Merthyr Boy

Hello 2006

Well that was 2005.
With just a few days left in this year and our daughter's 5th birthday tomorrow it is for me a time for reflection and thought. We have had a good year, yes there have been sad parts, The loss of our neighbours Roy and Mary withing about 6 months of each other is hard to believe. As I said to their son - I hope Rhian and I have that sort of love for each other in 40 years time. Roy was so lost when Mary past away. Well they are together now. And we lost our cat Mac.
We had many happy times too. The summer holiday was just great. The children are growing so quickly and give us so much pleasure and fun.

The rescue team has had another busy year . With over 60 jobs again, we have saved numerous lives found the lost and not so lost. But most of all we have had a good time working and playing with each other.

The coming year is going to bring more change. We move house soon and that is scarring the crap out of us. Tomos will start nursery and Erin infants class!! Where does the time go?

Good weekend - long week

My sunset over Merthyr
Originally uploaded by Mark Moran.

I sat here in front of the computer last Sunday evening dreading the week ahead. I was interviewing for my new team all day Monday and Tuesday. The house we are buying had its survey on Wednesday, Our son Tomos had an operation on Thursday morning and our current home was being surveyed by the new to be owners on Friday. And to top it off we had our Christmas party in the rescue team last night that I organised!

The interviews were long and needed lots of concentration. But it was so hard to do that with the thought of Tomos going under the knife! Thursday morning arrived after very little sleep the few nights before. We left home trying to be positive and not show our fear to Tomos. After about 30mins on the ward we headed down to the operating theatre. The next hour was probably one of the hardest of my life. Holding Tom in my arms as the anithstatis put the mask on his his face and watching Tomos drift off was hard. The letting him go was just impossibly hard. Walking out of that room e escorted by one of the operating team was simply dreadful. We then sat around for about 44 mins awaiting the news that he was fine. Of course he was and there were no logical reason why he should not be but as a parent logic goes and emotion and complete irrational thought takes over. Tomos is fine and acts as if nothing had happen.

So after the worry of Tomos, the fact out current home was having its structural survey seemed far less important.
Then it was onto Saturday night and the teams annual party. I had organised it so was quite worked up worrying about its success. I need not have worried. When its comes to drinking and enjoying ourselves we excel!  The ladies were suitably and in some cases quite interestingly dressed!  We had a great night.

So I went out this evening at sunset to take a few pics. I thought this sunset was quite apt. The end of a good weekend and a long week.

The power of the internet

Sat here in the comfort of my home. Rhian is sat watching the tv, the kids are sleeping peacefully in bed. I've just come across a blog from a lady in Iraq. She talks about her life, living in a war zone, where the military search her home and she lives in a completely different world to me. But we are connected. Connected because I happened across her site because a lady in California happened to leave a comment on my Flickr site.

The Internet is a wonderful place it puts 3 people in contact, now four because you have read this and clicked on their links.

long live the free and unregulated web.

Information Professional Of The Year.

So word has it Euan has been given an award!  Some of us already knew he had a big mind (I said mind) and his ability to see the complex in the simple aspects of life goes without saying. It Euan who got me doing this thing of talking to myself in the written medium!

I was telling Euan about a connection I had made with someone who's Dad had been a team member that the stories and pictures had brought back to her and her Dad's lots of good memories.

Euan throws his hands into the air and with enthusiasm of a child says "that's what makes the Internet great" Its that shear enthusiasm and total belief in the good of an open chaotic cyberspace is why I think Euan got the award of information Professional of the year.

But don't forget Euan information is only data in the hands of the uninformed

Well done - Well deserved

Great day on the hill!

Me on the hill
Originally uploaded by Mark Moran.

Had 2 hours to kill this afternoon. So took the opportunity to wander up one of the quiet hills in in the Brecon Beacons. It was great once I left the car park I did not see a soul until I got back.

Stood on top of the hill looking west towards Swansea bay I stood still and listened to the resounding silence. It was beautiful. Nothing absolutely nothing. Spoke to Chris on the phone and apologised for not asking him to join me. and sent Euan a pic just to say look where I am city dweller - sad I know but, there you go a great day on the hill would have been nice to have had some friends with me but it was nice in itself enjoying my own company.

My life.....

Stress is a very interesting feeling. For the last 5 years I have had the pleasure of have Neuralgia as a consequence of shingles. It would come each time I was tiered and under some sort of stress or pressure. My family and friends would know I had it as they would see me holding my head as if it were about to fall off. However I had some new drugs about a month ago and it has completely cleared up.Hurrah!

So in the last week we have sold our house and not got one to move onto. I have got a new job and this week have been interviewing for my new team. This morning we went to look at a new home. I have not had any head pain at all. but just so that I know I'm stressed my stomach has been in knots and I have had very little sleep.

I suppose the stomach ulcer is only a few years away!!

But the real reason for this blog is a photo my wife took. Our cat Mungo has just discovered the goldfish bowl. She took some great pics 

The rest of the pics can be seen here.

So you never know I may have a new team to lead soon and a new home and you never know Mungo may let the fish live long enough for them to see the new house!

Flock Testing

Quakers Yard

Well trying out FLOCK for the first time seems to be cool

So I'm not going....

Disappointment? Yes!
Frustration? most definitely!

For what must be good reasons (But ones I can not agree with) We are not going to help out in Pakistan. I'm glad that I will not have to go through the pain of the trip but will miss the privilege of seeing how Man always tries to  find dignity in the most extreme situation. 

So all I have got is a sore shoulder following some injections.   

oh well - on wards and upwards!!

A Metaphor

North Ridge Fan Y Big
Originally uploaded by Mark Moran.

It has been a strange weekend. Yesterday morning I got a call "Mark can you go to Pakistan on Monday?" We have been asked to provide some help to the rescue effort in Pakistan specifically in the mountains where very little help has reached them. I said yes. Then I began to think about what I had agreed to do.
Now we may not go but either way it has had me thinking all weekend. About priorities and our ability to switch off from others pain and loss. It would be so easy to have gone out with the team today and simply enjoyed the beauty of the hills. However coming up out of the mist today to see this sight I realised that we all often walk in an valley of mist and fog and not realise that just over the ridge of our inner vision is another world.

So we find out tomorrow ( I hope) if we are going. I still feel very scared at the thought of what we might see. Worried about my family if I'm away for so long. But still very excited and eager to see another part of the world and have a chance to help a group of people that simply "need a hand"

1st night in a big bed

1st night in a big bed
Originally uploaded by Mark Moran.

Another mile stone! Tomos's first night in a big bed. He's had a rough day, He fell down the stairs, landing on his head. Then bumped his bum playing.

But no problem with going to bed is his new bed.