Day to day, life often seemed rather grinding and bare, but in retrospect I consider myself one of the luckiest people alive. Although school isn’t going as well as I’d hoped, it could be a lot worse, and things are getting better. I have my health and my honor and a family that loves me; these are the things that really matter. This year, I got to see and do things normal people never would. I have learned about myself and learned about being an adult. I drifted away from some friends, but made new ones. Finally, I got my first chance to fly an aircraft this year. This was possibly the greatest experience of my young life.

It was a tremendous drag and one of the best years of my life. Work was senseless drugery or panic and missed deadlines. Sometimes both. Home life had its ups and downs, but mainly up thanks to my daughters-- watching them grow up is what made this year so good.

Also, although this may cause me to be labeled some sort of sad internet freak, the WGB has contributed significantly to my happiness this year. On the other hand it also supplied the only event I could really call a tragedy (on a personal scale).

So basically I'm trying to make the best of being one of the luckiest bastards in the history of all humanity.

Suckish.

quote:

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Originally posted by colin:
"So basically I'm trying to make the best of being one of the luckiest bastards in the history of all humanity."

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That has to be one of the most apropos and equally juxtaposed statements I've read in a good, long while.

Home life was as good as it was chaotic. As usual.

Mrs Gringo and I still going incredibly strong after 16+ years together. Just wish we could spent a little more time "just the two of us".

The kids, basically my 'day job', are doing fine. The 2-year-old is turning into an amazingly smart and sweet little girl. And a comedienne. At the same time, though, she's sometimes being overlooked a little, gotta watch that.
Little Gringo went to first grade and is learning to read and write, and, being the youngest in his class and very playful, he has to work really hard to keep up. And he does. Very proud of him.

The webdesign-business was crappy. Basically just maintanance and updating already existing sites (the boring part) and hardly any new projects. I have to work a little harder on getting assignments. I could use the damn money, right now.

Slow year for the band, as well. Four guys with busy day jobs, two of them having had severe family trouble to boot, didn't make it easy. We did only three gigs. But somehow we managed to record a demo cd, all by ourselves, and that was a good call. It sold incredibly well locally, and generated what seems to be some useful attention. 2005 could be more interesting. This late in the ballgame
it's not gonna be a real career or anything. Lots of fun, though.

Did quite some travelling, too. Well, by my standards anyway. In February I visited my brother in Los Angeles, in May I did some work on my father-in-law's sheep farm in Norway (just for fun, and it was), and this summer I did some camping in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. And got rained away.

Health is still pretty good, although I starting to annoyingly notice that I'm getting older. But the headaches and periods of sleeplessness seemed less frequent than previous years.

And of course I finally, after being a fanboy since '88, met William Gibson, shook his hand and spoke with him a little (well, he spoke. I just stuttered some bad English, which undoubtedly made no sense whatsoever), Got my old version of Zenumagier (Neuromancer) and PR signed.

So somewhat surreal at times, but a good year. If it wasn't for the fact that reality seems to have caught up with my country lately. And that's not something I'm happy about. In fact, it scares the hell out of me.

This year: on the good side. 2004 is definitely going to be in the top 5 of my years so far (and I'm well past 40).
No family members sick or dead, which is becoming rarer as I get older. Got a substantial raise in my salary without even having to bargain for it. Also got a lot of verbal credit for all my work. Acquired a kitten for the 5-year old, among other things because we weren't able to provide her with a younger sibling. Bought a summer house. Unexpectedly became pregnant after having given up trying more than a year ago. Expected delivery of female with normal chromosomes May 1, 2005.

Bad things this year: Actually I can't remember any, except that it was a truly ghastly summer. And of course the whole world seems to be going utterly and completely mad ...

Gringo: Damn, man, for someone who "stutered some bad English" your literary grasp of the language and its vernacular is amazing. From the way you type, I'd have thought that you could speak English fluently. Color me surprised.

hmm...pretty awesome year, one of the best - mainly because I made it through some fairly big changes relatively unscathed.

I changed jobs, from a job that had turned into a drudge after four years, into what I thought was my dream job. In the new job I discovered I'd lost my work ethic but in it's place was a greater interest in what's happening in my life outside work. The job's great, but work is no longer the most important thing in my life.

Had a major falling out with my 'religion' (some call it a 'way of life'). I thought I'd dropped the little I had, put myself through an un/necessary challenge and came out with the important bits intact and although I'm probably more confused now than I was before, I care a lot less (and no, it's not THAT question, I know the answer to that one )

Turned 30 and found it more exhilerating than I ever expected - I don't think it's the round number, as such, just the difference between now and the last birthday.

Bit the bullet and applied to study next year - after a year and a half of excuses.

