Happy New Year

Happy New Year, Taipei 101
Originally uploaded by Coolmitch.

Hope it's a fun time where you're at, Winnipeg got 30+cm of fresh new snow today so it's been a 'fun' day today.

God's blessings on all of us - around the world - in Anno Domini Nostri Iesu Christi 2007

(I know Anno Domini... it's not politically correct it's supposed to be CE but ... sheesh)

Evan

End of the Year Review and Ideas for Next Year

Classic Cheescake@Secret Recipe Originally uploaded by Jasemaine.

Well Christmas is over, we had a great family dinner made most of our items from scratch (as opposed to prepackaged). We made an absolutely sin-full new-york style cheesecake. We had Fillet Minion instead of 'Traditional Turkey' and it appeared to be very much enjoyed by everyone.

Santa gave us the 5-6 player expansions for Settlers of Catan and Cities and Nights of Catan so we played a game of that after dinner. Now, this is in contrast to what my family did when we were growing up - apparently at some time in the past 50 years mom had a bad experience with board games so had sworn off of them forever so she didn't play and dad thought the whole thing looked very complex. This is one of those 'family differences' S's family frequently would have dinner at 2 or 3 in the afternoon followed by an afternoon of games then a light supper at 7-8 before everyone left. My family would have 'Formal English Turkey-Carved-At-The-Table-by-Dad, Veggies-Served-by-Mom-at-the-Other-End' dinner. Needless to say there has been some 'style friction over the years'

Didn't Work
Outside / Yard Construction

This continues to take us 'FOREVER' just can't get the cycles together to get what is now just a little work to be done NEED to GET THIS FINISHED!

Garage / Craft Room Organization

We have way too much junk, and desperately need to dump stuff and paper, right now our garage is full of crap that isn't in the basement (because we were working on that) and the craft room is full of the junk that we couldn't move outside.

Personal Organization / Tasks

While I'm not missing meetings, I'm not getting to them prepared, i.e. having read the minutes from the previous meeting just as the new meeting starts (if at all) and catching the 'To Do's' that I might have for the meeting by the skin of my teeth. I use Gmail for email but I think I'm in desperate need of an organizer system.

Did Work
Basement

Surprisingly, the basement came together quite quickly once we hired a friend to help us out with the drywalling, we were able to get the ceiling up fairly easily and we're just about done the 'finish electrical'

Work - Programming

My skills at programming are slowly improving, I'm able to not only 'get the work done' but to do it a little faster and it's not so much a struggle, I made good progress learning ASP.net 2.0

Kiddo

Being a dad has been more fun than I had ever hoped it would be - I actually was not looking forward to the first couple of years (what I had previously though of as the 'the poop factory phase i.e. food in poop out not much else going on), K. is terrific fun to be around, he's a happy kid, busy learning and exploring his world and taking me with him on his journey - great fun

To Do
Improve Personal Organization

I've read in Lifehacker about the Getting Things Done system and may check that out next year

Personal Studies

I need to 'pick a topic' with a goal and devote some time to it - another certification from Microsoft or a Programming field of interest or something.

Finish Basement

Need to bring this to a conclusion so that we can begin working on sorting through the crap

That's about it, now if I can only get rid of the cold / flu that I've had since the end of Boxing day that would be great

Have a great new year!

Evan

The second candle burns!

the second candle burns!
Originally uploaded by rotraud_17.

It's actually the 3rd week of Advent but I liked this picture...we're in 'quick clean up the house' mode now, we're winding down our shopping, we've decided on what to serve for dinner and I think I know what I'll pick up for S.

Went to take kiddo's picture with Santa last night and he 'freaked' sat there and held his arms out and screamed...'get me away from the big man...' now he's only 18 months and can't actually talk yet but that was what he was saying - no doubt!

Oh well - have a great Christmas - even if you aren't actively Christian, this week offers time in our culture to attempt to relax, re-energise, spend time with family and friends and 're-centre' for the next few months, I'm certainly going to try and take a break!

Ev

loneliness

loneliness
Originally uploaded by requiemm.

I'm not lonely (I have a wonderful wife and an 18 month old, NOT Lonely) but this picture was really good I thought.

Evan

Street...Life?

Man in the Street
Originally uploaded by scribeoflight.

I was driving home from a client site the other day and happened to be in my city's downtown area - right along the main drag when I see someone poking into one of those cement garbage cans. This may be a 'can collector' I remember thinking - they're pretty common. While I'm sad that it's necessary for them to collect cans at least they are doing something active to make a buck, sort of like squeegee kids, not the best but at least it's working. This fellow on the other hand wasn't looking for cans. As it turns out he was looking for something to sit on, and he found a scrap of cardboard. He moved over to the beside the building put the cardboard down and sat down on it, to beg. At this moment I saw that his left hand was missing, the stump covered in recent bandages. Now, it was -23c (that's -10f for you Americans) that's COLD the windchill probably brought it down to -30c or more (-22f).

I don't know his name, I don't know his history, though he was native. I don't know if he would (or could) accept help if it was offered. I don't know if he has mental or other physical issues but quite frankly I almost cried at this site - we live in a fabulously rich country (by comparison to most other people on the planet) and here is a man out in the cold begging for his life. We're debating weather or not to let a pork processing plant that would bring 500 jobs to the city be built. We're debating weather or not to allow a huge housing suburb called Waverly West be built, our federal government is debating same sex marriage again (it was decided last year the Conservatives brought it back) and we can't find time or money to house or feed this man in decency. He deserves a soft bed and a cup of something warm, no not a big handouts. Now, I still believe that you should work for the best in life. But someplace to sleep and rest and heal in safety is only decent, only Christian. Until we can do that, maybe we need to put a moratorium on new development. Maintain what we have sure but you can't build new expensive (in the cash and environmental sense) housing until everyone down in our city's core has a bed. Maybe that would make a difference...maybe.

It's 18 days to Christmas, the 1st week of Advent...where will he be on Christmas Day?

And no, I'm just as guilty as the rest, I went on my way when the light turned green...