Archive for the 'Indianapolis' Category

Time flies when you’re having fun

I haven’t set aside time to write lately: got into a car accident which basically totaled my 1994 Nissan Quest minivan in mid-December, a day before I went skiing in Steamboat, Colorado.

Then the holidays came, and we finally sold our house after it was on the market for nearly half a year.

Basically broke even, but found out the previous owners a) were paid $11,000 to replace a hail-damaged roof and b) they never replaced the roof but lied about it on their sales disclosure, and our “inspector” didn’t catch it. So we had to pay our buyer to fix the roof (thankfully, not the entire $11k the previous owners were paid.) Nice. I guess that’s what small claims court is for (or soon will be.)

And I’ve been busy at work - a great thing. Working on some websites, PR, marketing, and helping adoptable dogs and cats in many ways. We’re trying out some social-media avenues (Twitter, Facebook, ExactTarget e-blasts, etc.) to get the word out about our animals, and it’s working. It’s quite an amazing experience!

One of the sites I’m working on is for Mutt Strut. I’m considering using Expression Engine as blog/CMS software on it. This blog is run on WordPress, which I also used for the Angie’s List Podcast site during my time there. I’m even considering trashing the design of this site in favor of a custom Expression Engine setup.

Wordpress is great, but customizing its templates can be a bit of a beast, especially for a PHP non-expert like myself. We’re working with xiik on this project, and I’m sure they could wrassle a Wordpress theme into shape, but Expression Engine seems to offer much potential.

If you’ve used both platforms, what are your thoughts in the Wordpress vs. Expression Engine battle? Which do you prefer, and why? (Hopefully this isn’t as heated as a “dogs versus cats” argument!)

At Blog Indiana; Twitter

Sitting here at the Blog Indiana conference on IUPUI’s campus, in their new student center (nice!)

Also set up a Twitter account. Like I was with blogging, I’m very skeptical of Twitter and its uses. There’s no way I’ll be fanatical like many Twitter users who update about everything they do (”I’m in the restroom right now!”), but it might be a fun, free tool to work with.

FreeWebPR.com:: Great resource for P.R., writing and general business tips

Last week while I was preparing to write a press release, I somehow came across a terrific website, Free Web P.R., run by fellow IU School of Informatics New Media alum and Hoosier media arts guru Neal Moore. Having grown up in central Indiana, I often saw him on Indianapolis CBS affiliate WISH-TV, my family’s go-to station for local news when I was younger. Growing up, I trusted what I saw on the station, and now as a discerning adult, I’m pleased to see that Moore’s still a positive influence in Indiana, and I was happy to discover the wealth of business-related resources on Moore’s site.

Neal Moore

I checked out some of his posts and recommendations regarding public relations, writing, and media in general, and was fortunate enough to meet Neal (pleasantly, no “Mr.” required) at an alumni event a few days after I discovered the site. If you’re a student, starting a business, looking to improve your media-related skills, or even if you want to make it big in the music industry, you should check out the site.

Our house on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis is for sale!

I know we haven’t been in our house for very long, but April and I are moving to Broad Ripple soon. So we’re putting our beautiful beloved bungalow up for sale.

Tristan\'s house for sale
The house is at 122 Wallace Ave., close to Irvington and Ellenberger Park. The home features: updated large kitchen and bathrooms with tile floors; full hardwood floors and beautiful original wood molding and doors throughout the rest of the home; basement which could be used as 3rd bedroom or office; newer 2-car garage with lots of room for workshop, motorcycles or storage; security system and multi-line phone system; newer aluminum siding; native-plant landscaping; full privacy fence; new high-efficiency furnace in ‘07 and AC in ‘08 installed by Northern Heating and Cooling; and much, much more! For only $109,900, you can live close to historic Irvington, Ellenberger Park, and downtown Indianapolis! Contact me for more information.

UPDATE
Our home’s now officially listed as “For Sale.” Go to http://mibor.com/resources/search.asp, and enter the MLS # 2842446 at the bottom. You can view all the details and some pictures here, and our agent’s contact is as follows if you’d like to set up a showing:

Sycamore Group
Thomas Williams
815 E 63rd Place
Indianapolis, IN, 46220
Phone: 317-722-4350
Agent E-mail: tom@LiveInIndy.com