New Years 2013 Resolutions

Like last year, I am going to look at my previous resolutions and see how they went, and then make new ones for this year.

Just before the clock stuck 12 last night, Leigh asked me if I have any resolutions. Usually in the run up to 01/01 I have spent a lot of time thinking about the year, and what I need to improve upon. This year I hadn't. Maybe this time around I am a lot happier with the position I am in. Although I am, I usually feel quite happy, so I'm not quite sure why less thought has been put into it.

Last years resolutions:

1) Find out who my friends are and be loyal to them
For the first time in many years I think I have stuck to this. It is hard to hold onto friendships, and I often find myself clinging onto something that, though no fault of either person, has just faded away. There are people I want to see a lot more, but the friends that will stick around are the ones that you don't have to see once every two weeks, and even if you see just once every 6 months, you will be as close as ever. This year I've gotten really close with the guys I usually go on holiday with, which is nice. They are a good group... no venom, which is too common in many groups.

2) Try and further my knowledge in all areas
For the first half of the year I did a lot of reading (articles, etc) and felt like I had a good understanding of many things. Since September I've been a lot busier, and this had kind of slipped. I would quite like to find some RSS feeds from interesting websites and get back into reading more.

3) Notice when something is just my ego speaking, and learn to ignore it
Not sure how this went. Maybe people will think I'm quite egotistical. Possibly I am, and although I don't think throughout the year I would have gotten less, I often realise when I say something that may sound it (though I think only if interpreted that way).

4) Start caring about my appearance again
This didn't happen. Yesterday I went to drop something off to a car dealership in baggy tracksuit bottoms, and an oversized hoody covered in a mix of pasta sauce and milk. I put my hood up, just for effect.


This years resolutions:

1) Start being more confident and friendly
When I meet somebody for the first time I often feel quite shy, and maybe come across like I don't want to talk to them, which isn't a great first impression. Something Kristofer said when I was in Sweden stuck with me, about meeting people for the first time, and I am going to try and be more like that. Not only will I seem nicer, I think it is needed for my career.

2) Continue 'reading' audiobooks
I go in phases with audiobooks. I spend a lot of time driving, and a lot of that time is spent singing along to the same songs, when there are hundreds of years of books that I am ignoring. I love reading them, but it can be an effort getting into a new one right after the last, but this year I am going to try and force myself to almost right away (maybe a day or two of singing in between).

3) Get back into shape and stop looking like a hobo
Yep... I'm becoming one of those people who make the "get into shape" or "look good" resolution year after year. But now I think it's more important. At work I wear the same jumper day after day, and I am starting to get fat. This must change.

4) Try and finish some projects
Too many times I start things and don't finish them (eg, the damn website I've been saying I'm going to do). I've also started thinking I want to make a game again (I say again, I last felt like it when I first got into programming when I was 10). We'll see how this goes...

2012 Year In Review

The last few years have been better and better. Each year I have thought "next year cannot be as eventful as this one". And, while this year has been extremely eventful, for reasons that I will reveal at the end of this post, I think 2013 will be more so.

I woke up on January 1st at 4pm. It was already dark, and I was in a cold, damp house with nothing to eat. What's worse, my car was parked 3 miles away, I had a hang over, no coat, uncomfortable shoes, and I was hungry. I didn't mind too much, the night before was a lot of fun, and after picking up my car I treated myself to a free Domino's pizza (that I got from complaining about the previous one I had).

The rest of the month was mostly lazing around. Brandi had left mid-December from her long stay in England. I had moved back in with my parents who were good company and made it so I wasn't eating beans on toast every night (and it's always nice to be around my nephew and nieces who are always over there). Aside from moving the last of my things from mine and Brandi's first place, and pranking Dave at work January was pretty uneventful.

February picked up a lot faster. With the wedding was only two months away we were in the final-ish stages of preparation. I said 'we', but in honesty Brandi did most of it (and did it well). I was still moping around which gave me time to finally cross off "108) Learn to do Rubik's Cubes in under 2 minutes".

I had started to get restless in my career again. I had only been at SCH for a year, the first 6 months I really enjoyed, but I felt the last 6 months I hadn't progressed in any way. I felt as if I probably wouldn't progress. They have many people there who join, and stay for decades without really climbing the ladder, and that just isn't me. I think these feelings were started by all the life changes, and realising that I will need a lot of money, and if I let myself stay in the position I am I will never live comfortably.

