Moving on Up

I had a rather important day last Sunday --- I was appointed to umpire my first Division 2 game. In the ACTAFL there are several divisions, though we only umpire the 5 most senior ones. The division are, in increasing order of "importance", Division 4, Division 3, Under-18s, Division 2 and Division 1. The appointment is important for me because I am 1 step closer to umpiring at the AFL level. In Canberra, between Division 2 and the AFL there is only Division 1, although there may be other intermediary leagues. I don't know if I'll ever get to the highest level, though I would certainly like to try, but it is a good step. I'll have to see how I go in the playoffs to see if maybe next year I'll get a crack at Division 1.

Australians, especially Canberrans, have had a lot to cheer about recently. There has been quite a substantial amount of rain throughout the country easing the drought. While no one dares say that the drought is over, Canberra's water reservoir levels have surpassed 60%, which is a big deal in Canberra. Some analysts are optimistically predicting reservoir levels of 70-80% by year's end which would be amazing. This is as a result of increased rainfall combined with better water management techniques. As Amanda Marshall sang, "Let it rain!"

Also, my primary means of conveyance, my bicycle, is undergoing repairs at the moment. A few months back I had a bit of a spill in wet weather and I think it may have bent my rear wheel and hanger. At first the problem wasn't to bad but over the course of a few months the bend has just become too pronounced. The bent wheel also wore away the rear brakes which also have to be replaced. I think the hanger also became bent in that spill. There's not much that can be done other than getting those items repaired/replaced and just hoping that it doesn't happen again. I should get it back tomorrow good as new. I hope it doesn't need repairs for a while at least.