Month: December 2002

For those that enjoyed 3D’s hyperjet racing when I linked to it, you can find another version here featuring a mightily difficult third course.

I see that the BBC e-cyclopedia Words of the Year 2002 includes blogger (shouldn’t that have been word of the year for 2001, or even 2000?) and one of my favourites from 2002, bling-tastic (a word that I first brought to your attention waaaaaay back in October) – a word that I now realise perfectly describes my fab jacket.

UPDATE: haaaang on a minute! Who wrote this? Not only does this list include bling-tastic, which I feel I can take credit for bringing to the world’s attention, but also chalkchalking, a term coined by me in this entry on 22 July. I demand a credit!
FURTHER UPDATE: I’ve been credited.

My e-tickets have finally arrived, after I sent a short-tempered e-mail. But not a word of apology. Harrumph.

Nearly forgot: happy birthday to David W, all the way across the Atlantic.

Navel gazing, part 2: review of the year.

2002 has been a much less traumatic year than 2001 – and that, as far as I am concerned, is a good thing. Maybe because I’ve taken a more low-key approach when tackling the year, the year hasn’t turned around and bitten me on the bum. There may be a lesson to be learnt there, but we all know how good I am at learning lessons.

It’s actually been a year without significant low points, which is good. Oh yes, there have been a few disappointments along the way, but whilst they might have seemed bad at the time, they all pretty much worked out for the best in the long run.

Highlight of the year must be meeting Joanna. She’s great, and has boosted me in many ways. It feels great to be thinking about someone so much, and to be safe in the knowledge that they are thinking about me too. We’re already making some tentative plans for the next few weeks and months, and I’m hoping that that will lead to more. But one day at a time, eh? As I should know from my past, who knows what the future really holds?

I’ve made some excellent new friends during the course of the year – Charlie rates high on the list, but there have been others too. A few other friendships have been strengthened, most notably Lord Percy and Lady Bren, and some friendships maintained. One or two friendships have drifted, which is sad in a way, but also a reflection of how times and people change as life moves on.

In other parts of life, I completed my Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing, finally getting a good quality qualification. Whilst qualifications are not the be-all and end-all of life, I am intensely proud of my achievements. The DipM is opening doors and opportunities for me already, and my professional life is moving in a direction that I would never have dreamed of just a couple of years ago. The future is unknown, but I get a feeling that it will be fun, if not a little daunting at times.

And finally, grayblog marches on, now with added radio. As I say in my new about page, all the while I enjoy doing this, I’ll keep doing it, and at the moment I feel no urge to stop. So thanks for reading and commenting, and happy new year to you!

Last day of the year, so time for the obligatory navel gazing that you all expect and love…

first up: a review of the resolutions I made for 2002, and some new ones for 2003…

• to take more exercise – hmmm. I did fairly well on this one, certainly whilst I was dieting. I think I could do better though, and as transportation is a minor bone of contention at the moment, expect a concerted effort to get my bike back on the road for some serious pedal-powered two wheel action.
• to be more proud of who I am – some would argue that I didn’t really need this, but I knew that, on the inside, I did. I’ve come a long way with this one, but still have a little way to go. Let’s say that it is ongoing, and not unrelated to activities currently being undertaken regarding my work status (more on that subject in the coming days and weeks).
• to stand up for the choices I make – this is related to the one above, and I reckon I’ve done pretty well with this one. Part of standing up for my choices is to do with thinking them through thoroughly beforehand, so that I have more confidence in them myself. Not only that, but putting past choices into perspective has been a good thing too – the bad choices don’t seem so bad now, mainly because in the long run, they either form the person that you are, or don’t really matter.
• to manage my money more effectively – well, I’ve got my borrowing under control and have managed it efficiently (switching to a personal loan and less reliance on credit card debt has been a good thing, coupled with using those 0% introductory deals on balance transfers to keep credit card debt costs to a minimum), and I’ve also reined in the spending (less CDs purchased this year than last, for example). Still could do better, although a boost to my income is what is really needed to balance my personal books, and that is something I am working on, as you will see.
• to finish doing up my flat by the end of the year – ah. hmm. yes. Well, looks like I’ll just move this one into the 2003 column. I have done a little on the flat, but unfortunately it is really too little.
• to see more films – at least I can claim success on this one, as I saw a pitifully small number of films in 2001, and have seen many more in 2002. I still think I could see more, and it shouldn’t be a difficult thing to achieve, what with the excellent New Park Cinema just ten minutes walk from here, and Chichester’s new multiplex opening at Easter.

As for the new resolutions for 2003…

• to finish doing up the flat by the end of the year, which needs doing not only for reasons of comfort and appearance, but also for financial reasons and with a view to what the future might hold.
• to get back into learning, which is, apparently, a very popular resolution this year. I’m definitely going to try to acquire some sort of language skills in excess of my pitiful schoolboy French, and there are a couple of other things that I might learn, if in a less formal environment than the college
• to be more organised, particularly in the areas of filing papers and running systems. This is going to be not only desirable, but essential, with everything else that is going on at the moment.
• to do more real cooking and eat fewer ready meals
• to watch my weight and not balloon back up to 14 stone like I did in 2002. I’m going to start a new diet after the end of the party-and-chocolate season, with a target of 12st 7lb (I’ve crept back over the 13st mark during the festivities) and the aim of losing this podgy belly thing.

I’ll add these into the sidebar, so that readers can nag me occasionally about them.

My new phone has arrived. Expect nothing more from me whilst I play.

Whatever next?

woo! yay! My new phone is on its way! According to their parcel tracking service, Securicor have tried to deliver it three times, including this morning. This is plainly not true, as I’ve been here all morning, and even on the days when I’ve not been here, no card has been left. However, they have helpfully promised to try and get it to me late this afternoon or evening, and if not, definitely by 10am tomorrow. We shall see.
Given that they won’t be here imminently, I think I’ll nip out for a cornish pasty.

Scaryduck tells us about the true fate of Mao Tse-Tung.