Reflecting on 2009
Nearly a year ago, I wrote a post detailing my New Years Resolutions for 2009. Some I've managed to stick to, others I've either failed slightly or considerably. So, keeping the same numerical order:
- Get Married - we've officially been married for 7 months and 15 days. Our Wedding website is live with pictures from the big day and our honeymoon that followed.
- Lose the Christmas excess - I've not attempted to lose any weight this year, but the good news is I don't weight any more since I did at the end of 2008. Hopefully next year I'll make a better go at this.
- Learn ASP.NET - the fact that I code in VBScript/C# using the .NET framework each day suggests I've got the basics covered. Each new project or application I develop using .NET allows me to further improve my skillset. I'm planning a few .NET personal projects for 2010, so stay tuned.
- Stick to no magazines - I don't recall purchasing a single magazine this year and have only read a couple from friends/family. The only downside is that I've not read as many books as I had hoped to during 2009.
- Get to grips with IIS7 - complete. The main web server at slickhouse is using Server 2008 and we're also migrating to it at work. IIS7 is a great improvement over 6 and the additional modules allow for even more functionality.
- Finish my own CMS - not quite there. I'm currently completing version 2 which should be ready for public release mid-January 2010. There's a few major features still to implement, such as Tags and Categories - to make it a worthwhile WordPress alternative. See SlickCMS in action.
- Build up plenty of savings - not complete, but other things have taken priority financially and I've felt the affects of the recession. Hopefully 2010 will be a better year.
- Complete an XBOX 360 game - again, not complete. However, on 2009-01-07 I had only 730 gamer points; today I have 1900. Not a substantial amount, but it's more than doubled.
- Release a new web project - I have a few planned projects, but these are all on hold until SlickCMS has been released to the public.
- Eat breakfast - complete! Each day we've got up with Lily at about 7am and sat down to eat breakfast with her. This will continue into 2010 as Baby #2 arrives and is a permanent lifestyle change.
That's 2009's resolutions summarised. As you can see, there's a few to be carried over to 2010 - I'll be posting the next set in the New Year. Whatever you're up to this evening, have a Happy New Year!
Posted: Thursday 31st December 2009, 13:24pm
Categories: General, SlickCMS
Tags: new-years-resolutions
Schumacher to return
For the past 5+ weeks since I last posted, I've been contemplating what to write about next. There have been a few minor news stories that I could have reflected on and the weather itself has been extraordinary this month for the UK.
However, today's big story had to be echoed - Michael Schumacher is to return to Formula 1 next year! The story goes on - he's to drive for Mercedes (Brawn GP of 2009) alongside a fellow German, Nico Rosberg and with Ross Brawn heading the team who helped him achieve many of his previous F1 wins.
What with McLaren and their 2 British Drivers, Hamilton and Button and now Mercedes with their 2 aforementioned German Drivers it'll be a cracking season next year. The interesting part will be seeing if Michael still has what it takes to be a championship winner. The Brawn/Red Bull match throughout the 2009 season may unfold in the form of Britain/Germany (McLaren/Mercedes) for 2010. Or, he could find that his determination and previous wins aren't enough as he struggles to qualify and race at the same level as before - the field is mostly young drivers these days, most of which has shown promise over the past 3 years since his retirement.
So, the 2010 Formula 1 season is shaping up to be another one worth watching. There are new teams, new transfers, the previous 2 champions racing with each other and now Schumacher's return. Roll on Bahrain!
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