a brief interlude

I could sit here all day. I probably will.

Sat in green. The air is cool. Four vehicles in view: two similar, two practical. The trees are cut purposefully into square arrangements. It is unclear why. Three squares of trees, four if you count that one twice, stand on hills. Their shared diagonal rooves sharing the same degree as the angle they’re growing upon.

There were hedgehogs here last night. Two of them, fattening up quickly before hibernating into the long winter months that lay ahead. 650 grams is the minimum weight required for a hedgehog to survive its seasonal sleep. The little lad finishing off the plates last night knows it and will keep returning until his internal body scales tell him it’s OK. I wish him well.

Back to those hills, rising up like the arched backs of sleeping giants, they surround us. Left, hills. Forward, hills. Right, hills. It is only the gravel track behind us that provides any route out of this deep maze and even that feels like driving through the bottom of a ravine. As a result, the wind barely comes down and it is a magnificent anomaly of nature. There is no wind to be felt, in this hole between hills, and yet the clouds above race by at an incredible speed.

My mind jumps briefly. From here, sat still in green, to there, racing past in white. And I wonder if it feels still up there. If the cloud looks down and marvels at how fast the world is turning below it. I wonder.

The cows are moving. Up high on the hill ahead, a heard of around 40 bovines have erupted into noise. They are being herded, slowly, up and over the crest. Their silhouettes atop the hill would make a beautiful photograph – perhaps I’ll try to draw it later.

The clouds part, hello sunshine.

I could sit here all day.

I probably will.

But first: coffee.

Fresh.

 

Time for a break

It’s time for a much needed holiday.

We haven’t had a proper break since L.A. last April. So yes, almost exactly a year.
Busy times.

Alright I’ve travelled a fair bit since then but, as much as you might disagree with me, holidays they were not (weekend breaks don’t count).

I’ve got a few posts saved in draft backstage here at my happy place which, all going well, I’ll roll out when I’m back.

But for now no Mac, no phone, no Twitter and no blogs.

See you in a week…

There always seems to be alot going on

And November is going to be very busy indeed…

I’m hoping to get as much in and done as humanly possible this month but, as it stands?
It’s not going too bad so far 🙂

This week I finished work on another project with MTV’s HIV and AIDS awareness charity, the Staying-Alive Foundation.
This time building around and about their online activity for their latest campaign, (the full details of which you can read over on Big Talk), …and by way of a thank you for all the hard graft, the guys at Staying-Alive secured me a VIP ticket to the MTV European Music Awards!

– Yep. That’s right. V. I. P. –

The Killers, Kanye West, Take That… (no, really).
All. Brilliant.

No pics unfortunately, but I did take a bunch of video mind – like loads – so will have to get some up sharpish I guess.

In the meantime however, back to that busy November I was talking about;

What with today being Sunday, thus follows – tomorrow shall be Monday and tomorrow night is in fact, Mobile Monday (MoMo) London.

Not just any old MoMo event mind, oh no.

Tomorrow just so happens to be MoMo London’s 3rd Birthday Celebrations.

They’ve been going for THREE YEARS! Fair play to them.

Should be a giggle.

We, (as in ‘We, the team from Mobile Industry Review‘), have been asked along to film the show there throughout the night… and I just have to give you this quote that went out on the invitation:

…We will have the MIReview Show joining us too and in the spirit of the evening, they will be presenting and filming some of their show LIVE on stage. (If you don’t know them already, think Top Gear but about mobile technology instead of cars)…

Best. Compliment. Ever.
Love it.

So yeah, MoMo tomorrow… Then worky work work until Thursday, whereupon I’m off to Europe for a few days to meet up with Journalists and Bloggers alike, spreading the SpinVox gospel as it were…

(and I think… I THINK… that may well be my overseas travel for the year… Done!)

All being well, I should be home the following Sunday and the Monday after that, (November 17th), I’m straight into The Future of Mobile Conference, where I’m taking part in the ‘6×6 UK Bloggers Perspectives’ section speaking alongside five other [and I quote]

…of the UK’s most interesting technology and mobile bloggers present a short insight into a mobile topic. This session will provide truly independent points of view on some of the major topics of continuing discussion in the mobile industry.

