Each week my Google Analytics page tells me that there is one particular post that a small number of people visit every week, via the permalink. I’ve just noticed that there is a dead link on that post. If you’re one of those people who visit that permalink regularly, please note I’ve cleaned up the problem, and the link should work now.

I am amazed I’m alive.

In the first week of October, after I had been welcomed to the position of whatever it was for VicPol that had nothing to do with ministry, I was given the deadsheet: the list of project milestones with deadline dates on it. I was a little surprised that even though I was starting in October and not in July as was originally planned, that none of the dealine dates had been changed to reflect that. So I mentioned to various people that I only had two months to do the first project, which would take the average part-time worker about seven or eight months.

The common response was: “But we know you can do it. After all, it’s you, Paul”.

I couldn’t really argue with that. After all, I am Paul.

The last four weeks I had been working about 60-70 hours each week, which admittedly is a little steep for someone only paid to work 31 hours. But at the end of the year I have prepared five police stations for the new program, with trained and accredited volunteers, referral protocols, training a development procedures and information for young people.

In the meantime I managed to score for the agency about $287 000 for the agency minister position that I had left, from philathropies and the Uniting Church, which should keep the new minister happy for about three years.

On Friday I got a big public slap on the back by our CEO in front of other staff, and left work feeling tired, but ultimately rewarded.

I now have three weeks off. I plan to spend it getting back to study, going on drives to lonely places to read and doze, preparing lectures for next semester, and playing lots of games with AJ and Megan (the ones where AJ gets to learn the phrase “Dad’s a dickhead”).

And when I get back to work I have to prepare another eight police stations for the program. Fortunately I have until August to do it, so I’ll be keeping my hours down to the bare minimum.

If you’d like to find out what I’m doing in Victoria Police stations, go to www.yripp.org.au.