The Weekend

Spent the weekend in a castle. There is something be said about sleeping with your back to an 800 year old wall.

There is also another prospect looking at my house

I will update more later this week. I'm sorry - I am tired. Didn't sleep a lot on the weekend

Moments since last time

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh – no Internet for a few days this week. Some sort of router is playing up at my ISP. It's amazing how much I miss my email and favourite websites when I cannot go near them!

Sad ?

Or perhaps a strange obsessive compulsive disorder?

Been catching up with jobs in work; and old friends by phone.

Funfilm catch – Under the Sun. A light and fun caper. Anything special – well probably not but very easy to watch.

Complete a couple of pictures for Art Epiphany. Hoping they're ok.

Most relieved moment – a friend of mine got back from the Ukraine after a work trip – one day before the demonstrations started – great timing.

Most inspiring thing this week – the protests in the Ukraine.

Oddest question – Will I get to Japan for Cherry Blossom season.

Most embarrassing event – getting lost in the South Wales valley ( – Ebbw Vale – easily done – that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

Oddest thing to look at – a caravan heading to stony seaside during heavy winds and rain.

Short view of few days

Or this is the week was - Rob style in a short form.
Best news of the week - Art Epiphany have asked me to contribute to a catalogue of photographs. Can't turn that down and since being asked and saying yes I've come up with a few ideas. Tomorrow I head out armed with my trusty camera.

The story of my dodgy health continues with the small possibility of a new problem. Will check it out - though the chances are that it is a nothing.

I've got as far as beta for a small web application for work - really enjoying hand coding in PHP.

My house sale didn't happen so it's back to the marketing drawing board. If nothing happens by Christmas I'll do some redecorating over the holidays.

Caught up with an old friend - and most organise a night of beers and chat to catch up with old times. Will try and get a lot of old friends together. Perhaps for a big pre-Christmas drink.

Feeling well and feeling cool at the moment.

Have to go - need to catch up on some Twilight Realms email

Hello, Catch up and Kilts

Oh lordy better part of a week and no update. Let's play catch up.

I'm waiting for confirmation regarding whether or not my prospective buyers are interested in my house or not. The longer the wait goes the less optimistic it becomes. Though of course the pick project is still on and I still couldn't be more optimistic about the prospect.

The Twilight Realms website is buzzing with activity as in my inbox. Dealing with a lot of email now (if you get to the website I'm one of the Chevel references).

Been completing a mobile phone roll out in work Roll outs are boring. Playing with new tech isn't!

Art Epiphany (Yay!!!) have picked me as one of their artists of the month. That is just great news. My next Art Epiphany task is to start selling in their store.

Sad news of the week One of my computers expired Or to be more accurate XP expired. Rebuild is in progress.

Noticing the differences between my hand written (only legible to spiders diary) and the blog now. Think I like the differences.

Finally – I'm learning how to put together and wear the great kilt (circa 1600 – 1700 aka the Breacan Feile or Feiladh Mor ). What a confusing garment to put on. What a simple and flexible garment. I kinda like it.

Waiting and Twilight Realms

Okay an evening of nail biting here. A couple who seem keen have been taking another look at the house. Will they be the buyer? I'll have to wait for the estate agents report.

In the meantime Twilight Realms is gathering up momentum for it's flagship game this year. It's hard to describe the mania that is Twilight Realms. I'll try anyway. Twilight Games is an LARP club that has create a shared fictional world. That is different parts of the world are developed by different people. It's an extremely ambitious, fun and creative project. I recommend anyone to go.

Been trying to download the final release of Firefox 1.0 Website jammed solid when I attempt to get on. An excellent sign

Second Looks and Epiphany

Wooot! Someone is following up on a house viewing by looking again. Feeling optimistic

Also my latest piece is posted on Art Epiphany

I heartily recommend Art Epiphany. It's an art community; but new fresh and full of promise - so go give it your support.

Must continue revising my Nihongo (Japanese) for the trip

Flashing Lights and Fireworks

Yesterday was November 5^th. Fireworks Night! Always favourite night of the year, and as usual my whole town turns into a horde lunatic pyromaniacs. My feeling (in the usual bad taste) is that your average modern war is quieter than South Wales on the November 5^th.

Day started bad though. I had a migraine was forced home from work and to spend the afternoon lying down in a darkened room. Ouch!

Did get to see my nieces and nephews for a family get together in the evening – Yay.

And of course could hear explosions for miles around.

Today – well today I'm talking to housing advisor's regarding ways of dealing with my property over the planned bit of global travel. It progresses!

Alfie

Just saw Alfie (the new remake with Jude Law). A nicely done, well observed film. Stands well on it's on two feet with no reliance on the original - always a good sign in a remake.

If you haven't guessed - I'm also a bit of a film fan

Tales of Travel Finance - Part 1

Hello again. This time no sales pitch or wandering thoughts about being alone with old friends in the middle of a forest (as cool as that was), instead back to the matter of global travel. My plan to finance the trip was to sell my house and contents, splitting the revenue into travel money and cash to help re-establish myself when it was all over. Unfortunately I worked out what I was doing and when I was doing just before the time the housing market went dead. So the result is – house on the market, not much going – quite frustrating – but not a lot I can do about it.

Over the weekend an old friend who is a part time landlord suggested the possibility of renting to a tenant as a method of raising travel money and retaining the property. His idea of releasing equity and covering the mortgage with rental income seems reasonable. If a little less cut and dried as a sale. Still it may help so I'm talking to an estate agent about the possibility on the weekend. I suspect a couple of weeks before I sort it all out. I am kept very busy in the day job.