Mayer Family Blog http://mayerblog.posterous.com This is the Mayer family blog maintained by Andy Mayer. posterous.com Sat, 16 May 2009 04:21:00 -0700 Ruby on Rails Conference in Vegas http://mayerblog.posterous.com/ruby-on-rails-conference-in-vegas http://mayerblog.posterous.com/ruby-on-rails-conference-in-vegas

Just got back from an awesome week at the Las Vegas Hilton. I spent three days at the conference and then took two days off to relax. The conference was a great opportunity to learn more about web development and the art of programming - it was very inspiring to be with 1,000s of other programmers from around the world. In my two days off, I managed to enjoy the hotel pool in temperatures reaching 30C, skydive from a plane at 15,000ft and shoot a variety of automatic weapons! A week after the skydive, and still the adrenaline is pumping through my body - no kidding! One minute of free-fall dropping 10,000ft at 120mph is not something I will forget anytime soon. The relief of the parachute eventually opening and the subsequent glide to earth was sheer bliss. Perhaps the scariest part was signing the disclaimer, and the realiasation that my family would get £0 in the event of... you know what. I am expecting the video of the skydive to arrive in the post in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, you can watch a video of me playing with guns by clicking here.

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Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:23:00 -0800 Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2009 http://mayerblog.posterous.com/happy-christmas-and-best-wishes-for-2009 http://mayerblog.posterous.com/happy-christmas-and-best-wishes-for-2009

Appologies for the lack of posts since Feb - this is due to our business which has flourished  immensely in 2008 - and thus dominated much of it too. Despite the credit-crunch, we’ve grown to five full time employees, a placement student and a couple of part timers including a finance director. After four years hard work, it seems that Andy’s goal of creating  software company that he would love to work for has been achieved. At the end of November our company won an award from UK Business Incubatiion for  'Business of the Year' - presented by Evan Davies (of BBC and Dragon Den's fame).  As a result I was invited to a function at 11 Downing Street and early in the New Year to celebrate the role of start-up businesses in the economy. In early March we'll move offices again. This time out of our current building and into the new Sheffield Digitial Campus. It boasts a slide from the third floor to reception (guess who reserved the office nearest the slide!) and a big screen wii in reception. Needless-to-say, we've had a hugely positive reception from our employees and clients alike to the move.

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Wed, 27 Feb 2008 04:26:00 -0800 Night terrors http://mayerblog.posterous.com/night-terrors http://mayerblog.posterous.com/night-terrors

With two small children Nicola is used to so-called night terrors where the child wakes up terrified for some inexplicable reason... Anyway, last night it was my turn. I woke up at 1am with a start, convinced that the bed had been shaking as if in an earth quake. I was terrified, and felt inexplicably like a massive fear had washed over me - with the power of a thousand atomic bombs. "Don't be silly", said Nicola, annoyed that I had woken her up. "It was probably just a lorry passing". The next morning the news headline was "The biggest earthquake in the UK for nearly 25 years has shaken homes across large parts of the country just before 0100 GMT - 5.2 on the richter scale." Apparently that's the equivalent of a 32 kiloton bomb, similar to that which was dropped on Nagasaki. Wow, that's some lorry :-)

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Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:29:00 -0800 Happy new year! http://mayerblog.posterous.com/happy-new-year http://mayerblog.posterous.com/happy-new-year

We had a great family Christmas and New Year in Sheffiield - mostly spent chilling out at home playing with new toys. Converse boots for Anna, and Lego Mindstorms for Joel.

As you can see from the video above, Lego Mindstorms is a very cool toy! It's basically a system for building programmable robots from Lego Technics, combining servo motors, ultrasonic sensors and an intelligent brain that can be programmed from your laptop using Bluetooth. They are expensive, but the hope is that Joel will enjoying learning whilst he plays. Already we have had loads of fun. I wish I was a kid again!

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Thu, 29 Nov 2007 04:32:00 -0800 All systems go... http://mayerblog.posterous.com/all-systems-go http://mayerblog.posterous.com/all-systems-go

Sorry for the lack of updates. Right now I am sat in the office at 6pm waiting for a courier to deliver four Herman Miller chairs for our new office that we are moving into on Monday. Since returning from Berlin work has really exploded. We've won a significant R&D grant from Melt for a mobile social networking application. We 've also won work from Canada, and other numerous projects. This week a new guy joined our team as a designer, and I am looking to hire another developer - bringing our full-time team to five.

