Matt Charlton

It’s Red Nose day today, we had a fancy dress thing at work where we had to donate a fiver and we all came in in Fancy Dress. 

Here’s a general video walkround of the office with some of the people in costume.

We also had a couple of events.

An impromptu chest waxing session where the MD agreed to have his chest waxed if we could get another £50 together (it didn’t take long for the money to start appearing)

We also had a horsey ride for James and Craig kindly given by Karl.

All in all it was a great day.  We’ve raised a fair bit of cash for comic relief and everyone had a good laugh (we even managed to squeeze a fair bit of work in )

Well that was an experience. 

I’ve been down to London almost properly now.  Apparently I went down when I was 4 to the Ideal Homes Show (I’m reliably informed by my mother).  Hi mum! (She hates it when I call her mother).  I’ve been down to BETT twice before but both times a coach dropped us off outside the entrance and picked us up.  I saw London through some glass. 

This time we were staying in a proper hotel, walking around the centre, I even got on the tube.  I was absolutely dreading it.  Just the idea of being packed on a very small train with lots of people (some of them with less than ideal personal hygiene levels) just makes me feel sick to the stomach. 

It was lunchtime however and shouldn’t have been too busy so we decided to get the tube.  It was awesome, just like in the movies.  Wasn’t too busy either, managed to grab a seat.  I wouldn’t have done it in rush hour though – especially not with luggage. If I’d not had over £2000 worth of kit with me, I’d have maybe thought about it. 

Train journeys there and back were fine – had reserved seats both ways so everything was okay. 

I enjoyed walking around the capital and I would have loved to have seen more of it.  Definately want to go back with Sue and make a long weekend out of it. 

The show itself, fantastic.  Well, we as a company were.  I didn’t get as much chance to get out and about and see the other stands as I would have liked but I had a great time on the Frog stand.  We were packed – from opening till closing the stand was rammed with very excited people who were eager to learn more about the platform, what it was and existing customers who wanted to see the changes brought in on Frog 3. 

I really enjoyed meeting the customers, its always great to put names to faces and it was even better to see their excitement with regards to the new products and features.  They loved it. 

I have so much faith in the product and love what it can do that I sometimes wish I could have the chance to use it properly as an end user, building up sites and turning ideas into real, functioning modules.  It’s awesome and having worked in schools in the past I know why our customers get so excited about the product. 

My feet are killing me, weigh in day tomorrow – I’ll post with an update once I’m up and weighed.

Tuesday 28th October signalled that it had been exactly three months since I started at Frog.  Basically this means that my probation period is over and I’m now a permanent employee.  Fantastic  

I’m still really enjoying the work and I’m learning so much it just feels so invigorating and refreshing. 

We completed another office move this week, the desks have been moved around to try to make the layout a little more fluid and sit departments who need to talk to each other closer together.  I’ve ended up with a window seat which is great for my SAD.  combined with getting out at lunchtime in the daylight means that the last few weeks have been much better than the last month or so.  The main reason for me ending up with the window this time round is because we’ve flipped sides, so we’re now facing towards the front of the office, I need to talk to Al a fair bit and he would have been on my left – absolutely useless for me with me being deaf on my left side. 

I’ve got two days off to use up before the end of the year.  I’m planning on taking Sue away again for the weekend, either sometime in November or December depending on prices and various other factors.

First choice would have been Disneyland Paris, it was generally this sort of time of year when we’ve gone.  Checked Jet2 for prices and it was £19.99 each, each way.  Great – Around £80 for the trip, similar to what I paid last time.  Click Next…… £280.  What…the….fuck?

Taxes, fuel surcharges, baggage fees.  Sod that for a lark. 

Checked Eurotunnel prices, not much different, its too far to drive and it’d be a pain in the arse on a coach. 

Plus just to make sure, I checked the prices for Disney on a three night basis – cheapest I could do it for was £488.  You’re looking at just short of £800 for a weekend away.  Jesus Christ. 

I bet for not a lot more you could do a week in Florida on a no frills. 

So we’re looking at somewhere in this Country again.  Blackpool is going to be mostly closed or filled with stags and hens which I just can’t be arsed with at the moment, Whitby would be really nice but we’d need to stay somewhere close to the town centre, Red House Farm was lovely but when you’re there for a weekend and you don’t have cooking facilities we found it to be a little limiting, especially when Whitby itself was a good 8 mile drive away. 

Theres always Scarborough, its just a case of finding a nice, quiet, central hotel with access to decent, free parking.  Itching to get out with the camera again and since the weekends are my only real oppertunity to do so I want to make the most of it. 

I also fancy just spending an entire day shoving  2p pieces into pacman ball / coin dropper machines.  Its fun.  Some would even go so far as calling it thereapeutic. 

Trying to organise a curry with the people from work next week.  So far its looking good with at least 10 of us going.  Mmmmmm curry.