Just so that you know that it isn’t all fun and Twitter in my world, I have picked up another contract to help pay the bills ….

I have taken a three month contract to advise a UK based PR agency on the direction and use of their blog, the ways in which they can utilises various technologies and social media to promote themeselves and their clients and of course ……. how they can use Twitter!!

See sometimes ‘just playing around’ can lead to revenue!!!

He Ho it’s back to work we go said Dopey, or was it Grumpy? I bet it wasn’t Happy!!

The Recession/Credit Crunch is having an ‘interesting’ effect on Sands and I. When we moved to live in Almerimar the plan was not to work much, if at all, spend more time together, be less materialistic and keep things simple.

We had invested in properties and had no debt, or mortgage on our property here. One thought was that if we needed to or had the opportunity to, then I would take contracts abroad to enable us to travel. In fact we did this and spent a year splitting our time between Almerimar and Florida.

Heading off to the airport again this afternoon!

Unlike last week I will be away a little longer than 18 hours, as I am heading over to Luton airport this evening. I will be staying in Hemel Hempstead tonight, and have a meeting in Hemel tomorrow morning regards the project that I am currently considering getting involved in. I then have a lunch with another company that want my views on blogging and the corporate world. I am then going to catch a train up to Stoke to spend an evening with my parents before heading over to Dublin for three nights.

Apologies (again) for how quiet it has been. One reason is that I am trying to figure out the best direction for the blog, on the back of something that Mac asked me ………

He asked why I didn’t combine this blog with the Almerimar Life one as that blog also covers a lot of personal stuff. I am not that inclined to do that but it has got me thinking about how the two sites can best run side by side. Maybe less personal stuff on this site and get back to more reviews and in depth articles?

Last time I was in the UK I got fed up with having no WiFi, or having to pay stupid prices (£5 an hour in the hotel), or waiting for a 3G iPhone that I decided to look at a mobile broadband solution.

The one I elected to go with was the Web ‘n’ Walk from T-Mobile, specifically the Pay as you Go option.

I paid £99 for the USB modem, and it costs £4 per day for unlimited access (subject to fair use policy) which is pretty good compared to the options at hotels, airports etc.

I am going to be in the UK next week doing some work in Tring. I fly into Stanstead on the afternoon of the 27th and fly out of Luton on the afternoon of the 1st. I have no idea what my schedule is (but expect to be busy) and have no hire car booked so am probably somewhat restricted as to transport, but if anybody is around or close let me know and we will see what we can do about meeting up.

OK, so this may seem a little strange but the background to this post is twofold:

1. I have just gone through a cleansing of my email folders and removed in excess of 20 emails related to review items that I have been offered (and had confirmed) but that have not arrived yet. Believe it or not I had at least seven (7) from the same PR agency, some dating back to October 2007,

2. During CES I blogged a huge amount for one of my clients and got incredibly frustrated at the way the Press Releases were presented.

Or more accurately – no progress! At 217 lbs I have had a static week which is OK given that I haven’t really started running yet and had a pretty abnormal week on the home front, ate Chinese during the week, ate biscuits over the weekend, and have been eating too much bread.

On a positive note the weight and abs have gone well.

The bottom line though is that this is a really poor level of focus and commitment and I really do need to pick up the pace a lot!

My father has just emailed me from Florida to say that I have received a letter informing me that I am part of a class action lawsuit!

“Subject to final Court approval, a settlement has been reached in In re Foreign Currency Conversion Fee Antitrust Litigation (MDL 1409). This web site supplies information about the litigation and the settlement, and provides links to relevant documents for Members of the Settlement Classes and others interested in the settlement.

First up an advance warning – I am really after your participation through this post!

I have never really got into digg. In the past I have had days when I have visited it a lot, and then months when I don’t bother at all. I initially perceived it as a ‘cult’ type activity, and I still pretty much feel the same. I admire tremendously what they have achieved, but I feel that the ‘desire to be dugg’ has overtaken the desire to post good content, and I find the commenters tend more towards the smart arse, put you down type of comments than the constructive, insightful or helpful. In short, it comes over as a club that people are desperate to be members of, but that aren’t that respectful to new members.

The Miglia Blog has now gone live.

Miglia asked me some time ago if I would be prepared to work with them on developing, launching and maintaining their new blog. We discussed the various options and ways in which it could work, and it became obvious that with my background and their current position there was more I could offer than ‘just’ blogging.

As such in addition to working with them on the design and the launch of the new blog I am going to:

Another quick ‘heads up’ (horrible American phrase that is is!!).

I will be in the UK on the 6th and 7th of November doing some consultancy. I will be around Aylesbury on the evening of the 6th and although I am meant to be having a dinner if you are in the area let me know and we can try and meet up.

On the 7th I will be in the Haywards Heath area with Danny and Darren, so if you are around let me know.