An "ordinary" day...

This morning my brother-in-law phoned to see if he could hang out with me for the day while their car was repaired. This is what the day looked like...

8:55...about to run out the door to start the day, and as I turn on the kitchen tap the hot water hose on the washing machine bursts...water goes everywhere!!! I don't have time to clean up now; will have to come back later!

9:00 am - Coffee Morning. Usually held at Beechworth Bakery, have moved to Cheese Freaks today because they have Fair Trade coffee - and its Fair Trade Fortnight. Seemed to go well - six people in total (including me and Steve - who I am sure felt uncomfortable at the lades coffee morning!!!).

10:00 am - Call into Thrift Shop to say hello and check out the boiler that causes issues with water that is too hot. Chat to volunteers for a while.

10:30 am - Go to hall and unpack new coin counting machine. This will save us so much time each week, and it has a printer that tells us how much of each denomination. Shop manager is very very happy - 10 points to me!

11:00 am - Steve runs an errand for me and travels down the line to Croydon to collect Everything had to be tested and tagged. While Steve is gone I do some admin, including finalising an inteview with the local journalist. Balance the petty cash, write cheques for bills.

12:45 pm - Go to bank to deposit money, pay bills at Post Office.

1:00 pm - Lunch at Beechworth Bakery. The staff call me by name...I've been here way too much!!!

1:45 pm - Return to hall and prepare for interview with journalist.

2:00 pm - Journalist and a women we are currently helping arrives. We sit down for interview, then get photo taken for newspaper. This is for a Red Shield Appeal article, which includes Hayley's (not her real name) story. Hayley has fled domestic violence, and was sleeping in her car with her three kids in her mum's driveway. There was no room in the house because the mother cares for some of her other grandchildren. We've been able to help her and her kids out.

3:00 pm - Start to clean up the kitchen at the hall. Throw out heaps of the old glasses - obviously people bought in different sized vegemite jars over the years! Am going to Ikea Thursday night, and for $20 will have 30 new glasses that all match. Need to have it sorted for when all the Beechworth Bakery managers meet at the hall next week - need to make a decent impression!

3:45 pm - Drop Steve off at the 4WD place to pick up car.

3:50 pm - Back at hall to get plates and cups ready for breakfast program at Healesville High tomorrow. Continue cleaning up hall and office.

5:30 pm - Go to "Dinner at Darron's" - the weekly community meal. Have a great conversation with a local guy who has some accommodation issues. Will continue the conversation over coming weeks with this guy.

6:00 pm - During meal get a phone call from the local Anglican minister stating that a family has turned up to his house that are homeless and need emergency accommodation. I go and meet family. I call a local hotel and book them a room, then take them there. Parents with three kids - very full on as they had nowhere to stay for the night! Give details for how the family can connect with appropriate services in the morning.

7:10 pm - Feeling a little exhausted at this stage...I travel down to Croydon to collect the posters and rego forms for our school holiday program in July.

7:50 pm - Arrive Croydon and catch up with a friend and enjoy sitting on the couch drinking coffee!!! Am needing one by this stage!

9:00 pm - Arrive back in Healesville. Am turning into my street and suddenly realise...that hose broke this morning and I haven't had a chance to clean it up! CRAP!!!!

Well - that's been my day. Am pretty exhausted. Need to go to bed now - have to be at the high school at 7:30 am in the morning to set up for the breakfast program. Then off to my first Healesville service providers network meeting, then CRE at Healesville Primary, then off to Upper Yarra Secondary College to meet and interview the chaplain, then back to Healesville to meet two of the Youth Services Team. Another full on day ahead...

Who said life as a CO was boring and the same every day!