Ok so this is my first entry for Expression Engine. For the previous trip I used Movable Type but there are some things about that system that I found a little frustrating, like the lack of a spell check!

So far I have managed to bring my journal entries from the Laos trip over to this new platform, the hard way! There is meant to be an easy way to import journal entries from other software like Movable Type but I could not work out how to do it. So I ended up copying and pasting from my Movable Type Journal to this one! Thankfully it was a short trip so there were only about 30 entries. Still it took quite a few hours to achieve.  Still I managed to do it! 

Now I just have to work out how to finish the basic set up of this thing before changing the link on my main website to direct it to this Journal instead of the old one.

Eventually I hope to set up the whole site on this platform. I am supposed to be able to set up and design the static pages on this site as well. Still it will no doubt take me ages to work out how to do it. Yes I really am that bad at this stuff!

Next to set up is the photo gallery…. there is a module for it so I will tackle that next I think!!!

Ok so I have managed to get the pictures into my photo gallery.  Next I have to tackle the templates.

I get the sinking feeling this is going to take some time!

So it comes to that time again and the desperate rush to get things done. There never seems to be enough time in the day to work out how to do the things I want to do. I’ve been trying to get my map page up and running so that has been diverting my attentions from designing, or attempting to design a new site utilising EE. It is going to take a lot of work.

I have the basic map up, that took some work and moderate amounts of pulling hair in frustration. but now at least it is up, with some help from Mav I might add. Now I just have to find a political map that I like to put up, preferably one that does not cost $300 odd dollars! I spent hours and hours doing google searches trying to find a good political map that I could use and still have not had any success. I like the National Geographic world maps and they are not badly priced but they do not seem to sell digital ones that you can put on websites. Maybe they do, maybe I am just looking at the wrong page on their site….. hours and hours of searching left I fear.

I should do some work on the new gallery page at some point. It is up with all the images to date but it is some what disembodied at the moment! That is why I am still using the old gallery for now. That is one of the things I intend to work on in my next block of days off.

Once again my budget for the next trip seems to be going well…. it is a pity that it is not certain yet whether I can get the leave this year or not…. work issues…..not bad issues mind you just more of a timing problem.

It is wait and see time as far as that goes, still I should know for sure one way or another either today or by May at the latest.

New Site Design

Well after much trial and error the new EE Designed website is up and running!  It is strange really it did not seem to take as much time as I though it would and at the same time it took a phnominal amount of work.

Still I am glad it is up and running.

This is in a way another test to see if the journal entry posts right where it is meant to.  As long as this works I think I will have a break from site design for awhile.  My eyes are going crosseyed looking at the computer screen.  Still if you are reading this entry and looking at setting up your own site I can recommend EE.  Once you get used to it setting up the templates is easier than I first thought it would be.

After a break I’ll have to get into planning phase for my next trip!

Ok so this is a test really just to make sure everything is still working the way it is meant to.

I came online today thinking I would play with the design of the Photo Gallery for a bit but when I logged on the system let me know there was a new version of EE that could be uploaded. So I thought it would give it a try. I diligently followed the instructions, or so I thought and managed to loose the site. Now after a little bit of hyperventilating I managed to get the site back up but I am still no closer to upgrading to the new version and really do not have any idea what I did wrong.

Still before I congratulated myself too much for at least getting my site back up I thought I’d better come in and see if I can post on the journal…. so here we go…. everyone cross your fingers!