Entries tagged with ‘personal’:
A 2008 retrospective.
It seems like over the last week I've read 2 or 3 dozen people's various retrospectives for 2008—so I figured it probably wouldn't hurt to sit down for a few minutes with a cup of coffee and do some contemplating about this year that’s just passed us.
On Christmas day of 2007 Kate and I had all of our belongings in boxes and paint in our hair. We made the huge 12 mile move from my little apartment in Mountain View (where I had been for almost 5 years) to our new place here in Redwood City. I had just started a new job at Renkoo. We had also just adopted a new little puppy, and were in the process of getting to know each other. So, new job, new place, new dog… it was a lot to be starting out with.
Work-wise, 2008 has been a an interesting ride. On the one hand, I had a whole lot of fun building the CarShow application for myspace. Doing the little flash-based drag racing game allowed me to check off one of those life goals of “building a video game”—even if it was just a primitive little side scroller (hey, there was parallax scrolling!). That said, it's been no big secret that I could never quite settle into working there… It was clearly a square peg, round hole type of situation. So then, it took me as no surprise that when the layoffs came this christmas, I was let go.
But, like all of life’s lessons, I’ve really learned a lot about red flags during the interview process, doing back-door references as the employee, and listening more closely to not only what people say… but also what they don’t say.
I've had many big plans for side projects this year (like learning objective-c, making a killer iphone application, and becoming wealthy), but only one of them actually came to fruition (wigalert.com). Maybe this next year will work out a little bit better for doing more fun or interesting stuff in my free time.
Our little pup, Domino, has turned into the best little dog. Hard to believe 12 months ago we were still working (a bit unsuccessfully) on crate training. Next month, Kate will be starting him in agility classes, and he'd been coming to work with me 1 or 2 days a week.
Over the spring, Kate and I got on my old rusty mountain bike and her big slow cruiser, and started riding. The first time we rode up Woodside Road, I was convinced we were going to die. Over time, our 13 mile loop around and up Sandhill got easier and easier. Then we did a 20 mile loop. Then 30. Late in the summer we bought new bikes. Then a 50 mile loop. Then we tackled Old La Honda Road. On September 14th we (along with 2000 other cyclists) rode from AT&T Park 130 miles into Napa Valley for the MS Waves to Wine bike tour. It was an absolute high, and I'll freely admit that I completely broke down in tears when we crossed the finish line.
This fall, we found ourselves in a situation resulted in us having to part ways with some of our good friends. This was a huge emotional ordeal for both Kate and I, and we've come out of it having learned a lot about ourselves.
So, predictions for 2009… Not many. It will be interesting watching the president-elect getting sworn in. I'm hoping to find a place to work that I can really connect with. I’ve also signed up to be a volunteer with troubled dogs at the Peninsula Humane Society… that will likely be interesting. Other than that, I’d really just want more of the same. All in all, 2008 was a pretty good year.
I’m engaging
25 Things
From something going around on facebook, here's 25 less known and trivial facts about me…
25. When I was about 10, I got a shoelace caught in an escalator at Macy's. As it started cinching up my shoe, I was convinced that it would drag me down and turn me into hamburger. Finally, the shoelace broke. I avoid escalators to this day, and will always take the stairs if that's an option.
24. When I was 12 I got stuck alone in the dark on in elevator for about an hour when the power went out. When the power finally came back on, the elevator kinda shifted, and I was convinced it was about to go crashing to the ground. Again, if there's an option, I'll take the stairs.
23. Which leads to: I have an absolutely crippling fear of heights. Even some stair cases can give me vertigo. Roller coasters are not an option. Ever.
22. There's not a single vegetable that I won't eat. Fruits on the other hand, not so much.
21. I have no sense of smell, but a pretty darned sensitive sense of taste.
20. I've never broken a bone.
19. I've never had a cavity.
18. I've never chewed gum, and won't eat candy. (peanut butter cups and flipz are exceptions)
17. I've had Bell's Palsy before, possibly as a result from a flying Three Musketeers mini.
16. I've had sideburns ever since 8th grade. The last time I accidentally shaved them I had a panic attack. They're like a security blanket, just made out of hair and attached to my face.
15. I detest romantic comedies—not for the romance, but for the poor attempt at comedy, and that they're so goddamned predictable. I'm not opposed to romantic dramas.
14. I'm a crier when it comes to movies. Last of the Mohicans? Like a freakin' faucet.
13. I cannot stay awake in musicals, no matter what.
12. I tend to laugh at the wrong times in movies.
11. I loathe talking on the telephone. I'm usually brief and rushing to get off. I assume this is a result of being a teenager that would spend hours and hours on the phone.
10. All things being available, I'd prefer champagne.
09. I do not have a passport, and have never left the country.
08. I've traveled all over the states though.
07. I'm a dismal speller, and live and die by the red squiggly line.
06. I'm a terrible flyer. Although I understand the physics principals behind jet engines, it still freaks my shit out that something so big, made out of metal, is that high off the ground.
05. I typically won't wait more than 10 minutes for a table. Most restaurant's food just isn't worth it.
04. I appear to have negative buoyancy, and can not swim. At camp as a kid, the swim instructors would just give up and tell me to stay out of the pool.
03. I was a boy scout, but I cannot tie knots to save my life.
02. I'm a complete geek about my music collection. 78GB or so of MP3s, all immaculately labeled, and tagged—complete with cover artwork.
01. Carpel Tunnel is the boogie man that keeps me awake at night. Nothing scares me more.
barclay loftus