At the end of the month, me and the 'cru' went to Plovdiv in Bulgaria!

For the weeks leading into March me and Brandi had decided we need to buy a house, and as soon as possible. It all happened quite quickly actually. Brandi had linked me a few places to see, and during a snowy day my mom and dad took me over. We didn't like any that much, and my expectations for what we could afford were lowered.

The next week decided to go and view more. There was about 6 places we saw online, and one place that had only just gone on the market, and hadn't yet been put up on anything. That place was amazing. After seeing it I had no interest while looking around the others. It was cheaper than the other places and much, much nicer. My mom encouraged me to put in an offer right away, in case somebody beats me to it... so I did, and it was accepted, and we went for a victory meal!

The next couple of weeks were stressful. I've heard it takes about 6 weeks to get a house through.... but I needed to do it in 2-3, or we would have to pay the stamp duty. I ended up calling most days to make sure it was progressing well.

On the 25th of March I picked up the house keys.

April was quite the life changing month! The end of an era... the era being "me not being married". Not so much the end of an era, because it's not like I was single before... but it is a definitive ending. If I had to choose a more realistic ending it would have been first meeting Brandi, but regardless... the last month of me ticking the box on the form that says "single".

The month started with my Stag Party. After getting hammered the first night, the second night was pretty painful... having to keep drinking shots while hungover, and not getting properly drunk off them, so still feeling self-conscious about looking like a dick. I think the problem is that my desire to talk to people in a club plummeted 100% from July 2010 to April 2012. I probably seem slightly antisocial, but it is the one main change I have noticed about myself. But anyway.. it was really nice to have the old guys together again (Neil, Joe, Leigh). We probably see each other as a group less than once a year now.

Later in April was the big event of the year... the Wedding in Mexico! Such a great time, and lots of reminiscing has gone on since! This is somewhat the ending of my "being young", and moving into a new chapter of my life. And, regardless of my not wanting to get old, it isn't something that I'm upset about!

With April ending the last chapter, May certainly didn't begin the next. After the wedding I went back home, to my mom and dads spare room, and waited for Brandi's visa to be accepted. If I am still using the chapter metaphor, May is like a load of pages between the last and the next. To pass the month I arranged Duke of Pwn, originally as a get together with Joe and Neil, though they both ended up backing out (though Joe came on the second day)... regardless, it was a great weekend with Leigh and Liam.

May wasn't all sitting around waiting. Somehow, the visa that was supposed to take months (especially considering the immigration rules were changing any second, forcing loads of people to quickly put in applications) was accepted in a few days!! Happy times! Though, it was accepted so quickly that Brandi hadn't prepared to come. But, using the knowledge, the flights were booked for the 16th of June.

The 16th of June came. The house was prepared. I had even bought a mattress (and looked gay with Dave as he had gone looking for one with me). I picked Brandi up from the airport (on time this time too!!) and excitedly drove her back so she could see our new house. She loved it, and, as far as I am aware, still does!

The transition of properly living together wasn't easy, it was easier than easy. It came entirely naturally. Aside from her not hugging me in bed ever, and would rather opt to wear many layers of pyjamas and say "its too hot to cuddle", all is great!!

So, the new "chapter" (last time saying it now) in my life had started. A married man, living with his wife. And I think I certainly look it seriously. That month at work I demanded a pay-rise, as my salary was getting to the point that I actually couldn't properly support us both. Brandi had applied to be a nurse, and we were waiting for all that to come through (in which case it would be fine), but I didn't want to rely on something I could not control.

July was our first 'summer' together, and well, we had very different interpretations of how it went. When I say we, I mean me and the rest of the country. My memories of the summer (even right at the end, so it hasn't fogged with time) was that it was dry, warm and happy... but apparently it wasn't.

Quite a lot happened. As always it was my birthday; a quarter of the way to 100. Me and Brandi went to our first festival, 2000 Trees, which was extremely wet and muddy. As for my 100 things to do list, which I hadn't been too good with this year, we found the found final geocache, crossing off number 113. And also, it was my sisters wedding to an awesome guy!

