2010

Nothing like pointless tradition. This is only my tenth blog post of the year. That's the least I've ever written since I started doing it with any regularity.

Nonetheless, I do have a "what I'll do" post from the start of the year, so it couldn't hurt to give it a once over. It was, as I said at the time, the same list from the previous year with a few amendments and additions.

- Eat better
- Keep Exercising

These two always sit together of course, and this year has been no different. I eat fairly well a lot of the time, really quite badly the rest of the time. As a result my 5 times a fortnight for approx 33 minutes cross-trainer, which hasn't slipped at all, does more to maintain my physical shape and weight than it does to improve it.

I have pushed on to 500 calories per session now, and it feels harder than ever, but once you've done something a few hundred times you can easily tell yourself that there's just no way you won't be able to do it. With that not particularly inspiring but factual assessment, I find the willpower keep doing it.

- Improve my guitar skill level further.

A little, perhaps. I'm playing music with other people again, writing songs and recording a lot, which has been a key achievement of 2010 for me, and hopefully for the others involved.

- Figure out my next career step.

I can't write about this any more. Until I'm able to take the advice that I read rather than just like the ideas and do nothing about them, I won't have anything to say on the matter. I don't see myself doing what I do now forever, but now that's gradually morphing into a fear rather than a statement. I go from "anything's possible" to "i'm not that good at anything" almost daily. I wonder if it's the fluoride in the water.

- Make more of an effort to better understand important, but far away, happenings.

Minor progress here by way of coincidence. I went to India to work for a week. I certainly understand more about that place now. This really was quite an experience and I should have more to say about it, but I know how long these posts get if i'm not restrained.

- Cook more varied meals.

Added a new dish to my dish-belt. Maybe I should aim for one new dish a year?

- Isolate myself less at work at lunch time.

Done. I don't sit in my car any more. I sit at my desk four days a week, usually not working. Once a week I have lunch with a friend. That was a new year's resolution which we've kept to quite admirably.

- Try harder to meet people.

A little progress. I still find this type of thing only goes well for me when the moons align and something's in the air. I'm still shy as hell for a now 30 year old but i'll never stop trying to be less so. You hear so many people who have overcome this bullshit. My desire to meet more people is peaking right now. I can't say that's not a slight insult to the people I spend most of my time with, but if they don't feel similarly i'd be very surprised. Life is seasoned with variety. Y'know, cos variety is a spice?

- Try harder not to have that argumentative tone in friendly conversation.

Better. So much better. Self-awareness is up, talking down to people is down. I slip occasionally usually under stress, but with that identified it's not too hard to dial it back.

- Visit more of the UK. None of it is that far away.

Fucking hell. I learned some lessons trying to do this. I started the day in my car with the bare essentials (pretty much a coat) to go exploring the Welsh countryside. By 6pm I had been lost, wet, cold and alone on a misty mountain-top for 2 hours. That part of the story gets laughs no matter who I tell. What I tend to leave out is that I very nearly fell down a sheer face trying to find shelter whilst I was up there. I was literally clinging to a 20 degree mud slope with no bottom in sight after sliding about ten feet. After that I decided stopping for shelter wasn't an option - only getting down was, no matter how much it hurt. I found my way back to the path and briefly lost it again before being rescued. Definitely the learning experience of my year, and the most physically draining experience of my life.. Don't do this without the kit.

- Weigh less than eleven and a half stone.

I'm starting to think this isn't ever going to happen. I've been hovering above 12 for a while now. It may just be that I started to exercise at just around the right time to avoid the great male change of the mid-twenties. I could do more to weigh less though, and i'd still like to. I am fit now though, no question.

- Put away less alcohol.

Have I fuck. Nor do I want to. I've gradually weened myself away from this ridiculous body is a temple we're all gonna live forever philosophy. The level of drinking I do is only of caloric concern. I'm not worried about my brain. Week night drinkers are the ones that should be worried about their brain.

- Clean up more.

Sort of, but not really. I really hate cleaning. I'm genuinely considering paying someone when I need to clean for guests.

- Don't cave in to climate change propaganda beyond career supporting lip service.

I still have an environmental target which, no shit, tells me to reduce my carbon footprint, but thankfully i'm yet to lose any points over it. The existence of this so called performance indicator angers me greatly, and i've made this very clear. I suppose what i'm saying is that i'm barely managing the career supporting lip service. It's hard not to say what you think, always.

- Keep walking. Do some really long walks.

Not enough of this in 2010, apart from the Wales thing which must have been 10 miles in adverse weather.

- Code something outside of work. Looking like Android.

I got very sick of Android very quickly. The SDK isn't too bad but it's no pleasure. I'm still entirely convinced that Android will be enormous, but it's still too early. I'm currently coding some web apps using PHP (hey - it still works) and think i'd like to give iPhone development a crack if I can bring myself to buy a Mac (which I don't really want) and an iPad (which I do).

- Keep plants alive.

Looking around me at the plant life is very disappointing. I've always had a knack for keeping plants alive without really trying but over the past few months my plants have mostly turned for the worst. The big ones are fine, but all the little ones are looking almost bare. I've seen plants bounce back from seemingly dead, but a few of these, particularly the colourful candy like ones from Ikea are probably going to end up in the bin.

- Make a decision regarding buying vs renting longer term.

I don't want to buy a house in Leicester. I'm pretty sure with a bit of work I could get together a deposit and the few grand more that gets pissed away in the transaction, but I don't see it as a priority. Renting works for me and i'm way beyond the "dead money" thing - I don't even indulge idiots proposing this tired line with an argument any more.

- Get involved in some house refurb work and see if it's something i'd like to pursue further.

I didn't do this. I think I was just enjoying Homes Under the Hammer a bit too much. It didn't come back on after Christmas 2009, or at least not on channels in my package. Not something i'm bothered about.


This wasn't too long but it's all there, for what it is. It's 5pm on new years eve and I still have to buy a chinese snack box, iron a shirt and listen to the UC Radio new year show before going out for 7. No time for this, and that in general is why i've only posted ten times this year, not sixty. You could interpret it as a good thing!