January 02, 2008 11:22

Well, damn it's cold. Current temperature in Atlanta is 22F (-5.6C). Unacceptable I tell you. The projected high for today is 38F (3.3C). That is appalling. I would like to stay inside all day but I have a meeting at 1pm.

The new year got off to a good start at the Local, with many of my favourite people. And National Hangover Day was spent on the couch watched miscellaneous reruns of Law and Order and various football matches. I also did some reading and basically had a lazy sort of day.

Work is definitely back under way. I've already had several phone calls this morning.

(Not so) Fun fact: I am exactly 10 pounds heavier than what I was at this time last year. Definitely need to do something about that.

December 31, 2007 14:59

Another year is coming to and end. It's been pretty good overall, with lots of fun times, some successes, and an overall positive spin. Big trips, big TVs, big hang-overs: it's all there.

I'm not one to dwell on the past (at least, not in recent years) so I'm not going to do a year-end summary. You can read back over my previous entries to cover the main things, anyway.

And what awaits me in 2008? Many things.

My consulting business looks like it's going to be pretty busy, which is comforting. I will need to do some networking to keep additional opportunities available, but my primary client looks like they will be needing my services for a good time to come.

The market looks good for me to finally become a property owner. This brings many benefits, not the least being escape from the Dog Day-Care outside my window. Bastard dogs. Shut up, I tell you. SHUT UP. But, yes, a big step, buying a house. The last step in the transition to adulthood. It certainly took me a while, but I think I'm up for it.

The purchase of a house will definitely lead to a reduction in expensive nights out. And other nights out. Which will hopefully translate (with some other assistance) into a more svelte me. This one is obviously trickier, but a nice aim, nonetheless.

No big vacations planned for the year. There will be travel with work, but I can't see anything bigger than a couple of long weekends, hopefully using my amassed air miles and hotel points to keep costs down. I do have some ideas there, though.

My sister rang me just after 6am this morning to inform me that it was 2008. She had gotten the timezones all confused and expected me to be awake. Thanks for the wake-up call; unfortunately when I ring you to wish you happy New Year, it will only be 6pm in NZ. Not fair.

I hope everyone has a safe New Year's Eve to bring in 2008. I hope it's a good year for all.

December 21, 2007 12:42

This past week has been a disappointing one for Liverpool fans such as myself. Losing 1-0 to the Manc bastards at Anfield on Sunday was expecially gut-wrenching given how much the Reds controlled the game. But the loss on Wednesday to Chelsea was simply appalling. The referee took the winning honors in the first half, but the second was all Chelsea. Momo Sissoko should never be allowed to put on a Liverpool jersey again. Crouch was terrible. There was a visible desire from Chelsea to win - their forwards were attacking our defenders when they had the ball; when the Chelsea defenders were holding the ball, Crouch just wandered around, allowing the Blues midfield to get into position. One of the worst performances I have seen from Liverpool. Very disappointed.

Tomorrow we play Portsmouth at Anfield. It goes without saying that this is a must-win; every game that is yet to be played is now a must-win. We drew Inter Milan for the Champions League; I'm okay with this. We play at Luton Town in the FA Cup, just as we did a couple of years ago; we'd better to a better job than we did back then.

Not much else to report. Work has been slow, as it always is at this point in the year. My new toys are working out well. I've only managed some of my Christmas shopping.

I have a fairly busy weekend ahead of me. Christmas drinks and such.

December 15, 2007 12:15

It has been a busy morning. I awoke somewhat earlier than I desired and ultimately arose from my bed earlier than anticipated. Never mind, I have gotten on and done a bunch of chores, which was necessary given the past week or so.

Last weekend I was invited on a boat trip by one of my colleagues at Coca-Cola. I've been working with Bruce for two years now (and had worked with him in my previous incarnation at Marconi) and we get along quite well, so he invited me to his Christmas boat trip, along with a few others from Coke and their respective spouses. It was a lot of fun, cruising along in Lake Chickamauga, stopping in a cove for hors d'ouvres, and then making our way to a lake-side restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner of ribs. Lots of fun. On the way back to join up with a flotilla of lit-up boats, Caren (Bruce's wife) suprised me with a birthday cake, decorated as a football (soccer) field with goals, players, goalies, ref, and sheep. I was speechless. Then Bruce handed over a bottle of Glenfiddich Solera Reserve, which is a bottle I quite like. Rich also gave me a four-pack of Guiness. Yep, it was a good day on the lake, surrounded by good people.

