Well … ’tis the time of the year that one sits back and wonders “How on earth could it be
2003 was one of the most stressful, yet successful years we have had together.
Jan – Feb, I was fighting my way through a couple web development projects while trying to keep Apex Software Solutions afloat. Both Melissa and I sensed a change coming on the horizon, something we talked about on Dec 31st, 2002, but we did not expect what was on deck.
In March it happened, I took a job in Sarasota with Medical Education Technologies, Inc. Due to the quick move that was required, Melissa had stayed in Vancouver to continue working while we packed and shipped the stuff. I was in charge of finding a home … but while we trying to find a way to get our stuff down here I managed to sneak my first peak into the Apple Store.
By April our stuff finally shipped and thus arrived 12 days later. The Canucks were fighting for their playoff spot and I thought I would try and join in on the action … and again … and again. No mother … I did not take a job as a hockey commentator 😉
Due to technical difficulties with the domain name ‘bahanclan.com’, May was almost completely void of web site updates … almost. However, with the wife still MIA and the new job stealing most of my time I had what most people would call a boring life … Melissa on the other hand was enjoying her first tastes of vacation with a visit to Calgary before making her way south of the border.
June we started exploring east (with pictures) and south but we should never … never … left alone
In July we were contacted by Frank Eeftens. Made it through the July 4 celebration, my sisters visit, and, oh yea, Vancouver/Whistler won the Olympic bid for 2010.
By August the hot, dry weather back home broke out in flames … yet that would not stop us from making it to Byron and Tracy’s wedding. I managed to get another year older which was not helped by the fact that John and Karin had their first little girl.
September saw me out exploring, this time without my wife who had gone MIA once again after the wedding. Other than that work was gobbling up my time once more.
In October I joined an Ultimate team to keep me active. Melissa’s Dad came down for a visit … and we could not leave Myakka out of the tour.
November saw the Vancouver, BC Ultimate team win the US Ultimate Nationals. And “Stan”, our medical simulator, graced the screens of ER
And December finished with a bang! Melissa snagged her drivers license, we bought a computer, and I managed to close out several projects at work … yet still found time to enjoy Christmas.
So whats on the horizon …
Well … we hope to snag a digital camera in the next few months so we can start providing a more graphical look at our life down south. Melissa is once again heading home for an extended trip surrounding another wedding. And the Saunders family is expected early March for a 10 day vacation. Beyond that we are looking to enjoy another wonderful year in the sunshine, with the H1-b VISA in “process” we are expecting several more to come.
This whole blog thing is kinda cool … enjoying the communication with friends and family. Fell just short of my 100 entries post with a tally of 98, logged 126+ comments, and tracked an average of 10000+ hits per month.
At work I grossed 2123.5 hours in at work (2080 hrs is a normal working year) … which means with my March start date I worked an average of 48.26 hrs a week, or 9 weeks of OT. (2123.5 / 40 hrs = 53.08 wks). What a year!
Raise a glass to what was in 2003 and what will be in 2004 … just remember to drink responsibly. Oh … we are hosting a small, quiet gathering at our place … looking for desserts … but beer, chips, burger “extras” are also welcome.
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