Life Is One BIG Balancing ACT…
Everyday (like lots of people) I balance student life with business life and then both of those are also balanced with whatever is left to make some sort of social life.
Sometimes it gets confusing - worlds collide and things get lost mid-air. Just this morning I totally blanked my new housemate for next year and good friend - I was lost in mid-air trapped in my own little bubble rushing around.
This post marks a new era of RetroNerd where I intend not to always post things that make sense to one particular area or group of people. I’m scrapping the balancing act - and living life merged. So my uni time is my business time, my business time is my uni time, my personal time is my business time and my business time is my personal time.
Basically I give up trying maintain a different image of myself for every (very different part of my life) and I’m going to start living life merged. So if you call me expect to hear music in the background. If you party with me, expect me to be working as well. If you study with me, expect me to be doing anything but studying :P.
So eventually this little blog will actually have some representation of my real life - not just one aspect of how I would choose to present myself. The cuffs are off. Lets go.
(Oh and the design is a work in progress people. In case anyones wondering yes it is custom and it’s (going to be) a 80’s mash up influenced by fantasy, neon lights (neon rainbow / ministry of sounds 80’s) and good old saved by the bell.)
7 Months Ago vs Edit: Today
Well first of all I’ve failed miserably with regards to keeping my blog up to date – but I will put in more effort on that front! Anyway I’m on holiday in France and it’s raining so after hacking in and updating WP I thought it was time for a new post! A lot has happened since my last post back in March, so I thought I’d kick start my new effort by doing a quick round up… *Edit: And I’m starting that new effort again lol
After over five years of service, I left my job as SEO Team Leader & Web Designer at Easy Internet in Leicester. I’d been part time for nearly two years and to be honest, it was becoming an unnecessary waste of my time. I decided I’d reached the top of the hill, and I’d prefer to jump off rather than tumble down slowly. All the best to them for the future. *Edit: They since tried to sue my ass for the below - but that’s all now sorted (I think…)
I launched Specific Gravity – www.specificgravity.co.uk – I’m steadily building up a client base and plan to launch a more detailed/comprehensive site in September. I’m also due to launch WebFloat (webfloat.co.uk) in the next few weeks. I’m also looking to launch the new version GAYY.co.uk in the coming months (this has been on hold for about a year). SG and WF will also be taking a more prominent role on my personal sites – aiming for a more personal and transparent image for potential customers/visitors to my business sites. Edit: I did this :D And I’ve also launched other sub brands www.supernovanames.com and www.getgravity.co.uk with more to come soon
I’ve shut down my 7ft reef aquarium, I’ve now sold all of the stock to good homes and I’m in process of selling of the equipment and then the tank. Sad to see it go but what with being a student, running (and funding) a business plus spending most of my time away from home, I really don’t have the time or the spare income to justify it. I set up my Dad with a very small 15″ nano cube tank tho to keep him occupied. I plan to make ReefKeep.in a gallery/tribute sort of thing – mainly for me really, but I’m sure others in the reef keeping community will enjoy it as well – anyway that’ll be on the back-burner perhaps late this year or early next. *Edit: I’ve still not done this. But we have got two little clown fish in the nano cube - and they survived a 5 day marathon on a current treadmill - they are called fish n chips (thanks Lizz)
Other news on my personal site front, SJSNET.co.uk got a makeover – well I’ve decided RetroNerd.org is to replace SJSNET.co.uk by the end of the year, I want to move away from this old identity which really now has no hold over any of my projects. Expect some more enhancements to RetroNerd before this move takes place. EugenetheDragon.info is to be re-designed and updated and I’m planning some retirements for other domains. *EDIT: I’ve since given it another makeover - and eugene etc still has no makeover.
Back to the “real” world. I’m going back to Lincoln University in September to start an Mcomp in Web Technology, providing I pass a maths exam – glad I made the decision to nip the Graphic Design degree in the bud, although I love graphic design, I think my time is better spent elsewhere and this new degree will reinforce my work experience in the web industry. Looking forward to being a fresher for the second time around – this time with just a little bit of restraint. *EDIT: I’m now at uni just finished my semester A - but I’ve changed course, now doing Computer Science. Also have the perfect house for next year with Amy and Lizz
and how could I forget! I managed to get hold of tickets for the Michael Jackson This Is It concert at London o2. Since then Michael Jackson has died – I’m so gutted that we never got to see him live in concert, but even more gutted that we’ll never have the opportunity to hear anything from him again. RIP Michael Jackson. *Edit: But I did see and hear new things from him again. I got my souvenir ticket and went to see This Is It. Total and utter legend.
Some updates to previous posts…
Since my Not To Twitter post back in February, I’ve now joined (reluctantly, but on good advice) Twitter – but you’ll find I’ve not yet become an active user (I don’t think active is a good word for me) I best get to it before they remove my account! http://twitter.com/specificgravity Edit: In fact I now have two twitter accounts, a personal one and a business one. @retronerdorg and @specificgravity
Also on the TV front Hero’s Fugivitives has finished, along with the third season of Brothers & Sisters and Skins. All brilliant, even – dare I say – Robin Hood, though it is what it is. I’m now on the 3rd season of Ugly Betty (love it!), Big Brother (charlie to win of course) and looking forward to watching 5 hours worth of Torchwood when I get home next week. *Edit: I’m now on season 4 of brothers and sisters, season 2 of being human and season 7 of shameless starts Next Thursday. Get In.
On the Apple front I upgraded to the 16gb iPhone 3G as my 18 month o2 contract came to end – which was really stupid because the iPhone 3GS was released a few weeks after – always the case, you can never have the latest model. I’m still running Safari 4 beta – it’s getting better and the initial bugs I reported are now resolved – woo. *Edit: It broke, and I got a brand new one free from Apple.
What with all of these big changes and decisions to make I’ve managed to put on a few stone in weight, which I’m now on an effort to lose again as quickly as humanly possible. Anyway I’m getting back on track again now, still lot’s going on over the next few months – so hopefully posting again soon with something more useful/interesting. Edit: I have failed to lose much weight - although probably lost a little if not put any on.
Well this has been a very interesting look - for me anyway - of what I have achieved and not achieved in the last 7 months and how things have changed.