Back in Atlanta (Chickamauga is at Chattanooga, TN) I went up to the Local and had many bevvies. Eventually it was closing time and a game of cards ensued. The sun was up when I went to bed...leaving Patrick and Jason continuing to play.

I slept late, as can be expected in such circumstances, and had a light breakfast. The big event for today was my birthday dinner (a day early) at Kevin Rathbun's Steak, a relatively new restaurant opened by one of Atlanta's top chefs. I met up with John at the Local and he drove us over to meet up with Stacy and Dill (who were there for a cocktail only), Lauren and Matt, Eric and Lianne, and Tim. Unfortunately Kris couldn't make it and we couldn't track down Jesse.

The meal was amazing. We had fantastic appetizers (including prosciutto-wrapped asapragus, portabello fries, prosciutto ravioli, fried oysters), good salads, and superb steaks (or fish) and sides. I had the 20oz rib-eye, blue. It came out charred on the outside and very cool on the inside, which is exactly how I like; absolutely perfect. The sides were great, too. To finish off I was given a birthday dessert, which was duly shared. The drinks were great and we were all done around 11pm, feeling very satisfied and very full. Very pleasant. I completely recommend checking it out. Afterwards, Lauren, John and I stopped by the Local for a nightcap.

Oh, and I got swag - a bottle of Ardbeg from John, FIFA 2008 for PS3 from Lauren, and a t-shirt with the logo "Got Scotch?" from Tim and Kris. All items were very much appreciated.

After the Local closed at midnight and it actually became my birthday, Chuck, Limo Matt, and Gesture Steve came back to my place for a celebratory scotch or three (Port Ellen, Aberlour, Laphroaig), and some DVDs.

My actual birthday was on Monday (although technically, since Sunday was Monday in New Zealand, the actual event took place on Sunday US time). I had plans for today, but accomplished few of them. But the main items did occur: purchase of the birthday/Christmas electronics and celebrations at the Local. The purchases: a Panasonic 42" plasma TV, a Playstation 3, a Yamaha receiver. Ooh. I had to get some assistance from Jenny W to get it from the store, and some assistance from James (who I stole from the Local) to get it into my apartment, but I got what I wanted. Very nice.

The Local was a lot of fun. Colleen (of course), Jenny and James (obviously), Mandie, Owen, Roy, Patrick, Armando, and others. Many shots were had. Colleen brought out an ice cream cake (which was really tasty). Another good night.

(I know I've missed a few people in the above list, but I was pretty toasted by the time I left on Monday night).

Tuesday was the recovery day. I didn't accomplish any of the things I had planned on getting done, beyond testing out FIFA 2008 on the Playstation, attached to my current TV. The evening was Local time again, and a few more birthday shots from people who didn't make it on Monday (Kenyon, Gesture Steve).

Getting back into work mode on Wednesday was not easy, and involved travel to Athens and Augusta. But work I did and progress was made. When I got to my hotel in Augusta, I chilled out in my whirlpool bath for about 20 minutes, which was really very nice.

I got back to Atlanta on Friday and after writing up the first draft of my notes I texted Shawn to see if was busy. He wasn't, so he came over and helped move my old TV, clear out my entertainment center (bye bye VCR and MD player) and set up my new system. And it is sweet. I tested everything - PS3 in 1080p, DVD (only 480i), cable box (480i and 1080i), iPod (audio, with interface through TV), laptop (including test-driving Civ IV successfully). By now it was after 9pm and I was hungry, so off to the Local for a beer and a burger, and then back home to program the remotes, test video play-back on the laptop and play some FIFA 2008 in high definition.

Which brings us to today. I've been listening to my iPod through the receiver with song titles appearing on the TV. I've sorted out my bills and accounts for the month to date. I've just caught the end of the Man City - Bolton game and wish I had seen the whole thing (4-2 result).

One other thing: the weather this week was fantastic. The temperature has dropped in the last couple of days, but on the days leading up to and through my birthday, the tenperature has been very reminiscent of what it would be like in Auckland at this time of the year, with temperatures in the mid to high 70s F (mid 20s C). I loved it! The temperature is now descending into typical Atlanta December temperatures.

Thanks to everyone who has been involved, in whatever manner, over the two weeks of Damon. It was great!

And happy birthday to Jason, whose birthday was on Thursday.

December 04, 2007 01:14

It's amazing how we perceive the passage of time. As of 10:30pm, Tuesday December 4, 2007, I will have been in Georgia for ten years. I was only supposed to be here for three months. Plans change.

