| Here's Looking at You Kid |
[Dec. 22nd, 2024|07:25 am]
danbok
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Money
- Receive another payrise. I am already getting one once we get back into action, but I would like to have another one lined up by end of year.
I've changed jobs. Pay is about the same, but will hopefully rise
- Work hard on getting the school into a good position organisationally. This will either work to get the one above, or maybe mean less work all round.
Go to more "networking events" and get the school involved in more events (Rostrum, Da Vinci Decathlon etc)
I feel I did do this, but of little benefit to me (more work, little success). But there is more to tick off the box professionally.
- Reduce spending on bills
Difficult to do when they keep raising the prices. I would say the spending is reasonably similar. Solar is helping with the electricity bill.
Do daily tracking of spending and other habits
I started doing this, then just stopped. I will hopefully get back into this for next year. It's a very good habit.
- Keep credit card balance low
This blew out a bit at times. It's currently got a positive balance as I got the payout from finishing the job, rather than getting paid over the holidays. So we'll see how things go over the holidays. I think I will try and cancel the card, possibly getting another one or none at all in the coming months.
Continuing earning through various rewards programs
This has gone pretty well, particularly the FlyBuys program from Coles. Also the Cashrewards, which is mainly getting some cashback from various bookings on accommodation.
Make use of subscriptions (we currently have the gym membership, Questacon membership until April or so, I just signed up to Kayo for watching sports as they have a half price deal, Raiders memberships (4 x 4 games, of which I will probably use most of them), the kids have free access to Canberra United soccer games, we also have Netflix in terms of streaming stuff.
Gym has been OK, probably not quite enough use, but get there reasonably regularly, at least to use the pool. Questacon we renewed and probably haven't been in that time. Kayo was fine with the half price deal, got rid of it for the moment, hopefully get a new deal for next season. Raiders membership, the kids barely went, but it worked fine. Netflix we use fairly reguarly. I just got something from Amazon so I've got Prime for the moment, mainly to watch the Rings of Power season. We'll probably get Disney over the holidays too. We went to one Canberra United game which was pretty good but we haven't been back since. Looks like they made some changes to that so it won't work this year.
Grow some vegetables at home
We had some herbs at home at the start of the year in a wheelbarrow thing. I've just planted a couple of extras in there now and we got a hanging strawberry pot which is growing a few already. I guess you would say this one is a "working towards".
Overall on the work/money - I feel I was too committed to the work in the school and that led to a lot of frustration. In the new school I hope to be more of a background character. Looking at what I was writing I had some belief that I could work hard and get some kind higher level position. That never happened. I also had huge amounts of tax to pay this year and last, I believe mainly because they weren't paying the right amount of tax for my student debt. So if I can top have many thousands of debt, that would be great. I've also got health insurance now, as without it I have an extra $3000 added to my tax bill.
I am spending way too much on beer. Have made a few savings doing the concert reviews, though quite often I have bought a ticket already or haven't been able to get rid of a +1. But still, there's more than $1000 value in the concerts I've been to, so that's pretty good. We can probably work a bit more on cutting down the bills, but the prices just increase so even if you bring down the use, the bill will be about the same.
I think the most important thing to do in this space was to change jobs. It would have been easy to just stick around and keep complaining. It was also good to finish out the year. I made some good achievements in the year that will look good when looking back on it.
Exercise/Sport
- Use the gym on a regular basis (> 2x per week)
It wouldn't be at that level, but not too far off either. I usually go on a Tuesday morning very early, then go quickly after work some day. Sometimes take the kids to the pool on the weekend. It will be a bit more conveniently located to my new school so we'll see if I can add in a session. A lot of the time I just play footbag and then jump in the pool. That's still good exercise.
- Have a session with a trainer
Haven't done this, and don't have too much motivation to do it, but it's probably a good idea.
- Hit a beast combo, break PB for fearless combos (footbag)
Haven't done either of this, but have a few ideas that might get it to work.
- Play footbag with other people
This guy Tom from Chicago came out and I travelled to Sydney and we had a kick. That was definitely a highlight of the footbag year.
- Compete in a footbag tournament
Nothing on in Australia, don't think I went in any online competitions this year either. Did compete at the Aus champs for freestyle football, was good to get back into that and see some of those guys. Funnily enough, without ever being any good, I have probably competed in more Australian champs than many others.
- Work on other kicking sports (jianzi, takraw, freestyle football etc)
I've done bits and pieces here. I got some new da cao from Vietnam and as mentioned went to the tournament for freestyle football.