Congrats to all where applicable ('specially for getting out of sticky/uncomfortable/unhappy situations) and all the best in 2005

Its been an odd year really

Cons:
Still single
Insecure job
Discovered novel not finished after all
Friends all moved away

Pros:
Got to travel outside europe (Canada and Israel)
Field promotion in job
Found (some) inner peace
Finished rewrite of novel

On balance its been okay but not fantastic

quote:

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Originally posted by NightShadow:
Gringo: Damn, man, for someone who "stutered some bad English" your literary grasp of the language and its vernacular is amazing. From the way you type, I'd have thought that you could speak English fluently. Color me surprised.

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Well, my stutter had more to do with the circumstances, being a fanboy has it's disadvantages. I do speak English, though I'm not sure if you could call it fluent.

But thanks for the compliment, NS. Coming from a native speaker, it means a lot to me.

The Good:

*Completed 1 year as an ex-patriate in Sweden.
*Completed 2nd year as a freelance animator
*Completed 2 video game projects : Knights of the Temple and Chronicles of Riddick
*Fell in lust (several times)
*Changed companies (for the better)
*Being more creative
*Received a contract for 2 more years of employment
*Got a raise
*Got my own apartment
*Replaced old computer with newer/faster one
*Starkvinsglögg
*Closer to the rest of Europe
*Trip to Amsterdam
*Making lots of new friends


The Bad:

*Struggling with learning a foreign langauge (Swedish is TOUGH!)
*Cold, long, winters.
*Short, short summers.
*High taxes on beer (!)
*Long commutes to visit family (No Xmas this year, sorry guys)
*No medical coverage (yet)
*Trip to Romania (awful, awful, and awful)


I guess if the Good list is longer than the Bad, I have a lot to be thankful for. So YEAH 2004. Let see what 2005 brings!!!

I guess I'm the only one who read that first point as "completed 1 year as an ex-pirate in Sweden."

...

Thought so.

Family: didn't get to see a whole lot of my nuclear family, as I was too busy with school. Mrs AC and I find we're more or less on the same page vis-a-vis AC Jr's upbringing, which is nice. The young master is running, jumping, and chattering like an annoyed squirrel. All of which he does well. He turned 2 in October. No more little cyclists on the way just yet.

School: Less well than I'd hoped, due to the full-time work/full-time school situation. I hope to remedy this situation soon by going deeply into debt. Read lots of good stuff, turned in a few papers I'm fairly proud of, especially one my prefessor ranked among the best explications of a poem he's ever received from an undergrad. Three more semesters of this, and I'll have that important little piece of paper, and (I hope) several letters of rec for grad school.

Travel: Not much. California in July. Pittsburgh and Ohio in October. Both of these were family pilgrimages. Went up north toward Flagstaff a couple times, not nearly enough though.

A decent, if tiring, year. Say 6 or 7 on a scale of 10.

quote:

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I guess I'm the only one who read that first point as "completed 1 year as an ex-pirate in Sweden."

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I guess Sweden is as good a place as any for retired pirates, although I always picture them resting on their laurels on islands in the South Pacific or Caribbean.

quote:

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Originally posted by NightShadow:
Why they gave me a decryption test is totally beyond my ken- I just feel fortunate that I had the wherewithall (and experience) to perform capably.

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Most likely you were given a standardized test that was probably created in like, 1950. This is not uncommon with government "qualification tests." When a government job goes up, there is a window of time in which to apply. nothing happens with those applications until the day after the closing date. Then, they go through several stages. First all are examined to make sure they are all complete. Passing that, they are assigned to a qualifier. This person, who is usually a personnel specialist and knows nothing about the job in question, evaluates the packages and assigns points to various things like degrees and years of experience. When this is done, those above a certain point cutoff are prepared for interviews. In the case of a required test, these must be ordered, and a certified proctor's services obtained to administer the test. When this is arranged, the candidates are called and informed of the schedule. After the test you will may be called for a face to face interview, or informed of your rejection. A couple of weeks later, you'll either receive an offer or rejection.

Good Luck!

quote:

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Originally posted by Azorno:
Got a substantial raise in my salary without even having to bargain for it.

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Hearing that makes me a lot more interested in temping for you when you take maternity leave.

quote:

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Acquired a kitten for the 5-year old, among other things because we weren't able to provide her with a younger sibling. [...]Unexpectedly became pregnant after having given up trying more than a year ago.

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For this very reason, we have decided our 5-year old son get a cat.


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The Saami people, better with primary colors than Per Arnoldi ever will be

"I guess Sweden is as good a place as any for retired pirates, although I always picture them resting on their laurels on islands in the South Pacific or Caribbean."


ARRRGH!

The Caribbean be warm but the women here be warmer !!! (Should move this to the Friday!!! Thread)

2004, in general, sucked whale sperm. Not one of the better years, for various reasons.

That said, as this year draws to a close, I seem to be leaving all of that behind for more agreeable mental climes. Writing more, finally cleaned the ol' apartment, among other things. Now I just need to find the woman I am going to marry.

I'll probably turn ascetic before that happens though, which I guess mostly accomplishes the same thing (save for rug rats...).