Overall, it has been a great time. Sure there were ups and downs along the way, but I think I'm still coming out ahead, in terms of life's directions. I've met a lot of really great people, and I've managed to stay friends with most of them. Even in the past year I've made some good new friendships. Many of the friendships I've made have also had the benefit of giving me insight into other parts of the US and the world.

Eleven years ago, if I had been asked where I might be in ten years, I would have said England or Europe. I think I'd still like to live for a while in Europe, say the south of France or somewhere in the Adriatic. But I would not have picked the US, let alone Atlanta, Georgia. It simply was not on my radar. But there you go. Like I said, plans change.

Being based in Atlanta has been good in many ways. I've been able to travel to a lot of places. I think I've hit 30 states, and I've been to England three times in the past four years, as well as trips to France and Scotland this year, Poland back in 2000, Scandanavia and Germany in 1998. I've been to the Bahamas and to Mexico, and to Canada. I've not seen as much of the world as many of my friend who went to Europe or the UK, but I'm still pretty pleased with what I have seen and done. And, of course, I've made several trips back to New Zealand.

In addition to the travel and the social life, I've found myself exposed to a lot of music that I might not have heard in New Zealand. I've discovered books and authors that I may or may not have encountered. My work experience has led me to have formed my own consulting businesss, which is doing reasonably well (hell, it allowed me to take a month off to go galavanting around France and Britain this year).

Ultimately, most of my happiness in the US is based around the people I meet. The people I watch football (Liverpool!) with. The people I talk about politics with (even if I can't vote yet). The people I talk about religion with. The people I talk about literature, history, engineering, music, film, anything with. The people I go to concerts and movies with. The people I eat with, at the many fantastic restaurants this city has to offer. The people I drink with.

Sure, the US has its problems. But so does every country in the world. I like what I've accomplished in the past ten years; I'm pretty pleased with the person that I am. I don't like the cold, but I never liked the cold.

Thank you to everyone who I've met over the last 10 years; you've all had some sort of impact on who I am today. I feel very comfortable in saying that this country is my home, just as I still acknowledge that New Zealand is also my home. It's been a great ten years, and I think I'm going to stay around for many more years. Hell, I've been paying taxes for nine and a half years, I can't wait to actually be allowed to vote...

Okay, I gotta work in a few hours, I'd best go to bed... See you at the Local in about 16 hours.

November 23, 2007 14:45

Ah, the day after Thanksgiving. I had a good day yesterday, although (maybe because) I did a lot less than last year. Wednesday was Brewhouse for the England v Croatia game (and where I caught up with Myra), then the Yacht Club, then home to make dinner (chicken breast stuffed with green olive tapinade, with broccoli and fresh bread) and then up to the Local and MJQ. So Thursday was slow; those damned dogs next door prevented me from getting a suitable amount of sleep, so I ended up relocating to the couch to watch TV. Around 3ish I cooked up my dish for the Thanksgiving dinner at Manny's - asparagus wrapped in bacon. I had told Manny I was bring something green and ostensibly healthy.

Anyway, the dinner was great. There were 13 of us and there was plenty of food and beverages. I did somewhat over-stuff myself, especially since I hadn't eaten all day. Silly me. Around 8pm I headed home, stopping in at the Local to say hello. I was still too full to drink, so just sipped on some water until about 10pm and then went home.

So after a relatively early night I was still frsutrated to be if not awakened then prevented from falling back asleep by those fucking dogs again. This morning, rather than falling onto the couch, I read more of my book on Scotland. I did actually doze off at several points, but only for a few minutes at any time before being awakened again. Eventually I got up and set about doing chores: paying bills, balancing bank accounts, putting away laundry, doing dishes, reorganzing a couple of bookshelves. Nice and productive. Then I showered and headed out for lunch and now I am back again.

The rest of today, I think, will involve reading, and maybe more chores, and maybe a little bit of Civ. I picked up the "Beyond the Sword" expansion pack recently, but have only played it a couple of times. I would like to get my book finished this weekend so I can move on to a book on the history of the French language, and then, maybe, some fiction.

For the record, by the way, it is cold. The day looks beautiful, but when you step outside, the chill in the 50F (10C) air hits you pretty quickly. I should note that it has only just reached that temperature in the last hour; last time I looked it was in the mid 40s (~7C). Okay, on to other stuff.

