It took longer than I thought it would
Published on February 17th, 2010 Leave your comment (4 so far) »
Facebook. Yes, I joined it. You may remember my loathe for the social network and that has turned into a kinder, gentler strong dislike for the platform. Why did I do it? A couple of reasons: most importantly, my business. Whether I like it or not, Facebook is important for business. This isn’t a post about that, so I’ll leave that point there. The other major reason is that when I knew I’d be moving a considerable distance from the circle of friends I have built near London, the ability to easily stay connected with one another became a concern. Those two factors made avoidance impractical. Hello Facebook, I have a dish to pass.
Yesterday was the first day I stopped to evaluate my growing involvement in the social media network. I got a political/religious invitation to a group I don’t support from someone I like. It’s a cause that I have never liked and it is a known trigger for actions ranging from arguments to much, much worse. Not going to go into it here, but I want to stay well away from it in my social life. There are plenty of causes I feel strongly about, but I only discuss them with people I know very well, and not online. Facebook makes the passionately pushy hard to avoid. Invitations to events and groups are intrusive and I delete/ignore a handful of them everyday. I strongly dislike the Facebook user interface and its clunkiness, and even more than that, I object to not being able to turn off invitations and events from individual users. I get blanket event invitations from people in the US on a range of their personal interests that I could never attend, and often, have zero interest. Facebook is now a management chore nearly as much as it is a way for me to keep in casual contact with friends and acquaintances, and to grow my business.
If I’m missing something in the control of Facebook – some setting or ritual involving daggers and candles – do let me know. But for now, Facebook is leaving me feeling a little uncomfortable. (As I knew it eventually would.)
Here, houses have teeth.
Published on February 16th, 2010 Join the conversation »
An experimental photo using the button-size plastic lens of a disposable film camera plus my iPhone. Makes the harmless houses behind the flat look oddly menacing.
Or maybe it’s a truth lens…
Salt and Pepper comfort
Published on February 10th, 2010 Join the conversation »
Taken with iPhone app Hipstamatic. Hate the name, love the app.
Dartmoor fog
Published on February 8th, 2010 Join the conversation »
A shot from our weekend in Cornwall. We handed over some cash to the estate agent, ate amazing ice cream, and explored the coast. It was wonderful! The fog you see above was encountered during our drive back to Maidenhead.
Farewell, Maidenhead
Published on February 4th, 2010 Leave your comment (6 so far) »
Maidenhead. My home of the last five years, my first five years in the UK. I have friends here- new friends made during my adjustment and settling here in this new country, new relationship, new home, new customs and new experiences. I received my British Citizenship in Maidenhead.
I almost know my way around. But it’s time to move on.
To this house…
Hello, house in Cornwall. Prepare to receive my hideously large collection of books. * mwah *
I’d like some of this please
Published on January 31st, 2010 Leave your comment (10 so far) »
Neil and I went on a fairly impromptu adventure down to Cornwall yesterday to look at three new home possibilities. Four hours down, four hours back and a bunch of wandering around the country roads between was worth it. The picture above shows the back garden view of one of the houses we saw – that’s the Atlantic ocean about a mile away. Walking distance to a beach. And cliffs.
The house itself is really something too, and we’ve emailed our interest to the estate agent.
Here’s the crazy bit… For a hundred pounds less in rent per month than what we pay for a fair condition three bedroom 1960’s purpose-built city flat in Maidenhead, we can get a 4/5 bed detached house near the sea. With solar water heating, under-floor heat, and 2.5 baths. And other details that would make this sound like a brochure… the point is that living within easy distance of London (our case is 40 minutes by train) is not worth it for us anymore. We don’t need London for work so it’s time to leave its outskirts and expenses behind.
Hell, I may even learn to surf.
Finding treasure between the books
Published on January 26th, 2010 Leave your comment (1 so far) »
That’s Neil in the middle. 
Been packing up all the books I’m confident I won’t need to reference between now and our move and I found this adorable photo amongst them. I’ll let him scan in the full class picture and post it if he wants, but I just had to show him off.
Wax
Published on January 23rd, 2010 Join the conversation »
We’ve booked a few days in the area where we want to reside and the boxes are filling up. I gotta say, things feel good and positive. Even the pains of opening a new business are easing and although the coming weeks are full to the eyebrows with numerous tasks to complete personally and in business life, we are on top of it all.
We will soon be in a house, rented – but a house, in a beautiful region of the country, making art, doing business, writing, and getting on with the journey. And the house will cost us anywhere between one and two hundred pounds less per month than living this close to London in a so-so flat. That means more money for the Spain fund and to pay a couple things off.
Everything feels right.
I buy here:
My Business:
