dave-smith.co.uk

Well at least we’re not singing about. Finally I’m talking to an Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) and starting to plan a bit more with regards to mine and the family finances, happily having done the website for Orchard House as part of Wirewool I knew exactly who to talk to about the mess that was my financial planning.  Now with the help of Mike we’re getting things sorted and should, by some miracle, I make it to retirement age, I might actually have a pension, of course should I not make it for whatever reason then the sound financial planning now being put in place should ensure that Octavia and the girls are all ok.  Next step, sorting out wills……

Dull, but very very important.

but also perhaps what you enjoy.

So things changed, in my career, you start out doing one job, you’re perceived as being better than someone else in the business at their job (which whilst related to your job, isn’t what you normally do) so to help out the business and ease personal frustration you take the job and do a sideways shift / shimmy / move.

And while you enjoy the job, it’s not quite the same, not as creative, not as fulfilling.  Now I’m back doing what I used to do, with greater knowledge, a better perspective and enhanced ability, Dave++ if you like.

But importantly it is challenging, and I enjoy it

And in a theme running through from another recent post, it’s back to my childhood again as last night I decided to have a go at martial arts (hence the title) I used to do Karate to a very average standard when I was younger and when it got to the higher belts the required class attendance and increasing costs that went with that made me give it up and adjourn to the pub instead of an evening. (So childhood in the loosest sense of the word)

Which is a shame a with hindsight I enjoyed it, it was a great workout and of course had the potential to be useful should I ever need to defend myself.  So last night I returned back to the dojo (sort of) and went for a lesson with Samurai Fitness which not only train kids (including Iona) but also runs adult classes, and so it was for the second time in a week I was doing some circuit training, this time as a warm up, before doing some basic punches and kicks, all great fun and I’m looking forward to regular training sessions.

So in a major surprise to all in the household this weekend was mostly sunny, which meant it was time to tackle the “lawn” The only person upset by this was Jensen who seemed to enjoy being able to hide in the grass.

Now when I’m mowing the lawn I get very strong memories of doing the same as a kid, at home. To earn my allowance certain tasks around the house fell to me, the lawn was one of them (car washing was another IIRC) so every week or every other week depending on the weather I would be out in the backgarden fighting the beast of a flymo that was supposed to put stripes in the lawn and doing the edges by hand and strimming the bit aroudn the wall and paving stones.

If only we had had an “strim and trim” no idea why we didn’t. So when it came to replacing the cheap strimmer I had stupidly purchased when we first moved to the sticks, I knew I needed to get a “strim and trim” and what a difference. The edges around the deck are much neater and the bit at the far end of the garden near the coal shed is kept neatly trimmed. And as I work in the garden strimming the edges, then mowing the grass twice, I enjoy it much more, interspersed with childhood memories.

Oh and I still can’t coil the cables like my dad showed me all those years ago, but then my lawnmower has built in cable storage so I don’t need to

It’s funny how life works out, at the start of the year I had a vision in my mind of what Wirewool would be, and what it could do, but then as time progressed things changed and the needs and wants of my few clients and my various attempts at networking changed things, instead of becoming some kind of loose collection of talented digital and marketing savvy individuals working for a common goal, it became me. The work I do now is all about me, all about applying the skills I’ve learnt over the years, and I found that my initial thoughts on what I wanted Wirewool to be made me make some stupid decisions. I almost invented time travel to go back in time to 1999 and also forgot to trust my gut feelings, silly. However various discussions with other people and some interesting projects along the way and things are working better, I’ve managed to step back from the problems caused by the earlier choices I made and I’ve stopped my time travelling ways.

Now I’m ensuring that everything I do uses my existing experience, but more importantly builds on it for the better, best of all at the moment I’m back doing some coding (on one of my contracts) and so I’m creating, rather than just getting grumpy and stressed at people.

Wirewool looks like it is all about me, but still is about working with other talented digital and marketing savvy individuals so as Today I Should and Wicked Wolf oh and maybe just maybe I’ll get the Wirewool site sorted soon!

