2011 was a crazy crazy year for the world, and for me and Becky, there were quite a few changes to our cicumstances! When last I blogged (March 2011? Seriously??) We were both in the planning stage of what was to come. By the end of July, our big plans had come into fruition.
March all the way through to the end of June were spent knuckilng down and earning cash which we'd need for the first of our big plans for the year- moving house. Tired of living in our grotty little flat for the past five years or so, we found ourselves in the position to actually do something about it for the first time in ages. By August it was farewell to our naff old residence and hello to our new house in Sandwell. It's much nicer, in a great location and is everything we need for our future plans.
Another big change that happened in August was an opportunity for Bexs to move to a job in a renowned school. We both felt it was a good move, so that was big change number two for us last year. Since then we've been trying to generate a new style of status quo.
My personal projects are a mixed bunch to say the least. Moving house is disruptive! My games blog has a few posts on it, and now we're mostly settled in our new place I'm planning on launching a new webcomic, one which hopefully I'll stick with. Christmas was a rather busy affair for me this year, but it was ok. Now squarely into the new year, me and Bexs are anticipating another interesting new year. 2011 was a year of great change, I'm hoping 2012 will bring just as much exitement!
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Friday, March 11, 2011
2011: The Story So Far
Well, here we are squarely into 2011, and so it's time for another update on what the Cooks have been up to.
2001 started on a somewhat downbeat note, as I attended three funerals within the space of a few weeks. One of them involved a trip to Lincoln to say goodbye to a very close friend of Becky's family. They will all be missed.
This year was going to be a about creativity, supposedly. All I seem to have done is tidy up instead. This is not a bad thing however. Now me and the lady wife are in a stableish place, we've decided to take the plunge and save up to move house. So out with everything I don't need, replacing things and so on. Wading through 5 years worth of stuff is an arduous task, so I decided to get a headstart on it so we don't have to worry about it when it's moving day!
Speaking of creative things, soon I'll be launching me new blog. My graphic novel is proving hard to begin as I can't quite figure out a starting point. The gospel tract thing is still in the pipeline somewhere too. The biggest problem I've had if I'm honest is a touch of apathy, fuelled by long shifts at work. Still, I'll get there eventually.
Other than that, we've been quite busty. February was 'birthday month' as all my nephews and my niece all got a year older. I even gained a new nephew too! Now the dust has settled from that, it's back to business as usual. There's much to do!
2001 started on a somewhat downbeat note, as I attended three funerals within the space of a few weeks. One of them involved a trip to Lincoln to say goodbye to a very close friend of Becky's family. They will all be missed.
This year was going to be a about creativity, supposedly. All I seem to have done is tidy up instead. This is not a bad thing however. Now me and the lady wife are in a stableish place, we've decided to take the plunge and save up to move house. So out with everything I don't need, replacing things and so on. Wading through 5 years worth of stuff is an arduous task, so I decided to get a headstart on it so we don't have to worry about it when it's moving day!
Speaking of creative things, soon I'll be launching me new blog. My graphic novel is proving hard to begin as I can't quite figure out a starting point. The gospel tract thing is still in the pipeline somewhere too. The biggest problem I've had if I'm honest is a touch of apathy, fuelled by long shifts at work. Still, I'll get there eventually.
Other than that, we've been quite busty. February was 'birthday month' as all my nephews and my niece all got a year older. I even gained a new nephew too! Now the dust has settled from that, it's back to business as usual. There's much to do!
Friday, December 17, 2010
2010: Not Exactly A Good Year For Blogging
Well, the year of 2010 is slowly winding down and preparing to give way to 2011. As is becoming customary at this Decembery time of year, I figured I'd write down how this new decade has treated the Cook family.
Well, the year began with us both in work and hopeful for the year. It's been a pretty interesting one too. Me and Bexs are still working away and that's going quite well for us. Well enough that the bills are getting paid and we're in a place where we can save up and get the things we want. For the first time in about five years I've been able to look at our finances without releasing a worried 'Hmm' at the figure. I mean, we're not gajillionaires or anything, but at least I don't have to panic when the gas bill shows up. For me personally it's been a bit weird having things so stable, but I'm glad it's finally working out for us two. Only took us five years.
Speaking of which, a few weeks back me and Bexs celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. Here's hoping that this is one of many, many milestone years! I'm glad to see my friends are also enjoying new and exiting things such as having kids, new jobs and houses and so on and so forth.
The year hasn't been without it's downsides mind. My little Ka finally gave up the ghost on that fateful M6 trip, and I'm having to get rid of it. It's going to a good home though. After a month of cycling, buses and taxis to work I managed to get my mitts on a very well looked after old Rover, which I've become really fond of. Annoyingly, some yob smashed one of my rear windows a short while after I'd paid for the thing. It looks like that will be fixed in the new year though, so it's not all bad.
