Follow Up Sequence or Follow Upside Down in Sequence?

Awoke at 4a.m. this morning with monkeys dancing on the hotel room roof. Looked for a piece of fruit to throw at them but thought better of it as I thought it might encourage them further. Returned to peaceful but clammy sleep

Liz rang at 7a.m a request to update the WordPress Thesis skins on our server to Thesis 1.7 so got to work on this and missed breakfast.

Follow Up Sequences Tips

On the infusionsoft Mastery course this morning, the session was the best one so far: Micah Mitchell covered Follow Up Sequences and Email Templates. These can be immensely powerful in the right (skilled) hands and I came away with a bunch of really good tips to improve conversions, recover cart abandonment, reduce post sale support calls and increase retention rates. Worth the course fee several times over in itself.

Carl Chapman also gave an incredibly insightful description of his Infusionsoft setup from squeeze page, order form, through follow up sequences and on to the membership site.

Follow up to Follow Upside Down – Ziplining the Canopy

After lunch we had a ‘free’ so decided to do something even more reckless that create a trackable link

Led by Stanning and Carlo, our guides, Micah then me, then Maggie, Jay and then David followed each other upside down through the canopy.

Micah and Maggie glad to have survived

David proves its as easy as falling of a tree

The Canopy is beautiful when viewed from this perspective

Maggie cant stop laughing

Just let go

A tentative start

I wish I could fly

Look no brains - I meant hands

Is that a tightrope I see before me?

Get off those electricity wires!

Maggie completes the first two lines unperturbed

The dismembered arm prepares to pluck another victim

Intrepid Infusionsofties

Initial Briefing - have you been to the restroom?

David ascends the path to the launch site

We trek through the jungle to the battling ants and humidity

David Shows Us What He’s Made Of

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now is time for a siesta

It’s been a while since I have written on this blog. I have been focused on work and not had time or inclination to make some personal commentary.

Right now it is 1:48 a.m., I am listening to Earth Wind and Fire (on Grooveshark) blast out ‘Reasons’ as I write.

I didn’t run this morning as my running partner called off. I was not put out too much as it was below zero and the weather forecast was for hailstones. Instead, I watched Andy Murray ultimately disappoint in the Tennis Australian Open Men’s Final due to his poor first serve. Five set points missed in the third set: close but no cigar. Actually not really that close at all. Maybe, when Roger Federer retires, we can have a British Tennis Champion.

The afternoon and evening was spent writing my first WordPress plugin. I should finish it tomorrow morning. With good promotion it should be excellent linkbait for my wordpress site

Why the title of this post? Last night, the movie version of the Hitchhikers Guide To The Universe was on TV. Martin Freeman, Stephen Fry and Bill Nighy murdered an excellent script with gratuitous lack of irony and humour. It was completely flat, flatter than the whale. Zero out of five. All of it should have stayed on cutting room floor or somebody should have hit the delete button (followed by “Yes” to the “Are You Sure You want to cast this movie into the abyss?” prompt) . The movie is dingoes kidneys. If only an outsized dog from another universe would go back in time to 2005, appear for an instant, and swallow the entire movie set. Hitchhikers is a great series but my strong recommendation is to stick to the cassette tapes of the radio series or the TV series, it’s a thousand times better.

Now heading off to a bed, but first, a nightcap. Perhaps a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster?

• Take the juice from one bottle of that Ol’ Janx Spirit
• Add 1 measure of water from the seas of Santraginus V
• Melt 3 cubes of Arcturan Mega-gin into the mixture (it must be properly iced or the benzene is lost)
• Bubble 4 litres of Fallian marsh gas through it (in memory of all those happy Hikers who have died of pleasure in the Marshes of Fallia)
• Over the back of a silver spoon float a measure of Qualactin Hypermint extract, redolent of all the heady odours of the dark Qualactin Zones.
• Drop in the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger. Watch it dissolve, spreading the fires of the Algolian suns deep into the heart of the drink.
• Sprinkle Zamphour
• Add an olive
• Drink…but very carefully.

My darling wife and I celebrated our 16th wedding at the Harris Arms ‘California Dreaming’ party. It was great. It opened my eyes and taste buds to a Californian take on Côtes du Rhône.

The evening started with a Mumm Napa Brut Prestige: a bright refreshing opening gambit, with a lingering strawberry after-taste.

With our starter of squid with risotto filling, our knowledgeable host, Andy, offered Qupé Marsanne. This fresh, rocky wine was a little cold on serving but on being warmed up revealed more tones including its 13% ‘contamination’ with Roussanne. There was a little bit of orangy smokiness in a glass that improved with drinking.

