Another trip to Brisbane

Yesterday Billy-Joe and I went to the Nursing and Health Expo

It was exciting on more than one count. I have only ever driven into the city once in all the years I've lived in Qld. Pretty pathetic really and wouldn't be a huge issue except that Peter doesn't know his way around either so whenever we need or want to go there it's a huge drama or we shelve it because it's too hard. I bought the Tom Yom app for my iPhone and it's given me confidence. I figure if I don't know where I am the GPS might lol. Probably not the best way to be but having said that even though I don't know exactly where I am I wasn't totally ignorant of mu surroundings and I changed lanes when I needed to, even though the GPS didn't tell me to. It was great as I couldn't get into parking so at least Tom could tell me where to go as in Brisbane you can't just turn around. So with the one way streets I tend to lose what little sense of direction I have. 

The expo had lots of stalls with representation from the various unis and then lots of employers and agencies. I'll definitely visit again when I finish. I did learn that the options for work are huge. We spent a good hour and a half there gathering info and talking to CQU, USC and QUT. I was impressed with CQU. I've now added them to my preferences. I think I could cope with external studies especially when it's run as well as they do it. I remember when I was doing my teaching and then afterwards when I started the Grad Dip in Special Ed that USQ and CQU were the forerunners of external studies. UNE has always had a good reputation too for distance Ed. 

We stopped at the Caboolture Service Centre and had lunch. Shouldn't have eaten the KFC but it was good seeing Billy-Joe eat a huge burger. Neither of us ate dinner so I guess it wasn't so bad. 

I've changed my preferences now, I've deleted QUT graduate entry which I'd just thrown in there for the ski of it. They won't consider my last degree which okay as I've no intention if driving to Brisbane many times per week. They do have a campus in Caboolture though. 

Now I gave USC Graduate Entry as my first preference although I don't like my chances. I've put down for CQU as my second preference and it's still on my QTAC application, so they've not barred those two. Fingers crossed. 

I took my Dad to the doctor today as he's not well. He's been having fevers and hallucinating too. The doc thinks he might have Pneumonia!!!!  I certainly pray that he doesn't. Or, if he does that it's a mild case. Very mild. My Dad says he was hallucinating about all his family who've been gone many years. His sister, his brother, and his Mum. He said they'd come to get him. I reckon they can just keep waiting.  I'm not ready to let him go. I'm sure there are others who agree with me. I still can't believe he's now over 80. I hope he gets better very soon. Tomorrow he goes back. No doubt to check his white blood cell count. And they say kids are a worry!!!!

I told Mum and Dad about me wanting to go back and study. The more I think about it the better the idea feels to me. All the 'lostness' I've felt lately has gone. I have direction again. Who would have thought that spending two weeks in hospital with a sick child could lead to me going back to study. I remember when I started at the Special School I'd looked up study options. Option which would only take to years part time study but which would qualify me as a Special Ed teacher and virtually guarantee me work!! Sadly it left me cold. Am I a good teacher ? Yes! Is it my lifelong ambition? No. Perhaps if the entire system was different, things might be different. Perhaps too if I'd stayed with teaching instead of having having my family. I don't know. All I know is that my heart isn't in it. Not at all.