Returning
Posted: Fri 9 June, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Getting Organised, Own Business, Travel, Work-related | Leave a comment »Well, we’re back from Norfolk. And a bloody good week it was, too. Although I have to say I’m heartily sick of a) the World Cup in general, and b) Wayne Fucking Rooney in particular.
Anyway, plenty of photos – some of which may even make it online at some point soon – and pleasantly tanned arms. The meeting with the IFA went well, answered a lot of questions, and has given me a shitload of work to do.
Other than that, well, now it’s the weekend. And I plan to go shopping while the England match is on – the shops should be nice and quiet…
IFA
Posted: Wed 7 June, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Domestic, Getting Organised, Own Business, Work-related | Leave a comment »One of the scarier developments of the last couple of years is happening today.
I’m meeting an IFA (Independent Financial Advisor) to discuss various plans we have for the future, whether we can afford them, what we can do to sort it if we can’t, and all that sort of gubbins.
Very, very scary stuff. But I’ll write more about it when I get the chance, you can be sure.
All Quiet
Posted: Sun 28 May, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: D4D™, Domestic, Own Business, Work-related | Leave a comment »Ah, the joys of a long weekend – and a quiet weekend at that.
For once, the intention to do as close to sod-all as possible seems to be working. Yeah, sure, we’ve done bits here and there – mowed the grass, done some garden stuff, got another water butt (this one makes three – I reckon there’ll be at least one more before we’re done), that kind of thing.
But in general, well, all’s quiet.
No bad thing, every so often. Although, of course, it does mean I end up neglecting D4D a little bit. Still, even that is hardly a common occurrence. And I’ve still been doing little bits on Where’s Good, and started off with the ideas for the next website in the series…
Dumb-Ass
Posted: Wed 24 May, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Geeky, Own Business, Work-related | Leave a comment »Over on Where’s Good I’ve been making some changes. Most of these changes are primarily due to me being a dumb-ass.
So it’s been a morning of fixing little things that I really should’ve figured a while back.
Stupid shit like meta-tags, and making sure that when Google, Yahoo, MSN etc. come to the site, they’re allowed to see it and index it. *sigh* Yes, I’d told all the searchbots to sod off – I’d done that intentionally while I was working on the site, and then forgot to turn that off when it all went live. Sod
And I’d failed to consider stupid things, like people typing in certain webpage addresses themselves, and possibly getting certain (important) bits wrong.
But that’s been fixed now too – mainly because I did exactly that, and then thought “ooh, shit.”
So yes, on occasion, it’s good to be a dumb-ass…
Wheres Good
Posted: Thu 18 May, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: D4D™, General, Own Business, Thinking About..., Web Development, Work-related | Leave a comment »Over the last couple of weeks I’ve continued working as and when I can on Where’s Good. It’s beginning to come together nicely – of course, it’s still woefully light on reviews and recommendations, but I’m looking at making the site a success on a long-term basis, rather than just an overnight flash in the pan. If I’m right, it’ll all come together.
Anyway, one of the more fun bits of work I’ve done on the site has been to put a blog on it. Yeah, very sad, and very much in keeping with the Web2.0 checklist, but I figure it’s something that might be useful in keeping track of what’s going on, what’s being worked on, etc. etc.
It also gave me a chance to work with WordPress 2.0 , which so far I’ve resisted using on D4D™, for a number of reasons. Mainly, I haven’t had time. But also I know that my WP install is hardly “normal” so it’ll take time to merge it into WP 2.0’s formats. And frankly, I can’t be arsed.
Anyway, it’s all slowly working out, and making steady progress. And I think that’s pretty groovy, all things considered.
Unexpected Efficiency
Posted: Tue 9 May, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Customer Services, Getting Organised, Own Business, Work-related | Leave a comment »In my on-going (and not very much written about) battle with the twunts of the Inland Revenue, progress is finally happening. Hey, it’s only taken eighteen months – that’s almost fast when it comes to bureaucracy like that.
Anyway, over the weekend I got a letter that showed there may just be light at the end of the tunnel – and even that that light may not belong to a goods train coming the other way.
It turns out that IR still had me listed as self-employed with a company that I resigned from (and registered the resignation with Companies House) nearly two fucking years ago. Only neither the company, nor Companies House, had bothered to inform the Tax bastards. And, as I didn’t earn a brass sodding farthing from that company, I didn’t bother telling them either.
So now I’ve got to produce evidence that I’d left the company, and registered my resignation. Which meant I had to get in touch with Companies House and get a copy of the document from them. Needless to say, after 18 months of fighting one bureaucracy, I wasn’t looking forward to dealing with another one – particularly when they’ve never been efficient before in any of my dealings with them.
Anyway, I contacted them at lunchtime today, and within ten minutes had sorted it out. Yeah, it’s cost me £3, but it should arrive at home tomorrow – or Thursday at worst. Can’t be bad.
Now to just see if it arrives as promised…
Getting Ideas
Posted: Sat 6 May, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: General, Own Business, Thinking About..., Work-related | 3 Comments »OK, another in my “this is a slightly odd request” line of posts.
I’ve got an idea, involving setting up some electronics (nothing complicated – probably (bear in mind my lack of knowledge on this score) but I know sod-all about it) along with some ultra-bright white LEDs. Probably 4, or maybe 8, along with a power source (I’m thinking probably AA batteries) and ideally a touch-sensitive switch.
Although the touch-sensitive is the nice-to-have part, and a normal thumbwheel switch would probably do the job just as well – it’d just be slightly more work than figuring a capacitance-based touch-switch.
Anyway, if anyone who’s good at knocking up that kind of simpleish circuitry were to leave a comment, I’ll get back in touch with the idea, and we can see where it goes from there.
Thanks.