July Challenge Update and August Challenge

So yes. Last month’s challenge was one I must say I wasn’t looking forward to. Change diet and get generally fitter. Just how did I do?

July Challenge – Get Fitter: Failed Miserably!

Yes, I was semi on the wagon for the first two weeks, but actually finishing off my book (and getting it released) along with work on another website, and generally being incredibly busy, has meant I fell well and truly off the wagon the last two weeks. I am better than I was, but nowhere near good as the goal I set myself. I need more gym time (as it was pointed out to me at Britannia Wrestling on Saturday, where I couldn’t carry a wooden chair between two people). Maybe next month my life will calm down (hardly likely if week 1 is anything to go by, and then the football season begins again!).

Oh well. Destined to be a fat bastard. I have become to accept it a bit though.

August Challenge – Pick Up More Money off The Table

So August’s challenge is the other element of my life that’s a bit of a mess – all my other websites.

You see, with the exception  of WP Email Capture’s site, I kind of forget about my sites. As such, I’ve left myself loads to do. Things change. So I’ve compiled a to-do list on my old or not working sites and see what I can do by the end of the month:-

  • Retro Garden – Rewrite the “Write for Us” page as it’s quite contradictory. Convert the Retro Games Shop into something that bloody works (probably into something involving eBay Feeds for WordPress). Dump the other shop as it’s bloody annoying me and completely out of service.
  • tweets2csv.com – Add some sort of advertising, be it a CPM or Adsense or Buy Sell Ads, so I can earn something from it.
  • This site – Make it responsive
  • Winwar Media Site – Make it responsive, add some sort of Schema.org to bbPress Complete Book Page. Add pages for the portfolio work I’ve recently done.

So I’m trying to avoid working on any more new stuff until I’ve done the above. Wish me luck!

Confessions of a WordCamp Virgin

I must admit, I’ve been suffering recently with what is jokingly called “Chronic Conference Fatigue Syndrome”.

You know the feeling, but are probably yet to admit it. The last few conferences I have been to have been a little bit underwhelming. More focus on how much drink is drunk afterwards. Politics. “Big Name” speakers sold as the next big thing from organisers who come in, charge a fortune that is passed onto the ticket for the privilege of selling to an auditorium. Itchy Lanyards.

ALWAYS with the itchy landyards.

So it was with a wee bit of trepidation that I attended WordCamp UK. My first WordPress UK Conference.

In short, it was a bit of strategy that I attended (nay, sponsored!) the conference. More and more of my SEO role at 3 Door Digital has been WordPress based, so I felt it was good to mix with the community a little more. So I attended with Alex & my mate John to the sixth ever WordCamp UK, in the leafy town of Lancaster.

The night before began in the leafy surroundings of the Water Witch, with a few other WordPressy types. It was a blast! WordPress’ trials and tribulations were discussed over a pint or two right over the canal. Genuinely couldn’t think of many better ways to spend a Friday night.

wordcamp1

So came to the conference, what of it? Well it was a “hackday” themed affair from my perspective. Not as slick as many other conferences I’ve attended, but full of well meaning and passionate people happy to talk about things. Food was pretty good too.

All in all, many – if not all – of the sessions I attended were enjoyable and had actual bloody takeaways from. Absolutely unheard of from conferences I’ve attended recently. However three talks that I learned the most from were the following:-

Three presentations caught my eye in particular:-

Taking Taxonomies Totally To The Top from Simon Wheatley (@simonwheatley), who’s talk gave some great ideas on how to take taxonomies to the next level, particularly when it comes to bookmarks.

WOW! Plugins 2013 from Kimb Jones (@mkjones), as any presentation with at least one plugin that makes me download there and then in the auditorium is worth a share.

The Base Ingredients for Debugging by Jenny Wong (@miss_jwo) was probably my favourite presentation of the day, largely because it was reassurance. I’m largely self taught in WordPress development, so am kind of finding my own way, so for somebody with a little more experience to stand on stage and say that the debugging methods used are similar to the ones I use is rather reassuring :). Furthermore, I’m now a convert into “Rubber Duck Debugging”!

The day ended with a social, and was quite a friendly and nice affair in one of the campus bars on the site. Unfortunately the bloody Race for Life closing off half of Lancaster’s bus routes prevented me from attending the second day, but I saw enough to re-ignite a fire for conferences.

And it was much less than the price of some conference tickets that exude all of the “qualities” discussed in the opening paragraph.

It was my first WordCamp, but won’t be my last. In fact, a troop of us are heading to WordCamp Europe in Amsterdam in a few weeks. If you actually want to learn about WordPress, I implore you to attend.

