Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.
~Benjamin Franklin

photo credit: nDevilTV

Traditionally this is the time of year that I do the typical year in review type post. I broke tradition the past several years by either not posting at all or posting my todo list / resolutions for the year. Since the todo thing worked out well last year, I'm going to be wild and do both this year, though not in the same post. I'm writing this amid dirty looks and calls of "see you next year!" at a crowded Starbucks. The dirty looks are probably because I'm taking up an entire couch thingy with my feet propped up. Too bad! It's near a power outlet. Finders keepers and all that.

2009 in Rewind
I don't think there's any way I can describe 2009 other than frelling awesome. (Yes, I used frelling in a sentence. I'm aware it's a made up word. So is grok and I plan to use that at some point too so shove off.) Overall I think 2009 has gone well for me

Where I succeeded:

• I got in better shape. It hasn't been as quick as I wanted but I think I had some pretty unrealistic expectations going in. I've still got a long way to go but now I'm educated. I know more about muscle groups, exercises, and nutrition which will make this year even easier. It's like running downhill I think; the further you go the easier it gets. Daily Burn and my trainer Dennis were vital parts of this process as was the support of my friends and family.
• I was better at managing my money. I've setup automatic transfers into savings each pay check and a small spending stipend for things like books and movies. Mint.com has been a huge bonus to getting this done. Mint is like an automated version of Quicken allowing for automatic transaction categorization and alerts for a variety of situations (pending credit card payments, over budget, etc).
• Get more into my hobbies. Another one for the "win" column. I've been delving more and more into amateur digital photography/art, even to the point of opening my own store to sell prints. I've read more too, thanks to the Kindle app for the PC and iPhone, and I'm keeping up with it all via GoodReads. I rebuilt my website into something I like and I'm willing to maintain. As a side benefit I've learned a ton more about WordPress and I've actually done some custom site work and hosting. Hiking and camping excursions continue to grow, though not quite to the level I'd like. Moving out to San Diego will probably help that quite a bit.
• I moved to San Diego. Oh yes, this was a goal and it was most definitely met.

Where I failed:

• Self improvement. I didn't add a new technical skill or certification to my repertoire, and I didn't learn a new language. Gonna have to bump this one into this coming year.

Everything else:

• I bought a new car.
• I got invaded by ants.
• I had a few issues with the neighbors.
• I (unsuccessfully) tried Rogaine. More on this later.
• Attended MetaCon '09. Words cannot describe this event, ever. Probably because of the gag order from the judge. This year's MetaCon 2010 promises to be better!
• I got a job with Sony and moved to San Diego.
• Got told the truth a lot. Example: : patience (you don't have) is a virtue (again which you don't have)
• Did a fair amount of blogging. God, I hate that word. How about we say writing instead?
• Gained (and lost) a roommate.
• Went camping twice. Must do more!
• Got closer to my family. (Yeah, a win/loss there right? )
• Did I mention I took a lot of pictures?
• Got inspired by a pretty awe-inspiring blog post related to Harry Potter. I kid you not. Thankfully it's mostly due to the writer not the Harry Potter aspect.

Stay tuned for the 2010 todo list! Here's to another awesome year.

So here it is the eve of my flight and all I can manage to feel is bone-deep weariness. I've been burning the candle at every possible end to get ready for this and now that it's finally here I'm not even excited. I haven't decided if this is good or bad; half of me misses the Christmas morning excitement while the other half is glad that this whole move has been relatively calm. I can't help but think that the level of calm in some way reduced the overall drama level.

Either way it's late, and Wifecat has curled up on my foot after taking her first dose of "anxiety" medication for tomorrow. My flight leaves Mobile at 11:15am. We both need the sleep I think.

If everything goes as planned, in exactly one week from today I'll be officially moved out of my apartment. My flight will leave the next morning at 11am with Wifecat and I en route to San Diego. My new apartment is rented, new utilities scheduled for hookup, old utilities scheduled for shut off, and my ticket is booked. Tomorrow I book my rental car and finalize with the movers who will be done by this time next week. My last day at TeleVox will be this Friday.

So why am I not asleep tonight? I'm almost done packing so it's not like I need to be up for that. Everything has gone smoothly despite the rushed timetable; in the past moving has been chaotic and dramatized. I honestly think this is the first time I've never had to ask for help from friends or family during a move and it makes me feel all grown-ed up inside. Yes, grown-ed up is a word. I just used it didn't I? I'm awake because I just got back from the gym and because I wanted to start recording my state of mind before the big move gets fully underway. I guess I need to remember in the future that cardio makes me introspective. Too much time with too much repetitive motion no doubt.

I've had the idea of this post in the back of my mind most of the day, struggling to put words to what I'm feeling. Strangely enough, blank is the only adjective that comes to mind. I'm excited about the idea of moving to San Diego, but I'm not overly anxious about the moving process itself or my new job. It feels like the right thing to do and somehow that's enough. I think it helps that my friends, family, and co-workers have all been supportive. I hope it didn't take me leaving to realize what a great group of people I know here in Mobile. I'm actually a little sad to be leaving TeleVox. The teams I've worked with and worked for have helped grow and shape me in the ways that made it possible for me to do this transition, so I owe them all. Thank you.

Hopefully this is the only serious post of the blog. These are a total drag.