Beach looking towards Peel Castle

(Yesterday was back blipped by the way)

This morning was spent shopping for food for the next three weeks on my own. Shopping for one is quite fun - no compromises, and I have a 5 bedroom house all to myself. That's a bit excessive I think. If anyone fancies popping over for a spot of decorating...?

Also got kitted out with a new mobile number to avoid roaming charges, and the essential t'internet dongle! Not as easy as you might imagine. This is the Isle of Man! I had both of these services from Manx Telecom last time I was over in the summer, so, whilst it took an hour then to set up (write out form by hand for each contract, and then two more forms to immediately cancel as I only needed a month. No wonder they are so expensive!) I thought it would be easier this time. "Photo ID sir?" "err, like what, will this do?" (proffers club membership card with photo) "No sir, it has to be a passport or a driving licence." "Well my driving licence doesn't have a photo, and anyway it is locked in the safe in Sheffield along with my passport. I have credit cards, and you can take a big deposit?" "No sir, new customers must have photo ID!" "But I'm not really a new customer and you owe me a refund still from the last time I was a customer." "Yes but that has lapsed, so now you are a new customer, and new customers need photo ID." I am seriously jittery by now as I have already been without t'internet for about 18 hours! Shop assistant's superior was asked... "need photo ID". Superior's superior was asked... "new customers need ID, but seeing as you didn't run off without paying last you were a customer and we owe you money and you have got a credit card, maybe we can sort something." "Great!" "But, I better check with superior's superior's superior. We'll phone her". She said "YES", and I am connected, and, after all this, you probably wish I wasn't!

The main reason for my being here (subjunctive, Anne are you impressed?!), is to monitor the new roof being installed. The scaffolding was to have been put up last Friday; it wasn't; , then I was assured it would be yesterday "without fail". Fail! This morning, there was still no sign when I left to go shopping. On return there was scaffolding in the yard but no scaffolders. I was beginning to suspect that I was now providing free storage for the scaffolding company, but this afternoon the sound of metal banging began was only a little louder than my sigh of relief! It's now half up. It's a start I suppose.

It has been very cold and windy, but when the sun came out I decided to drive along the coast and then run along the beach as I am determined to get a run every day I am here - have been slacking too much lately. Running north along the beach for two mile, the headwind was ferocious and it was very hard going. I ran back three minutes faster with the wind behind. I stopped to take this photo.

It was a beautifully clear day and as I was driving out I saw the Scottish coastline even before the Irish sea came into view :)