- Organise more school sporting events
I reckon next year's goal might be to organise less school sporting events. I did the regional athletics carnival and two soccer days. This is a lot of extra work to put on myself - when I'm already complaining about the extra work I was putting on myself.
- Get back under 90kg
I had one measurement that was 89. something, but generally I've been somewhere between 92-94. This can be another one to stay on the list for next year.
- >100 alcohol free days in the year
Don't know about this one. That's two per week. Probably not
- Track eating, drinking, exercise, sleep
Already mentioned in the money section that this didn't happen. Planning to bring this back next year.
- Run half marathon distance
I've barely run at all this year. I will go through some phases with running but never get crazily into it.
- Climb 2 >1000m peaks
Definitely one. We did a trip to Kosciuszko earlier in the year (child free). We might go there early next year as a family trip. From the top of my head I don't think I've done any other big mountain walks this year.
- Cycle 100km
- Cycle >3000km in the year
According to my Strava stats, the longest ride was 65km and I did about 2000km in the year. Not all of the rides were recorded, but that sounds reasonably accurate. I think my bike was out of action for a time. That 100km ride has been on the list for a long while, should tick that off soon enough.
Health and sport overall. OK I guess. I've had a sore back in recent days, think I hurt it carrying things out of my classroom. We've got the health insurance now so I'll try and make use of that because it's not cheap in any way. Footbag is going along OK, have just ordered a couple of new bags. Would love the chance to go to a tournament somewhere next year. I've been riding a fair bit - mainly just to go to work. Will have to go for some more fun rides.
Travel
- Do a trip with the family (maybe Spring school holidays, maybe Tasmania). I think overseas travel might be off the map this year.
In the Spring holidays we did a trip up the coast with my sister. The two of us with five kids between us. Starting in Ulladulla and getting as far north as Port Macquarie. It was a pretty good time overall. Lots of beach time.
- Do a trip away with Francisca
The above mentioned trip to the mountains, as well as going to see Iron Maiden around the time of my birthday. I think that's an area we can increase in.
- Go to a Raiders away game
I don't think I went to any this year. We did go to the trial at Seiffert Oval which was fun, we got to meet some of the players.
- Do more trips to the coast
Well the coastal trip boosted this figure and we'll spend a few more days down the coast. Also had some time in Wollongong - at the start of the year to see Amity Affliction and on Fathers Day to see RUN.
- Book in travel for the following year
Nothing is booked in but we've been invited to a wedding in France and there's some serious thoughts about going to that.
No overseas travel this year, but I had some personal trips to see bands - quite a few. We had a couple of trips away together as a couple and a few family trips as well.
Music
- Go to at least 10 shows
- Continue doing reviews for MetalRoos
- See a band more than once on the same tour
- Make a vlog of one of the musical trips
This vlog of Svalbard in Sydney and Melbourne probably answers all these questions.
Here's some bands I reviewed for Metalroos
In Flames/Kreator
Cog
Killswitch Engage/Dropsaw
Parkway Drive
Good Things Festival
Speaking of good weekends, early in the year I saw the following combo of The Living End and The Butterfly Effect - who also both played at Good Things.
Other bands I have seen this year
Machine Head/Fear Factory, Luca Brasi, Iron Maiden/Killswitch Engage, Frenzal Rhomb and I'm sure there are more I am forgetting.
But this year I have been back into music, more shows, more reviews, more attention to what is happening of late and that's been a good (maybe the biggest "win" of the year). There's also not a lot of things I'm like oh I wish I had've gone to that.
Reading/Writing
- Read 40 books by the time I am 40 (starting from birthday last year). I'll have to start doing something to track these.
- Update Sport/Life website regularly
- Update Modified footbag forum regularly
- The Metalroos one goes here too.
- Post each month in Livejournal
- Make 10 more vlogs
- Complete 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks project
These are pretty much all failures aside from the music reviews. I have read quite a few books but haven't really been tracking them and don't really want to. Every post I make in here starts with "it's been a long while". Including this post, it will be 10 posts for the year (that used to be my daily rate sometimes in the early days!).
As I was writing this the computer just shut down by itself, as it likes to do. Regularly. If I can get some savings going I think a new computer could be a good investment. That will have to wait though.
All these things I've done in a patchy fashion and also set up some new things to do in a patchy fashion. This is an area I can work on and would like to. So that can be a focus for next year.
So overall, I think it's going OK. Getting back into music in a big way has been a good one. Made a couple of new friends and more importantly reconnected with some old ones, especially at those Butterfly Effect 20 year shows. Have had some big wins in the professional side of things, and made an important change in jobs. |
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