Vale Dean Dowling

Found out this evening of the sudden death of an acquaintance.
He worked as a guard at my workplace for several years along with a team of other regulars who I'd see every day I worked. Some I'd got to know better than others - Dean was one of the more outgoing ones.
I only ever knew him as "Dean". He knew me as "mate". We'd say our "G'day" and "See ya later" interspersed with short conversations about the usual topics people share in passing: the weather, football. This was always the Australian variety; so those particular exchanges were always one-sided as I know nothing about the game. I could not hold a conversation, while Dean was an avid AFL fan and a Richmond supporter. During these conversations I'd just smile, nod and agree, unless I'd picked up the odd relevant bit of information that morning from the ABC Sports news.  A former supervisor of mine was also a Richmond fan so I remembered this as Richmond supporters seem to be a fairly rare species at work. The other frequent topic of conversation Dean and I shared concerned Dean's involvement with a local Wombat-care voluntary organisation. I used to buy two of their calendars each year from Dean. One I would hang on my wall in my office and the other I'd give to my daughter.
Dean was a cheerful, chirpy, helpful and friendly little bloke. He died suddenly on 6 May and I will miss him. He was six months older than me.

Update, update

Doesn't time fly?


To correct an error I made in an earlier post – Malignant hyperthermia is a life-threatening condition and after clarifying this with a local doctor I can happily say I don't suffer from it! What happens to me can be attributed to transient infections and anaesthetic side effects – none of which are likely to be serious.

Away from the medical side, life remains hectic for someone who is supposed to be retired. In early August I accompanied my other half and financial controller, The Little Worker, to North Sydney, where she was attending a knowledge management conference. I decided to tag along for the ride and enjoyed myself mainly by walking through and around Kiribilli and Milson's Point. The weather was kind: cool but the brilliant blue skies and bright sunshine made taking photos just something I had to do.

Back to reality and I'm now working three days a week, back at my old place of employment, on a data extraction project. Due the public service rules and regs, I had to apply for this temporary position, going through the laborious process of writing responses to 'Capability questions' [Selection criteria] and updating a 17-years out of date CV. How to encapsulate a working life in no more than three pages. Still, that's all done and dusted and I'm happy to say that there were no other applicants and I signed the new six month contract last week. I worked for this same organisation for over 20 years before the cancer was diagnosed. I'm glad to be back – I find it comfortable and comforting and the people that matter know I'll do a good job. Life is sweet at times.