Long Service Award

Yesterday Blue Mountains City Council had a Long Service Award ceremony. There hasn't been one for several years so mine for 10 years was a bit overdue (I started as a casual early 2006).
We were given to understand that attendance was compulsory so a gaggle of us library types organised to meet for lunch in Katoomba beforehand.
After a disappointing lunch (Mountain Memories will be remembered for its rubbish and expensive Caesar salads) we made our way to the Civic Centre for the presentations.
Felicity (Bella's old 'grandma", I'll post a picture when I can) and I were among 6 or so library staff who had 10 years under their belts, one had 15 years and two had 20 years.
Our names were called, 10 year people going first. Of course, Colquhoun was mispronounced 'Calhoun'. I told the guy the right pronounciation and he announced me . . . as Heidi Calhoun - eeek. Shake hands with the General Manager and Councillor Hamilton, get framed certificate and cross stage for hand shake from Dave, or division manager (who likes my hair by the way!). Sit through everyone else getting their certificates. Those with 15 years + of service also got a money voucher.
One of the men from the Springwood Office, Phil, was there getting his 35 year award. His manager had dug back in his personnel file and gave a speech about his time in council. Another man was getting a 40 year award!
I first met Phil when I was working down in Springwood during my chemo treatment. I thought his name was Dave and said "Good morning, Dave" every day. He never said a word about it. It was only just before Christmas last year that I found out his name is Phil and had to apologise. Now I call him anything but Phil - Oscar, Gordon, Basil - yesterday it was Humphrey - and he calls me Betty, Edith, Alice . . .
As the ceremony finished and we were getting up to leave, we were told there was a late entrant. One of my colleagues, Sue, had arrived late and now it was her turn to go up on the stage all by herself. Redface! She'll never arrive late for anything ever again.
As we were tucking in to an afternoon tea, the heavens opened. A great torrent of rain hurled itself down accompanied by thunder, lightning and marble-sized hail. The lights went out and soon the roof was leaking and we had to stand under the awning outside while the half-dome light shades filled with water.
Debbie, the branch librarian at Katoomba, raced off to fetch a broom - the veranda under the awning slopes towards the library door and it floods the library in heavy rain. When I was acting branch librarian there a few years ago we had to shut for several days after the whole foyer ended up under water.
Sadly the GM had left so he didn't see the extent of the problem but one of the senior managers was helping Debbie sweep the water away from the door so perhaps someone will listen when problems are reported in future.
The storm only lasted 20 minutes or so, but left Katoomba and a fair way down the hill to Bullaburra without power (15, 000 homes Ian said was reported on ABC radio).
At home the storm was threatening so we got ourselves prepared by looking out the candles and camping lamp. There was some lightning but we didn't get the heavy rain, hail stones or wind that the upper mountains did.
The boys went out to Venturers last night, driven there by Fiona Kibble who told us that a flash of sheet lightning hit the road in front of the car, blinding her for a good 30 seconds.