Marramgrass

Welcome to the new-look Twoshoes.org.uk!

Yup, it’s been a whole month since anything happened around here, but what a month. As I hope you have noticed, the site has undergone a complete redesign. I like to think it looks much better :-) Gone is the manky grey and unpleasant green, replaced by this nice clean, fresh white-and-blue. Also, the sections are a bit different.

I’ve felt the need to put some info online about my free web-hosting venture. In case you’re interested, this is a non-profit-making idea to provide free high-quality hosting to churches and charities and the like. I’m also trying to push my web-design ‘talents’ - I know they’re not much, but if anyone likes what I do, then I’m available to do sites. What can I say? I enjoy it, and I need projects.

Also, while the plans for this site are the same, sections have disappeared - you know, resources and writings and things like that. This is because they were empty! I hope to have some of that kind of thing up, but there’s no point having a site that consists mainly of holding pages, so we’ll see…

But enough of the website. What have I been up to?

HOLIDAY. My wife and I took a little time away, first in the middle of nowhere relaxing, then having the ususal well-hectic time at home visiting family. Was nice. In between times, my better half has graduated from her medical course with - get this - distinction and honours. (they’re two separate things, apparently. Impressed? I am.) So, I’m now married to an actual, real-life doctor. Wahey. Also, I’ve graduated (in absentia - couldn’t let it disrupt the hols) from ICC, so I now have my BA in Youthwork with Applied Theology (oooh!), which also means that as of last Monday I’m working full-time at the church. Shame it’s the summertime - the summer is slooow.

In between relaxation, I’ve been fighting with a new PC, built largely from second-hand parts. So far I have spent about £160 (not including the display) and counting. Check it out:

  • Athlon XP 2000+
  • 512MB DDR RAM
  • 120GB HDD
  • DVD-ROM
  • 52x 16x 52x CD-R/RW
  • GeForce 2MX
  • and a tasty 17" TFT display - you know you want one.

Okay, so it’s not a world-beater, but can you argue for the money?

I say ‘fighting’ becasue I’ve had a little trouble convincing it to boot reliably. After trying many things, I’ve invested in a bigger power-supply. The guy in the shop gave me a week in which to return it if it didn’t solve the problem. That was four days ago, and the machine has been running like a dream since. However, I will lay good money that come Saturday morning, it starts screwing around again! In the meantime, big thanks to Stephen, my Dad, Alan, Angie’s dad and Colin for donating gear and helping me get it going, and to Angie for putting up with Stephen’s tinkering with it, and to Rebecca for putting up with my continued tinkering.

But now my tea (black, no sugar) is drained and it’s time to get back to work. Did you know the Scouts have a ‘My Faith’ badge? They do. I’m trying to come up with something to do with it. Wish me luck…