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Tue, 11 Sep 2007 04:33:00 -0700 Greetings from Berlin http://mayerblog.posterous.com/greetings-from-berlin http://mayerblog.posterous.com/greetings-from-berlin

I'm currently at RailsConf 2007 Europe which is a conference for Ruby on Rails programmers run by O'Reilly. It's the final day tomorrow, and I must say it's been amazing. David Black opened the conference with a keynote speech worthy of Steve Jobs. He challenged software developers not to think of themselves as engineers, but instead as artists, creating something wonderful that changes the world. David Black opening Even though it's a hectic programme of seminars and events, Si and I managed to get out to see the Brandenburger Tor and the Check Point Charlie Museum. As I walked the wide streets, gazing upon the grand historic architecture and pondering our family history, I found it quite moving... (Click here to see some quick snaps on Facebook).

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Sun, 19 Aug 2007 04:34:00 -0700 Back from summer hols http://mayerblog.posterous.com/back-from-summer-hols http://mayerblog.posterous.com/back-from-summer-hols

Back in Sheffield now after a fantastic two weeks in Cornwall. The weather was beautiful with blue skies and the fish was fresh and plentiful. The kids really enjoyed the family time. Highlights were seafood BBQs, scallops with black pudding, sandy beaches, rock pooling, high speed sea safari, pottery lessons, long bike rides, cornish beer and some amazing cheese... Flickr slideshow Click here for a quick photo slideshow

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Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:36:00 -0700 We're all going on a summer holiday... http://mayerblog.posterous.com/were-all-going-on-a-summer-holiday http://mayerblog.posterous.com/were-all-going-on-a-summer-holiday

Just a quick post to let you know that we are away on our summer holidays, and will be back later in the month. I've just bought a new Mac Book Pro because my other was full to the brim with gorgeous family photos and video clips... so expect to see more multimedia blog posts in the near future. Pebble Beach Newlyn Cornwall Carriage House, Port Isaac

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Tue, 26 Jun 2007 04:36:00 -0700 Sheffield Disaster Zone http://mayerblog.posterous.com/sheffield-disaster-zone http://mayerblog.posterous.com/sheffield-disaster-zone

Yesterday saw Sheffield get the most rain since records began. I left work early, but the traffic soon became gridlocked so I walked home in the soaking rain. Fortunately we live on a hill and Joel's school is nearby, and so we were soon safe and dry in our second floor flat. Others were not so lucky; one of our friends had to wade home through waist high water. Our neighbour phoned at 7pm to say she had been rescued from her car by police and was taking refuge in Hallam Arena. People were starting to get airlifted by the RAF. The main area hit is Brightside across from town, with many friends affected. We are getting most of the information from BBC News 24 live coverage. Cars are floating down the roads. So far two people have died. This morning about 900 people are using emergency shelters in Sheffield, including the Winter Gardens near our office. Today hundreds have fled their homes in villages near Rotherham amid fears a nearby dam could collapse. Crazy!

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Sat, 19 May 2007 04:37:00 -0700 Fencing tournament http://mayerblog.posterous.com/fencing-tournament http://mayerblog.posterous.com/fencing-tournament

Quote from the Sheffield Institute of Sport website, about an event I am entering tomorrow:

South Yorkshire’s finest fencers will battle it out against competitors from across the UK at a prestigious tournament taking place in Sheffield. More than 200 fencers are set to take part in the Sheffield Open Fencing Tournament, which is being held at the English Institute of Sport – Sheffield (EISS) from May 19-20.

Tonight I am nervous and will probably not sleep well. I will post results, photos etc tomorrow, depending on the outcome. Yikes...

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Sat, 07 Apr 2007 04:38:00 -0700 Kids Tobogganing http://mayerblog.posterous.com/kids-tobogganing http://mayerblog.posterous.com/kids-tobogganing

Thanks to Eve (8) and Mia (nearly 6) for a great time yesterday on the Toboggan run at Sheffield Ski Village, celebrating their birthdays. Joel and Anna had a great time too. The weather was so good that I got sun burnt on my head. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPOfMNp-rRM

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Sun, 11 Feb 2007 04:39:00 -0800 Fencing competition video http://mayerblog.posterous.com/fencing-competition-video http://mayerblog.posterous.com/fencing-competition-video

Just finished putting together a short video of my first fencing competition from 28 January. It's hard to tell what's happening with the fast action, so I've used some slow motion. I am the guy on the left with my back to the camera. Throughout the competition I tried to keep a positive mental attitude by imagining I was Maximus - it was a huge amount of fun! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_5pMGVJGqU Thanks to Annette for the video clips. Click here to see a list of those I defeated! For those that don't know, I took up fencing last summer mainly in an effort to get fit. The sport has really hooked me. The physical demands have encouraged me to get fitter, coupled with the challenge to make lightening speed decisions. I now fence two to three evenings a week.

