One Foot Out the Door

Just a.quick message to let you all know i'm okay. River is right up but we were saved by the hill on that side. Oval looks like a lake on other side of train tracks but hasn't reaxhed us. Have been taking pictures and will post some wjen i can. We're powerless, so i'm at indooroopilly shops chatging my phone there. Will post more when i can.

So, we're packing just in case we need to evacuate. Fine for the moment. City centre got evacuated (i work in the city...right on the river). Just thought i'd let you know 'cause we may have to leave fast.

Should I be getting a boat ready? There are areas near me that have got 300mm of rain in the last 24 hours, my ceiling has been leaking onto my bed, and they're predicting that the floods we're gonna get might be reminiscent of the '74 Brisbane flood....

...

DO NOT WANT!!!! I live roughly 500m (uphill-ish) from the Brisbane River.

************

In other news, I got over my 19 year fear of Dreamworld's Wipeout. I finally got onto The Giant Drop (had to be dragged on, whimpered and just about hyperventilated on it, but I did it!) and now the only ride I've never been on at Dreamworld is The Claw.

Just to let you all know...

Tropical Cyclone Olga is due to hit us tomorrow afternoon my time. Roughly sometime late Saturday evening for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere. Forget the last one that was going to get us, that one died as it formed. Olga formed overnight and is moving pretty fast (for a Cyclone) towards us.

The good news is that it's only a Category 1 right now, which means lots of wind ('bout 120km/h or roughly 74.5miles/h) but nothing really more. Lots of wind though. It's getting stronger though, so it might bump up to a Category 2 or 3 again (it was a 3 just under 24 hours ago. Moved from a low to that really, really quickly and then dropped just as fast) by the time it hits us.

A Cyclone WARNING has been declared for coastal areas from Cape Flattery to
Innisfail.

A Cyclone WATCH has is now current for coastal areas from Coen to Cape Flattery
and Innisfail to Lucinda.

At 7:00 pm EST Tropical Cyclone Olga, Category 1 was estimated to be
335 kilometres east northeast of Cairns and 400 kilometres north northeast of
Townsville moving west at 18 kilometres per hour while intensifying.

TROPICAL CYCLONE OLGA, CATEGORY 1, is currently over the northwest Coral Sea and
is moving towards the coast while intensifying.

That's the current warning, anyway. Everything's gone pretty still here. There's not much wind and the rain that's been going on and off all day stopped a couple of hours ago.

I'm roughly smack in the middle of Cape Coen to Lucinda. Looks like the centre's gonna go over the top of Port Douglas, which is an hour or so north of me.

We're prepared, so don't worry. And, as I said, Cat 1, so nothing really, really scary ^___^. Though we might loose power.

Anyway, I'll keep you updated as I know what's happening.

*EDIT*

Well, crappity. It's been bumped up to a Catagory 2. We're off Cyclone Watch now and into a full on Cyclone Warning.

Note to self: When handling the doors at work near the balcony steps DO NOT hold on while going through the door. You will hurt yourself.

I damn near broke my hand going through the door at work today. It got caught between the door handle and the door as I was going through. OUCH!!! I've got this lovely lump and massive red mark on my hand right now. It also hurts like you wouldn't believe. It's not broken, just really, really sore at the moment. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop and head back to the staffroom for ice or I would've been late for class, so I had to keep going. I'm just glad that I had a cold can of coke in my hand to hold against it.

In other news (and this is very good news indeed), it rained today.
No, wait, let me correct that. It rained heavily.... no... still not descriptive enough....

... It pissed torrential buckets while the students flailed in panic and went looking for the nearest Ark, or perhaps a row-boat. One can never be too sure with the language barrier.

*nods in satisfaction* Yes, that's better. Much more descriptive.

And yes, one student did ask me, in all innocence, whether we will have crocodiles in the street when it starts to flood. Once I stopped laughing I had to tell them "No" (although I was highly tempted to string them along for a while. I'm not evil, really I'm not).

I really was tempted to say otherwise, though....No... bad Sheena!

Some of the other students bitched and moaned about how the rain was going to ruin their holidays... Well, I had news for them and none of it was good. We need that rain. The farmers up here have started buying hay for their animals to eat 'cause there's just no decent grass anymore. That's unheard of up here! The ground's not green, it's dusty and brown.

Also, gotta love the banter in the teacher's office. Katherine (loud,exhuberant, tiny, little French lady that teaches IELTS) had to get to the bus and didn't have an umbrella, so she grabbed the paper and went to make a run for it. Everyone thought she'd grabbed today's paper.

Chris: She would grab today's bloody paper, wouldn't she.
DoS: *poking his head out of his office* Did she take today's paper?
Jeanette: We've got a pile of newspapers down here... why'd she grab todays?!
Katherine: *running back in full tilt* Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit! I forgot something. I'M GOING TO MISS MY BUS!!!!
DoS: *to Katherine as she runs past his door* Could you leave us today's paper, please?
Katherine: Oh, shut up, you idiot! It's yesterdays!
DoS: *Mischievious smirk* Why'd you grab yesterday's. I haven't read that one, either.
Katherine: I grabbed it because it's the biggest. *Flings the paper about dramatically* I hate you all! I'm leaving and there's nothing you can do about it *laughs maniacally and flees the room*

Never a quite moment with Katherine in the staff room...and I mean that literally. She's just so... loud!

And over the top.

And did I mention she's loud? And, well... loud. Very, very, very loud. Words cannot express how loud she is.

Oh, and my afternoon class... they were trying to talk me into yodelling as I actually know how.

No. Way. In. Hell.

And one of my students was wearing a Thundercats T-shirt. He just about fell over when I squeeled at it and cried "Thundercats!" Aparently hardly anyone where he's from (Germany, I think) has heard of them. We had quite a good conversation about them *grins* and he gave me a website addy that sells Thundercat T-shirts etc.

**EDIT**

I forgot to mention. I have to go to the dentish. I've got a bit of a sore gum on the right hand bottom side. Managed to check it out in the mirror today. I have a tooth growing out the side of my gum.

Let me re-iterate that. There is a tooth growing out the side of my gum!! The side of it! As in, side on! Facing the cheek! Not the right way up! That's just wrong, and all kinds of painful!

Oh

my

God!!!!!

It's -18C!!!!!!!

*dies*