It aint where you do, it's the what that you're doing....

"the demise of the physical office" it's a good thing...

at last, proof that I can work from a hut by a lake :) 

http://youngstapreneur.com/2013/02/27/interview-with-podio-co-founder-and-director-of-brand-strategy-jon-froda/

We use podio at Lingo HQ and, along with Google Mail and Google Drive, it has revolutionised the way we work.

I hate people who take pictures of their food.

But this is not a picture of food. This is a vegetarian Puff-Pastry Wellington filled with Camembert, Spinach and Walnuts, at www.theharearms.co.uk photographed NEXT to my new MacBook Pro being eaten while taking a design brief for Promotional Table Card designs.


And that's not taking a picture of food. So don't think I do that 'cos I don't.

Post-therapy

The start of most blogs, posts, poems, letters, essays, tweets, status updates,  (you get the idea) are a struggle. 

Being spoilt for choice when it comes to a topic doesn't always help: I could write about some highs - setting up an extreme sports equipment business,  repeatedly riding a black-run while on holiday snowboarding with best chums, getting a part-time lodger, judging in a battle of the bands, helping to organise the preparations for a massive festival, the trials and tribulations of running a design studio, there's literally scores of tall tales and short stories. It's not like I'm stuck for subject! 

Perhaps it's having too much to say which stops me, I set out to log, and it can be like running into custard. And not in a yellow and tasty way. Too much to say makes it heavy going.

What else is stopping me? A genuine lack of time, priorities which include communication on other levels means that if I'm writing this, I'm not replying to the many emails which go with doing all the above. 

I'm surrounded daily by thousands of blogs. At best, awe inspiring or at worst, awfully egotistic ; countless more interesting and informative out there than this, so what's the point?

I come back to it's cathartic nature.  I have genuine passionate determination, I have a lot going on. I NEED somewhere to sure the thoughts *behind* it all, keep track of the emotional side, the influences and brilliant things which happen along the way. I'm just going to have to take this one step at a time. Redress the balance.

I think, otherwise, I might just go mad. 

Prepare for shorter, more concise excerpts of what I'm actually doing from now on!

Tourism tweeting.... and being busy.

Lifestyles Festival work is cranking up a gear - Lingo work placement student Lea and I sat and just went through a list of things to do today that is as long as your arm!

At the top of it was - Lea - you must write a quick blog post... she said "but I'm so busy!!" and I said "blog about that then!" So, I'm setting the good example of practicing what I preach!

Just a quick few notes about what I'm up to: last night was the West Norfolk Tourism AGM at the gorgeous Hunstanton Princess Theatre with my 'Lifestyles hat' on - made some great contacts, including Mr Princess Theatre, Brian Hallard and his son Matt who opened the meeting with a very passionate intro about the venue, plus the Searles family...meeting with them next week...the lovely Cllr Carol Bowers who knew who I was though I was embarrassed I didn't know who she was....plus a man from the Chamber, two local accommodation providers and some notable Council tourism bods.

I ate some great buffet (you know me, I was impressed - they had cake), and watched an interesting presentation about Tourism and then told the presenter Chris Skargill from Larken Gowen off about not being on twitter (he reassures me he will be one day) then I tweeted about it...and now have a LOT to do to follow up on all that before feeding back to the Lifestyles Committee at our own AGM tomorrow night.

Now, I'm off to the Downham Market New Heritage Centre steering group meeting in a minute... (Lingo are doing the new site) so I must dash... Phew! Has anyone seen my magic wand?!!

Hells-bells!

I don't know if I'm just a sucker for punishment or if that my current health kick combined with trying to be a good sport is to blame, but either way... my hamstrings are complaining loudly about their recent treatment!

Please don't let me put you off; Kettlercise ® at Esselle's Ladies Gym in Wisbech (yes, of course, a website customer at Lingo) is definitely one of the more enjoyable exercise classes I've been to, and Julia, it must be said is an ace trainer.

Gun-show-off... 

