Surprise
Well, that meeting went absolutely nothing like I expected it to. Needless to say I didn't want to go, but it had to be done sometime. Darius was actually there when I arrived though, which already makes a change from the usual. I went downstairs to the office to meet him, and he told me what he wanted to get done. Just to get the software installed on the one computer he had set up on the desk, and make sure that the camera system didn't stop working in the process. That was simple enough, and indeed it was done very soon. I was happy enough that it'd been a quick job and I was ready to leave. Darius was on the phone for the moment, and whilst I was waiting for him to finish the other man in the office asked me what my rate would be to look at a laptop he was having problems with. I told him £10 per hour, and he was okay with that. I said I was going to go home then though, since Mum had given me a lift up, whilst she could do a bit of shopping at the nearby Asda, and I had to be ready to go back with her. He said I could just take it home with me and bring it back, so now we were just waiting for Darius.
When Darius got of the phone I showed him everything working, and he asked if I'd mind setting up one more computer that was still in it's box. I told him I had to go, but he said he'd give me a lift home later, so I accepted that and called Mum to let her know. Considering everything was going quite well so far I wasn't too bothered about staying a bit longer. He wasn't expecting me to do it anyway, only asking for my help; the three of us got it all set up together, and I got the system installed and working on it.
Then, something seemed to go wrong - Darius called from the office and said the camera system wasn't working. I went to take a look, and he was right - the section of the web interface that lets you view more than two cameras at once wasn't working, when it had been a moment ago. I tried everything I could think of but couldn't fix it... but what was strange was that the rest of the functions were working very well. In the end I had to resign to saying he'd have to get someone who knew how the program works to sort it out, and for the first time ever, he actually accepted that it wasn't anything to do with us.
Then, he worried me again. He asked me to come and sit down so we could talk, and started outlining his idea for some software he wanted. I was getting ready to turn him down, thinking it was yet more feature requests, and told him "we need to be completely finished with this system first, before starting anything new"... and he just said okay. I was surprised enough by that, but then came the money. The outstanding amount on the project was about £750, and he gave me £700 in cash right there. True, not all of it still, but he'd demonstrated a couple of things to me that I could agree should be fixed or changed, and that weren't new features. We made a little written agreement that was a receipt for the £700, and a mini-contract stating that the remainder would be paid once the 'bugs' were fixed. These things were so small that I've actually just done them tonight, in about twenty minutes.
He also told me that the owner of a larger chain of restaurants had been to seen him a couple of days ago, and he'd been selling our system to him. Apparently we can expect a call very soon - if it happens, it'll be very beneficial to us right now.
So, a pleasant change. Everything went very well and Darius was being the most reasonable I think we've ever known. He took me home as promised, and on the way we were talking about various things. He asked if I was also thinking of going back to TK Maxx, and I told him I was trying to avoid it - that I wanted to do what we're doing now, but there just wasn't enough work to keep us going. He said that he had lots more things that he wanted written, and suggested that I come and 'work for him' at the office. I was a little wary of what he meant by that, I don't want to be his employee, but it was clarified to be more like contracting. He wants software, I can write software, so he said come down for just four hours a day or so, write what I need you to, and I'll pay you by the hour in cash. I accepted.
I got back about quarter past midnight, but with £700 in my pocket and the promise of work starting Monday, I was feeling pretty good about it all. Graham wasn't though, and there followed a rather difficult conversation. He said he thought it was wrong of me to accept the job for myself. Whilst I can see what he means, I don't agree; I'm not going to turn down oppertunities for work like that, and although yes, maybe I could have negotiated to try and get it as company work, I don't see any benefit there. Why make work for us both when I can get it done myself? I'd rather keep it 'clean'; the way I agreed, it will be fixed hours on weekdays - I start when I arrive, and stop when I leave. Must simpler.
I didn't mind discussing it, what I did mind were the accusations that I was somehow doing it all for myself, or that I didn't care about the business. Uh, no. Myself and the business are the same comittment to me at the moment anyway; I'm willing to give it as much money as I can to get it to move forward, and I also need it to return as much of my investments as it can. We support each other. Money that I take for myself will only end up in the business eventually anyway, and I'll be taking from the business money until I'm financially safe myself. I will take a little of the money I earn from this work, but only for surviving. I will still be giving all that I can to XVII.
Graham did apologise anyway... I don't need that in itself, but I do need him to be able to trust me as a parter, and if the meaning is the same then good. Mostly I was just surprised that he could think I would abandon or neglect him or the business. How could I give him that impression? I don't understand.