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Sun, 04 Feb 2007 04:41:00 -0800 Work video http://mayerblog.posterous.com/work-video http://mayerblog.posterous.com/work-video

Check out this video! The Jigsaw scheme offers high growth businesses, located in South Yorkshire, financial support to employ and train new staff. Si, who works with me, benefited from this scheme and so they made the video about him. Unfortunately I hadn't prepared my lines - but Si was a natural star! Click on the comments link below to let me know what you think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOZqu0uasIo

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Sun, 21 Jan 2007 04:45:00 -0800 Nicola is 40! http://mayerblog.posterous.com/nicola-is-40 http://mayerblog.posterous.com/nicola-is-40

It's hard to believe, but we celebrated Nicola's 40th birthday last weekend. We visited Manchester and then stayed in a beautiful boutique hotel in Didsbury which was awesome. The following weekend we celebrated with the kids and grandparents at Nonna's. Click here for a pop-up slideshow on Flickr.

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Sun, 21 Jan 2007 04:45:00 -0800 Breaking news: First fencing competition http://mayerblog.posterous.com/breaking-news-first-fencing-competition http://mayerblog.posterous.com/breaking-news-first-fencing-competition

Breaking News: I've just come second in the 2006/7 Sheffield Novice Foil competition! My first sports competition ever! This was a complete surprise, especially as I was only two hits away from coming first. Amazing. I didn't even have any lunch with me because I thought I would be knocked out quickly. (Update: results are here). Fencing

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Mon, 08 Jan 2007 04:46:00 -0800 Happy New Year: reflections on Africa http://mayerblog.posterous.com/happy-new-year-reflections-on-africa http://mayerblog.posterous.com/happy-new-year-reflections-on-africa

We got back into Sheffield at the weekend, and now it's my first day in the office. What an awesome holiday. I don't know where to start in describing the amazing experiences of the last 10 days! The North African culture is a full-on assault on all the senses; extreme smells, sights and sounds. Despite their limited resources, they really know how to have a good time and live life to the full. In the same way that no part of a sheep goes to waste (boil the head, and make shoes from the skin etc) it seems they have the same knack of extracting the maximum from life also. I have over 2,000 photos of the holiday to sort out, so it will be a while before posting them on this website! In the meantime, here is a taster of a picture I took of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh by night. Popup slide show on Flickr Click here for a work in progress slide show on Flickr.

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Wed, 27 Dec 2006 04:48:00 -0800 Off to Marrakech http://mayerblog.posterous.com/off-to-marrakech http://mayerblog.posterous.com/off-to-marrakech

It's 7am and we are just about to wake the kids to take them to the airport. We are all so excited! Anna hasn't even been on a plane before. From the Adventure Company brochure this is what it says we will be doing:

An exciting, small child-friendly taste of exotic Morocco combining city, mountains and beaches.

Marrakech Souks & Atlas Mountains

Marrakech is an exotic and vibrant world - only a few hours from London but a different universe. You’ll see the city from the comfort of a horse-drawn calesh and discover the colourful main square filled with snake-charmers, jugglers musicians and acrobats. You’ll be amazed by the array of things on sale in the incredible souks. Leaving the bustle behind, you head up into the Atlas Mountains where you’ll experience something of the Berber way of life. Explore local villages on foot (with mules for the children) and enjoy plenty of fresh mountain air.

Essaouira & Beach

An old Portuguese port and pirate’s lair, the town of Essaouira offers a beautifully preserved walled town with a maze of narrow streets, ramparts and long stretch of sandy beach. The pace of life here is far from frenetic so kick back, enjoy fantastic seafood, take a ride on a camel, watch the woodcarvers or the fishermen bringing in the catch and relax on the beach.

See you next year!

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Mon, 25 Dec 2006 04:49:00 -0800 Christmas Day at Epworth http://mayerblog.posterous.com/christmas-day-at-epworth http://mayerblog.posterous.com/christmas-day-at-epworth

We visited my parents in Lincolnshire for Christmas Day and had a great time feasting on scrumptious turkey and trimmings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYqL0luwKn4 Tomorrow we are off to Morocco with the Adventure Company. We'll be spending new year in the Atlas mountains and returning to Sheffield on 8 January. Whoopee!

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Sun, 24 Dec 2006 04:50:00 -0800 Anna singing on Christmas Eve http://mayerblog.posterous.com/anna-singing-on-christmas-eve http://mayerblog.posterous.com/anna-singing-on-christmas-eve

It's Christmas Eve, and the kids are excited. Will Santa bring them coal, or a few pressies?

Answers please in the comments below.

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Sat, 23 Dec 2006 04:51:00 -0800 Welcome http://mayerblog.posterous.com/welcome http://mayerblog.posterous.com/welcome

Today the Mayer Family Blog is reborn after over seven years in hibernation (hence the 2.0 version number). Do you remember the original blog when Joel was born? It was brown coloured. That was in the days before people had even heard about blogs.

Over the next year we'll be using this website to stay in touch with family and friends - so be sure to check back regularly and add your own comments to stay in touch.

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