November 13, 2007 15:26

My printer is running low on black ink. I will probably look into doing something about that later in the week. I'm having difficulty with work motivation today. I've done a bunch of stuff, but I'm largely waiting for other people to get information or responses to me so I can finish up the things I need to get done. It's a little frustrating, but seems to be a fact of life, especially as we get close to the end of the year.

The primary goal of the week, outside of work stuff, is to keep a low profile and get some more reading done. I read the chapter on Robert the Bruce last night. Quite fascinating. I've got a pile of periodicals that I need to get knocked out of the way. Tonight I think I'll do the quick peruse, identifying what I want to read and put those pieces off to one side. I do have a pile of things to read that I should also try to address in the near future.

I caught up with John and Holly and Sidra on Friday afternoon, which was very nice. Saturday was football, and very pleased I was to see Liverpool win 2-0. The Reds dominated the entire game, but it took Torres coming on late in the game to get the breakthrough goal. I walked home from the Brewhouse on Saturday night. Sunday was a slowish day, getting this and that done, and an earlyish night after dinner (but no drinks) at the Local.

This weekend is internationals, so no Liverpool game. I should make the most of a soberish weekend. I do need to schedule a whisky tasting sometime soon.

November 07, 2007 17:02

The cold hit today. Well, last night really, but since I was inside from the time I got back from Athens until I went out this morning, it was the cold of this morning that I encountered. It was something like 34F (1C) when I headed out the door. That's pure evil in my book. The high today was something like 55F (13C); it won't be much better tomorrow, but should get a bit better for the weekend. At least my apartment is warm and toasty without me even having to turn on heat.

I called my dad today to wish him a happy birthday and had a good chat.

Last night I started reading Scotland: The Story of a Nation. So far it's very interesting, but did seem a little rushed, covering the period from 4000BCE to 1000CE in a handful of chapters.

Need to take out the trash. I guess I could go do that now and pick up the mail. Better find some warm clothes.

November 02, 2007 17:06

It was an odd night at the Local last night. Very odd. Stalky McStalker was there. I was asked to show what an uncircumcised penis looks like by a girl who claimed to have never seen one. Owen went home with a girl. Owen's gay. I beat Craig in a good game of darts. Lots of bizarre conversations.

\

Today I did a light bit of work. I tried (successfully) to get a ouple of things done and not stress about anything else. I had a long lunch and spent some time sitting in the sun. I finished my book about the the people and meetings that gave the world the Treaty of Versailles and other disasters.

Work in general has been rather busy since I got back from Europe. Several trips to Athens; one trip to Chattanooga; more of both to come over the rest of the year. There's a lot to be done between now and the end of the year, but I must also make sure that I don't over-work. I was too tired to enjoy Halloween on Wednesday night.

I went to Orlando last weekend and didn't buy a timeshare/vacation club membership. It was mostly relaxing and fun.

I'm feeling kinda sleepy now, probably from sitting in the sun for a couple of hours. It was very cold at the start of the week - I had to scrape frost off my car on Tuesday morning - but it has warmed up for the weekend. No rain in sight, which is a bit of a worry at the moment, because our main water source, Lake Lanier, is about eight feet below where it should be at this time of year. Some sources are saying that Atlanta has only 90 days of water remaining. I'm doing my bit for water conservation and drinking imported beer.

Need to schedule a physical and a visit to the dentist. Should probably get my eyeballs looked at to.

Liverpool at Blackburn tomorrow; 1pm at the Brewhouse. Then I may head to the Cabbagetown Chomp and Stomp. I must also finish my Xmas shopping and get it off to NZ. I'm nearly done, just a few things to sort out.

October 15, 2007 18:05

It's been two weeks since I got back from my vacation. It has been a topsy-turvy fortnight. My first few days were a struggle to readjust to US time, and so my work throughput was somewhat poor. My attempts to get a late night were foiled until I went overboard, and then that threw me off totally.

And then there was the sporting disappointments: two poor performances by Liverpool at Anfield; the rugby; poker; the Thrashers. I was certainly ready to get back on a plane and go somewhere else. But I'm not going to dwell on the poor results; I expect Liverpool to rebound after the international week, even though they have the early game again on Saturday (which Benitez has justifiably complained about before). Then I shall be cheering for South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final. Sunday is the end-of-season party for the Local Fantasy Baseball league; I came 7th out of 11, which wasn't bad considering how little effort I put in.

Last week was full of meetings and a couple of days in Athens, but generally productive and successful, I think.

This week I'm in Athens. Busy busy busy.

And some terrific news: Yesterday evening, Sidra Eve Bennett entered the world. Well done, Holly!