Anyway. I start at Monday, working just 1-5, so I'll see how it goes. It's at Landsdowne for this week until they get the offices sorted at Ringwood Road, then I can go there. If my presence doesn't seem to be necesary after a few days, I'll ask if I can work from home instead too - much more convinient.
In other smaller news, I finally got the technical support advertisments into shop windows for two weeks, last week. Err.. haven't had any calls though. Shame. Was worth a try, but obviously something with a bit of a wider distribution is needed. I'm still thinking including leaflets with some local papers would be a godo move. It doesn't cost as much as things like Yellow Pages, but they still have a circulation of ten or twenty thousand in Bournemouth. We don't even have that many leaflets, only about 4,500 left.
I think I have an actual fear of phoning people. I felt terrified before I called Darius to arrange the time of the meeting. I'm scared when I have to call to make an appointment with the doctor or optician or someone. I'm worried about calling family. I'm even nervous when calling Shanna. I think the bit I'm actually afraid of is that something unexpected could happen; I don't really know who's going to answer, or how. I'm already interrupting them by calling, I have no way of knowing what they were doing. It's okay meeting people because they give you their attention, and I can deal with that... I just hate the possibility of the unknown.
Actually, this relates to something else I was thinking. The instant messaging 'model' of conversaton is all wrong. It's private conversation with multiple people, and I can't think of another scenario where this occurs. In real life, you either have a private conversation with one person, or you have a group conversation with a group. It isn't really a problem until you get a kind of triangle (or other polygon) - three or more people having private conversations with the same people at the same time. It always felt not quite right to me, I just never realised why. Now I actually thought about it, I think I understand. It actually makes me uncomfortable, when two people I'm talking to are talking to each other privately at the same time. Wonder if it's just me?
VT was finally released last night, so I can put that into the background for a while and return my attention to more pressing things, like CaliHQ3 and the redesign and expansion of our website. I've still got a lot of things to do actually, but I'll get through them.
My black leopard poster arrived today too. Don't know if I'm going to put it anywhere for now, might wait until I move. s'nice, though.
I only got up about 7pm today, and I don't know why. Darius called me and woke me up about 1pm, but after I solved his problem I went back to bed. I got up a couple more times, but kept going back to bed again. Another wasted day really...
Finally, I'm think I'm becoming properly ambidextrous. I know it's suppsosed to be a gift, but I'm convinced it's possible to 'learn'. I've been able to do two things at once for a long time, and with my good sense of rhythm, I've been trying to develop that by drumming on almost everything in sight until I can follow some pretty complex sequences that invovle non-coinciding beats for either hand. Lately though, it's become much more frequent. If I'm doing something with one hand and I think of something else, without thinking I'll go for it with the other, regardless of whether it's the one I'd normally use, and do both at once. Hope it continues.
Now... I don't know. I was going to work on the XVII site for a bit, but I don't think I am tonight. Might just return to my diary actually.
When Darius got of the phone I showed him everything working, and he asked if I'd mind setting up one more computer that was still in it's box. I told him I had to go, but he said he'd give me a lift home later, so I accepted that and called Mum to let her know. Considering everything was going quite well so far I wasn't too bothered about staying a bit longer. He wasn't expecting me to do it anyway, only asking for my help; the three of us got it all set up together, and I got the system installed and working on it.
Then, something seemed to go wrong - Darius called from the office and said the camera system wasn't working. I went to take a look, and he was right - the section of the web interface that lets you view more than two cameras at once wasn't working, when it had been a moment ago. I tried everything I could think of but couldn't fix it... but what was strange was that the rest of the functions were working very well. In the end I had to resign to saying he'd have to get someone who knew how the program works to sort it out, and for the first time ever, he actually accepted that it wasn't anything to do with us.
Then, he worried me again. He asked me to come and sit down so we could talk, and started outlining his idea for some software he wanted. I was getting ready to turn him down, thinking it was yet more feature requests, and told him "we need to be completely finished with this system first, before starting anything new"... and he just said okay. I was surprised enough by that, but then came the money. The outstanding amount on the project was about £750, and he gave me £700 in cash right there. True, not all of it still, but he'd demonstrated a couple of things to me that I could agree should be fixed or changed, and that weren't new features. We made a little written agreement that was a receipt for the £700, and a mini-contract stating that the remainder would be paid once the 'bugs' were fixed. These things were so small that I've actually just done them tonight, in about twenty minutes.
He also told me that the owner of a larger chain of restaurants had been to seen him a couple of days ago, and he'd been selling our system to him. Apparently we can expect a call very soon - if it happens, it'll be very beneficial to us right now.
