Hi All
Looks like you had a great night MAB!! Great photos Tina.
Well I am not long back from the sunny, hot south of England - though it wasn't bad here either, I believe. Usually I get to do some writing on a holiday break but it just didn't turn out that way.
As said above, networking is really important and yesterday I got a call that made me realise that it shouldn't be an issue for me but maybe I just don't go to the right places for music! A guy that I have worked with over many years (we just recently developed an audio information product together though I have no time to push it at the moment), called me yesterday to thank me for introducing him to a guy developing very high quality amps - Big Ed would be pleased as the product I sent him some time ago wasn't even stereo - his big complaint ;-)
He said to me that he didn't know how I did it. How did I keep meeting really interesting people with really interesting products needing very interesting design work done? It has happened a lot and people wander off and work together and often make quite a bit of money and ..
I get nothing! But then again, that isn't my aim - though it would be nice. I would actually love spending a lot of my time doing it, networking, introducing new technology and companies to people who could use it. So why hasn't it worked on the music side? Well I think there is a few reasons. This is just some:
I don't get myself into situations where I would meet like-minded people interested in music. Some of my friends play guitar but they do not think they can write songs. I don't go to music clubs and hang around musicians. I write songs on my own and rarely finish them. I start to collaborate but at this moment, time just disappears ... a few of my excuses!
I think my problems are clear and I am sure MAB's remedy would be a good, hard kick in the butt 
I mean, two weeks ago I was sitting next to and chatting with someone who was in the same school band as the singer from Manfred Mann - what a chance for a collaboration. Though I think he would feel his writing / playing days were over as I don't think he played in a band after school.
So my aim is to make time.
Cheers
Nod