Follow the Life and Times of the Thompson Family ….
12 of 12
May 12 of 12 …..
0May 12, 2013
After a very interesting and busy day yesterday as the Deputy Incident Controller of the Cherryville Fire, today was going to be a lot quieter and possibly not be able to even get 12 photos.
Instead of breakfast, I had more of a brunch after a much deserved sleep in after 3 days including a night shift at the Cherryville fire.
With the new purchase of a Garmin Oregon 600 pending when they came into stock, I took the time to watch a few videos going through the new features of the unit.
Jenny even discovered how to use a new vacuum cleaner that was purchased during the week – I know vacuum cleaners and Jenny are an unusual occurrence.
Much of the rain we received last night continued but it didn’t stop me heading out during a break in the rain to get some local geocaches.
I took Molly the geodog for a walk and of course as soon as we reached the first cache, down came the rain. It gets to a point where you can not get any wetter so we continued on to another couple of caches in the Blackwood Forest Reserve.
By the time I got home, there was one very wet and sorry looking dog. This was soon remedied with a hot bath and blow dry. Molly was again a happy dog.
A bit more time this afternoon to actually get around to doing the May 12 of 12. Certainly not as exciting today as a month ago.
Next month I will be on the road to Darwin so some more interesting photos then ……
April 12 of 12 …. Last Day in the US
0April 12, 2013
Lucky I was still in the US this month as it gave me an extra day before having to remember the 12 of 12 as I forgot last month.
Today was my last day after a month flitting around the US from Reno, Los Angeles, Orange County, Oxnard, San Diego, Las Vegas, Austin, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi and San Antonio.
Not a lot on the agenda today which started with a couple of LPC (Lamp Post Caches) geocache finds around Anaheim before heading over to Signal Hill near Long Beach.
My visit to Signal hill was to see the private Fire Collection of Chan Brenard. Chan has been collecting fire related material for a long time and it is an impressive collection from helmets, fire truck models, books and a large amounts of fire equipment catalogs from over the last 50 years.
Another interesting thing about Signal Hill is that it is a small city of around 3 square miles that has refused to be annexed into the much larger City of Long Beach that surrounds it because of oil. There is a huge amount of oil underneath the hill providing good revenues to the city.
There are bobbing oil pumps everywhere including backyards of houses and even the drive thru of the local McDonalds. After having lunch at the Black Bear Diner at the bottom of the hill with Chan and Gill it was back to check out more of Chan’s stuff.
Time was getting on and I had a hour or so to drive up to LAX for one last time. Traffic wasn’t too bad so there was time for a meal at In ‘n Out Burger and watch a few planes land as the sun set on Los Angeles.
Dropped off the car then headed to the Qantas check-in with no issues regard to weight. I might have been saved as I upgraded the Melbourne-Adelaide leg to business which gave me extra privileges here as well. 
Still had some time to wait so went outside and walked the terminals grabbing around 20 Munzee’s that were located here.
Managed to get through the TSA checkpoint OK and it was off to the gate which of course was the furthest away. It was fairly quiet here and it wasn’t long before it was announced that we were going to another gate – which was the one with the plane parked alongside I had passed on the way to this one.
We were all on board when the power started doing weird stuff with drop outs and the screens resetting and all this before the push back from the gate. An announcement came that there were issues – I guess we already knew that. Supposedly it was some sensors on the doors were not working properly and engineers were working on it.
An hour later and we were pushing back but it wasn’t for a further 30 minutes that we joined the queue to take off. At this point we were 1.5 hours late from taking off. It was going to be interesting at the other end with connecting flights if they don’t make up the time over the pond but that is another story …….
February 12 of 12 …
0February 12, 2013
After forgetting the 12 of 12 in January, I was not going to miss this month.
Today was an average work day with just a few meetings (even with a wrong date on the agenda) and some paperwork and no exciting incidents to attend. I did manage some exercise up and down the stairs between meetings.
There were some noises coming from the front of the car. One ended up being the siren speaker having come unattached from its mount which was quickly fixed by our work electrician. The second noise is a little more serious and will hopefully be fixed tomorrow by Nissan.
Once at home, it was time to get the recycling ready for tomorrows pickup and check that the parrots had left us some peaches (we netted the tree last night).
A giggle to finish the day with some Engrish instructions that arrived with some waterproof phone/GPSr pouches I received from an eBay seller in Hong Kong.
Another 12 of 12 is over …
December 12 of 12 ….
1December 12, 2012
Today was a special day, in that as well as being a 12 of 12 day it was also the 12/12/12 – this won’t happen for another 100 years and I don’t think I will be here for that one …
Wednesday is bin day and they came around early today – it was going to be a hot day with a top temperature of 37C (99F).