Yeah. So no pressure then.

Not when I’m in with such fantastic ‘names’ as Helen Keegan, Jemima Kiss, Vero Pepperrell, Andrew Grill and my Editor-in-Chief over at Mobile Industry Review, Ewan Macleod.

There aren’t really any words to describe how flattered I am to be bundled in with such esteemed folk, all of which I have masses amount of personal and professional respect on many levels… and that’s before we even start on the way I’ve been pitched!

Yeah, no pressure whatsoever.  Heh. 😉

Where was I?

That’s right. Monday 17th November. Future of Mobile. Check.

That same week, on the following Friday actually, November 21st, I celebrate my birthday.
Yep. My birthday falls on a Friday. Rock on.

I’ve no idea what I’m planning on doing yet but I’m sure I’ll talk about it eventually…

Moving swiftly onward to the evening of Wednesday Nov 26th I’m hosting Mobile Geeks of London V. Woo! 🙂

MGoL has always been one of my most favourite things to do and this, the fifth event in London of its kind, is no exception. I’ve talked about my love for MGoL at length before and no doubt will again soon.
In the meantime, if you’re interested in attending, get yourself along to the MGoL V facebook event page, put your name down and MAYBE I’ll see you there! Wheeeeeeeeeee!

Bring it.

Hangover depending, November 27th sees the first everevent themed around ‘The Network of Networks’, notionally entitled ‘Amplified 08‘. I HONESTLY do not know enough about this event to do it justice.

All I know is that there’s some bloody interesting people pulling it together and that I will move hell and high water to be there.

I might nip over to their About Page once I’ve finished this post actually, do some reading… Hmm.

And finally, bringing November to a close I’ve actually gone and booked myself a well-deserved weekend relaxing holiday break to somewhere secret, secluded and so completely offline I’m midly concerned I’ll get withdrawal symptoms…

Heh.

Joking aside, this rest has been a long time coming… and I can’t wait.

Buckle up kids, November’s gonna get hectic!

😀

Good things happen when you have no money

Good afternoon everybody!

Remember how I was saying that down to my recent work-based decisions.. I’m going to be Skint Eastwood for the forseeable future..
(as in – I dont get a full wage now until late August – Nice)

..well…

I got a phone call from my Step Mum today saying..

“Hi James, when are you going to come to Gibraltar again?”
(My Dad, his Wife and my Brother all live there)

“Well.. “ says I “..given the current financial climate that I’ve found myself in – probably not until November at the earliest..”
(I’ve been planning to go over in November for a while now anyway)

“What if we paid for you? Could you come this weekend?”

“Er… I guess!”

So.. GUESS WHO’S GOING TO GIBRALTAR?!

Wooooo!

Hahaha..

Ker-Razy man.
Last weekend Jon Bon Jovi…
This weekend Gibraltar!

You wouldn’t think I don’t have a penny to my name would ya?!
Mental!

Seriously mind – I can’t remember the last time I spent Father’s Day with my Dad. He left when I was about 6yrs old and has lived over in Gib for the last 15yrs or so at least.. so yeah.. will be nice to spend the day with my Dad. Looking forward to it. Its been.. ages.
Without sounding too dramatic – it’ll be nice because instead of doing nothing on Father’s Day and sitting around on my own (whilst 90% of all the other people I know are spending time with their respective male parent/guardian etc) I’ll actually be spending it with my Dad.

*BIG SIGH*

Life is SO good at the moment I LOVE it.

*sigh*

See you when I get back I guess…

TTFN!

Thailand

The time has come – tonight ladies and gents I will be disembarking to Thailand!

I can’t wait!

Woooo..

At 21:35 this evening my flight will be departing Heathrow Airport and heading for Bangkok International!

Yay me!

I have shaved my head in preparation of my finding my inner Buddha and fingers crossed I’ll come back a changed man!

See you in two weeks I guess.