Here comes the weekend

Being self employed you don't generally realise there is a bank holiday coming up until you try and book a meeting and the customer points it out. I'm hoping it is good weather this weekend and getting on with the garden. I've just ordered a new greenhouse which will be arriving in a couple of weeks - so have to prepare the garden for that - its a polycarbonate / acrylic greenhouse so if rebecca runs in to it later this year she'll just bounce off it.

Been busy with work as usual. I'm delighted one of my customers has started a blog - he is a CRM consultant and is posting relevant topics on his blog. We also made some amendments to the rest of his site - Mareeba. The site is currently stuck in the Google sandbox, but interestingly it is number 4 in Yahoo UK web pages for CRM Consultancy and No. 10 for CRM consultant - not a bad result. Also been asked to set up another blog for another customer. It really is a great way to make a site sticky and gaining repeat visitors. The test with Mareeba is if the blog drags it out of the Google sandbox.

A bird of prey in the garden

I took delivery of a new digital camera on Tuesday and haven't quite learnt out how to take photos yet with it - we had a tremendously exciting viewing of nature in action with what I think is a sparrowhawk dismantling its prey - probably a starling by the looks of it - and most of the phots I took were out of focus. d'oh. What a marvellous site though. Wonder if this will happen again - and if the NSE development takes place? Click for images of the Sparrowhawk.

Speaking of NSE development, there was a meeting last night at 7.30. I turned up at the council offices but it was moved to one of the SENSE campaigners houses. One of the other councillors said if I was busy to not bother as there were plenty of them - so I came home and carried on working.

My knee is now almost back to normal, in fact it went down on the Tues the same days as it blew up - so quick - but I had a later night on Tues night and earlier Wed morning so it hasn't fully recovered yet. At least I can walk fine though :-)

Parish Council meeting

Went to the monthly parish council meeting last night - missed the last one with flu. Not the most interesting I've been to, but as always some "highlights"

- Two new parish councilors were voted in after two resignations - I'm pleased the Conservatives didn't call an election in each of the wards (Gold Hill and Central) as they did in Chalfont Common (where ironically a liberal candidate was elected) - each time they ask for an election if costs the parish around £1500 - they were too busy with the main election apparently - but that could have cost the parish £4,500 in a year - out of an overall budget of £200,000 - i'm sure there are better things to spend the budget on that trying to elect their cronies

- A new PCSO (Police Community Support Officer for Chalfont St Peter - we are discussing the agreement between us and Thames Valley Police - we pay for about 50% I believe - they have confidence we will sign as one has already been recruited and is in training!! I mentioned that it ideally needs to be in the evenings as well as daytime shifts

- Speaking of all things police - we have purchased the red cross building - we are now doing updates and improvements but on the plans includes two rooms for police and police lockers - the parish was very keen to improve access to the village for the local police and this more local base will enable them to do so. We will probably be moving in in the autumn.

- Several meetings coming up - a pre enquiry meeting with SENSE is being held on Wed evening at 7.30 - I'm expected to be there - some re-arrangement of my diary is needed if i'm to make it (I'm already not able to make yet another Tithe Barn meeting tonight), there is also an open evening meeting in May when the public hear reports from each of the commmittees and the chairman and then field questions from the floor. There is also another meeting to decide the next lot of committee structure - be interesting if some of the newer members are given wider roles - I've heard a rumour the new chairman will be doing this which is good news.

- The Denham aerodrome consultation meeting apparently lasted just 16 minutes. None of our representatives for Debenham House have been invited to a meeting, and as nobody turned up they are deciding not to hold any more - I understand that this was set up because the NHS rented this from the NSE and it was for mental health patients.

I think that was about it we finished at about 9.15 - nobody from the public attending either which is unusual - just Ben from the Bucks Ad.

Yesterday was generally a quiet day so went to the gym at 4.30. My knee has swollen overnight and now dificult to walk (not related of course) and I received a new Digital Camera from Pixmania - fortunately all of the instructions are in French - how come we have multi language over here and France only French?

She's Off

Ickle Rebecca is now moving very easily around - so this is the next big phase then - we won't just be able to leave her in the lounge or wherever happily playing with a toy now. The first indication was when we walked in and she had her hand right next to the vase of flowers on the fireplace - almost came over and water everywhere - phew. Anyway, a sharp wake up call lol. Went up to my old college friend ash's at the weekend - had a very pleasant time (Ipswich). Rebecca was on top form - they have a wonderful little girl called Lauren. Took some great photos.

I'm still not having much luck with persuading my clients to put in a weblog on their web sites - only one so far - despite it being very easy to update. This site is being battered by Google at present due to the new blogger web log - I'm doing a test with this one customer later this week - he is currently in the Google sandbox so will be interesting to see if he exits once he puts this weblog up.

Had a pleasant pint in the white hart Chalfont St Peter last night - some amusing anecdotes - how we laughed when Martin told us that he'd filled Otty's car up with Petrol instead of diesel on Friday night. Only had 3 1/2 pints and a bottle of mineral water. Also had a vin da loo from the Tripti - not too bad.

Well done to Crystal Palace for beating Liverpool at the weekend - most unexpected - think we caught them at just the right time - we have Newcastle Away next with Southampton and Charlton after. Newcastle could be an interesting game - Norwich I believe won their recently and Newcastle are still mathmatically able to go down this season - great move getting rid of Bobby Robson .....

Very busy week on again.