Monday 30 April 2012

Day 856 (30/04/2012)

How can this be the last day of April, where is the year going. I was aiming to start cycling in April but never managed it once. Mind you as well as being really busy the weather has been awful, so there weren't that many days I could have gone out anyway.

It has stopped raining today but there is flooding all around Taunton.

Lots to do before going away for a few days, spending most of my evenings in Indian Restaurants (at other peoples expenses this week for a change).

Saturday 28 April 2012

Day 854 & 855 (28 & 29/04/2012)

In London yesterday and in went quite well, hopefully as well as helping the charity I may have met a new top notch paying client, who was impressed with the sort of things I do.

Thomas was with my Dad at a charity boxing event last night in Wales, with Thomas being the official photographer.


I'm looking forward to seeing the photo's but Thomas had to go straight out when he came back home as he is watching the football with his friends, hoping that West Ham go back up to The Premiership (It doesn't look like they will unless they win the play offs).

It doesn't seem that along that I used to take Thomas to see West Ham,


but I think it may have been quite a few years as the kids appear to have grown up a fair bit now.

Busy weekend as I have a few presentations to give next week.

Update - Sunday 16:30 - Has anyone started building an ark yet? The rain has been non stop and its also cold & wet. It's supposed to be spring but it's a lot more like winter.

Busy week, away for most of it, staying in three different hotels in three days. Sounds exciting until you have to do it every month, then it's just a pain in the butt.

Friday 27 April 2012

Day 853 (27/04/2012)

So in less than 3hrs I'm catching a train to London, then 3hrs after that I'm giving a presentation for the UK Innocence Network at their Spring Conference.

So the question is do I put my presentation together now, on the train or should I really have done it a few days ago?

OK I'm sort of agreeing that I should have already done it but I have been busy and now I'm writing this.

Day 852 (26/04/2012)

Busy doing things but just about caught up with outstanding work.

Early finish as went to Bristol to meet up with the guys I used to share a van with. Some may say worked with but there were many times where we were just sitting in a van in the same place for 12hrs playing cards & drinking tea just in case something happened, so worked may be the wrong word.

It is always lovely to meet up with them but it does remind me of how old we are all getting now.


Anyway I went for the gourmet chicken burger. Quite tasty but a bit messy.

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Day 851 (25/04/2012)

I am just about back up to date with my work but am out of the office on Friday and for 3 days next week, so no doubt I will soon have work waiting to be done again soon.


I have this empty iPad holder on my desk, I haven't seen my iPad for about week. So much for letting Thomas borrow it for when he was going out.

Update - 21:00 - For the first time in ages I am nearly finished quite early and will be downstairs soon. For the last week or so I don't think I have finished much before 10:30pm

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Day 850 (24/04/2012)

Another busy day working but getting up to date and I think my helpers will soon be making a massive positive difference. It will be nice to farm out lots of my work, leaving me clear to do other things for the company and also to spend more time with my family.

When we were having a late lunch today the hail stones were bouncing off the car roof and in the patio. Not exactly an April Shower. I can't wait for the summer.

Slightly surreal moment today as I was listening to James Murdoch at The Leveson Inquiry and had an email from someone within his organisation asking for some advice an enquiry (nothing to do with the enquiry). Doing things legally is suddenly very popular. It will hopefully led to a bit of training in London. I may have to charge them more so I can make a donation to charity to cover the fact that I'm working for the dark side.

Day 849 (23/04/2012)

Busy weekend, so busy I didn't even go to see Michael McIntyre at the Brewhouse on Sunday night, so Kelly and my wife went instead. I have seen him twice before so I didn't mind too much.

Then a late night drive to Bristol to pick up Thomas who had been away for another weekend taking photos at the cricket.  


No paid shots but plenty of coverage on-line.

Busy doing more work all day.

Saturday 21 April 2012

Day 847 & 848 (21 & 22/04/2012)

The weekend is here and I still have so much work to do but I think (hope) things will start to get easier soon, so then I can concentrate on other aspects of the business and spend more time with my family.

Friday 20 April 2012

Day 846 (20/04/2012)

Went out for dinner last night.




It was really nice to sit down and spend time with the family, I have missed them being away and being so busy lately.

Had a business meeting today, well it was an excuse for tea & cake.


Still loads of work but hoping that things workout with the staff.

Thursday 19 April 2012

Day 845 (19/04/2012)

I arrived in Leicester very late and it was pouring with rain so I couldn't really see the venue but it was very oldy worldy inside. Its is called Rothley Court Manor if you want to visit. It has the look and feel of a spooky 1960's Walt Disney film.


My room even looked out on a little patio with a turret setting. 


I started the day with a health breakfast of smoked salmon & scrambled eggs.


Then off to the conference, which went quite well and which will hopefully lead to some new contacts and opportunities.  


Driving away from Rothley Court Manor it looked less scary but if anything bad happens there my money is on the janitor being responsible, probably wearing a mask (think Scooby Doo).


Home and Thomas is in the paper again.


Might go out for dinner as we have all been busy lately and its nice to sit together and catch up, without having any washing up.

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Day 844 (18/04/2012)

Don't worry I'm not getting withdraw symptoms from not seeing Richard Herring for over 24hrs but looking forward to seeing his new show in Edinburgh.

Trying to do lots of work before driving over o Leicester for a conference where I am talking. Hoping it goes well but it has been a tight fit to get my subject into the heading of the conference.

Day 843 (17/04/2012)

Went to see Richard Herring in Taunton, great show again, which funny enough is what he wrote on my programme.