For those willing to give it a go, Kettlercise ® is, (according to Julia's write up) "a three in one workout incorporating cardio, weight training and core training" and is "set to a non stop routine that will work every single muscle in your body to ensure you melt away fat, tone up, improve core stability and dramatically improve endurance".

BUT (and you knew it was coming) according to me, it's "the first ever time I've seen actual drops of my sweat on a gym floor" and "the first workout following which I've had trouble walking". It's entirely my own fault. I don't do things by halves; enjoying as I was carrying out each individual weight-swinging movement, with Julia calling constant encouragement to the class (and with the thought in my mind of a more toned physique) I felt determined to put in my best effort. So I did. A bit too much effort it would seem.

Nearly one week later, all other muscle groups are fine, but the back of my legs are still sore and I'm still thinking twice before walking any real distance. I just hope that it wears off before the weekend...and Bestival! Arg!

Despite all that, and it really is my own fault, (I could have taken it 'easier'...) I will be back. Next time, however I intend to be better at moderating my own pace and effort to somewhere below 'extreme idiot'...

Kettle-bells. Come and have a go...if you think you're hard enough!

Fakie nailed!

It was Ladies Day with Wakeboarding Norfolk on Monday, and as promised, I'm here with news of my fakie exploits!

Oh yehhhhh, oh yehhh, I'm sure you can tell by the boastful title and smug tones that I nailed the switch! With plenty of help from Guy's driving and Leigh's shouting and pointing (he'd call it 'tuition' ;)), but I did it....and back again!

Ok, so I face-planted a few times trying - but, I suppose that's how you learn. More Wakeboarding planned for Friday. Think I'm going to push for some big air. Holy Camoly, I know!

Meanwhile the new, improved website is well under development, along with designs for banners, t-shirts & hoodies and gift vouchers.

Only question is how long I can keep earning wake time with design ;)

Whhaayyyyhaakeboarding Norfolk!

Finally, the summer's here and we're all well and truly glad to be away from the British monsoon season: May and June. :-/

Quick 'life-stuff' update: (not 'life' as in the deep and meaningful crap, not this time anyway- I just mean 'life' as apposed to 'work' in the 'work/life' balance kinda way. There's at least 3 'work' posts queued up now... if I don't get something written tonight I'm going to be annoyed at myself...this post has been in draft for too long, already having undergone several rehashes already as it goes out of date a little more each day...)

Happily, I've made it out for a few more kitesurfing sessions, and I'm starting to get the hang of things despite some rather pants wind. Riding 'fakie' is my big issue. Leading with my right foot for years as a snowboarder ('goofy' for those of you who wanna know the boarding lingo) means I'm not so hot with my left foot leading.

So, when fellow kitesurfer (yeh, I'm calling myself that now...wot?!) and wakeboarding instructor Leigh aka 'Wakeboarding Norfolk' who was watching me suffer on my lessons at Old Hunstanton-suggested that practicing riding fakie while Wakeboarding might help...I thought I'd give it a go.

3 sessions at the stunning Leziate Lake (near King's Lynn) later; and after plenty of faceplants, some aches in muscles I didn't know I had I'm now pretty happy on the water/wake behind the boat, getting up is easy now (plenty of practice at the hardest part..) and I'm getting used to going in and out of the wake - (with occasional shouts from Leigh) so I'm just about ready to 'stick it to the left'...and just as well, session #4 is coming up next Monday; "Ladies Day" at the lake...and I've got a plan to get fakie. No pressure then!

Wakeboarding Norfolk is new to Leziate Lake, and, as I'm sure will come to no suprise to anyone who knows me, I've started to help a little with the existing website: (currently a Google site, though soon to be lingo) www.wakeboardingnorfolk.co.uk and facebook page: facebook.com/wakeboardingnorfolk plus some photography...etc etc...

They're really an ace bunch of people - (more on that later) and for now there's more work to do - logo design, some print...gift vouchers, posters...more pics and so on. And after I've nailed the fakie-foot-fing...I wanna get jumping... (see above). Again... "yeh, wot?!" lol!

So work *(late night, like this post) is underway. But I already like this bringing together of the web and water.... ;)   Wish me left luck for Monday. I'll keep you posted.