Year in Review

Another year gone. Not sure what happened to 2009.

Actually, I am sure. It went something like this: closed on new house on the same day I left my job to start a new one that didn't exist. Found myself on the dole (except that I didn't get any of my tax dollars - in the form of unemployment insurance I've been paying since I was 18 - back. It's because I'm a Republican, I know...). Searched for a new job for 4 months. Got married. Moved to Abu Dhabi and spent the last six months of the year getting used to living in the "dessert." Again.

A quick review of my goals for the year, then, as in January 2009 I'd posted them for all to see(and by all, I mean the few people who still use MySpace):

1) Get married, buy house, picket fence, start on 2.5 kids. Shooting for 9/9/09.

Check Got married. Because of the move to Abu Dhabi, Kimberly and I moved the event up a bit. If you didn't get the news (or the invite, for that matter), it's because we didn't want to offend anyone. So we offended everyone. The two of us, just the two of us, spent a lovely Saturday afternoon getting hitched on the Old Town Alexandria waterfront. As one friend said, it was "your wedding and your marriage, and thus you had the right people involved." She also suggested I toss in a "fat 'bite me' to anyone that's offended."

Anyway...happily married. Practicing on the 2.5 kids, but none on the way.

House? Check. Got the new place. It's now rented. Trying to sell the condo in DC. So glad Obama has turned around the housing market so I can sell the place quickly.

2) Get back into the gym. The last six months have made me fat and lazy.

Yeah. Still fat and lazy. I have, however, found a gym in Abu Dhabi. There's a guy from the Emirati royal family who works out there. I don't like talking to people in the gym, so I give him a head nod every morning, but that's about it. Maybe next year I'll say hello.

3) Advance my career. Whether with the current firm or elsewhere...

Yep. Definitely elsewhere. The short version: I resigned my position at Diligence to take a position contracting for the USG. The same bureaucracy that chased me away from the Agency the first time got in the way of my return to government work. Of course, I didn’t find out about said hiccup until I’d already left Diligence.

Good Harbor is a good gig, even if I had to move back to the Arabian Gulf.

I guess I should consider myself lucky that Obama's stimulus plan kept me from continuing as part of the 10% of the US population he said would no longer be unemployed if only he could spend more money.

4) Photography:

I don't take enough pictures. But I document Kimberly's hotness. So that's enough.

5). More golf. More sports...I'm just happier when I play.

I've played more tennis than I had in the past 5...nay...15 years. Played a lot of golf before I moved over here. Need to play more.

6) 175-180 lbs. I don't need to go crazy and become a vegan or anything, but I should eat a bit healthier.

Right. I moved back to the Middle East. I eat meat and rice daily. I bought dinner for Kimberly and me at our new favorite Lebanese restaurant for 53 dirham. That's like $15. We have leftovers for lunch, too.

And Kimberly is learning how to bake. Trouble. Her peanut butter cookies are sick.

7) Read more. 2 books a month. Less time kicking Tabor's ass at facebook chess.

Still kicking Tabor's ass at facebook chess (though Landesman has my number, to be sure). Not reading enough. Unless you count that SRMBOK book, various Risk Management methodologies, and all the information I can find about current events in the UAE.

I'm going to read fiction book number 1 on the plane trip back to US for Christmas.

8) Train the dog. At 11 weeks, Athena knows sit, down, and wait.

She's older now. And pretty much still knows how to sit, down, and wait. Shake. Speak. Annoy. She's definitely go the last one down. But she's an awesome dog...

9) If I make myself a better man in other ways, I'll be sure to offer that up in my 2009 scorecard.

I found a church. I've been spending a lot more time reading the Bible. I got baptized. I think that counts as "better man in other ways." Yeah. It definitely counts.

Not a bad year...

Movember. You killed my father. Prepare to die...

No need for a loquacious soliloquy. These stellar pictures speak for themselves. Suffice it to say at the beginning that a small group of us - Team Sand Stache - sought to raise awareness of Men's Health issues by letting the facial follicles grow throughout Movember (for more on the that, head there.

Some of Team Sand Stache. Apparently, the sports desk at The National also participated. Our effort was superior in every respect...


A goatee is not a mustache. This is clearly the Modified Handlebars - aka "sideburns on your chin" - and, without the hair on the chin, most assuredly a mustache.

Time to come off.

I can ride my bike with no handlebars, no handlebars, no handlebars...

My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. Kimberly thought it looked "slimy." Tell that to the six-fingered man. It looks awesome!

Your table, Monsieur, is ready. Said with a French accent.

Dad. Seriously. Get that thing off your face...

I'm a soul man. Di di da, di di da.

I am, yet again, done with the facial hair experiment. For a while, anyway. At least until Mustache March...