Plans, plans and yet more plans

I seem to be losing track of days lately as I have so much to do. Tuesday was spent tidying my office and getting rid of rubbish and shredding papers ready for a visit from the Action for Blind chap who is working for Access to Work. I have virtually no sight in my left eye and was trying to get some help from Access to Work hence the visit. The chap came and we went through the work that I did and I admitted that I had kept some items when I was made redundant from the University and it appears that I should have returned them for Access to Work - I didnt know that and I use them in my work now. I was told that really that Access to Work couldnt really do anything for me - they certainly couldn't buy a laptop that I wanted and it was suggested that I need to get a desktop computer but they wouldnt pay for it. I felt quite despondent after he left and then set about getting ready for my appointment at the day spa (not for treatments but a proper business meeting). As I was driving to the spa I had to pull over as my phone rang - it was the chap from Action for Blind People who told me that he had spoken to his colleague and that they were going to recommend (Access to Work will pay for it) an upgrade for zoomtext to 9.5 (I have 8.1 at the moment), an arm to attach to my desk and a 19" monitor that I can plug into the back of my laptop so that I am not straining to read the screen.

The meeting at the spa went well and although they were unable to donate a prize for the wedding fair, they let me have some brochures and price lists and gave me some friend referral cards so that 'friends' can get 50% off a treatment and I get 50% off my treatments too. As I try and promote the spa, they are allowing me to put my leaflets in their sofa area for people to pick up - this will be great for me as all sorts of wealthy business people use the spa. I bought two vouchers yesterday and have decided to put them together as one prize - a spa manicure which is 45 mins of sheer indulgence and you get a full size bottle of OPI nail polish and a nail file at the end of it - this is a prize for her, the other voucher is for a marine vital facial for men - this also lasts for 45 mins and I thought that perhaps one would not go to the spa without the other which is why I thought of combining the prize. What is lovely about the spa is that they have a double treatment room for couples and they will also get use of the thermal spa. www.chessgrove.co.uk

Today, I have been trying to find a grant to pay for a new computer - all I need would be the tower and the keyboard but there are no grants available so I guess I shall have to start saving as I am not going to get into more debt buying one - I know it gets offset against tax but lately it seems to be one spend after the other. I have also been chatting on facebook to people in Australia who use Action Coach - I would love to be able to afford the services of an Action Coach but at the moment I cannot so my facebook chum Brad Sugars the multi millionaire founder of Action Coach pointed me in the direction of the free tips and ebooks on his various websites - one thing that I dont like about the e-books is that you can only access them one at a time and to do that you need to provide a friend's contact email.

I have managed to get a free space at Worcester Warriors on 7 October to hear Brad speak - he sent a code to his FB friends but I didnt use it as I found another code on the booking website and used that but then next day I contacted Action Coach to say that I had used the wrong code but they said as I had received a confirmation email and hadn't been asked to pay anything then I had a free space anyway.

Next week I am at the NEC for two days for Events UK - I hope I am well enough because I came down with a lurgy today so tomorrow I might have to head off to the spa to sit in the sauna for an hour or so. I am still getting bits ready for this wedding fair on 27 September. I havent got a portfolio to take with me so I shall rely on chat and having details of the services that I offer - sometimes I think that there is too much hype placed on the need for a portfolio and I am not going to lie anyway I have organised weddings in the past - my own for instance and part of my best friend's Italian wedding. I have already decided what I am going to wear too - well kind off - it might be the lilac and silver Fenn Wright & Manson skirt ensemble or it maybe the deep purple and green one - it depends on how I feel I guess. Deep purple and deep moss green do go together and the skirt has moss green leaves on it as well as bits of lime green so I can wear any colour really.

I am also helping with the Federation of Events & Wedding Planners and have used skype to chat to a colleague in Gosport. I am now thinking of speaking to another colleague in Gran Canaria to see if we can come to an arrangement so that my couples can marry there - that might have to be done on skype initially.

I have had to change my email address too as info@sponsalis.co.uk seems to have stopped working despite it pointing at the one I have to use to send emails from so I have had to put the 'new' one on the website as emails are going missing - I am now using sponsalis@blueyonder.co.uk which doesnt look good but it has to do until something better can be sorted out.

You will laugh at me tonight as I am having a spooky moment, I am listening to a CD on my laptop as I type this but according to Media Player I may be listening to Born to Be Wild which is an assortment of rock hits - the playing list differs from the actual CD I am listening to - maybe there is more than one version of this CD? I am listening through my headset so I dont disturb my neighbours.

With regard to my wedding business I have decided to offer an incentive by offering £50 for referrals when people book a wedding costing £2K or more. Some people have told me that my fee is too high but when you think that a wedding takes about 250 hours to organise then it equates to £8 an hour which isnt unreasonable.

Guess I had better sign off as it is late - where does the time go?