weeks away - before then, there's a rather important party to organise and get through and a small mountain of things to prepare for the wagyu conference. I'm not really thinking about much beyond the 16th.

Keep calm and breathe.