I have been thinking for months on a new design for this site. I had the “book marker” design for two years in two different forms, 3 column fluid and two column fixed. Countless of times I opened Photoshop, started with some idea just to sent them to the trash.
Friday I was browsing flickr on the search term “beach” and I came across two photos, endless summer and California Surf Wagons that inspired this new design. I used to have a beach/surf design and always wanted to use that theme again.
Friday night I started in photoshop and it was all coming without effort. I was surprised with myself as I always struggle to create a complete design I actually like. And this time I really kept doing things over until they where perfect in my eyes. I did these navigation tabs like 5 times before I was satisfied.
The coding part went easy as I didn’t do any Windows/Firefox and Windows/IE testing yet. Also I used PNG for the transparent images so that is guaranteed to suck on IE6 or less. But according to my Mint stats the only IE6 or less users I get are people looking for images through Google, so no loss there. But when I get time I will fix support for IE.
I hardcoded the flickr like badge instead of using the javascript because I wanted rounded corners on my images and not only on the border. So it was like they say a “creative decision”.
And yes this site is loading awfully slow. Because I’m forced by my host to run on CGI instead of FastCGI. The old design wasn’t heavy on images so it wasn’t such a huge issue. But now it’s like back to the 90’s @ 24kbps. But as soon as I get a few hours to monitor my site I’ll switch to FastCGI and hope it goes well so I can leave it there.
Well I hope you like this design as I do and if you are reading this from a RSS reading open up that web browser and take a look!
Update: as of Monday running much faster on FastCGI, hopefully I can leave it on it.
Edition: 002
This week I started at my new job. I work part-time as Junior Web Developer/Content Manager with a company that provides e-learning. I have been looking for a job since November and got invited right away for an interview, lucky me as they where my first choice. So from now on I am at the office every morning pushing code, pixels and content.
And being deaf is proving to be very tiresome when working with lots of people. I’m putting lots of energy in following conversations and keeping up. But I’m doing my best. I keep everything in documents and written on paper so I won’t miss anything.
Its looking like my application for income subsidy as chronic ill is going to work out, they admitted they made mistakes and the process is moving along again. Keeping my fingers crossed. Plus I got some financial breaks this month, first turned out we paid way too much for electricity last year so they refunded a huge amount. And I got reimbursed for college money I paid last year. So I can now rest assured that my bills and rent will be paid end of this month.
This week I have a doctors appointment which always get my stress levels up, but we’ll see. I went in for a blood test on friday. Got a very rude laboratory assistant, I left the hospital all angry. I have done blood test since I’m little I know my own body very well. I always tell them the wound won’t stop bleeding so they have to tape it off with lots of cotton. But last I got this woman who knows better and gives me a miserable tiny cotton that gets soaked with just few drops of blood. Looks like the hospital is cutting costs by using cheaper cottons. No biggie but things like these add up if you go in regularly for blood tests.
But just as how rude this woman was others are very nice. I made friends with a somewhat elder lady who also is a laboratory assistant. I meet her occasionally when I go to the hospital and if she is on her lunch break or if she happens to be the one to take my blood she takes her time and we have a chat. People like these makes the medical world bearable.
But that’s life you meet nice people and unfortunately the rude ones cross your path too.