Ballarat

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27-30 October 2002
Leading up to this entry I have been working in the Melbourne suburbs. Including a couple of days in Drysdale, a small town not far from Geelong. I also was commissioned to photograph a wedding for another photographer and this morning I went to a Holy Communion and got some nice family photos. It was mid-day when I drove to Ballarat and booked into a Hotel/Motel. Got my key from reception and walked upstairs to my room. It looks like being a busy week. I’m working in two centres each day of the week. Sessions start at 8.30am and finish just before mid-day. Afternoon sessions start at 1pm and last until 4.30pm.

31 October 2002
Over the years I have recognised noise travels from one room to another very easy. I had to get something from my car and left the TV running while I went outside. Walking down the passage to the back entrance I could still hear my TV and only when I closed the fire door did it go quiet. The volume was turned down to a more suitable level when I got back.
I awoke around 3am the other night to the drone of a conversation. Following a tour of the passage, I discovered the noise was coming from the room next to mine. A lady was talking on her mobile phone to a loved one, the sound didn’t let up for at least half an hour. I tried putting the pillow over my head, but that didn’t work. I turned my TV on and watched some rubbish programs. After about ten minutes I noticed it went quite next door, so the TV was turned off and went back to sleep. After my day working at both centres I was resting on the bed watching TV when I heard a family of “elephants” tramping up the passage, they were making so much racket I had to turn up the volume on my TV up again, just to drown out the sound. Some people just don’t seem to realise there are other patrons in the motel. I’m glad there was nobody in the motel when I realised how much noise I was making.

11-12 November 2002
I didn’t know it at the time but the centre I have been working in for the last couple of days would be my last session photographing little children for the year 2002 On both days I was working with another photographer in a Geelong centre. A strange set-up with five rooms, each had the same age groups ranging from babies to four-year olds. Both days were very busy but lucky for us only morning sessions. I was due to work with the other photographer all week but my girlfriend became ill and for the next few weeks I was looking after her. The illness was diogised as an overactive thyroid. She spent a week in hospital and still needed me to look after her when she got out.

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