Nick, Programmerman
Day 45 - Looking Back on the Last Year
Last day of the year, time to reflect.
Over the last twelve months, I've watched my photography habit blossom from "I take a picture every so often" to "I go nowhere without my camera" to "I actually almost know what I'm doing." This has taught me a few things:
* Chicks dig cameras.
* Guys dig cameras.
* Someone always has a nicer setup than you.
* I still don't know what I'm doing.
It also saw me take my first real travel in several years. As much as I went to Atlanta in '06 and KC in '04, neither really felt like "vacation," as I went to them essentially to work. My trip to Seattle confirmed a few things, enlightened me about a few things, and let me walk away with a true friend, being able to meet and fully appreciate the people I'd met on a message board.
It also saw me grow a couple of local acquaintances who just happened to sell me coffee into full friends. Most of this is due to having incidentally good talking points (like the camera, or Magic) to start from, then personalities taking over from there. Still, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them.
Yet, with all the positive aspects of the year, not everything was rosy.
Work overtook the vast majority of my life. Despite the fact the workload isn’t much different from last year, the stresses of the office keep rising. At times, I hate almost every single person I work with. I’d happily go into it, but not here, out in public. The worst part is it never backs down. In the four and a half years I’ve been working here, nothing ever gets simpler. This is the single reason I’m not particularly looking forward to 2008.
Through its death grasp on my free time, virtually every interest I have has suffered. I rarely get to play Magic anymore, let alone just read about it. I haven’t played a board game in months. I have video games sitting on a shelf at home, still shrink-wrapped. I spend so much time eating out that it isn’t special anymore. I’ve stopped hanging out with one group of buddies completely. Basically, if I’m not taking pictures, I’m not doing it anymore. Which I find very depressing.
2007 is high in the running for worst year of my life.
Day 45 - Looking Back on the Last Year
Last day of the year, time to reflect.
Over the last twelve months, I've watched my photography habit blossom from "I take a picture every so often" to "I go nowhere without my camera" to "I actually almost know what I'm doing." This has taught me a few things:
* Chicks dig cameras.
* Guys dig cameras.
* Someone always has a nicer setup than you.
* I still don't know what I'm doing.
It also saw me take my first real travel in several years. As much as I went to Atlanta in '06 and KC in '04, neither really felt like "vacation," as I went to them essentially to work. My trip to Seattle confirmed a few things, enlightened me about a few things, and let me walk away with a true friend, being able to meet and fully appreciate the people I'd met on a message board.
It also saw me grow a couple of local acquaintances who just happened to sell me coffee into full friends. Most of this is due to having incidentally good talking points (like the camera, or Magic) to start from, then personalities taking over from there. Still, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them.
Yet, with all the positive aspects of the year, not everything was rosy.
Work overtook the vast majority of my life. Despite the fact the workload isn’t much different from last year, the stresses of the office keep rising. At times, I hate almost every single person I work with. I’d happily go into it, but not here, out in public. The worst part is it never backs down. In the four and a half years I’ve been working here, nothing ever gets simpler. This is the single reason I’m not particularly looking forward to 2008.
Through its death grasp on my free time, virtually every interest I have has suffered. I rarely get to play Magic anymore, let alone just read about it. I haven’t played a board game in months. I have video games sitting on a shelf at home, still shrink-wrapped. I spend so much time eating out that it isn’t special anymore. I’ve stopped hanging out with one group of buddies completely. Basically, if I’m not taking pictures, I’m not doing it anymore. Which I find very depressing.
2007 is high in the running for worst year of my life.