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Work Lately

Lately, I’ve been doing odd jobs and tasks in my local area. Hubby’s hours have been cut of late, so anything I can do to bring in more funds is a good thing. I’ve been making heavy use of a few specific services in my Freelance blogroll that feature tasks, whether it’s a session of dog walking, grocery delivery, computer or internet tutoring, cooking, event planning, or a myriad of other services that don’t require any particular skillset other than fierce entrepreneurialism.

That doesn’t bring in much but it does get me out of the house, off the computer, and lets me interact with my neighbors. I’ve met quite a few people that way who wish to utilize me for longer-term assignments, which of course I’m all for. Now that the car is running again, I can greatly widen my serviceable area, and the number and variety of tasks I’m able to perform. So huge thumbs up for that.

One of my personal websites were hacked and there was an insidious script somewhere in there that was redirecting traffic to various other sites that I certainly didn’t intend my visitors to see. It took me a couple of days to weed out all the bad code, but I seem to have succeeded on that front, as it hasn’t resurfaced. I acquainted myself with the most current security risks and measures for my specific webhost, changed passwords across the board, and went over everything meticulously to make sure everything was locked up tight. Seems to have done the trick there. I’m considering another webhost that has tighter security than mine provides. We’ll see.

There are a couple of long term goals I’ve worked out for hubby and me; it’s great motivation to do something each day to work towards that. New barriers and bumpy roads have cropped up that threaten that. It just makes me get more creative about getting through and over them.

A former friend came out of the woodwork to say hi; I’ve dissuaded all interaction, I’m too busy to make myself open to emotional attacks that don’t do anything but rile up tempers and further distract me from my goals. He’s welcome to the rest of the population for that. I’m out.

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Links, Gigs, and Biz!

I’ve been adding a lot more freelance gig-getting websites to my blogroll. It’s been a slow time for short-term freelance assignments. One of my long-term clients has been giving me small assignments, editing video, photos, and website administration. I’ve been able to do most of the work on my iPad (first generation, no 3g)–I can’t tell you how much of a relief it is to be able to pick up the iOS tablet and wander around the house, sitting on varied surfaces besides my computer chair, or going to wherever there’s another pocket of WIFI, at the watering hole nearby or the grocery store when I want a change of scenery.

If it were not for the car repairs I’m saving up for, I would have totally purchased the second generation 3g iPad 2, to be truly untethered by location and to be able to do even more with the onboard cameras on the device. I even had the tablet in my shopping cart the other night, shipping calculated, and personal information shared, all ready to hit the “buy” button. Practicality prevailed, for now. The cost is just too much. Heck, I got this iPad 1 on deep discount through one of those one-deal-a-day websites. I’ve been scouring Craigslist for any iPad 2, only to find that any individual selling theirs wants the same unreasonable rate. I’ll wait.

There are more photos and videos to be edited for my longest-held client. I’m also spending the week recoding a website for a local food business who wanted more social interactivity along with their updated menu, hours, and other info. I’ll probably volunteer to do some webwork for a nonprofit, just to give myself something to do.

I asked my husband about a hair-brained idea I’d thought up the other day, and he gave his assent, so I’m poking at it. I’m starting a new business venture, designing the website for it, and getting a framework of electronica built up to assist me. He and I have been sharing a phone ever since we met; that’ll change when my new Android phone arrives, wherein I can receive professional queries and assignments on my own line. Again, found a great deal on a phone I couldn’t pass up. I required my husband’s input on the business idea, because it will involve relocation, and I asked him how badly he wanted that. He’s quite open to the idea, and it won’t cost us much to try, so I’m going for it. I’m going to see if I can set up some temporary employment for both of us while we get resettled. I found that he and I really do want to relocate to my former hometown, even if it is not through the means we thought we would have been, when an opportunity came up a year ago that we’ve been chomping at the bit to see realized since. And that’s a very clunky sentence, I apologize, it’s the middle of the night.

I purchased some fabric for a nifty sewing project in mid-November, though by the time the fabric arrived in the middle of December, I was deep in retail employment and couldn’t find the time to attack the project before the winter holiday arrived. With things as slow as they are, I don’t see a problem with getting started on that project as well, though I need to purchase more fabric, as I’d well-underestimated how much I’d need for the items I want to make.

I will someday learn how to work this sewing machine–haha, yet another project on my wild array of burners.

The cat has interjected himself on my lap, and I can’t think of anything else that’s come up that I feel like updating about, so I will now tend to him. And brainfart today’s goings-on.

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Transit Contest

I saw that my local public transit system had announced a contest for app development. The applicant has four months in which to develop an open source app for any common device (iPhone, Android, mobile-ly accessible website, and more), and submit the source code to a publicly open source code repository. The purpose of the app is to appeal to visitors and tourists to the area, and encourage use of the transit system.

HMMMM, I say. My brain’s already working on a mash-up between Google Maps, opinion websites like Yelp, and what sorts of destinations might be of interest to visitors.

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