ANZAC Weekend and BIG Decision

The ANZAC long weekend started on Friday with me going along to the local dawn service. I was quite surprised at the number of people who turned out. Maybe the weather had something to do with it as it wasn't cold at all considering the time of year. Afterwards I went home and quietly potted around, loaded the car with the rollingstock and Pi that I was taking to the club that morning, and just generally waited for the rest of the family to wake up. Once I had fed the boys and tidied up I waited for the missus to get up. Once up I said my good byes and escaped to the club. I was meeting up with another member who wanted to see the Pi working on a layout. PK was also there when I arrived. So after I connected everything up to the DCC system I realised I had forgotten to bring along the USB interface module, so back home I went. Lucky I am only 7 minutes away. Back at the club and everything working, PK was able to connect with his iPhone which was great as I haven't had a iPhone connect. I connected and we ran some trains from our phones. Amazing! The Prez rocked up shortly afterwards and also seemed impressed by the little Pi. Anyway by midday it was time to go home as we had plans for the afternoon, bicycling down at Sandgate.

The rest of the weekend was modelling free unfortunately as other things got in the way. The hobby room is no closer to being used as the missus decided to paint the inside of the cupboards as well, so the room is full of everything that was in the cupboard (big cupboard!). I did however take out the Sentinel and Class 08 to check on the decoder types and size needed. PK was at the club today and picked up some different types to bring to work for me to see and decided which ones to purchase.

The Brisbane Model Railway Show is on this upcoming weekend, but I am not sure if I will be going along. Saturday is now footy day for Lachlan, and he was also wanting to go to the Lions vs Swans game at the Gabba as well that night. We'll see! Sunday I was supposed to be working (very rare thing for me to work on the weekend) but I have been able to move a few things around in the project to do before and after the weekend, however the family was invited yesterday to my niece's birthday, so it looks like any chance of going along is now very slim!

Now the BIG Decision explanation. Back in February I applied to a job ad Queensland Rail had advertised, for Trainee Network Controller positions (the guys and gals on the boards!). I was successful in getting through the first two rounds of psychometric testing, when in fact I thought I had stuffed up the second one. I was then invited along to the Group Assessment just before Easter, which involved seven applicants working as a team in managing a situation. I think I was the second oldest there. Most were young guys and one girl. All very eager. I thought I had duded this as I wasn't the most enthusiastic in the group. But I did get through and was invited to undertake more psychometric testing this week. Between the last two invitations I did some research on the pay and conditions based on some info that the HR person mentioned at the Group test. I was prepared to to make up the shortfall in pay for a short time. However based on an incorrect assumption on the progression through the base pay levels, it would have taken longer than I had planned for, and thus would have been financially unsustainable. Along with very unsociable working hours, working in a windowless room, and the fact that my sons are really needing me to be about home for them, and not being fair on the missus and the family income I decided on Sunday night to decline further testing and pull my application.However it was very nice to have had the opportunity to progress so far through the testing. If only I was twenty years younger!

 I will just have to be a controller on model railways ;-)