Looking back on 2008
2008 was a big year. I have a feeling that 2009 will be even bigger, but looking forward is for another post.
It was the first "real" year of running a business - something that I'd dabbled in during '07, and then launched into fully at the beginning of January. It's been incredibly rewarding in some respects, full of things to learn. It's also been incredibly draining, placing lots of pressure on my time and finances. I have a lot more to learn, and some bad habits to kick - I have a tendency to undercharge for work, which has cost me dozens of unpaid hours to finish things off. Fortunately, I won't be able to do nearly as much painting next year, so I won't need to worry as much about turning jobs down. That means I can focus on the jobs that are actually worth the time required to finish them properly...
On September 24th, I lost my father to liver cancer. He was diagnosed on August 6th, days after being given a clean bill of health from his liver specialist. The initial shock has faded, though I know I'll still feel his passing for years to come. He will be close by over the next year, while aeliel and I live in the house and garden that he helped to build. I'll always admire his strength, compassion, and the peace he found in his final months.
Louise and I got married on November 8th. We spent the day in the company of a small group of wonderful friends - people who are as much a part of our family as any blood relative. In particular, fetnas, miss-rynn and umbra_mentis helped to make the day everything we had hoped it would be.
We saw out the last hours of the year in the company of friends, before quietly closing the book on a year that has had much larger consequences than we'd anticipated twelve months ago. Next year aeliel and I will be moving house and starting postgrad courses, navigating all sorts of unexpected lifestyle changes, and continuing to live in interesting times. We couldn't have come this far without the support of all our friends, so I hope you'll stick with us for the coming year.
Now, bring me that horizon!
It was the first "real" year of running a business - something that I'd dabbled in during '07, and then launched into fully at the beginning of January. It's been incredibly rewarding in some respects, full of things to learn. It's also been incredibly draining, placing lots of pressure on my time and finances. I have a lot more to learn, and some bad habits to kick - I have a tendency to undercharge for work, which has cost me dozens of unpaid hours to finish things off. Fortunately, I won't be able to do nearly as much painting next year, so I won't need to worry as much about turning jobs down. That means I can focus on the jobs that are actually worth the time required to finish them properly...
On September 24th, I lost my father to liver cancer. He was diagnosed on August 6th, days after being given a clean bill of health from his liver specialist. The initial shock has faded, though I know I'll still feel his passing for years to come. He will be close by over the next year, while aeliel and I live in the house and garden that he helped to build. I'll always admire his strength, compassion, and the peace he found in his final months.
Louise and I got married on November 8th. We spent the day in the company of a small group of wonderful friends - people who are as much a part of our family as any blood relative. In particular, fetnas, miss-rynn and umbra_mentis helped to make the day everything we had hoped it would be.
We saw out the last hours of the year in the company of friends, before quietly closing the book on a year that has had much larger consequences than we'd anticipated twelve months ago. Next year aeliel and I will be moving house and starting postgrad courses, navigating all sorts of unexpected lifestyle changes, and continuing to live in interesting times. We couldn't have come this far without the support of all our friends, so I hope you'll stick with us for the coming year.
Now, bring me that horizon!