The pool was ready and with the kids on school holidays, it would get a work out today.
What wasn’t working was the airconditioning on the Nissan Patrol. It had died slowly last night coming home from work but had nothing but heat this morning.
After calling into the post office to check for the mail, I was starting to get hot under the collar by the time I got to work.
Called the Nissan dealer to explain the predicament and they said bring it in – great.
After lunching across from Unley Nissan, it looked to be taking a bit longer than they expected so back to work for a few more hours.
Adelaide was subject again in this time with more of the tropical weather we are becoming accustomed to, with more thunderstorms and floodings. High humidity and high temperatures soon takes it out of you.
The car was ready by the knock off time but there was no one around to drop me back to the dealer. Time for a new experience (not that new – just haven’t done it for a while) with taking public transport to pick up the car.
Being the 12/12/12, there is of course a geocaching event and tonight’s was in the Badlands (north of Grand Junction Road) - 12.12.12. – The end of the Flippen ‘Numbers. It was a good turnout with a BBQ and good company.
My plan today was to find 12 geocaches today but lost count and overachieved with 13 finds.
Made it home around 10:30 pm and that finishes a very different 12 of 12 ….
November 12 of 12 …
0November 12, 2012
Today was a quiet sort of day. Being a Monday meant that it was a day off but I didn’t have a lot planned for the day.
8:00 am was the time my on call for the weekend ended so off with the magnetic roof lights until Wednesday when I am on call again. It was then school drop off time, taking Rachael to Blackwood High School.
After getting a $1400 electricity bill, solar is starting to look attractive. Had the first salesman come to go through the options, get up on the roof then give me the price. Have another couple of companies coming around next week. I can see a lot of confusion coming with all the different options of inverters and panels.
It was time for some chinese massage time on the lower back – one day it will be normal again. A long overdue haircut then back home for a couple of toasted cheese sandwiches and a coffee for lunch as well as get some pathtags ready to post to the US.
Being a Monday meant that Rachael finished school early at 2:25 pm – they never seem to be at school. Bradley has already finished his last high school exam and is getting ready for Schoolies.
Last task for the day was an inspection on our rental property to see what cost I am up for for repairs. Seems to be a lot of electrical stuff with some plumbing and painting. Hopefully it isn’t too much.
That is it for November 12 of 12 ….
October 12 of 12 …
0October 12, 2012
Yesterday would have been a more interesting day as I headed out for a day of geocaching down south finding 46 geocaches and driving 250 kms, but the 12th fell today. 
This morning was spent logging the 46 finds from yesterday as well as submitting 4 new caches hidden while out yesterday. These 4 caches will form part of a series highlighting towns around South Australia that may be the location for the 2014 Oz Mega. The actual location is yet to be announced.
Jenny has been busy getting the pool ready for swimming but after the weather on Wednesday with hail, snow and rain, I am not sure that the Mother Nature is ready for the pool. 
In the middle of our family room is a mountain of mess that has spewed out of Rachael’s suitcase. She has been back from Japan a week now – you would think that it would have found a home by now.
A visit to the post office to send off some pathtags to the US and pick up the mail. It was obvious that ETSA wanted to make sure that we knew there is a change to our power supply as there were 2 letters from them.
Tonight there was a family gathering to celebrate 5 birthdays on Jenny’s side of the fence. It was held at the Blackwood RSL. Given that it was a Friday night and we had booked in 40 people, the staffing would have been appropriate but it wasn’t and we had to wait 2.5 hours to get a meal. I was very hungry by the time it came. At least we had cake.
That’s it for Octobers 12 of 12.
September 12 of 12 in the snow …
0September 12, 2012
We were never going to get another day like yesterday. Even though the skies were clear and it was sort of warm (8C), there was a wind that dropped the wind chill down to -5C. Also as the temperature didn’t drop below zero last night, the slopes didn’t start the day as well as previous days.
But you make do with what you have and we headed out a little earlier than other days to enjoy another spring day of skiing at Falls Creek. The plan was to start over on the Summit and move across the mountain finishing up at Main Street. This seemed to work yesterday well.
The plan changed slightly once we got to the top of the mountain. Rachael needed some video for a school project so a few runs down Main Street before heading to the Summit.
We made it over to the Summit earlier than yesterday but the conditions weren’t the same as they never groomed the mountain so it was very similar to what was left yesterday afternoon. A couple of runs here then we headed over to Ruined Castle and Scotts. This seemed to be the pick today.
Eventually the wind won and I headed back to the Schuss Lodge while Rachael went for her second snowboard lesson while Jenny pottered around with a Blackwood Mum who was on the mountain as well.
Tomorrow looks like it may have some fresh snow falling – I guess the sunny days couldn’t last forever but it has been a great week so far. That’s it for the September 12 of 12 …. with a bonus video
August 12 of 12 …
0August 12, 2012
A clear start to the day, not as cold as expected and we were soon on the road heading to Axedale. Today we were meeting up again with the Central Victorian Geocachers for a 4WD trip through the hills around Bendigo. The event for the day was CVG 4×4 Adventures #3 – Fosterville. In all there were 8 vehicles attending with around 30 geocachers.
It was pretty easy going early on with a couple of hill climbs and descents. Then we came to the mother of all hills and there was a new cache at the top – On top of Fosterville for the seriously insane! We were not set up to drive up this one as you would have needed some serious clearance and winching. So it became a heart starter with a climb to the top.
Continuing on again we came to an issue with washed out tracks which were not suitable to all our vehicles so a change of plans saw us not get some of the new caches that had been placed out for the event.
A stop for lunch at the Gunyah Picnic Area with another 22 caches published in the area for the Event and we were off trying for as many “First to Finds” as we could. We managed to get 10 FTF’s – not a bad effort for the day.
The sun was getting low and we had one other task for the day. My GeoBuddy Garry was on track for his 5000th find and we found It’s all about the NUMBERS Challenge #1 as this milestone. It was time to head back to the cabin but not before grabbing some more geocaches on the way.
Another 12th of the month is finished.
A stormy day for the 12 of 12 July ….
0July 12, 2012
I guess my 12 of 12 started yesterday afternoon with a return to night shift after a number of years. It was a busy night in Adelaide station but I only had one incident to attend – a motor vehicle accident at Flinders Park.
With the lights and bells going all night, I was a weary boy this morning and after collecting the mail from the post box, I was met at the door by Molly – our maltese shitzu. It was then to bed to catch up on a few hours sleep.
The house was busy when I woke with Jenny and Rachael taking a load of bottles up to the wood yard to get the refund money. Rachael is busy raising money for her World Challenge Expedition to Vietnam next year and bottle collecting along with chocolate selling and baby sitting are some of the ways she is raising money.
After lunch I decided to go walking through the grounds of Flinders University and then O’Halloran Hill Recreation Park to find some geocaches. This was about the same time as Adelaide and surrounding areas was getting hit by thunderstorms. The Barossa area became white with some large hail stones blanketing the area.
After a quick stop at the Scouts Rally SA office to do some maps and other administration things then it was back to work for my second night shift in a number of years.
Coober Pedy to Alice Springs – June 12 of 12 …
0June 12, 2012
What a great day for travelling – clear skies and not too warm and no wind (although there was a little cloud around Coober Pedy). Today was another big day on the road with a 700 km drive from Coober Pedy to Alice Springs.
After filling up and a quick drive around town it was time to head north. The landscape around here is a bit of a moonscape with all the diggings – you wouldn’t want to stumble around here in the dark.
Made the diversion to the Breakaways and was surprised to see no-one else out there.
The further north I went you could see the results of the good rains over the last few years with plenty of growth in both the trees and the grasses. The colour of the soil also changes to a deep red.
Continuing along the Stuart Highway through Cadney Park, Marla and then crossing the border into Northern Territory. Of course there is the obligatory photo at the border.
While at Marla, I checked wotif.com as I knew that accommodation would be scarce in Alice Springs including the caravan parks due to the Finke Desert Race having just finished. Although there were a lot of cars and bike returning south, the locals were cleaning up with their rates and minimum stays. I managed to book a room in a B&B for only $10 more than what the caravan parks were asking for an unpowered site. My digs tonight would be the B & B Pathdorf.
It is almost as soon as you go over the border that the rocks start to rise from the ground with a lot of Ranges starting to appear. Next couple of towns are Kulgera and then Erldunda.
I had filled the tanks at Coober Pedy thinking that I had plenty of fuel to get through to Alice Springs. From previous experience, when the low fuel light came on there was about 10 litres of fuel left which equated to 80 kilometres travel. At about 80 kms out from Alice Springs, the low fuel light came on. I slowed it up a bit and took it easy into Alice Springs.
After arriving in Alice Springs, it was a struggle to find a petrol station that was open and eventually found one with only 4 litres of fuel remaining.
Through Facebook, I found that a work colleague was in Alice Springs as well so we met up in town and had some steaks at Bojangles Saloon – this place would look right at home in the Wild West and the meals were good too.
That is it for today. Tomorrow will be a bigger day as I have 1000 km to drive to get to Mataranka.