So here we go, the start of August and no training done since the start of July, of course being the sensible chap I’ve ensured that I haven’t eaten or drunk too much whilst not training, oh wait…..

*sigh*

Stood on the scales this morning and the unsurprising news is that I’m now the heaviest I’ve ever been, ever. 91Kgs, I thought it was hard to lose the weight when I was 83 – 84Kgs, I’ve now made it 7 kilos harder on myself. Time to charge the iPod, sort the Garmin, pump up the bike tyres and get out there. Training for a marathon over the last two years has done me no favours, although it has highlighted a long term problem with my leg (note to self: do the bloody physio!) but all it has really done is made me give up training when I was injured and given me almost endless excuses.

So what to do, well Triathlon seems the obvious choice, I enjoyed the training when I was doing it, and I enjoyed the competition and racing, so lets set a benchmark, 8th September I’ll be “racing” at Dorney assuming I can still squeeze into my trusty wetsuit and my bulk doesn’t break my bike! Then winter training with the aim to race in several races next year, depending on how the early winter training goes I’ll then decide on my race(s) next year….

So now, reading the Triathlete’s Training Bible and talking to people, time to do some planning, wish me luck (or point and laugh)

So this blog, if not dead is certainly on its knees watching its own blood seeping into the ground… and I’ve been meaning to post stuff up, there is certainly plenty going on, but there is also plenty that I don’t feel I can write about for various reasons… and for this last reason I’ve just taken the easier option of doing fuck all.

So I’ve blamed the blogging tool, tumblr is easier, they certainly have a nice iPhonie app, but then I also use a combination of twitter / facebook to ensure I keep up with my daily quota of inane internet drivel (both of which also have nice iPhone apps) oh and of course my photos are on flickr (there’s an app for that) and then this blog is based on word press (there’s an app for that too)

And so what to do? I want to post (something) once and have it appear on appropriate sites, I want also to the win the lottery.

Oh and seeing as I forgot to mention it here just after it happened I’m dad again, Nell was born on the 30th November 2009

Blimey, I really have been shit.

(doesn’t everyone name their cars!?)

So today after 3 years and 57470 miles Gertie Golf goes back so:

57470 miles / 32mpg (avg) = 1796 gallons of go juice
1796 gallons = 8165 litres
8195 x 115p litre (expensive fuel, rather than the norm) = 9424.25 UKP

of which 6126 UKP went straight to the government in fuel tax

Nice.

Or how about :

57470 miles @ avg speed of 20 mph = 2873.5 hours
2873.5 hours / 24 = 119 days 17.5 hours driving

I’d forgotten all about this *cough*

Not quite true, loads I could write about just haven’t felt inclined to do so. I’m in the process of migrating sites to a different ISP, taking longer than planned of course. I’m startig to try and ramp up my running although currently averaging around 30km a week, and last Wednesday finally made it to The Marlow Club for a spot of circuit training, first session since being the TA and it was 90 minutes, now that was a beasting, loved it though, hoping to do it every week and get into the position where I can do both sessions

Looking also at taking up martial arts again, just need to find a local club. Not starte thinking about racing next year, first step though is to start planning winter training (actually just planning any training would be a start point) but the other thing I need to do alongside any training is plan my food, obvious I know but if i’m going to spend several hours a week training it would make sense if I get the most from it by eating right….. Time to do some research and spend some time being planning. (perhaps)

So the main reason I’m currently sitting on a sofa in a Brussels with Mike snoring in the background is that this evening we’re heading off for some laser harp action courtesy of the Jean Michel Jarre In Doors tour, I’d suggested that maybe Dad would like to join Mike and I in London for this but that was clearly too easy for some and so we fast forward to being in Brussels a few days after the Wembley Arena gig….

It will be interesting to see how a show and artist that has traditionally performed outside using skyscrapers as the screen for imagery and lasers will transpose into an 8,000 people venue.