Ben Helps is an ex Novocastrian, part time IT consulting, coffee swilling, agnostic, tinkering, blogging, dog breeding, funny, home business driven, wannabe handyman and devoted husband.
Now once I've fired up SecondLife, Skype, Winamp, Thunderbird, uTorrent, Joost and Clamwin (on Vista no less), all I need is another few Gig of RAM.
For a long time I’ve felt that I needed a change. I’ve felt that my work was taking me away from family too much. Recently the feeling finally built to the level where I had to act on it.
So, I’ve jumped into a fairly major career change. No, I didn’t audition for Australian Idol. I’ve started (or more properly reinstated) my own business.
Why so different? Well, the business is in retail trade, as a mobile pet supply store. Yep, Amanda and I have leased an existing mobile dog shop that travels to dog shows and sells to dog show exhibitors. We sell leads, collars, crates, shampoos & conditioners, supplements, treats, dryers, clippers, etc, etc.
While it’s a huge change of direction from programming and we have next to no experience in retail sales, so far it’s proven relatively easy. Don’t get me wrong, we’re putting in much longer hours that my previous (winding up) job, but when you’re with family it doesn’t feel so much like work. And unlike some sales jobs, once we’re set up at a show we just wait for customers to come to us.
I’ll still be doing IT work on a contract basis, but it will no longer take me away from my family. Here’s hoping all goes well and I’m still in business in five years.
Let’s just test this TXP plugin that should enable lazy podcast syndication.
Recently we went to an Ag show in Dubbo to show our dogs, and while there collected some freebies from an energy company. We scored some energy saver lightbulbs and a AAA-rated showerhead.
I thought I’d give it a go on getting home, as it’s much newer and cleaner than our existing showerhead.
However on first use one thing became apparent to me – if you’re used to a powerful shower, you have to take longer showers with this showerhead, as the lower pressure means it takes longer for water to rinse shampoo, soap and conditioner.
I suppose you probably still save overall, but really…
Being doubled is a humbling experience. Suddenly you’re no longer in control (except for choosing not to hop on).
Today on the ride home the clutch cable decided to give way on the bike. I managed to nurse it along to the nearest bike shop, convince them to re-open, and on finding out they didn’t have the part in stock, to give me a double to the train station.
Looking back I realise the bike had been giving me hints. I’d adjusted the clutch cable out a few times, figuring it was just the adjusting screws loosening back into position.
Recently Vince of AmBlogger.net made a bit of a faux pas. He presumably idolises Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger.net (or at least it’s layout) enough to pretty much entirely rip it(’s visuals) off.
At some stage Darren found out about it and after some communications between them Darren posted about it on ProBlogger. His post was relatively gracious and not bitter, evidence of Darren’s good character. Many of his readers and spectators however, were not nearly so forgiving.
On the extreme we have people like Cowboy of JackOfAllBlogs.com, who in reference to Vince said he’d like to “rip you a new asshole”. Even the average commenter seemed to lean on the side of virtual lynch-mob-dom, for the most part.
Personally I think it’s largely overblown. Sure if he’d ripped off CNN or something similar he’d be hearing from the lawyers, but
from a glance at his postings I truly don’t think Darren would be losing income of it.
References:
AmBlogger.net (Google cache)
ProBlogger.net (the one and only?)
JackOfAllBlogs.com
Cnn.com
I hope you stick around…
Yeah, enough cheese. Here am I. My current abode, or rather the current abode of my digital bits and bobs. It’s really not much to look at, but I call it home.
I’m thinking of renovating. You know, finding some new furnishings, maybe knocking out a non-load-bearing wall or two… I mean, this kit-home look is nice and all, but a place just doesn’t feel like home until you’ve gutted the theme and made it your own, ya know?
Ahh, a(nother) hot day in Australia.
Sitting on a park bench, looking out over the ocean.
A strong onshore breeze blowing from a harbour filled with sea haze.
Sitting watching the seagulls and surfers jockey for position.
Nothing compares.
This area is a focus for my career related resources. It includes (or will include) my Resume, examples of my work (in terms of code, documentation and specs) and other employment related material.
As development items in my Shed mature they invariably make their way here.
Crikey!
At last check the thermometer in our kitchen registered 41 degrees Celsius! That’s … err … 106 degrees Fahrenheit.
In our loungeroom with the air conditioning on full blast it’s brought all the way down to about 36 degrees Celcius. Oh yay. We’re slothing on the lounge directly under the air conditioner, rotating a dozen or so frozen bottles of water between us and the freezer. I think if we have to survive another two months of this, we’ll melt.
Maybe I should buy a few bags of ice from the local servo and fill up the bath.
