We all went ice skating yesterday in Nottingham, (or rather I stayed by the side of the ice taking photos).

I took a fair few photos, most of which were crap and soft. The problem was, even continuously focusing, that there were so many people there you couldn't help but lock on to the wrong skater. And just when you had your target someone would come into your line of sight and screw it all up!

Oh and Nikki doesn't like this shot and prefers some others which I will post later in the week.

I don't really do self portraits but the camera found its way into my hand this morning as I was waking. As I said before, I try to stay the other side of the viewfinder.

Well I managed to setup the basic template for the new site. Now it is just a question of filling it with Drupal-ness, which is proving as mind-boggling as CSS.

It would be ok if I got to code every day, but filling in now and again in my free time means I don't get much practice, so it's slow going.

That and I am a bit of a thicky!

Macro time again on imagi. I love all the detail and complexity in this flower close up.

A life-giving factor lies at the centre of the whole machinery and design of the world, John Wheeler (American physicist)

Working on the new site is slow going to say the least, hence not so many new photos.

A friend came around in the week to help get things moving on the development. We did manage to cover a few topics but made the mistake of having beer while we worked, so as you can imagine, it wasn't long until we stopped.

Fortunately I have managed to struggle on, although a quick look in another browser confirmed my worst fears – the page elements I had got in place shift on alternative browsers. Aaargh! Web development hell, here we go.

As far as photography goes I did find this shot (above) which I intended to post over a year ago but never go around to it. I did want an architectural shot and with the weather I fancied something with a dramatic sky, so I got lucky really.

I am not sure if you find this but I sometimes take shots and when I see them on the big screen I go off them, which is what I did with this one (Obviously now, a year on, I have changed my mind again).

Of course the opposite can sometimes be true, which I love when it happens.

I have just moved the half a ton of gravel, left over from the work in the back garden, off the front driveway in the pitch black with Nikki and her dad. I do love these impromptu workouts.

This shot, from the weekend, was of a young girl in her hotdog van (I don't think it was her van, she was just an employee) near homebase in Loughborough. I loved the bright neon, and she was kind enough to let me photograph her, after I told her why.

Ian at work has just gone and got a D3. Lucky git! From the brief show at work it is a marvel. I especially like the indicator that shows pitch for aligning your shots, and the machine gun fire shutter speeds. FX format is also really cool.

It is slow going with the new website. Learning to use Drupal, tied in with learning and applying CSS, and it all gets to be a bit of a nightmare. I am making progress but I feel like this is taking forever, and April's launch date is looming a little too near.

Contrary to my plans I have been buying things to go in the smallest bedroom and decorating this weekend.

I did have my camera with me while I was shopping for the house and tried to take photographs with a more candid feel. Some of them are ok enough but I did quite like this one (above). It struck me, as I whizzed past a car showroom, that the cars on the front lot looked like they were out, walking their balloons. If you imagine the open boot section as thier heads you may se what I mean?

I know this isn't completely black and white but I filed under that section in the gallery anyway.

As we have had so much rain I thought I would photograph some from my conservator, while it is still standing, (the top panels are taking a pounding in this stormy weather).

I managed to exercise tonight, (the first time since I was ill,) and I feel a million, hence the inspiration for the photo title.

I am quickly posting this (below) photo tonight in an attempt to get back on working on the new site.

I should mention that Ian says I have mispelt my pseudonym. (last entry form the 8th). It should be Lance Boil, of Sore Valley Design. Thanks for the heads up Ian ;)

Ian at work had a new name for me – Lance Boils of Soar Valley Design (we work in design in the Soar Valley). While I didn't have boils, (I actually had an abscess which was making me feel really bad, then antibiotics which made me feel worse!) it still is funny.

Anyway, thanks Ian for the sympathy. You wait until you are ill ;)

My Nikki is away partying in Kent tonight with here friend Rachel, Jey and their guests (the friends whose wedding we went to in August last year). It's Rachel's birthday so here's wishing you well Randy! Have a great time and I am sorry I am missing the doo.

It does seem that my Nik won't be partying hard tonight though as she is feeling a bit rough. Honestly if you read my blog you will wonder if any of us are ever well. I hope you feel better soon sweetheart.

I have been going over coding in HTML, CSS and the usability of Drupal today in an attempt to get my head around all these topics to lay up the new site for imagi. There are a number of great features I hope I can incorporate into this new version of the site including commenting, mapping photo locations and the uploading of high res images where called for (One thing at a time Mat – Lets just get the bones up first!).

Also in the next month or so I am thinking of getting a new computer. If I can I would like to get a new Mac Pro but as with all Apple gear it costs the earth, and I may need to flog a kidney to get it. We'll see.

Yes, it turns out I have had my Macbook Pro for 2 years now. How time flies!

Oh and I decided on making a panorama photo tonight (above) from a few shots taken on the boat trip on holiday in December. I did take these shots intending to make the panorama then forgot about it until tonight.

I have been poorly all week so I haven't been to work, posted anything here or even been out of the house much.

The thing is the antibiotics I have make me feel worse than my illness and my supply lasts until monday. If I am no better tomorrow it's off to the docs because I can't take much more of this rubbish.

This is not good. I am feeling really bad again. I thought I had shaken off any illness I might have got but I feel dreadful again today.

I will keep this post short and upload this photo then try and relax. It's work tomorrow and there so much on I can't afford to be ill.

At least today's shot is new.

Oh and watched MIchael Clayton and really enjoyed it. It's a slow paced, intelligent movie and if you like films other than Charlies Angels or Transformers you should be ok.

I have been working on using a content managed system called Drupal for the backend of the new version of imagi. Hopefully I will have it completed before the second year anniversary of my site going online (end of May, start of June). That is the anniversary of this version which I am using at the moment as imagi did have several earlier incarnations none of which were updated with any frequency or have the photographic content.

After the monthly update I am afraid I have run out of time to post any photos tonight (I am beat!). With working on Drupal I haven't had a chance to go out and take any shots. Maybe tomorrow?