RobL's world of wonder

Momentous days

 

Four months ago (let alone 6 months!) I could not have foreseen just where I'd be right now or how things would be.  There are so many crossroads and options in life.  A crossroads was reached which has led here and while there will be regrets about some of the past that is, and I quote "tucked away in its own little box marked special" and this is where things are now and in all honesty I could not see myself being anywhere else now.  JJ will be moving over at Easter now and we can't wait for our new life together.  I am just very aware that the future has never looked so bright, long may it continue to be that way.  I think I've said before that just maybe there are reasons for everything but sometimes it feels like perhaps my old Nan if she's watching is smiling.  I hope so!

Out and about in Rozel

 Well the house is about as I'd like it but as with anything there will always be bits and pieces to do.  The driveway is in the middle of being re-surfaced with gravel, one ton was put in place by yours truly this morning (Saturday) another ton arrives onMonday for the second half of the drive!!  Looking good.  Other projects to do involve the mundane, cleaning out gutters, touching in/repainting the house sign, putting up a short wave and a VHF (2 metre) amatuer antenna, TV isa bit dismal so we may get Sky in!!  Odds and ends but all going towards making the place home.  I was fairly adamant that the next place (after the flat in Plymouth) should be a house and something that I would choose in the kind of place I could really enjoy living.  BINGO!!  I know its still a rent but the place and its environs is just great.  After shovelling a ton of gravel this morning had a nice long walk out and about in the sun after an absolutely cracking lunch at the hungry man and a good opportunity for some more photography.  Work is good too, busy but better that way than the other, only downside brought some stuff home to do over the weekend but rough with the smooth I guess.  Quite entertaining to see some old episodes of Bergerac now I live in Jersey and see some places that I actually now know!!

Island hopping

 

The advantage (one of many actually) I have found with working on the island is that there is more than one island!! Today I had the very great pleasure of getting up at 6am but the good bit was it was a lovely sunny day for the short (fifteen minutes) flight to Guernsey. Never been there before either (apart form looking out of a plane window on a 10 minute stopover) and the first impressions are good. Seems if anything even more laid back than Jersey, St.Peter Port looked lovely, had some nice shops (though I was there for work, honest! ;-) and lacked the bustle and rush of St.Helier. I was there ostensibly to measure up a building for new windows and go and look at some new flats being built. One of the penthouse units there has been sold for three and a half 'big ones' (and I'm not talking thousands here!!) though it did have breathtaking views of the island of Herm and the bay. So for information it seems Guernsey has its fare share of millionaires too!!

 

Finding time to sit at a street cafe for a coffee and a Danish on the way back was a highlight too and I'm looking forward to visiting for pleasure soon with J. The only thing is J is fine with big planes, the smaller the plane the less confident she gets. Potential problem here then, Aurigny who are the best bet for local flights use a Britten Norman Trislander which for those in the know (or not for that matter) is a triple propellor engined 15 seater. about the size of a Transit van but only the width of a small car, noisy, cramped but 'oh boy' you KNOW you're flying!! There's no flight attendant (theres no corridor for he/she to push a trolly along - though I have it on good authority in cold weather the pilot offers his flask around), there's no safety drill (but there is a label next to your seat saying simply "life jacket under seat") but you never go above 1000 feet so its not too far to jump! It was slightly concerning/amusing (not decided which yet) when on the return flight the pilot (there is only one) got his paper out to read!!  The only downside to all of this was getting back to reality on arrival back in Jersey at 2.30pm to then still put in a good honest days work in the office. Still never mind, summer is coming!

P.S. Driving back to the office and did a double take..., Saxon (the great white hound) has a relative in Jersey, not as large but still big white and fluffy, and abolutely adorable!

Update time

Well its high time the long threatened / promised news was publicised!!  In May my lovely lady JJ will be coming across to Jersey to move in with me!!!  We are both dead chuffed and I'm pleased to say the family and friends who have been party to the knowledge already have all been really pleased for us too.  I said that 2007 would be a fresh start, a new chapter if you like and is it ever.  The enforced separation has been hard work, it would be for anyone, but has I'm pleased to say just reinforced what we both already knew, that we want to be together and 'our' little house in Rozel is where we both want to be.  Whatever the past it seems that just maybe these things are all for a reason, I don't pretend to know, we just have to make the best of things as time goes on I suppose but its nice to see things coming together and in a really positive way.

All happening!