Even my wife seemed to enjoy it but this is one of his least offencive shows.

We picked up my wife's new car today, which is very nice, it even has a head up display like in a fighter jet, showing the speed.


The only problem was we noticed when we got home a chip in the windscreen, so we will have to have a new windscreen fitted which won't cost us anything but is slightly annoying.

So much work.

Monday 16 April 2012

Day 842 (16/04/2012)

Great to see Gary & Elaine yesterday, lovely dinner & great company as always.


Then off to see Richard Herring with Gary.



It was a great show, which is just as well as I'm seeing it again tonight in Taunton.

Thomas is happy as he is in the Western Daily Press today with a nice large photo.




Hopefully he will earn something from it.

Saturday 14 April 2012

Day 840 & 841 (14 & 15/04/2012)

Feeling old with the kids (I know they are young adults but they will always be the kids) both away for the weekend.

Kelly is over in Oxford for the weekend, seeing some people she knows and thinking about her next project no doubt.

Thomas is in Birmingham at the cricket, Warwickshire v Somerset, taking photographs and hopefully doing some networking and getting a few good contacts.

I am sat at home working. There are so many reports that need doing but I had to sort out the presentation & things for the days presentation tomorrow in Bristol and a short presentation on Thursday in Leicester. The Leicester job is a bit different and might be interesting. After the presentation tomorrow I am having dinner with Gary & Elaine then seeing Richard Herring at the Tobacco Factory with Gary, which should be good.

Friday 13 April 2012

Day 839 (13/04/2012)

Eventually got my new i-pad after a few issues with the delivery company.


Playing DrawFree is so much easier on an i-pad than an i-phone but my drawing are still rubbish, my wife does very well to guess them.

So unbelievably busy at the moment, hoping that the new staff are able to make a real difference soon.

I heard today about the death of a guy I had known at work from Bridgwater in 1986 & 87, he was only 55. We weren't friends but it's still sad as he was a nice guy.

Thursday 12 April 2012

Day 838 (12/04/2012)

The old computer has now gone and the new computer has arrived & very quick it is in comparison.



But I ended up spending all day re-installing everything. 191GB of photos & music took quite a bit of time.

Still trying to catch up with the back-log & still got a cold.

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Day 837 (11/04/2012)

My cold is still here.

Looking forward to getting my new really fast computer today. Not looking forward to re-installing all the software that I need on it. Could be a long day.

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Day 836 (10/04/2012)

Back to work and had to order a new computer, hopefully it will be ready by tomorrow lunchtime. Trying to do some work on my laptop but its just not the same.

Have made another trip to the tip, slowly getting rid of things we don't need or want. At this rate just another 5 or 6 years and the house & garage will be tidy.

My cold is still here, so not feeling at my best.

Update -16:00 - I have had loads of emails from someone who was on last weeks course asking lots of questions about how I did things. He was saying how it was really important as he needed to know as that's why he went on the course. I did feel like saying that if he had paid attention during the course instead of talking then he might of understood more. He is on his 6th email today and clearly didn't read what I put in the first one. I know if I read this one I will just tell him to F**K OFF.

Counting to 10 and thinking about being a serious businessman instead of a grumpy old man. It's no good he should just F**K OFF.

Day 835 (09/04/2012)

Bank Holiday Monday, pouring with rain and I was full of a really horrible cold. Lots of sneezing and a streaming gooee (it sounds right but I couldn't spell it) nose.

We went out to more garden centres but ended up going for a test drive for a new car for my wife. We found one, only a year old but very nice.


It even had a head-up display on the windscreen like a fighter jet but no machine guns, unfortunately.

Saturday 7 April 2012

Day 833 & 834 (07 & 08/04/2012)

The weekend is her and I am going to cut the grass and start setting up things in the garden.

Plus I must catch up on some work but my computer has now completely died.

Update - Saturday - Cut the grass with the new lawn mower and jet washed a few old things in the garden that we are going to keep.



Thought I would include a photo of the bloody silly gnome that my wife bought for the garden. She has already named him Norman The Gnome.


Update - Sunday - The Easter Bunny paid me a visit.


Went to a friend of a friends 60th birthday party which was nice. They had a very posh marquee at the venue, which apparently won an episode of Channel 4's Four In A Bed.


Had nice roast pork rolls.


Got back and had the start of a bad cold.

Day 832 (06/04/2012)

Like a middle aged middle classed couple we went to a garden centre on a Bank Holiday. I saw the size of the spade and thought we should have tea & cake but that was just the usual size.


Can't wait till the garden is all sorted but it wont be for a while.

Thomas was at the cricket taking photo's, which were being used by the local paper on the live updates.



Then we all went out for dinner.



Day 831 (05/04/2012)

Spent a few hours trying to get my computer working but ended up visiting the guys who help me out who fitted a new power unit.

I have a few laptops but I like my proper computer and need it to do my work.

Spent most of the day just updating my accounts and printing off the work that had come in whilst I was away.

Day 830 (04/04/2012)

Last day of the course in Bristol. It went quite well but it was so nice to get home.

Wednesday 4 April 2012

Day 829 (03/04/2012)

Nice touch at the venue this morning, with little easter eggs on each desk.


Went out for dinner again and no I didn't have two afters. I went for the cookie explosion.


Looking forward to going home tomorrow night.

Day 828 (02/04/2012)

In Bristol for this weeks course, nice venue with quite good facilities but not a great internet connection.


Went out in the evening for a meal.



No I didn't have two afters, I was with some people from the course.