Next I put my nose in a Qupe Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard 2003. I was reminded of Douglas Adams’ great line about “like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick”… except the lemon was missing. This was a powerful wine, seriously powerful. So powerful in fact that I ordered a taxi, and consigned my car keys to my jacket pocket. And all I had done was take a sniff. If I were to drink it I might be found days later, washed up on a deserted Cornish beach, with the hangover only slowly receding.

So I giddily put it to one side, and sampled the Mourvedre Old Telegram 2004. This was subtler (not difficult) but my taste buds had not fully recovered so I could not really taste it. I decided to recuperate by tucking in to the Duck with Mushroom Hash.

The Mourvedre was complex. One of the diners, Jim, suggested it was akin to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, more of the graveyard than of the vineyard. He was spot on, Morbidre might be a better name for this earthy wine with its musty, newly buried corpse tones.

Our host had by now sipped the Qupé Syrah and noted its power. He left. Not permanently but to visit the cellar to appropriate a better match to the pork. And he returned with an absolute gem; a Calera Ryan Pinot Noir. Although still a little cold, its mellow tones of cherry and strawberry beautifully complemented the pork. It was excellent choice and many thanks to Andy for raiding his cellar at this time of need.

The medley of desserts which included some amazingly delicious apricot bread pudding (amazing because I don’t like apricots and am not keen on bread pudding) was accompanied by Bonny Doon Vineyard Raspberry Framboise, the intense kick of raspberry was not too sweet and not too sour.

Sadly, at this point, we had to depart in a taxi to attend a conference call with a supplier in the USA so there was no leisurely end to the evening.

I am already looking forward to the next wine evening at the Harris Arms on 24th February 2010 when Aussie and Kiwi wines will feature.

The menu tonight was:

“California Dreaming”
Homage to Alice Waters of Chez Panisse
Wednesday 25th November 2009

On arrival
Napa Brut Prestige, Mumm

Stuffed squid with tomato and saffron risotto and basil foam
Qupé Marsanne

Duck leg braised in Zinfandel on sweet potato and mushroom hash
Mourvèdre ”Old Telegram” 2004, Bonny Doon Vineyard

Roast marinated pork loin with rosemary, fennel & garlic, roasted root vegetables and creamy mustard mash
Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, 2003

Vanilla pannacotta on chocolate almond cookie with apricot bread pudding
Framboise Bonny Doon Vineyard

On Wednesday I went out with some colleagues to Betelnut This is a Asian fusion restaurant in the Marina district, a short but intersting taxi ride from downtown San Francisco. [More on this later] . The waiter was helped us order an very enjoyable selection of starters, firecracker shrimp, glazed pork short ribs with thai basil & garlic, crispy tofu cakes with doc ong’s chilli sauce, and chili crusted calamari. This was washed down with the smooth, not-too-bitter, not-too-sweet local Betelnet Honey Blonde Ale. The main courses we also shared: singapore black pepper jumbo prawns, seared tenderloin “sashimi” with “momiji,” scallions & ginger shoy, “bein pow” firecracker chicken szechuan chilis, onions & almonds, korean charbroiled pork with scallion-pepper sauce and green papaya, grapefruit, herbs & “nuoc cham” salad accompanied with some sake. Great variety!

I had two contrasting taxi rides between the hotel and the restaurant. The first taxi driver opened the conversation by asking me not to use a mobile phone during the journey. The radiation gives him a headache. He then spent the twenty minute journey making laconic comments about San Francisco and England while taking a slow but scenic route through majestic residential areas. It is was $10 fare and protocol dictated another 20%. For the return journey, around midnight, my taciturn driver sped the whole way, hitting over 75 mph through the Broadway tunnel. We overtook everything in sight, firetrucks, ambulances, low flying aircraft, and made it back downtown in under 10 minutes for a $7 fare and a $3 tip.

Last Tuesday night in SF, managed to win a pairs Pool tournament. First prize way an Apple IPOD shuffle, one of greatest achievements of the human race to date, 2cm by 3 cm and so much pleasure! I have downloaded a heavily restricted subset of my music, but hey, every track is a winner! A mere 300 songs occupy the 3 cubic centimetres of acoustic joy that are transferred to my ears. Apple rocks! I knew this but had forgotten. Iphone to follow once they get real and honest about licensing.
But back to the pool. Despite there being no incentive under American rules to hit any ball in particular, my partner Peter and I managed to defeat stronger opposition and pot the black (sorry 8 ball) in 3 consecutive matches and triumph. Just wait for the snooker rematch in England!

