It's a small world - part one - plus Sunday gossip

There's a bit of drama going on at Uni at the moment (for a change, it's not my fault)and, growing tired of the time taken by standard procedures, I made an appointment to see the big boss - the pro-vice chancellor of the portfolio I'm in. He has a fearsome reputation and there was certainly a risk of the visit having exactly the opposite effect to the one intended. I was blathering on while he was reading some of the paperwork and then he looked up and said, "You're not related to Glenn Roff, are you?". His name is Alan Cumming and he has nothing but the fondest memories of the Glenn Roffs while he was working at the University of New England. He asked to be remembered to the family and we had a good old gossip about Armidale. I haven't had so much luck since the time I got pulled over by a copper while I was clinically dead from substance abuse (and in an unregistered car) who turned out to be Stuart's best mate from Hay.
Speaking of Glenn, he's in Canada at the moment on, I think, a school trip. It's a tough life at the top. If you need evidence that Joe's still alive and kicking, check comment 26 in the famous Climate Change blog below.
Fingers crossed for Dan tonight (Sunday) in the ARIA awards. They're being televised live on Chanel Nine. Dan't not confident but the exposure won't do him any harm. Amanda has some government funding to do a course on running her own business: in this case a booking/management service for the music industry. She's already started and it's near my office so we're getting to see a bit more of each other. Annika is still toiling away at the video shop but has deferred uni for next year and will take a well-earned break from study. She might be able to make enough to get some form of government financial help for her last couple of years at Melbourne Uni. It could mean a move back home as well. Nicholas' first year of PE is over and we await his results with interest. Here's the exchange I overheard at the breakfast table yesterday between him while he was checking his mail and his mate Kieran who had stayed the night.
Kiren: "What's that?"
Nick: "I think its a library fine"
Kiren: "Did you borrow a book?"
Nick: "Not for me - it was something Annika wanted."
Nick plans a year off as well and will be seeking full-time employment shortly if he can drag himself away from the beach. He lashed out on a new surfboard recently and has been exercising it regularly.
Dom's hand is now out of plaster but he's hobbling at the moment bacause the biggest kid at his school fell on his foot recently, resulting in impressive bruising. He's playing tennis over summer and has taken up skateboarding.
Adam turns 30 tomorrow (Monday). He's hard to buy for as he already has everything but will no doubt appreciate your best wishes. Thirty - who'd have thought it?
Bonnie has taken off a tremendous amount of weight since any of you last saw her and we are considering a new career for her in grayhound racing.