Another day - another new experience

Today was the first time I got to play my first parody song.

It's called "Here we are this Christmas" and it features our daytime line-up and news editor. It's being played out on the station from today until Christmas.

Apologies for the rubbish visuals, it's a radio feature.

Bringing people together

I arrived in the studio this morning to find the phone ringing. It was a lady from Bromley who told me that her boyfriend had proposed last night. I said congratulations and was all ready to give little on-air mention to them both. However, she told me that she'd said "no". At this point I got very confused. I've only been doing radio for a little while but I get the idea that people usually want to share good dedications (I was asked to tell a lady how much her boyfriend loved her and was really excited that they were expecting their first child, I was the first person he'd told). And so the idea that I was about to announce some poor man's failed prposal was not really my idea of a good start to the morning.

It soon became clear that this lady had not wanted to say no and was hoping I could tell her boyfriend on the air that she did indeed want to marry him. And so I said that it wasn't really my place and instead offered her the chance to go on air and tell him herself. And so at 6.20am this morning she came on air and I asked her the question "what do you want to tell your boyfriend?"

She took a deep breath and said "I love him and the answer is yes"

He then came on the air and was clearly really chuffed with .

And in a nice end to the tale, her father is Irish and so they'll be a real Irish flavour to the wedding and they'd like me to be there as a guest.

It was a lovely start to my day.

As promised

We decided to put our tree up this weekend. We'd orignally thought we'd do this Saturday afternoon but the plan chabged and we ended up on Sunday afternoon going to our local garden centre to pick up a tall, thin tree for our living room.

For some reason we came home with the incredible Hulk (the closest resembling large, green mass to the one we bought). And so having realised it was not only too big for our room but also for our tree holder, I went and bought a new tree holder. Unfortunately as buying a new room was not an option we instead had to move around the whole living room (furniture, wires, TV, CD towers etc). At which point all I had to do was push the tree into position.

I lay flat on the floor, pushed the tree from the base and before I knew it had obviously pushed too hard as the tree came down on top of me leaving me pinned to the floor.

I cried out for help at which point Chrissy came into help unfortunately she too ended up pinned to the floor.....I say pinned too.......it was more rolling around - in laughter!!

Anyway after a few hours of frantic work we finally now have this;

Where I'm at

On Saturday at Gateway FM Ruth Cordon joined me in the studio to co-host. We had a great time working together and I really enjoyed having someone else in the studio to banter with. It was good fun and we're talking about seeing if we can work together more in the future.

I've also had a very social few days as well. Thursday night I went to cook for the electralyte boys. Friday night Chrissy and I had a night in. It was awesome!! We watched TV and ordered Pizza in. It was lovely. Saturday night we were at Ben and Rach's new house (which is lovely) for a little shindig. And finally we were at Church on Sunday then I headed off to coffee with some of the men (and girls this week) before lunch with Matt, Chell, Ruth and Gareth. And finally people around Sunday night for food and laughs.

We also bought our tree.......that is a blog ALL OF ITS OWN - EPIC!!!!

How it all begins

I've now presented 4 live radio shows.

The first one was on Saturday at Gateway FM. This is a small community station which operates on a RSL (explained here)

This was a great experience and helped put me at ease before beginning my first real radio presenting job which started on Monday. I'm loving the job!! I work with a lovely bunch of people and have a programme controller who is both brutally honest in his feedback and incredibly encouraging in his support. It's an awesome place to work and once I get over the daily fear of being sacked I'm sure I'm going to love it even more.

Life is good!!

How it all began

I will be writing about my new job soon I promise but there's one more thing to do before then.

Yesterday I handed my car, mobile and office keys back to DHQ. I'd got back late so I had to make my own way home (obviously without my car.....well not my car. My old car) And so I walked to the station to catch a train back to Chelmsford.

As I was walking I realised that on my very first day I had walked from the station to the office and in the four and a half years I've been there it's a walk I have never repeated, until yesterday. I took the time to think and reflect on my time as DYO and also to be thankful for the timing of starting a radio job on my last day at DHQ. As I walked over the bridge that goes over the A12 I realised that on my first day I hadn't noticed the road. I didn't realise just how much of my life would be spent driving up and down the road (especially when we bought our first home in Colchester). I reflected that on that first walk, I didn't know my wife, many of the people I call my friends or my colleagues. I didn't know the joy I'd experience, the frustrations I'd live with or the emotions I'd go through. I realised that the 21 year old who walked along that bridge in SA Uniform had no idea what would happen because of those simple steps of obedience.

As I walked yesterday I had a feeling of excitement as I stepped out in more obedience into the unknown. I know it's hard for people to understand and I appreciate there are lots of other things I could be doing in this next phase of my life but this is the right one and It's really exciting (more to come).

And so I stood on the bridge, I stopped and just gave thanks for all that's been and all that's to come.

THE END