Between July and August I did a 30 day photo challenge, where I took a photo every day (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4). I attribute this to my memories of the summer, as it made me look around for nice things to photgraph. Also, the olympics had started, so the whole country has in high morale.

We had our first Summer Playstation Night, which the kids loved. Brandi is very good for the Playstation nights... she plans a load of games and activities we can do, though she doesn't like them staying up late playing the Playstation after, but that is the origin of the night so it will stay.

From the start of the summer, a great guy I met in Germany (who lives near me in UK) had been walking from John O Groats to Lands End, the entire length of the country, raising money for charity. Brandi and I met him in Bristol, and I did a Morph suit walk with him to raise awareness.

The summer promptly disappeared in September. It felt a bit like "back to reality" (probably not for everybody else, who hated the summer weather). At work I had been waiting for a pay rise for 2 months. I had been told I would definitely get one... but after 2 months of waiting I was getting impatient. Then, one morning the news broke that the company that I made the website for (an online retailer) had been sold to a huge American company for hundreds of millions (after they looked to sell due to the success over the year), and instead of it being like "thanks a lot for your part in it", they said that whilst I have no product I'm currently developing (with that being sold), they can't justify a pay-rise. Obviously then, I promptly handed in my notice, but instead of looking for a new job, I started a company.

Starting a company, and contracting is something I'd been considering doing for a while. I'd researched it, and it just looked like work cheat-mode. I was slightly nervous about the future though, because it could all fail. I've always been very fortunate in life, but perhaps this would be the time I wasn't?

Before the end of the September, me Liam, Laura, Craig, Charlotte and Mike went to Croatia! Since Brandi had moved here we had started seeing that group a lot more often, which was nice, as they are all really nice.

In October I finally left SCH (my job) to become properly "self employed". I wasn't bitter about leaving, as the people directly above me were very nice and fair, but I don't think much about the people above them, or the company in general any more.

Thankfully, I was given a contract by a large company right away. I was then also offered a contract by a former company... so for a week in October I worked 3 different jobs. I felt a lot more mature, especially in a working sense, but the lack of time meant I had to give up my little hobby of my subreddit (which had over 20,000 subscribers).

Both October and November flew by. I was working... very hard. Contracting is a lot of work. Especially being split between two places. Each time I go into a place there are a load of things stacked up for me to do, so there wasn't a free second. Also, it is entirely different to being permanent. In a permanent job they don't seem to mind you not knowing something, and allow you to grow with the company... but as a contractor they are looking for a professional to sort everything out, and I was supposed to be that person. Daunting. Though, I think I did well under all the pressure.

Money was getting extremely tough by the end of November. I hadn't been paid since leaving SCH, and up until that point we were leaking money everywhere. We couldn't really afford to do a lot, but I didn't mind at all because I knew that it shouldn't be far into the future that we would be comfortable, and we should enjoy the (hopefully) last time of having to watch every penny.

December was a massive month. Work wise (start with the small news), Peugeot asked me to stay for up to another year, which somewhat stabilises our financial situation. With a new company we decided to get rid of the old Ka and get a brand new car (didn't necessarily want a brand new one, but it actually seem to make more sense financially).

The big news came in the form of.... well... Me and Brandi had decided that we were about ready to have a baby. I've felt like I could be a good dad for a while now, but financially I wanted to make sure we were okay. We started trying in October, and then on the first of December we found out that Brandi was pregnant! We haven't actually announced it to anybody yet (other than some family and close friends), but I thought that nobody would read this far down my blog, so please, if you actually did read down this far, do not tell anybody! The news will come shortly). I probably shouldn't even write it here, but when I look back at these yearly posts, it would annoy me too much for it to be missing such an important thing.

Anyway, obviously, we are both massively excited about it. Actually, as I sit writing this now, Brandi is telling me to get dressed because the midwife will be here any second.

Right... back to December. Christmas was awesome, as usual. The focus has changed from getting loads of presents (which I still do!) to enjoying being with the family, going to the cinema, playing board games, etc. Neil came over on the night (my moms favourite new tradition) and we played Balderdash and I drank Mount Gay Rum.

New years was also awesome My first one with Brandi. We went to a Murder Mystery night at this really nice hotel, along with Ash, Liam, Laura, and Leigh. It was done excellently. I will write a post about it later. Needless to say, I chose the wrong person, along with most people except Ash.