Big thanks to Primary Image for the images for this post!

bbPress Free Tickets Now Available

I’ve come back from WordCamp Lancaster and am still recovering, so whilst I write up that event, I’ve got a small bit of news.

This Saturday is my bbPress Book Launch Party (which is looking less and less likely I’ll actually have a book out by then, damn delays), and right now free tickets are available.

It would be great to see you there! Tickets are available until they’re gone.

June Challenge Update & July Challenge

So another month begins! It has been a mental 6 months for me, and already 2013 is shaping up to be a huge year. If you would’ve said to me that in 6 months ago I’d have started a business and written a book, I’d probably called you a nutcase, but after half of 2013, it’s been incredible ride.

Unfortunately, this has reflected on something which putting right will be my focus for my July Challenge.

June Challenge – Saving Stuff: Complete! (I Think)

So yes, I just about managed to put a fifth of my wage into my savings account, which was an achievement in itself, however I did go into my overdraft the last week of June – for no other reason that my last week was just a wee bit mental. Ay well, but managed to put away the amount I wanted to. No more mental weeks for me, certainly not in July…..

July Challenge – Get Fitter

….as July’s challenge is quite simply to get fitter. These last two or 3 months have been so busy, that they culiminated spectacularly on Wednesday night – where after booking The Nook for the bbPress Complete Launch Party I took it upon myself to sample the range of beverages that they have to offer, and also went out again on Thursday. And Friday.

It’s beginning to take it’s toll, and feel myself getting bigger and feeling a bit bleh when I look at myself in the mirror. This culminated on Saturday where I ran downstairs and back up again to get to the postman and found myself out of breath.

Yikes.

So inspired in part by Richard Shove’s gym and diet session, I’m going to try and increase the amount of exercise I am doing. I started on Sunday with a gym session and although I was quite sore on Sunday night, I was surprised how fit I actually was (managed a good hour or so with about 35 minutes cardio, 25 minutes weights). I do actually walk a fair bit (I walk 3 miles to work most mornings), and general dicking about with the wrestling means I’m not completely stationary.

It’s not a diet per-se, as I actually eat pretty good (not perfect, like I don’t shovel Kale down my gullet like it’s going out of fashion), plus probably my biggest weakness for calories (alcohol) will probably be knocked on the head if I’m spending more time in the gym.

So yes, those last two paragraphs explain my biggest problem – I make excuses for my fitness far too easy, as I generally say I’m not that bad. So for the next 30 days, no excuses. This month I’ll do the following:-

  • Walk to/from work at least 20 times (so a walk to and from work in one day counts as 2).
  • At least 12 other active sessions (be it gym or a swim or something else)

I’m not setting any goals, but my reward is if I do this I’ll probably lose weight, and if I don’t I’ll probably still be a fat unhealthy bastard. That’s my reward & punishment. Wish me luck!

bbPress Complete – Announcement & Launch Party

Otherwise known as “my big news from April as my April Challenge“.

I have written a book.

A genuine, published, “buy it in Waterstones if you ask for it but can buy it off Amazon no problem” book.

I was approached a few months ago by a publishing firm asking if I wanted pitch for the possible writing of a book. After a bit of research, and a pitch, I was accepted and for the last two months I’ve been scribbling away at a book.

It’s been hard, it’s been tough (writers block is so much worse when you have deadlines), but on or around the 19th of July, bbPress Complete (a provisional title) is expected to launch, all being well.

I haven’t done it alone, so a huge thank you to various people: Cass Brookes, Shane Jones, Alex Moss, John Wilson, Jem Turner, Joost de Valk, Nile Flores, Emily Clark & Adam Croft who have helped me or offered to help me in the process.

During one of those periods of writers block, I went out for a drink with Shane, and we decided that the best way to celebrate the release of the book would be a launch party on or around the launch date. As tonight I finally confirmed the venue for the book launch, I feel it’s a good point to share it with people.

The event will be held in The Nook in Chorlton, and is invite only. There will be free tickets available the week before the event, but for now, to gauge interest, there are only paid tickets, which includes a signed copy of the book (either at the event or as soon as I get the copies), and a free drink. To know how much I love buying drinks for people, that’s worth the price of admission itself.

To buy tickets, or to read more about the event, please visit Eventbrite.

So yeah, it’s been a secret for ages, I’m just delighted to share it. Feel free to ask questions/congratulate/mock me now. All I can say is yes I had a proof reader and no it’s not written in Welsh.