Be Excellent To Each Other

Off to the Lakes today to see out the New Year with good friends, so posting this now.

Overall, 2014 was a bit rough for me, overshadowed by the fallout from a, frankly unnecessary, ('hilarious misunderstanding'-Ed.) with a close friend. Only in the last couple of months can I say I'm really over it all and I am convinced that I did my best to be a good friend but it takes two to tango. Would have saved a lot of grief had we just drifted away naturally, but what happened, happened, and whilst I'm happy to admit my mistakes, his behaviour was just as bad, if not worse. I've learnt that I've got a lot of very good friends both on Beex and elsewhere, and it's these people who matter most. Thanks for all your support, comfort, and advice.

Now we've dispensed with the emo crap, let's look at my highlights:

- Getting a large number of friends to the Brecon Beacons for a birthday weekend of hiking, drinking, board games, and general merriment. Despite bad weather earlier in the week, the conditions were good on the weekend and we did some great hikes.

- Going to a multi-period event and spending a couple of hours in a mock-1940s pub talking to some red-coated Napoloenic soldiers whilst a crowd of British tommies got progressively more intoxicated and louder.

- Dragging some friends to Snowdon for a weekend in September because I'd never actually climbed it. Turns out, to my surprise, that it isn't a pointy mountain!

- Changing my job and getting yet another promotion and payrise

- Giving a talk on guerrilla warfare in Missouri to a crowd of about 50, all of whom really know their stuff.

- Finally seeing Durham. Surprised it had taken me so long to do it.

- Doing 3 days' hard walking along Hadrian's Wall with a full pack. Kept a good pace and was really pleased with my progress. Will have to return and finish it at some point as I had to abandon it due an oncoming weather front I didn't particuarly want to be hiking in.

- Mimi & Russ's Wedding. A brilliant weekend.

- BeexBeeQue.

- The Cottage

- Joining a local board games group. Time I widened my social circle.


2015 is already shaping up to be a great year. Really looking forward to going to the US in March for the 150th Bentonville re-enactment. I'll be taking part in a march to the battlefield as well. On their page on sinister Facebook, the organisers have posted pictures of a huge barrel of beer being specially brewed for the event: I wonder how much will reach us enlisted men. Also got a trip to Liverpool with friends planned (I might have to leave them for a bit to do some ACW sites), and a day's shooting at Bisley. And that's just the first three months!

Have a really good 2015 everyone, and see you soon.

2014 was dogshit. Even the good things had a thin smear of it, sadly. Next year will be better.

Was thinking about this the other day. I'm careful therefore to consider the year as a whole and not on the end of the year status. Accordingly, on balance, 2014 was pretty good. Two great holidays with my family, career going places, significant work issues resolved.

The final two months could have played out a teensy bit better, admittedly.

Fucking hell. Maybe tomorrow will be the day you go without mentioning the Big C.

You big C.

2014 was alright, until my Xbox broke on Christmas day, ruining the whole thing.

My career is important to me, you penis.

2014 was a bit rubbish by all accounts. Both my father and father in law suffered ill health which is really shit.

I have had a few fun moments but there's still been a dark cloud over the year so I'll be glad to see the back of it

2014 was mixed, on the plus side our son got better with sleeping and things got easier. I never cared that much about the lack of sleep really, I think he is the best thing ever and as he gets older it just gets better.

Down side tossers at work pounced on my wife 10 days after she got back with a trumped up redundancy, she fought it and took some sick and stands a good chance of more money than they are offering. Thing I never banked on though is that the way she has been treated eats me up and makes me so fucking angry (we work at the same place) and that has not made either of our life's easier. Final stages start again 5th Jan.

So hoping for a better year in 2015 although I have a lot more to be happy about that I do to be unhappy, just hard to remember it sometimes

No long post, but 2014 is finishing for me infinitely better than it started and I'm looking forward to 2015 and all it brings.

I would like to thank beexers for all of their love and support throughout the year even though I don't have chance to post as much as I used to. It means a lot to know that you are there whenever you are needed.

I hope that every one of you has an amazing 2015 and that it brings with it all you hope and dream for, taking you a step closer to any goals you might have.

Love you all lots!

Nothing particularly wrong with 2014, but it won't be a stand out year I look back on.
I feel like I need to make a bit more effort in 2015.

Pull yourselves together! It's 2015.

2014 was significant as I took up a personal training regime, got in shape, lost a stone, and can now run 5km in under 30 minutes.

Other than that, pretty standard.

First two stages of Le Tour were amazing. As was Otley races. And the cottage. And the bbq. And changing jobs but offering to stay on another month at the old place if they paid me as much as the place I was going to so I wouldn't lose out (they wouldn't). 16th Feb. Not having smoked for over 2 years.