The geek shall inherit the earth

It won't come as a surprise to anyone reading this who knows me but at all...

I'm a geek.

Meeting people and making small talk is most definitely not my forte. I'm always anxious if I know about it in advance. In fact, I used to avoid it altogether if I could.

These days, I make more of an effort and most of the time the effort is well worth it (we'll leave aside a couple of cringe inducing incidents, shall we?)

So yesterday, the combined desire to get somewhere new to look at taking some stock photos and to meet up with someone with whom I've shared the odd email, tweet and Flickr comment saw me on the train (and replacement bus service) to Birmingham.

I have to say, Brum is a place I only travel through and would never have considered as a destination so when M lists some of the places I might consider looking at I have to re-evaluate.

I arrive at New Street and locate M...or rather, he locates me.

Naturally, first stop is coffee/tea and I fear my lack of ability to talk about the weather, Big Brother and whatever else is often a good common starting place will hamper flowing conversation. I needn't have worried...

M is a programmer. We were soon geeking away like old pals. His enthusiasm for his work is apparent and once again I'm envious of anyone who is so caught up in what they do to pay the bills.

Then we have a wander around the city. I am transfixed by the place. Far from dingy tired image I had of it, I got the impression of a lively and vibrant place.

We stroll down to the delightful "Gas Street Basin" a regenerated part of the inner city canal system. The place is clean and tidy without being sterile. The bridges and brickwork are original but not looking tired. James Brindley would have been pleased, I think.

It's possible that there was some canal geekery on my part at this point. I make no apology for it but I probably got nearly to seal-clapping territory and I forced M to listen to me enthuse about the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

Fewer pictures were taken than I'd planned but I'm perfectly content to wander and chat and then go and drink more coffee.

Over coffee we chat about how neither of us have lifestyles that would be considered entirely conventional - I mean, we spend our time happily fiddling with bits of machinery, taking photographs and chatting to people on the internet. We also agree that we like it that way - golf and car obsession being largely over-rated, an all.

It was very, very relaxing to not have to spend time feeling the need to explain away some of the aspects of my life in the way I so often do.

I did squeeze a few minutes "new" work into the day but mostly it was about good company and strolling and looking at a new city. A city I'll undoubtedly return to because it's clearly got a lot of photographic potential.

A big win all round for me...

Thanks M


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The meeting of two minds

At the moment the perpetual question from friends, family and colleagues is

"So, how are you feeling about leaving work?"

With about a month to go until my last day in the industry I've spent the last 27 years in...I would say I'm in two minds.

Mind one says "can't wait" and mind two says "Holy crap! What have you done?????"

Mind two had been winning.

Then a week or so ago, TD makes a suggestion to kick start the business proposition we'd been steadily working up for the last couple of months. What followed is a flurry of actvity to get from almost a standing start to a point where we almost have an organization to work within.

I've learned about domains, webhosting, HTML, limited companies vs LLPs, VAT, corporation tax, and, and...

It's all been a bit of a blur.

Voice one got a little louder in my interview at the local Business Links office. As I explain to the advisor what it is we're trying to do, I see that I've made myself understood...and he thinks it's a great idea.

I'm even surprised, when he asked me some pertinent "feasibility" type questions, that they are questions I've already asked and we have answers for.

Then today TD and DM come round to my place for a discussion about another potential project. Listening to two of my favourite people enthuse over design, and architecture and stuff like that is a treat in itself. Then they include me in the conversation like I have something to contribute beyond nailing them down for dates and agreeing who does what. Bliss.

It was hard work and, damn it all, this is the weekend. But if this is what work can be like - at least some of the time - then bring it on.

As I sit here fiddling some more with website stuff I barely understand, and trying to get more soon-to-be-work stuff going voice two ain't getting a look in.



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