New Year – and an Auspicious event

Well the excitement of Christmas has now passed and we are well and truly into the New Year. No resolutions to break this time but I’m sure that we will start off with good intentions and waiver over the next few months.

The PC is up and running now after having a (different replacement) motherboard. Vista 64 bit certainly likes 8 GByte of Ram and is performing really well. Still sorting out the niceties of loading software on to the PC as I have been (and still are) distracted by the decorating that seems to be taking quite a while to finish.

The most significant event so far has been Carol’s graduation which took place at St Mary’s Church Bridgwater on the 9th January 2008. I know I have been banging on about it for a few blogs now but I am really proud of Carol for what is a fantastic achievement especially whilst holding down a full time job as well. Having been there myself I can appreciate what Carol has gone through.

They certainly don’t give these qualifications away and it has consumed a considerable amount of Carol’s time over the past 3 years. Carol has always been an advocate of life long learning and whilst it seem strange to some she has always had the urge to keep her knowledge and skills up to date. There were times when Carol and others thought she wouldn’t go the distance but the proof of the pudding as they say…

It has already paid its rewards with Carol securing the new job as Senior HR Advisor in Trowbridge which is an excellent place to get the post graduate training that she needs.
Hopefully 2008 will see this as a pathway to bigger and better things – ideally nearer to home – although I must say I have been impressed by Carol’s fortitude travelling to Wiltshire daily during the Winter weather.

All in all plenty to be proud of I think

This course has been the greatest challenge yet and I guess that she won’t be considering anything else for a while. Photographs of the graduation can be seen on www.quickwheels.co.uk under the Photos section. She has asked me to thank everyone who sent cards and gifts too – so thank you on Carol’s behalf!!!

How can you follow that? – well, by saying that its only 10 days before we hit the Big Apple for a long weekend. I’m looking forward to that because I won’t have a paintbrush or Tenon Saw in my hand for a change. The favourable exchange rates and some spending money mean that I might be purchasing a new P&S camera the Canon G9 which I have been considering for some time but not made the move. Prices are good in the US so I might be tempted.

I’m also taking some leave following the NY trip and this will run into our weekend in London – so a nice long break for me (?)

Still no decisions on this year’s holiday but it looks like Chicago in June and more camping in the UK.