Welcome to 2008!

Happy New Year everyone!

Have been light on blog entries as we just got back from a nice 10 day trip to the UK and Italy. Nothing like waking up in the morning on a crisp, clear Florence day to see stunning sights like this...


I'd post a picture of London but it was cloudy and gloomy the whole time (what else is new?) so I don't have a suitably uplifting snap. Sorry.

You haven't lived until you have eaten in Italy. Even the most gaudy tourist hangouts have food to die for. And anything remotely authentic looking... well... it's simply heaven.

Despite all the eating and drink though, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had dropped a few pounds on the trip. Put that down to a wife who was born without the ability to sit still for longer than 5 minutes if a photo opportunity is begging - they need to isolate that gene and try to extend the tolerance to at least 30 minutes.

Among all the walking and photo-taking, we still managed to catch up with family over the week and had a great stay. Big thanks to my sister for hosting the always tiring 'family get together'.

So what does 2008 bring? For me, the only resolution I have made is to learn to, finally, speak Italian. I have an Italian passport courtesy of my Father by way of a grandfather who globe trotted in the early 20th century looking for work - and ended up in New Zealand. I am at least determined to get past 'grazie', 'ciao' and 'grasso pagliaccio' (the unfitting name my wife called me the entire trip when my attempt to teach her some Italian backfired).

As for this blog in 2008? Firstly, thanks to everyone who comes and reads it on a regular basis. I know a few of you. Thanks for all the comments and encouragement.

Later in the year I am going to try and fill a few more more posts with the trials and tribulations of starting a tech company. As there have been a few. The light posting on this topic has been due to the semi 'stealth' mode we're in as my business partner works through some issues. When it's all sorted out, will hopefully make some interesting reading.

Till then, I am going to be devoting much of the first part of this year to my freelance work - which is a mix of planning/research/marketing. I hope to get permission from my clients to talk about some of this work here - should also make for some interesting posts.

And then there is just random ideas and thoughts that float in and out of my head - for better or worse, there will always be a few posts on those.

Well, Happy New Year again everyone. Hope you are all fit and well.

Thought for the day:
Walking around the British Museum it occurred to me we are only approximately 15,000 years into this thing we call 'human civilization'. Some people consider it a failure wanting to happen. I think, given our nature and incentives, we're doing ok.

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