Letting go

Another suitcase load of books to the charity shop today. I am surprised at how easily I have been able to let go of my books. They were the one thing I have hoarded over the years. It shows how my outlook has changed.
It reminds me of giving up smoking. If you can get to […]

A portfolio life

I found an interesting piece on the web that expresses where things seem to be heading at the moment:
“Having a career isn’t mandatory in order to be a success. Instead, you could opt for a “portfolio life” (see Charles Handy’s book, The Age of Unreason, 1989). That option recognizes the importance of adequate income, but […]

Charity shops

I have started taking clothes, books, odds and ends to charity shops. As I don’t have a car, it’ll take me many trips to trundle everything down.
Charity shops are getting ever more sophisticated in their operations. My local PDSA shop offers free collections from your home with their own branded pink sack, and when you […]

Sold my records today

The record shops I used to go digging in years ago in Camden, Islington and the like have all closed down. The surviving stores mostly huddle together on Berwick Street.
I didn’t get much for my little vinyl collection, but they are off my hands and maybe they’ll find a nice new home. My records are […]

Adrenalina

Came across this neat little neologism at www.nollie.tv. Guess it means female adrenalin junkie!

Where to live

I’ve had some good tips from the guys over at Mansized about the Cornwall idea. They are a supportive bunch generally and have been wishing me luck.
I have started telling people in my life what my plans are. I have been quite surprised at the reactions. I thought that some people would be sceptical or […]

Cornwall fact-finding trip

I am considering Cornwall as my first destination this summer, so I thought it would be a good idea to arrange a fact-finding trip to check out some of the areas, accommodation options, local amenities etc.
I have booked flights to Newquay going out on Thursday 12 April and coming back on Monday 16 April. The […]

How to give up the rat race

I am finding that there is a lot of information out there for people who want to leave the rat race, live a simple life or take time out. For example:

unconventionalideas.com/possaddi.html - Three ways to get over possession addiction
mythbreakers.com/pci/eison03.htm - How to live economically
whywork.org - Exploring the intriguing question…why work?

Proofreading

Looks like the proofreading idea might not be a runner. I have looked at websites like the Society for Editors and Proof-readers, Book House and the forums on Homeworking.com. They all say that getting work is very difficult unless you have contacts, experience or specialist knowledge of a technical field. I have none of these!