*snippet* As I’m probably going to be on the phone at the stroke of midnight (calling my family and then my GESF), I’d like to wish everyone:
Happy New Year!
Month: December 2002
![[Graph showing daily blog stats]](https://blog.rac.me.uk/photos/blogstats.gif)
Ok, since it’s the end of the month (and, indeed, the end of the year) I may as well do a ‘Statistics Summary’ of my blog again.
During December I had a total of 58,312 hits (up from 12,658 last month) or 7,395 visits (up from 1,838) – that averages out at 1881 hits/238 visits a day (up from 666 hits and 96 visits). This month has seen 651Mb of traffic to the 175 entries and 47 comments (up from 121Mb traffic to 89 entries and 16 comments last month). I was actually hoping to hit the 200th post/entry mark tonight (hence why I’ve been blogging quite a bit the past few days) – but I doubt I’ll be able to think of another 24 decent posts in the next 3.5hours.
![[Year In Review]](https://blog.rac.me.uk/photos/yearinreview.jpg)
Neil’s post gave me the idea to do a ‘Year In Review’ summary, so here’s what 2002 presented me with:
- A year truly living on my own (as my fiancee and I split up in Autumn the previous year therefore I’ve been mainly living on my own)
- Got a brand new PC (complete with new printer and DVD drive) to replace my ageing StrongArm RISC PC
- Got really “mentally” messed around by two women
- Had a lodger, she stole a considerable amount of money from me, then she left without even paying any rent (I’m still trying to pursue this)
- Been forced to purchase a dedicated server (from Positive Internet) as my other sites were generating too much traffic for a shared server option
- Met quite a number of ODP editors in Birmingham and (a few weeks later on my birthday) met a few more in London.
- Met my GESF after around 3 months chatting on the Internet (it was 2 months before we even spoke) and really enjoyed spending those 4 days with her
- Lost my job and still haven’t managed to find a new one
- Started a journal over at Slashdot, got fed up of the inflexibility of it and so installed Movable Type and started running my own weblog/blog
- Received lots of spam (over 1,500 a day at one point)
- and Sold my first things on Ebay and Amazon marketplace
Not the most exciting or “best” year (especially losing my job bit), but I suppose it could have been worse.
This coming year? Well, I’m still not sure if I’m going to go out and celebrate it or not (I’m still in my pyjamas/PJ’s and I’ve only nipped downstairs once to pick up the post) – hopefully I’ll also get a good local job (I’ve applied to a local company and I think I fit the job description perfectly, but I’ve got to wait to hear back), spend a lot more time with my GESF (if she wants to – see my Monday night ramblings for why I’m a little bit scared/uncertain), get the house and garden tidied up a bit more and just be happy. Well – that’s the plan…
In time for the New Years Celebrations, here’s the complete words of Auld Lang Syne as written by Robert Burns:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pu’d the gowans fine.
We’ve wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin’ auld lang syne.
Sin’ auld lang syne, my dear,
Sin’ auld lang syne,
We’ve wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin’ auld ang syne.
![[New Years]](https://blog.rac.me.uk/photos/newyear.jpg)
Keep breaking your New Years resolutions? Well, why don’t you make resolutions that you can keep and accomplish? Here’s a few to start you off:
- Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.
- Stop exercising, it’s a waste of time: you are going to die at somepoint anyway, so why not enjoy yourself?
- Read less. It makes you think.
- Watch more TV – haven’t you missed some good stuff on the goggle-box recently?
- Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow. (Procrastinate means delay or postpone things I think – but I’ll check that next week)
- Not date any of the Baywatch/James Bond cast.
- Spend more time at work, surfing with the big internet connection.
- Take a holiday to someplace important: like, to see the largest ball of twine (it’s in Minnesota by the way).
- Not jump off a cliff just because everyone else did.
- Stop making packed-lunches at home to eat at work – you should eat out more.
- Not have eight children at once.
- Get in a whole NEW rut!
- Start being superstitious.
- Personal goal: bring back disco.
- Don’t dance with Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira at the same time
- Speak in a monotone voice and only use monosyllabicwords.
- Only wear jeans that are 2 sizes too small and use a chain or rope for a belt.