When it comes to leisure, it's been all right. I haven't really spent a lot of cash on games this last six months, just playing through some of the ones I already had and borrowing the odd game or two from friends. There was one recent big purchase for me though- Fallout: New Vegas. I really enjoyed Fallout 3, and this is more of the same, but better. Given I've spent the best part of a month wandering the post-apocalyptic Mojave Desert, I think it was a good purchase. The story I was working on fell by the wayside, and the reboot of my cartoon has also undergone some changes, so neither of those went anywhere it seems. The MMO, Final Fantasy 14 I was expecting got delayed until March 2011 and then delayed indefinitely for PS3 until they sort out a whole mess of issues.
So, what's to look forward to in 2011 for the Cooks?
Well, if 2010 was the 'Year of Just Getting On With It', then 2011 will be 'The Year of Creativity'. Now that things are stable, I want to get back to some of the stuff I really enjoy- doodling and writing. I'm planning on releasing a new blog in the new year, in a similar vein to my old Journey of The Christian Gamer blog I wrote a few years back. I've been planning on doing something like it again for a while now, but this time around I'm doing a lot more planning. I'll probably get that kicked off in the new year. My much planned cartoon should be ready to be scrawled out next year too, as well as a project my church has given me- a gospel tract in cartoon form. As for that story started writing this year, I realised that more work needed to be done on fleshing things out a bit, so I might work on that and go back to it. It could be said I've an exiting new year ahead of me!
Well, that's me for this year. No doubt I'll put digit to keyboard in the new year. Part of next year's creativity drive will be writing of course, so I expect I'll be blogging a bit more than once every six months.
So until 2011, have a Happy Christmas and a fab New Year!
Well, the year began with us both in work and hopeful for the year. It's been a pretty interesting one too. Me and Bexs are still working away and that's going quite well for us. Well enough that the bills are getting paid and we're in a place where we can save up and get the things we want. For the first time in about five years I've been able to look at our finances without releasing a worried 'Hmm' at the figure. I mean, we're not gajillionaires or anything, but at least I don't have to panic when the gas bill shows up. For me personally it's been a bit weird having things so stable, but I'm glad it's finally working out for us two. Only took us five years.
Speaking of which, a few weeks back me and Bexs celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. Here's hoping that this is one of many, many milestone years! I'm glad to see my friends are also enjoying new and exiting things such as having kids, new jobs and houses and so on and so forth.
The year hasn't been without it's downsides mind. My little Ka finally gave up the ghost on that fateful M6 trip, and I'm having to get rid of it. It's going to a good home though. After a month of cycling, buses and taxis to work I managed to get my mitts on a very well looked after old Rover, which I've become really fond of. Annoyingly, some yob smashed one of my rear windows a short while after I'd paid for the thing. It looks like that will be fixed in the new year though, so it's not all bad.
When it comes to leisure, it's been all right. I haven't really spent a lot of cash on games this last six months, just playing through some of the ones I already had and borrowing the odd game or two from friends. There was one recent big purchase for me though- Fallout: New Vegas. I really enjoyed Fallout 3, and this is more of the same, but better. Given I've spent the best part of a month wandering the post-apocalyptic Mojave Desert, I think it was a good purchase. The story I was working on fell by the wayside, and the reboot of my cartoon has also undergone some changes, so neither of those went anywhere it seems. The MMO, Final Fantasy 14 I was expecting got delayed until March 2011 and then delayed indefinitely for PS3 until they sort out a whole mess of issues.
So, what's to look forward to in 2011 for the Cooks?
Well, if 2010 was the 'Year of Just Getting On With It', then 2011 will be 'The Year of Creativity'. Now that things are stable, I want to get back to some of the stuff I really enjoy- doodling and writing. I'm planning on releasing a new blog in the new year, in a similar vein to my old Journey of The Christian Gamer blog I wrote a few years back. I've been planning on doing something like it again for a while now, but this time around I'm doing a lot more planning. I'll probably get that kicked off in the new year. My much planned cartoon should be ready to be scrawled out next year too, as well as a project my church has given me- a gospel tract in cartoon form. As for that story started writing this year, I realised that more work needed to be done on fleshing things out a bit, so I might work on that and go back to it. It could be said I've an exiting new year ahead of me!
Well, that's me for this year. No doubt I'll put digit to keyboard in the new year. Part of next year's creativity drive will be writing of course, so I expect I'll be blogging a bit more than once every six months.
So until 2011, have a Happy Christmas and a fab New Year!
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