From Russia with love .........

How about this for the second chance we've all been waiting on, and from quite an unlikely source ............ Yesterday in Russia it was ................ NEW YEARS DAY !!

And as we rocket through January at an alarming rate, with the thoughts hopes and dreams for the "new year"  fading fast ................. this could be a chance for us to reboot the badly beaten new years resolutions, climb back on 'the wagon' and trim the rough edges of the one biscuit two bisciut TEN BISCUIT rule.

From Russia with love

Happy New Year (again)

Conquering Everest .......

One of this weeks BIGGEST adventures started (as most of my mornings do) at 0630 at the the radio station on Market street in Omagh, County Tyrone.
In relation to any radio station, silence is never a good thing, and on this particular morning as I drove towards the station there was COMPLETE silence.
After completing all of the usual troubleshooting, rebooting, powering off and on, resetting and any other system checks you can dream up there was nothing more for me to do but sit back, put the kettle on and wait for Sherpa Tensing - for this was going to require a journey to the Q101 transmitter - which literally meant CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN !!

Yes, I was Edmund Hillary, Damien Devenney was Sherpa Tensing and Mount Everest was played by a very capable cold and icey Brougher Mountain

Our trusty steed (Damiens black Audi) brought us three quarters of the way up till it lost it's footing and could go no further, but Sherpa Tensing and myself went the rest of the way on foot.

The good news is, that like Edmund Hillary, we conquered our Everest, and with a blown processor now replaced, Q101 lives and breathes once more !!

The way down was much easier ...............

And so it begins.......

First day back at work in 2011 - the festivities are officially over and the mince pies almost finished ....'almost' being the dangerous word
Now we can look forward to taking down the decorations, lamenting the extra stone round our waists, and waiting in fear for the credit card bill!!
On the up-side, I can now quite reasonably start dreaming about the next holiday adventure. Planning which friends and family to descend upon this year, and where to spend a week or two lying in the sun, is one way to get through what remains of winter.
Nothing like a return to normality to start you thinking about the next escape....!

I have an idea .......

Ok, one of MY New Year's resolutions is.............. to help OTHER PEOPLE with THEIR New Year's resolutions!! Here is how I see it working - If I get a van and go round the houses collecting all the chocolate,  cake, sweets, buns and crisps that everyone is now OFF for the new year, bring it all back to my house and make a MASSIVE pot of tea and eat it I will be combining something that I love (eating) and doing a great service for the community.................. !

On a serious note, every year I say that "This year will be different", I believe that this one will be  - I hope it is for you too. Happy New Year!