So... that is the year! And a really good one. I have been forced into 'maturity', but not quite kicking and screaming, and I suppose not quite forced! The next year will be really interesting, and hopefully awesome!

Mine and Brandi's Christmas Present!

In May 2011 my awesome Ford Cougar retired. The unsensible amount of petrol it took didn't match my more sensible life-changes, and I had to change it for a little Ford Ka. Although I knew when anybody looked in they expected to see a girl (and once, when I left a blond wig in my car from new years, a few Asian guys who beeped at me half-did. Best reaction ever when they realised), driving it made me feel responsible!

I didn't mind driving it too much. One speaker was broken, and the CD player rarely worked, so I had gotten used to using headphones... which was actually more comforting than hearing the noises the car made at 70mph, but aside from all of the problems, it was cheap, which suited me!

The last half of 2012 has brought many changes. One of which is more money. So, as a Christmas present to Brandi and myself, we have bought a new car!

It took us quite a lot of research to decide which car to get... it was between the Audi A1, Peugeot 208 and the Kia Rio 3.. but after testing the Rio (and Steve being much nicer than the arrogant Audi bloke) there was no competition. It seemed like the nicest, best value car, and has all the features that only came on the top models of the other cars..

This is my first "new car"... and is awesome! I was actually driving along listening to music on my phone, without the use of a little speaker or headphones... and then I took a call over Bluetooth. These may seem like normal things to most people with cars... but going from a 12 year old car to a 2 hour old car it was luxury!

Brandi will learn to drive manual soon in it (and probably completely destroy the gearbox in the process) so then I will even be able to go out and drink again, and her drive back!

SCH: My Memoirs

Today, on the 11th October 2012, it is my last day at SCH. It is actually my last hour as I write this.

I have learned a lot at this company, after leaving Switch, and my knowledge has grown a lot... but, I have decided to leave to start my own business as a contractor.

Although most of my memoirs come in terms of work I have done here, but that is too boring to write, let alone read, but a lot has changed in the time I started (namely 3 houses, two boxing fights, getting engaged, getting married, and getting a house).

The person I have got on with best here is Dave Jr. We work well together, and have a laugh (such as finding Dave's letter on his desk, printing out a new version, and not telling him. Results here.). He also became my new boxing and grappling partner.

I used my time at SCH well. In the time between the builds of the programs, I learned to solve the Rubiks cube in under 2 mins, to cross it off my list. Also, I came up with the idea of RedditDayOf, and spent time (at dinner, of course) growing and moderating it.

Like leaving anywhere, I am sad as it is another chapter over, but it is a very exciting time at the moment.

This is wrote quick because I need to leave to meet my accountant!

Carly and Paul's Wedding

On July 29th my sister, Carly, got married to Paul. Paul is a really nice guy, and not only thought so highly because of the standard set in the past, he is genuinely really nice. So, needless to say, the family was thrilled.

I don't actually have any photos of the wedding, as Paul spent the night at his family's house, so when Savannah saw him for the first time on the day (as she came walking down the aisle as the flower girl), she shouted "dadddyyyy" and tried running over to him. When she wasn't allowed she started crying, overwhelmed with the day, and couldn't be stopped. My mom was going to stand outside with her, but I quickly took her place, to allow her to watch the wedding.

Here are some of the photo's from afterwards.

Then, to entertain myself, I decided to take pictures of the kids looking stupid... (the whole "you have something on your heel" trick).

... while the girls kept guard of the entrance.

On the evening there was a nice disco, with an awesome sweet table.

Me and Brandi danced a lot, and Savannah stayed up very late being my dancing parter.

... but it was all a bit too much for Eloise.

61) Start a business

Last February I left Switch. This was a mixture of needing more money/career progression, and partly to get time off to see Brandi.

Right after Brandi left I started working at SCH (a huge company). In the past year I've learned a lot, and feel like a much, much better programmer, and have a good grasp of business in general.

In June, just after Brandi moved over, I realised I hadn't really made and progress, and was on the verge of stagnating. I can afford the mortgage and food, but not a lot more... I don't want to be an old dad either, but with money I couldn't . I spoke with my superiors, and negotiated a responsibility and pay increase.

Over two months passed, and the pay rise was yet to come. I decided to act quite quickly, and boldly, and set up my own company.

