January 2010 Is Half Gone!

Hi my dear friends and family members!

A few things have been happening in my life recently.

With Hubbard College underway for the year, new students are arriving and many people are touring the college as a result of the amazing blogs by our students on the website (address www.HubbardCollege.org ).

On the 7th of January I had dinner with my good friend Sue Z. who had just returned from 2 months on the East Coast at her older daughter, Kristin. We had a great time catching up with each other and parted in joyous mood.

On January 10th my yonger brother, Warren, in New Zealand had his birthday, and this was the same day that I went to brunch with another good friend, Suesan W. We had a pleasant time and good meal. (I dropped off at Suesan's, place a lot of stuff I was donating to the school where her son and daughter-in-law teach.)

On the 13th I was called into the executive office at Hubbard College and offered the position of Apprenticeship Supervisor, a rather specialized position that I would have to figure out and create as I went along. I accepted and have had 3 days on the position so far. The amount of confusion and backed-up work in this area was pretty startling so I just began putting in "stable data" per the Hubbard technology on handling confusions. As the doctrine of "confusion and the stable data" says will happen, as I put in different stable data, more and more confusion would blow off until gradually things are starting to smooth out and come under control. I now have the start of a functioning "machine" for the apprentices who are applying the Hubbard administrative skills in local companies. It think it will get them smoothly through their required apprenticeships very satisfactorily. The next couple of month will prove to be interesting to say the least.

Yesterday, the 16th January my older brother, Des, in Australia had his youngest daughter, Fleur, add another year to her life. Fleur and Mattyn have a young son, Finn and a baby daughter, Hope.

It was also yesterday - last night - that I went out to dinner with my three long time friends, who worked with me for so many years as student course-supervisors - Marie H, Christine M, and Joe L. An outing with these folk is always hilariously funny and we really enjoyed ourselves at Mimi's Cafe'. The big news was Joe's current budding romance. (He's playing it cool and taking it slowely.)

Today, Sunday January 17th 2010 is my only full day off in the week so I'm having a lazy time of it. It's a bit too cold and windy for a one and a half hour bike ride like I did last Sunday, so I'm going to go a pick up the big framed award that we have been presented for our volunteer work with New Era Seniors Inc., of which I'm president (and for which I've been presented with Presidential Awards by the two most resent Presidents of the USA).

And my friend, Christine M, who was one of my dinner friends last night, has a birthday today so I'm going to drop round to her place with something I found she really wants.

Tomorrow is the birthday of the daughter, Christine G., of my sister and oldest sibling, Maureen, in New Zealand - and as New Zealand is a day ahead of us, she is already having her birthday now. Suitable greetings have been sent. (It is also the first wedding anniversary of the youngest son of my youngest sibling, Warren. That's Neil and his wife Isla.)

I'm still getting regular emails from my graduate student and friend, Elena, in Russia, and that is a very happy thing.

If anything else interesting happen before the end of the weekend I'll add to this blog.

Until next time...

Lots of love,
Barry