well more of an adjustment really.

I've got the 'new' PC running to my satisfaction now so i started to do some serious research into the next phase of my new business venture, the scanning and printing hardware. My original plan had been to go the 'self build' route, ie a kit to assemble much on the lines of a Raspberry Pi but after some review reading, whilst the scanner kits are reasonably priced and the finished article looks the biz, it seems the performance is somewhat lacking - it could well be £200 straight down the drain. So i started to look at commercially available units, the £1000 plus prices had my heart sinking but then i found what seems to be a well respected and high performing unit selling at @ £700.

So okay, the budget has almost quadrupaled which puts things back a bit but its still a goer. The 3d printer's seem to be less of an issue but when i checked things a bit deeper, the small saving with a self build hardly seems worth it when a working out of the box retail unit with guarantees, backup etc only adds @ a third to the price. The budget to get started has risen from @ £400 to closer to £1000 which of course delays things somewhat, however, you don't have to have a scanner to get started so i might buy the printer first, get the foibles sorted with that whilst raising the funds for the scanning equipment.

In hindsight i was probably being a bit too optimistic with the plans anyhow but whilst delayed for a bit, the general business plan remains the same.

Here's a question for you all, would there be any interest in Gaby figurines? I made a few sales of the Gaby/Nena dolls but the cost of the outfits and dolls would mean the price would be @ £100 each now! I haven't fully costed it yet but i think we'd be looking at @ the range of £10 - £25 plus shipping for a hand painted figure, they would be real limited run collectors pieces, much like the dolls there could be other characters from the series and different outfits depicting specific storylines. So what do you think? This would be a side line to the 'core' products i'm planning but even so i don't want to throw too much effort into it if no one is interested.

I'd just like to thank all the Kindlers at this point, thank you all once again for supporting my humble offerings, i'll never get rich but sales have been fairly robust which means i can keep food on the table and the 3D project should become reality over the summer. I've got a Lulu print copy now for my own library - looks pretty good even if i do say so myself!

I've not been having a great week to be honest, the winds of the last week have lefty me less than enthused to go riding and my muse refuses to play ball too. I spent far too much of Monday researching the scanning equipment which left me in a less than great mood, a trip food shopping being the day's hi-light.

Yesterday, with a better forecast i really had planned in a decent ride but i woke up without beans or enthusiasm. In the end i decided on a compromise, a shorter ride, as much to clear my head as anything else so, somewhat later than usual, i set off towards the southern Cotswolds. I didn't get lost, rather i took some turns i hadn't used before which eventually saw me crawling up the escarpment before continuing eastwards, now with a keener idea of a mid ride stopping point.

I reached the tiny village of Slaughterford with the sure knowledge that whichever way i left, a 'good' climb was on the cards. No sandwiches today but i'd brought along a sausage roll, wild boar variety which i ate after a look at the tiny church sat in the middle of a field! That climb then took me up to Colerne from where i dropped down to Box to start a mostly level ride back to base. The wind wasn't doing me any favours and i arrived back tired, sweaty and with 75km on the clock, more than i set out for but hardly epic.

The weather is looking calmer and milder as we head to the weekend so if i can get my mojo back i might get in a decent ride or even two!

So today, A Strange Start, the next bit of The Visitors, sees Drew and his pals coming to terms with the fallout from the Rhod/Mfanwy revelation. Meanwhile, Drew, having embraced being Gaby for the Winters benefit is still trying to retain at least an androgenous appearance - not that its really fooling anyone!

I'll be back on Sunday but for now,
Tschussie,
Madeline Anafrid