And so... as of the 14th September 2012, my company was incorporated.

I felt like this is a milestone, so I had the celebratory glass of birth whisky.

But, to tell the truth, I have been pretty nervous. When I first listed myself as available for work I got a load of calls, but most were put of when I said I still had to work my notice at SCH. And then came the call from Jon, from Switch, for a months contract. And then came a call for a 3 month contract for Peugeot... and this is a picture I took when I turned up for my first day.

But yeah... as I said, I'm a bit nervous. Today went well, but this is a really important week that will kind of decide how my whole life goes. Needless to say, working for yourself programming is a lot more money than working permanently  but with it comes much less security, and a lot more pressure (though I don't really get stressed).

I want to use the contracting side as a stepping stone into actually working as a proper business. I am hoping to start developing some kind of product/service in future, and then no longer have to stick to long hours that means you see no daylight in the winter.

Hopefully, this time next year all of my financial problems will be sorted, and I will look back on it being a great decision.

Croatia, Sukosan: My Memoirs

On 23rd of September I went to Sukosan, Croatia with my friends. Unlike our previous short breaks, this was different because Ash had been replaced by 3 girls.

- Getting off the plane into 28 degree Celsius heat. A real 'wtf' moment when getting off a Ryanair plane.

- Brandi getting locked in the airport toilets.

- Walking through the really picturesque Sukosan village for the first time. Every house seemed to be growing things like olives, green and red peppers, grapes, tomatoes, and other things.

- Going to a restaurant and ordering two big meat platters between us, but it wasn't quite enough meat. I trusted the guilty-of-war-crimes-looking waiter.

- Having amazing fresh pizzas (fresh because we saw the chef go over to the shop to buy things after we ordered).

- Walking back from the restaurant in the dark. The village seemed so haunted, complete with a young girl on a squeaky swing. Then a small child came running out of it's house towards Charlotte and she sh*t it.

- Playing Ring of Fire, followed by Drinking Munchkin (and a few mins later without the drinking), making me 2 wins out of 2 games with Munchkin. Then charades, and then the TV moustache drinking game.

- Liam having a few too many, "arching like a cat" over the kitchen sink, and then painting the corridor and all 3 of the toilets.

- The cute puppy that came running out, and randomly jumping up each of us, and gently biting my hand.

- Going into Zadar, and walking down a street fully of ice-cream shops, where every single shop was better than the next. I bought a bubblegum one first one, which turned out to be a huge mistake. I was later walking along with a bubblegum in one hand, and Kinder ice-cream in the other. If I had held out longer there were even better ones.

- Seeing Croatian Santa in Zadar.

- Liam texting Ash a picture of every church we saw.

- Being on the roughest bus I've seen, covered in graffiti of dicks.

- Our taxi driver getting pulled over by police (who had guns, crazy people) on the way to Plitvice lakes.

- Driving past really small villages, with half-constructed houses.

- Going through a weird looking town built around a river deep into a canyon. It had loads of appartment blocks that looked like a cross between Malaga and Chernobyl, and had the ruins of a castle in the middle.

- A Chinese person asking Mike for a picture, and when he agreed and assumed he would take their camera off them, they photographed him holding his burger.

- Walking through Plitivce Lakes national park, and seeing the many, many waterfalls and beautiful sights.

- Talking with Liam, Craig, and Mike, and deciding we will start developing things together. Hopefully this will be an important part of our history!

- Charlotte buying yoghurt instead of milk, and Brandi putting it on her cereal.

- Us men being manly and cooking spaghetti bolognese, and making a brutal cocktail using the suspicious house-spirit.

- Getting hammered playing Battleshots, then going out wandering around as a group, finding a scary abandoned building next to the sea, and then skinny dipping.

- Making our way home, wet and cold, and we all thought we had to take the road to the left, but Mike thankfully somehow know exactly where to go.

- Seeing Croatian Mario in Sukosan.

- Sunbathing on the pier, and actually getting a bit of a tan from a Ryanair holiday.

- Playing Munchkin again, and becoming 3/3 wins at it. Muwahaha. "Steady steady... turkey turkey".

- Buying a sandwich in the airport, and it literally being the worst sandwich I have ever eaten. It was only ham too, I don't know how they could go so wrong.