Two Weeks Of Freedom Remain

As January draws to a close my joining date for Fort Austin fast approaches. I must admit I am not looking forward to going back to sea and leaving Debbie and Elizabeth behind. I can't really complain though as I have been lucky and the company has been good allowing me to do a number of courses so I have seen Beth through the first five months. It doesn't help that I am initially going back as just Navs but hopefully in March/April when the current Ops leaves I will be able to move up to the Ops job as I really don't enjoy the Navigation side anymore. Back in 2006 I had the best trip of my career as Ops on Austin during the Vela deployment so having to go back there as Navs feels like a real step backwards.

I am hoping to extend my appointment through to August as Sprog 2 will hopefully arrive Sept/Oct time and I will need to be around to help support Debbie. I am quiet worried this time around as last time she was on crutches for the last part of the pregnancy and they said that it is more than likely she will be on crutches or in a wheel chair during the final stages again. As long as I am home during this time though it should be fine.

I just hope that when I am away this time that I manage to get access to Facebook and this blog so that I can continue updating it and writing down my thoughts.

21st Jan 09

Over halfway through the week already. It is strange how time flies, over halfway through the course as well. Unfortunately there are still many more lectures to sit through with 'death by PowerPoint' as the main theme. I often wander whether Power Point helps or hinders. It is a powerful tool when used properly but so demoralising when misused. It seems to me that most of the time it is misused. Looking back to the staff course I feel that one of the most useful features of Power Point is the blank slide. Putting up a number of blank slides during a presentation allows the audience to concentrate on what the speaker is saying rather than being distracted by the screen.

This hasn't been a bad course but by it's nature the subject matter has been very dry, I think the only lecture that I really enjoyed over the last week and a half was the lecture on the 'Law of the Sea' and the 'Law of armed conflict'.

Well the last couple of nights I have taken a walk in the evening. It has been quite pleasant walking the mile and a half into Fareham, having a bimble around and then walking back. It gets me out of the confines of Collingwood for a couple of hours and gives me the chance to stretch my legs after being sat in lectures all day. The only thing that I have noticed though is how polluted the air is compared to back home in Devon.

Not long until Friday and then I will be back home again. It has been so nice being able to get home at weekends to see Debbie and Beth, I am going to miss them so much when I go back to sea.

What a Smile

It is amazing how much one little smile can make the world seem a much better place. Little Elizabeth always seems to be smiling which is wonderful as it is contagious and t makes Debbie and I smile. She is so young, she has no worries or concerns and therefore the worries of the world do not affect her. She is certainly a huge ray of sunshine in our lives.

2009 - The year so far.

Well this year started off rather badly. I was full of hope at the end of last year and looking forward to a little apple juice to welcome the new year in. Unfortunately I came down with the Flu on New Years Eve and it took me four or five days to recover. I then had news of my next appointment which is Navs on Fort Austin. I feel that I have taken a step backwards since going on the Bay boat course. I had successful trips with good reports as Operations Officer on both Fort Austin and Fort George in 2006/2007 and now I am back to just Navigating. Hopefully though when the incumbent Ops leaves I may be able to step back up there, we will just have to see.

Hopefully this year will be better than the last few years, I think we are finally getting our finances sorted so hopefully we will be able to start saving and climb out of the current hole. Things will get better when we manage to sell our Suntera points if the thieving Gypsy's ever send us the re-sale pack. I have been asking for it for almost two months and it still hasn't arrived. Anyway that's another story so I won't write about it today.

Currently I am on the MwarC course at the not so wonderful Collingwood. Well at least it means I can get home at the weekends to see Debbie and Elizabeth. I can't believe how much the wee one has changed over the past few months. Most surprisingly of all though is the effect her smile has. Just one little smile brings so much sunshine into our lives, I am looking forward to the coming years and watching her grow up.

Well over the coming year I am going to make a concerted effort to update this Blog regularly. I am not the greatest of writers and I know my spelling and grammar are piss poor, but hopefully they will get better. I just hope I can get access to this when I am on Austin as I find it soothing to write and it may help keep me out of the bar, and more importantly bring me some form of sanity.

Power Point

Why is such a useful briefing tool so misused. It seems that anyone giving a brief feels that by putting on a PP presentation it will suddenly enable their message to be communicated, whereas it usually sends people to sleep.

The New Year

We are now a week into 2009 and I am starting to wonder whether this year will be any better than last. A week ago I really thought things were on the up and that 2009 was finally going to be our year. I think I will have to reserve judgement on that for a few months.

On the plus side 2008 gave us a wonderful daughter. She is so cute even when covered with baby mush, which she tried for the first time yesterday. I don't think she was very keen on it but I am sure she will get used to it. I know I look at the time ahead with a little bit of dread but one thing that will brighten the year will be all the smiles from Beth. When Beth smiles it brings a little ray of sunshine into our lives.

I am not looking forward to the next five or six months as I have to go away again and I am going to really miss Debbie and Beth. I will wish my life away and look forward to the summer when I will be back home again.

I just hope that this is a good year, as we need one good year occasionally.