Monday January 16, 2006 5:25 am Ballina NSW

A. Morning Musings

5:25 am The beginning of a work week. Hah! I am thinking of driving into Lismore this morning and trying to renew my car registration for 2006. It is not due for another couple of weeks but it is so easy to be missing one piece of necessary documentation or information and then you have to come back. Also the monthly unit rental is due today.

I would also like to visit the uni and check out the wireless capability in the Library. There are a number of video lessons on the Stylus Studio web site that I would like to see. I am curious to see if they can be saved to my hard drive for viewing later in Ballina.

This week I would like to focus on Stylus Studio and XML. Before making my plans I would like to connect the dial-up Internet link and see if there is any email or news. This is a good opportunity to sip my first cup of coffee for the day.

6:10 am

B. Plan

6:10 am I will stop by the realtor's office this morning around 9 am and then try to be at the RTA (Roads and Traffic Authority) in Lismore by close to 10 am. Hopefully I will be through there before noon and over at the uni. I know I need the green sheet and pink sheet and it might be a good idea to have a receipt from the realtors.

Faculty and students are on summer break so I should have the library pretty much to myself. I will try to make an online reimbursement for the Stylus Studio software (I need to locate the actual amount from the charge card statement). I will also top up the Skype account with another 10 Euros. I need to take some of the documentation with me. I should be back in Ballina by 4 PM. I will then need to do a beach walk at that time. 6:20 am

C. Actual

6:20 am No email. Web: Mostly sunny. 50 % chance of light showers (1 - 5 mm) for the coast. High of 29 (31 in Lismore).

Exercise. Tummy cruches and bicycle routines complete. It seems silly to include this in this Learning journal, but knowing that I am monitoring this helps motivate me to keep it up. 6:35 am

6:50 am With a fresh cuppa in hand, I am about to begin a Stylus Studio session. This first attempt is a failure. I am unable to get the images displayed in Stylus Studio. I think the problem has something to do with setting up the Scenario. I have decided to give up and try again later when I am in Lismore. 7:50 am

The trip to Lismore was productive. I paid the rent at the realtors and then obtained my automobile registration at the RTA office without any difficulty. I then drove over to the uni and quickly got set up in the Library. I ended up downloading a newer version of Stylus Studio. On the negative side, I changed my password and have not been able to access the U of L secure site for submitting my reimbursement claim.

3:15 PM Technology. I have put in a solid 3 hours on this today. One hour was spent uploading a newer version of Stylus Studio, one hour was spent making notes on the revised documentation, and one hour was spent updating the Technology web site with scanned covers of the two books that I purchased in Australia plus one that I brought with me. 3:40 PM

4:00 PM Literature. I have begun reading the next two chapters from "The Story of the Stone". 4:50 PM

D. Reflection

7:40 PM Overall a good day. I like saying that at the end of a day. The rent is paid for another month, the car is registered for another year, and I have a new version of Stylus Studio with an improved documentation file. This will be my prime focus for all of this week. Our late afternoon walk to Shelly beach showed the tide at the lowest level that we have seen on any of our walks.

The evening meal tonight was better than the ones I have been trying from the cookbooks. Phyllis' marinade for the chicken is fantastic when they are done on the barbeque and her spinach and orange salad is a perfect accompanyment. I still have a lot to learn.

Now to finish with my tummy routine and then, perhaps, some updating of my Literature site for today's reading.