I got a phone call last night asking for me to be at the school this morning in time for the baseline tests for a research program my daughters are participating in. If I had prior knowledge of today's event I had forgotten it but that's not that unusual. Keeping a mental calendar for myself and four children I do tend to miss the occasional item here and there. My son takes some beating though. With only himself to think of and a school timetable to refer to, he called from school to say that he had forgotten his sports gear. Since the school is an hour round trip I gave them a call to see what time he would need it. Guess what? He doesn't have that class today! So we go along to the classroom and are first briefed on what is going to happen today and how to use some of the instruments that will need to be used at home. This project is to test the response and reactions of the children to the air produced in their classrooms by unflued gas heaters. There has been a push in our area, which experiences colder winter temperatures than the rest of Sydney because of our altitude, to eradicate unflued gas heaters from the classroom. The authorities won't accept that there is an issue or are unwilling to agree to the cost of replacement. Or perhaps and more likely because they are unwilling to spend the money. I love the acronym that the interest group involved has come up with for them selves - COUGH which stands for Campaign Opposing Unflued Gas Heaters. So this research project has been undertaken and this mornings activities included breath testing with a peak flow meter an skin scratch tests. The kids all thought it was a lot of fun comparing the lumps and bumps that rose on their skin. "You're allergic to everything!" one child pronounced to another on seeing the red welts across his forearm. The main monitoring period will be taken over six weeks after the school holidays. On being told that they were guinea pigs by one of their classmates, all the little girls fell about giggling and making little nibbling faces. We have soccer training tonight for our eldest son about an hour travel away so dinner for the rest of the family will be leftovers from last night's lamb cassoulet and we will grab a takeaway on the way home. Choices for us are a bit limited but we have managed to stay away from the golden arches for a few weeks now.
From the post title I thought you'd actually eaten guinea pigs and thought that's a brave and bold move in Australia. Guinea pig is a staple in many parts of Bolivia - something I'd be keen to try when I go there myself later this year.
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't get much meat on one, would you? I'd even have to think twice about serving rabbit in our house as the kids have them as pets. I laughed at your comment, thank you. But are you suggesting that we Aussies are a timid lot when it comes to what we'll venture to eat? Maybe some of us are but there some brave ones among us! Glad you like my posts. I'll try to keep them interesting.
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