After all, there is only so much a person can take in reading the previous evening’s news in the morning Metro, and then the day’s summary of celebrity gossip in the London Lite, and London Paper…I skim through the papers in a good 10 minutes, which still leaves me with a remaining 40 minutes to occupy myself on the tube…

The problem is that the rate in which I’m going through books, and the cost in which books are these days on Amazon (and lack of variety in the local charity shop), along with the credit crunchness of the current economic climate, I could do with as much help as I could get with fueling my demand for literature without costing too much.

Yes there is the option of the library, but I’m the sort who likes to own books…as well as acquire books that I know will just gather dust…so it was thanks to a dear friend that I was recently introduced to the site Read It Swap It.

The concept is simple…you read a book, and you either keep it for yourself, or add it to your profile as books you like to swap with other readers.  You create a wishlist of books (or simply search for books) you like, and initiate a swap.  All it costs is postage (which can be around £1), and that is it!

Recycling, and gaining books you want to read, in exchange for books you no longer want.  Sheer brilliance!

So get out there people, and join the read it swap it phenomenon..

I have been to the Philippines to vist my family, and see my cousin get married. I have become “established” by entering into my 30s, and I have completed what I was set out to do in my job.

Just within the last week, I left my role as front end developer at QVC. It was the longest time I had worked for one company (excluding the student days of waitressing god awful shifts at a pizza restaurant), and to not be there now seems very strange indeed.

When I had joined, the site itself was very different. It was built using framesets (YES that’s right…you read that correctly), and everything was laid out in tables, which were built using various wysiwyg software. Web standards was not something that was a priority in developers heads, accessibility was not too much of an issue, and search engine optimisation was but a dream.

I knew I had my work cut out for me, but I embraced the challenge to help try and modernise the website. I went on workshops and courses, I attended events specifically for front end development, and I generally learned a lot about how things should be done to improve a website on all front end levels. I persisted in what I thought was the way to go; I would often come across walls which would make me lose my motivation, but I kept going.

Two and a half years later, I’m proud to say that the site and the team working to maintain and improve the website, are in a much better place; and I would hope that I have helped be part of that. I know that any replacement developer will do just as good a job, but I hope that the legacy I have left for maintaining web standards, building for accessibility and SEO, and continuously learning more about front end development will remain.

During this time I gained a lot out of this job, both professionally and personally! How to approach the way projects continuously change; how to work with people that are both technically minded and business minded; how to keep a sense of humour when things are bad; how to be patient when things aren’t going my way; how to stop moaning, and get on with things; how to not let things phase you; and how to try and inspire people as much as they inspire me.

Its always a strange thing to be with your colleagues 5 days a week, 7 hours a day, and suddenly adjust to not being around them anymore. My last week was very surreal, hearing from colleagues in the US that I didn’t have regular contact with to say goodbye, finishing up the handover period, clearing my desk. I have to say that working at QVC certainly had its challenges, but I left with a good feeling about what I had been part of, who I had worked with, and where things are heading for both myself in my career, and for the company.

Now, I’m adjusting to being the new girl again, in a completely different place. Fitting into the new group dynamics, getting a feel for what the work is like, learning the ropes, and forgetting it all within the first week. I’m confident that I’ll be able to contribute my pennies worth, and progress further in what I want to do, but can’t help but feel a bit out of my depth, and a fish out of water at the moment.

For now, I would like to say, thanks to the guys at QVC. I’ve teamed up with a variety of individuals in the past, but have to say that I have worked with some amazing and talented individuals during my time there. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve pulled my hair out, but I know I’ve left with a great sense of achievement, and a good number of friends. The new guys I’m working with, will have a lot to live up to.

A chapter closes, and a new one begins…so here’s to a clean slate and fresh start.

Blue Chip, over and out!

Tags: dancing, popping, locking

Just before Christmas I’d met up with a few of my old flatmates from uni, and we did the standard, catchup on what everyone was doing, where they were living, etc etc. One of them in particular was on a strange healthy eating regime, which at the time I didn’t really question. The next I’d heard, she’d applied to enter the london marathon, and had been given a place!

Now the girl has set up a training blog (she calls is a jog blog),  and is avidly trying to rustle up some good ol’ fundraising for Cancer Research, so here I am doing my bit for the virtual world and spreading the word.

I for one will do this event one day…but while I wait for that day to come, I will happily support those training and fundraising for this 26.2 mile event.

RUN HAMER RUN!!!

I’ve lost my flow and have merely become a spectator in the virtual world rather than a participator.

I’ve been toying with the idea of finally working on sorting out this virtual home that I have but I just haven’t had the time recently…but it will happen I tell you, and I will be back with more things to say, and more things to show.

Keep posted!

Yesterday headed down to Richmond with a few friends to enjoy the warm weather.

Very bizaare seeming as its only the middle of April, but the sun was out, the drinks were being consumed, and the crowds of people sitting on the green near the Thames was pretty awesome. Flipflops, shorts, skirts and usual summer wear was out.

People were jumping off the bridge into the water, couples were rowing along (much to the amusement of the drunken blokes egging them to race), and icecream vendors were making a killing.

Pretty obvious its gonna be snowing next week then!

I found a lot of my relatives from across the globe on this place, and found it a great way to stay in touch with them. I have since closed my account, and replaced it with the latest “trendy” networks of friendster, myspace, linkedin and more recently facebook. Some of them I visit often, others I leave for weeks.

Truth of the matter is, why is there a need for signing up to so many when you’d think one would be enough. I know I’m not the only one that is part of these social networks as a number of my friends are on the same networks as myself. I recently got invited to tagged but couldn’t for the life of me see the point.

Are we now becoming so obsessed with web communities that we’d rather spend our time online and signed up to these different networks, then even going out and “networking” with our peers on a regular night out?

The web is about bringing people together, and I think its great when it does if you have people signed up from all parts of the globe, but I do find it hilarious when you communicate with friends when you’re sitting in the same office, live down the same round and you hear things first through the sites rather than in person…

What is the world coming to?

The UK has never really been a country that has a lot of snow, but woke up this morning and saw my back garden was all pretty and white!!!

It looks so peaceful outside, so I hate to think how much chaos this is causing on the trains, tubes and roads.

Hopefully it’ll stay like this for a while as I hate the thought of black ice, and much prefer the idea of snow angels and snow men!!! (Tis the inner child in me coming out!)

Today is World Aids Day. Wear your ribbon with pride!

Tags: World+Aids+Day

“Blah…stupid tube…left the house at 7:50am and its now 10am! Stuck in traffic for 30 minutes due to rain. Central line suspended. Circle and District lines delayed. Hopped onto Piccadilly line, for it to stop between every single stop all the way to Knightsbridge!!! Then come out to see the 137 bus pulling away…makes me wonder why I bothered to come into work at all.”

And you wonder why commuter rage exists?!?!

With reference to the Euro lottery:

“I take it that because we’re all sitting at our desks…none of us won the millions on Friday then!?!”

Yep that’s right…I missed out on the winnings…oh well, there’s always next time!