Happy Spam Solved Day!
“Two years from now, spam will be solved”, promised Microsoft’s Bill Gates – two years ago today. Hooray!
Monthly Archive for January, 2006
Just busy – the first three weeks of 2006 have passed incredibly quickly. Things have been more than hectic, both at work and at play. My “summer holiday” last year was three nights in Ireland, in between moving jobs. It was great to chill out, but it wasn’t anywhere near long enough, and was the only time I’ve really had to relax since last February’s trip to Thailand – incredible that this was almost a year ago.
I’ve become very aware that I need a holiday – the week off over Christmas and New Year helped, but I was dashing around the country to such an extent that I hardly found time to relax at all. But I’m off to Thailand again a week on Friday for a fortnight of sleeping, reading and relaxing. Aside from catching up with my friends in Bangkok, I’m hoping to catch an elephant ride on Koh Chang, meet some monkeys, and maybe play with some tigers in Kanachaburi. Scuba diving also sounds fun. Maybe I can finally go and watch a Muay Thai fight too – I’ve failed to do so on two trips in a row now. Third time lucky?
When I was seven years old, Halley’s Comet was visible to the naked eye in our skies for a few weeks. Already a space geek at even this early age, I was desperate to see it. I remember standing in our back garden on a cold northern night with my Dad, straining to follow his pointing finger.
“Look, see those three stars? It’s in the middle of them. Can’t you see it?”
“No, I can’t even see three stars. Where are you pointing? I can’t see it.”
We went on like this for a while, and eventually gave up – the freezing wind coming off the Irish Sea sent us indoors frustrated and disappointed. It was three whole years later when we discovered that I was shortsighted, but the spectacles came too late for the comet.
I remember furiously flicking through my big book of all things space related, and discovering that Halley’s Comet would return in the year 2061.
I would be 82 years old.
In a little over a month, I will be one third of the way there. Assuming I make it, which is quite a stretch given my distinctly unhealthy and unwholesome lifestyle, I’m about one third of the way through my life.
Have I done one third of the things I want to do? Have I achieved one third of the things I want to achieve?
I’ve travelled to some amazing places. I’ve met some incredible people, and experienced things that most people can only dream of.
I’ve been a homeless dropout, I’ve been a mess. Now I’m a professional computer programmer. A year and a half ago, I moved into in a Grade II listed building – at first alone, but now sharing with a fantastic friend. I’m not rich by any means, but I have most of the material things I could wish for.
I’ve written a lot, but not as much as I’d like. I think I have at least one novel in me, but when will I find the time to write it? I’ve recorded a lot of music (iTunes says 60 tracks), but so many have been cover versions – surely I could have created my own album by now? I’ve taken a lot of photos (513 there) in the past few years, but too many are of mates in the pub instead of picture postcard scenes.
I’ve had to overcome a lot of barriers, and I’ve managed to improve my life substantially in the past ten years. Tellingly, I suspect I’d still be questioning my achievements if I’d managed to do twice as much as I had. There’s nothing wrong with ambition, or even perfectionism, as long as you don’t let it get in the way of appreciating how far you’ve come.
I’ve come a long way. Hopefully I can go a lot further.
I’ve done a lot of things. Here’s to doing a lot more.
See you for the comet.
I’m back. The trip up north was pretty interesting, but developments up there are going to take a lot of writing and editing before I’m ready to share them. So instead, perhaps I should take a look over the past twelve months.
This website (in its current form, at least) is one year old today, so let’s see what actually happened.
January
Essentially this was about establishing the site. I wrote a few tech articles, and reposted my travel writings from previous sites – probably my proudest pieces. Thailand 2004 was my first real attempt at writing about travels. I was so inspired by what was my first trip out there that I couldn’t help but try to describe the experience. I followed that up with Rome 2004, my summer break with Lois Ann in Italy.
February
Finally, something substantial about what was actually happening at the time. Thailand 2005 was my second trip to Bangkok, I’d picked up a little of the language and was much more comfortable in my environment. Okay, so I didn’t actually post this until May (which I can’t believe – sorry about that!), but I don’t want to leave February blank, and it’s my website! Also posted more tech articles, mostly whinging about my PC not working, and suffering a rather catastrophic hard drive failure.
March
Finally braved the ski slopes again, which I wrote about briefly. I also published the account of my previous trip to the ski slope, Wipeout. I passed my driving test, and posted more tech and geeky stuff.
April
Posted the first gig review – The Bluetones, at the Supernova club in Derby. I also posted a grumble about London, chiefly because I was unhappy at work (I’d been waiting for fourteen months for a contractual salary review at this point), and was considering moving to the capital. Needless to say, it didn’t happen.
May
Posted a review of the tragic movie adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. In other news, Liverpool won the European Champions League.
June
Put some songs on the website. Took them off again. Raved about Doctor Who, and then raved some more about the final radio series of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. Wrote a few techie bits and pieces, and had an encounter with some wildlife.
July
Suicide bombers hit London on July 7. I posted a reaction, of sorts, later in the month, but really felt unable to add anything to the mountain of more informed and inspired opinion already out there.
I also posted a book meme – embarrassingly, I have to admit that I eventually abandoned both of the books I was reading at the time.
Finally, I posted the video footage of my drunken television appearance, and took some cameraphone pictures of a walk by the riverbank, followed by some photos of my trip to Ireland.
Offline, I had handed in (and served) my notice at work, took a week off to visit my mother in Donegal, before starting my new job on August 1.
August
I wrote a little about my new job, but do try to keep my professional life as far away from the website as I can. I wrote about the rejection letter I received from a company who I’d interviewed with in June – a company I had to resist the urge to name and shame…
September
I crashed my bicycle, ranted against Intelligent Design, went to see Alfie (not much of a review though!), and broke an IBM Model M keyboard.
After suffering more PC frustrations, I decided to buy a Mac, but not before ranting about screen resolution and websites. I finally wrote about the high school reunion I organised in August, and my trip to Donegal back in July.
October
I reviewed the long-awaited new Half Man Half Biscuit album, spewed verbal diarrhea, ordered my Mac, and gained a housemate – Sian moved in on the 23rd, the day my niece was born.
November
A pretty quiet month, in which I finally received my Mac, pontificated about life in general, wrote a book review, and attended the turning-on of the town’s Christmas Lights.
December
I finally reviewed the Babyshambles album, managed to get bitten by a dog for the first time, and then life essentially stopped for the Christmas/New Year break, when I went up to Liverpool. And then came back and wrote furiously, this being just one of several pieces I’ve been pounding out on my keyboard today.
It’s been a good year, all in all. There’ve been some sad times, and there’ve been some happy times. But then aren’t there always? I have a better job, I have more money, I have a full driving license (although I don’t yet have a car), and I have a live-in hippy chick. My football team are champions of Europe, I’m a lot healthier (but could still do with losing a little more weight), and I’m delighted with my new role as a Mac Zealot. In a month’s time, I’m off to Thailand for the third time in as many years.
Things could be better, but things could be a lot worse. Let’s see what 2006 brings. Thanks for reading.