I am thoroughly enjoying Virgin Atlantic’s upper class experience. From the limo that arrived this morning on time at 0800, the politeness and informative conversation of my chauffeur, Stephen, as we drove past the sights of London, through to the 10 minute transit from the leaving the limo to arriving in the Virgin Clubhouse, the full English breakfast that hit the spot, to this final free internet connection. What next, well there could be some massage or a game of billiards? 

This is in stark contrast to my last trip with Virgin in late November which was a Premium Economy flight from Miami to London. The nadir of the journey was at three in the morning, being unable to sleep, with my left leg stretched out fully but engaged beneath the seat in front of me. Never again.

I can recommend Disturbia as an scary, light enjoyable movie. I feel asleep during Atonement. I must find something more gripping on the next flight.

Last weekend I was fingerprinted twice, once on entering the USA at Miami Airport on Friday and the second time on visiting Disney World. On querying the rationale for the second fingerprinting I was told by the Disney employee that ‘everything changed after 9/11″. Yes, after 9/11 Americans lost the ability to protect their freedom from their greatest threat, their government. The ironically named, PATRIOT Act, United and Strengthening America by “Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” would have be more aptly named Controlling and Monitoring America by “Legislating UNjustly, Abandoning Thought, Intelligence and Common sense.” I hope the next US government has the sense to repeal the act and disband Homeland Security: it is after all supposed to be the land of the free.

This was a surprising interesting tour which described how the Muga family continue to make wine following traditional techniques, eschewing modern apparatus and chemicals. For example, they use 350 egg whites to clear the contents of a 3 metres wine vat. This process takes a month.

The attached slideshow follows the grape from vat to barrel to bottle to glass. Well worth the ten euros for the 90 minute visit.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/russell.jamieson/MugaWineryHaroLaRiojaSpain8thOctober2007 

On Monday morning we skipped breakfast and headed to the bodega quarter of town. My spanish housemate had given me a wine shopping list: Berceo, CVNE, Muga, Cubillo, Tondonia, Ardanza, Alberdi with a recommended 3 :1 split of crianza to reserva.

Muga was the first to open at 08:30 so we booked on the English tour starting at 10:00. They had sold out of white and rose so we had to make do with 6 bottles of 2004 Muga crianza and 6 of 2003 Muga Special Reserve.

Next we tried the R Lopez de Heredia bodega but this was shut until 10:00. We then tried La Rioja Alta and they happily decided to open up early. I sampled the 1998 Arana Reserva which was a lighter than more famous Rioja Ardanza. I think M will like this. I also tasted some Galician white, 2006 Lagar de Cervera, a crisp, aromatic, melony  wine, ideal for breakfast! I bought a dozen bottles of the white, 6 of 1999 Ardanza Reserva, 6 of the 1998 Arana Reserva and 12 of the 2000 Alberdi Cosecha.  

We then tried the CUNE bodega but this was closed until 11:00 so we hung around until the Muga tour started at 10:00, see next post.

After this finished we dropped in on  the Lopez de Heredia bodega which was now open. The shop was modern in design being shaped like a squashed decanter while inside it has a twelve foot high ornate raised bar. I tried the Tondonia Rose but found it a litttle bland so just bought 6 bottles of 1998 R. LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA TONDONIA) and 6 bottles of the 2001 Vina Cubillo.

It was now about noon and we had a boat to catch. We took the motorway through the mountains up to Bilbao and then the spectacular coast along to Santander. We had about a half hour spare to drop in a local supermarket to buy some Cava and some San Miguel plus some fruit and water for the crossing.

For more on Spanish wine classification, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_wine#Classification 

http://www.bodegasmuga.com/English/vinos-de-rioja-1.html#Reservase

http://www.riojalta.com/ingles/rioja.htm

www.lopezdeheredia.com

www.cvne.com

I am spending the night at the Los Agustinos Hotel in Haro, in La Rioja Country. http://www.hotellosagustinos.com. We checked in around 7pm having driven around the beautiful old town centre three times. It reminds me of Sicily, with its heat, noisy bars and restaurants, the inhabitants strolling around the squares, the narrow streets, with bedsheets flying overhead. The hotel is beautifully styled with wooden panelling and the atrium and cloisters are well impressive. Dave and I, in removal men attire, were rather underdressed for the classic elegance of the hotel´s restaurant, so we headed out to the main square and eventually found a bar/restaurant that was willing to serve us dinner at the unfashionably early time of 8 o´clock. “You would like to eat dinner, now¿¿¿” Anyway it was excellent Russian Salad, Basque Style, and then Steak, then local cheese, washed down with house Rioja. Tomorrow we will hit a couple of bodegas, fill up the van and head for the port.