Well its Thursday and I've nearly been here for a week!!!!  In some ways it feels much longer (not seeing JJ) in other I don't know where the time goes.  Well Jersey is just lovely, the house is great and improving all the time.....!  Pourquoi??  Ma & Pa came over with me on Friday and have been a great help with all the cleaning, sorting and decorating I wanted to get done and haven't left yet!!  Hopefully the weekend will see a little more exploring than working and we can get to do some of the more touristy things!  The camera is of course taking a pounding forcing me to buy another 1GB memory card and hopefully some stuff will be uploaded soon.  I see my online memory limit is in no immediate danger so it sounds rather like it'll be photo a go-go right through the summer!!!

Oh yeah, the job is pretty good too, builders are just as mad here as on the mainland but I suppose I half expected that!  Surprise out of all of it is that I now commute to work on the bus!! Public transport is cheap and efficient whilst parking in St.Helier is a bit dicey and not cheap!!!!  Ah well more will follow soon, the place is looking quite organised and I'll soon have broadband at home which will help no end!!

Busy old time!!

 Well the build up to Jersey has gone remarkable quickly and the time has now arrived!! As a precursor we went across to Jersey mid January, ostensibly to find me somewhere to live and success first time around! I had seen a small ad in the local paper website for a cottage and it was the first and only property I looked at. It is a small cottage/bungalow just above the village of Rozel in the north east corner of Jersey about 25minutes drive from St.Helier and it is absolutely beautiful. Photos will be posted later onto this site but it looks like it is going to be a great place to live, overlooking the sea with the coast of Normandy about 14miles away and clearly visible. The rest of the time was spent sorting out the nitty gritty of island life (tax, NI, electricity etc.), dodging showers as the weather was grim a lot of the time but for one day (in Rozel) when the sun came out while we had lunch sat on the quayside. Lunch was a bacon butty from what I am advised is the best purveyor of such things in the whole island, possibly in the world!!

Not only all of this but I am actually looking forward to starting work over there (which as my initial workload will be more QS than BS must be saying something). There seems to be plenty of opportunity for photography over there so watch the site for 'new stuff'. I am also reliably informed that it is a good location for radio (HF) being a sought after DXCC and IOTA location and my new landlord says he is happy for me to put up an antenna (or two?!) so some late into the night DX'ing may well be on the cards!

Well, I don't know when the next post will be as I am in the throws of packing everything up, most of it to go into storage (hateful process) but quite looking forward to the setting up and sorting out process as well as a bit of decoration all of which I am looking forward to in a slightly masochistic way! Well thats it for a while as I will need to sort out internet etc. once I am over there and won't even have a PC for a little while (other than the work one but that one may block my site so we shall see. See you soon!!

PS - stop press - only just got around to posting this one and the one way ticket and ferry are ready for the off in the morning, there will be more and in all probability startling news in the offing but that is something for another day I think!

Goodbye old friend!

 Well the old car has finally gone, was a good car and never ACTUALLY let me down though did have a few tantrums and was getting more expensive to run as a result. But the good news, she has gone to a good home, back to Wembury actually which is where she came from and is now owned by someone who I know will take good care of her and treat her well with the respect she deserves, Aah!! Sounds like putting an old horse out to grass but I suppose in a way I have. USV was 'MY' car for two and a half years, saw some huge changes in my life, saw the laughter and the tears, if an inanimate object can be a friend I suppose she was. Its like I said though, the time has come for a new start in lots of ways and parting with USV has been one of those changes. Poor old bus, she's gone but she won't be forgotten.

For those lucky enough to know me...!

Please let me introduce you to JJ, a very special lady who makes me smile and the future look bright again!!!!!

New gadget

If you go to pictures you will see a new directory for the new toy - an absolutely cracking Olympus E-10 digital SLR camera - the results have been brilliant and though its not new or the latest technology I am well pleased - more will follow no doubt.

Work in progress

Well after a bit of tinkering and to-ing and fro-ing I have at long last been able to get the 'slightly' outdated Plymouth Radio Club website on www.parc.org.uk updated and modified and looking thouroughly 21st century.  The original link still leads to it but its own identity (courtesy of the good old RSGB) will work too on www.radioclubs.net/g3prc so if you are reading this and like radio give it a look.  It'll mean it can be kept more up to date to as it works a little more intuitively than the old one. 

 Also I know I've been a little remiss with keeping the blog updated lately, work internet is now in its infinite wisdom blocking my access to it so I'm having to 'hot desk' with Mum's PC until I get my own internet..., one day!  :-)