So, a pleasant change. Everything went very well and Darius was being the most reasonable I think we've ever known. He took me home as promised, and on the way we were talking about various things. He asked if I was also thinking of going back to TK Maxx, and I told him I was trying to avoid it - that I wanted to do what we're doing now, but there just wasn't enough work to keep us going. He said that he had lots more things that he wanted written, and suggested that I come and 'work for him' at the office. I was a little wary of what he meant by that, I don't want to be his employee, but it was clarified to be more like contracting. He wants software, I can write software, so he said come down for just four hours a day or so, write what I need you to, and I'll pay you by the hour in cash. I accepted.
I got back about quarter past midnight, but with £700 in my pocket and the promise of work starting Monday, I was feeling pretty good about it all. Graham wasn't though, and there followed a rather difficult conversation. He said he thought it was wrong of me to accept the job for myself. Whilst I can see what he means, I don't agree; I'm not going to turn down oppertunities for work like that, and although yes, maybe I could have negotiated to try and get it as company work, I don't see any benefit there. Why make work for us both when I can get it done myself? I'd rather keep it 'clean'; the way I agreed, it will be fixed hours on weekdays - I start when I arrive, and stop when I leave. Must simpler.
I didn't mind discussing it, what I did mind were the accusations that I was somehow doing it all for myself, or that I didn't care about the business. Uh, no. Myself and the business are the same comittment to me at the moment anyway; I'm willing to give it as much money as I can to get it to move forward, and I also need it to return as much of my investments as it can. We support each other. Money that I take for myself will only end up in the business eventually anyway, and I'll be taking from the business money until I'm financially safe myself. I will take a little of the money I earn from this work, but only for surviving. I will still be giving all that I can to XVII.
Graham did apologise anyway... I don't need that in itself, but I do need him to be able to trust me as a parter, and if the meaning is the same then good. Mostly I was just surprised that he could think I would abandon or neglect him or the business. How could I give him that impression? I don't understand.
Anyway. I start at Monday, working just 1-5, so I'll see how it goes. It's at Landsdowne for this week until they get the offices sorted at Ringwood Road, then I can go there. If my presence doesn't seem to be necesary after a few days, I'll ask if I can work from home instead too - much more convinient.
In other smaller news, I finally got the technical support advertisments into shop windows for two weeks, last week. Err.. haven't had any calls though. Shame. Was worth a try, but obviously something with a bit of a wider distribution is needed. I'm still thinking including leaflets with some local papers would be a godo move. It doesn't cost as much as things like Yellow Pages, but they still have a circulation of ten or twenty thousand in Bournemouth. We don't even have that many leaflets, only about 4,500 left.
I think I have an actual fear of phoning people. I felt terrified before I called Darius to arrange the time of the meeting. I'm scared when I have to call to make an appointment with the doctor or optician or someone. I'm worried about calling family. I'm even nervous when calling Shanna. I think the bit I'm actually afraid of is that something unexpected could happen; I don't really know who's going to answer, or how. I'm already interrupting them by calling, I have no way of knowing what they were doing. It's okay meeting people because they give you their attention, and I can deal with that... I just hate the possibility of the unknown.
Actually, this relates to something else I was thinking. The instant messaging 'model' of conversaton is all wrong. It's private conversation with multiple people, and I can't think of another scenario where this occurs. In real life, you either have a private conversation with one person, or you have a group conversation with a group. It isn't really a problem until you get a kind of triangle (or other polygon) - three or more people having private conversations with the same people at the same time. It always felt not quite right to me, I just never realised why. Now I actually thought about it, I think I understand. It actually makes me uncomfortable, when two people I'm talking to are talking to each other privately at the same time. Wonder if it's just me?
VT was finally released last night, so I can put that into the background for a while and return my attention to more pressing things, like CaliHQ3 and the redesign and expansion of our website. I've still got a lot of things to do actually, but I'll get through them.
My black leopard poster arrived today too. Don't know if I'm going to put it anywhere for now, might wait until I move. s'nice, though.
I only got up about 7pm today, and I don't know why. Darius called me and woke me up about 1pm, but after I solved his problem I went back to bed. I got up a couple more times, but kept going back to bed again. Another wasted day really...
Finally, I'm think I'm becoming properly ambidextrous. I know it's suppsosed to be a gift, but I'm convinced it's possible to 'learn'. I've been able to do two things at once for a long time, and with my good sense of rhythm, I've been trying to develop that by drumming on almost everything in sight until I can follow some pretty complex sequences that invovle non-coinciding beats for either hand. Lately though, it's become much more frequent. If I'm doing something with one hand and I think of something else, without thinking I'll go for it with the other, regardless of whether it's the one I'd normally use, and do both at once. Hope it continues.
Now... I don't know. I was going to work on the XVII site for a bit, but I don't think I am tonight. Might just return to my diary actually.