2014 Review

[G18241]

EDIT Clearly didnt read thread properly

 

[Josh]

Job/Career - Finally left HMPS in April to start a new chapter in MoD IT. Much happier, slightly less money but a 10min commute over a 1h30 commute, it is Monday - Friday flex time so I start at 0730 and am home before 1600, on Fridays we all generally finish around 2pm. People are polite and speak to you not at you. And I get to mess around with computers all day, even though I hate MOSS I am not pretty proficient at it and seem to be on course for a decent bonus next year which is nice. Also started an NVQ off my own back fully paid for by the MoD and when I finish it I get a £1000 bonus as a well done for going the extra mile.

Car - Still have a dirty diesel Pug 407, it's a 2.0 TDi, it's an auto so doing a 14 miles round trip is killing the world. Going to buy a little hatchback 1.4-1.6L petrol next year.

Holiday - 2 weeks in Tukrey which we all enjoyed. 5 days "Adventure Training" in Wales - basically 5 days of canoeing in the most scenic places I have ever seen, then camping and getting sloshed. Very nice.

Relationship - Been with my wife 10 years this year so a HUGE milestone for me. Happy and content. 2 children who keep us busy as they both have Aspergers.

High - Landing my new job.

Low - Walking out of my Prison for the last time, leaving behind good friends, great banter and knowing I would miss the good times but not miss the countless bad times.

2015 Plans - New car, carry on fixing up my house, hopefully get my bonus and maybe a promotion.

Hmmm forgot about this. Well got my new(er) car 2013 Pug 308 Estate, much nicer to drive, it has a sun roof and is a lot more fuel efficient than the 407.

Got the garden ripped out and done correctly, cost me £5k but worth it in the long run, having the kitchen and bathroom re-done next year.

Went for promotion and has told I am not "empathetic enough" for a promotion I tend to have a "get on with it" approach as opposed to the "do you need a week off and counselling" which they seem to want . So have started to apply for other jobs within the Civil Service, one of which I am through to the last 5 applicants for. £6k-£9k pay rise and will have the opportunity to gain more qualificiations.

Finished my NVQ, can't remember most of it but was a tick in the box for an xmas bonus.

 

[The_Abyss]

Job/Career - Same job but just doing it better. Decent increase to pay and hopefully a promotion within the Group to follow

Got both. Not quite sure the promotion was all it was cracked up to be though...

Car(s) - Still living with the Audi A1 but did replace my Aprilia Shiver with an Aprilia Capobord which I love and is getting plenty of use

Still got the A1 but fell out of love with the Aprilia Caponord (more below)

Holiday - awesome year, probably my very best yet. F1 winter testing in Jerez in Jan / Feb, a long weekend to Wales to meet our wedding photographer, Barcelona F1 Grand Prix in May, bike trip to Holland, Belgium and Germany in May, Morocco in August, bike trip to Belgium in September, golf in Spain later in September and finally Iceland in November.

Added to that in 2015 F1 testing in Jerez again, motorbike trip to France and Spain over the Pyrenees, Croatia, Prague (stag do) and off to the Canary Islands in two weeks.

Relationship - still engaged, still getting married next year

Got married. Stayed married.

High - so many really, probably taking my fiancee to Iceland and being able to take my Aussie nephew too and spend some real quality time with him

Getting married was the high for this year.

Low - watching my Dad slowly deteriorate and fail to recover from a huge NHS **** up that's accelerated his Parkinson's. The fiancee finding out she and all her colleagues will be made redundant next year

Last year's low is still continuing. Currently helping my Dad sue the NHS for multiple counts of negligence and falsifying medical records. Hopefully coming to a close now as they've admitted liability.

2015 Plans - secure the next promotion, F1 testing in Jerez again, wedding, honeymoon, hoping my by then wife is able to find a new job that makes her happy. Maybe, just maybe, a 2015 Ducati Multistrada

F1 testing in Jerez is cancelled but I'm booked in for Barcelona testing in March instead. Wife doesn't like the new job so is looking for another one.

Didn't get the Multistrada but did buy a BMW S1000XR instead

So, it looks like most of what was planned to happen did happen. Would just dearly love to see the wife get a job she enjoys and also to get the nightmare battle with NHS lawyers finished.

 

[Curio]

Job/Career - Worked at a retail job over the summer which was awesome - really great bunch of people and had much fun. Then started an internship at an IT company at the end of summer. It's an OK place but they have a massive staff turnover for reasons I've yet to work out. Biggest downside is the location....really depressing and industrial with weird drunks/druggies wandering around. Don't think I'll stay there in the long term.

Car(s) - Same Toyota Camry Hybrid we've had for years. 70,000 miles on the clock, terrible paintwork, small dents, but still love it. People see the Hybrid badge and assume it's slow....but it's nearly 200bhp and does 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, which is pretty good for a non-sporty family car!

Holiday - Went to Florida in January to escape the worst winter this area had ever experienced. It rained....and was chilly.....in Florida....we were not impressed

Relationship - New baby on the way in January! 3 year old little boy doing great....love him more than anything. Hit a bad spell in the marriage at the end of the summer and thought it may be over (turned 40 this year and was having the classic mid-life crisis) but we worked through it and now things are awesome

High - Either finding out wife was expecting again or the new Star Wars trailer

Low - The mid-life crisis.

2015 Plans - Graduate in May and get a good job. Visit family back in England. Lots of dirty nappies and no sleep

Interesting thread revival! Here's how my year worked out...

JOB: Left the horrible internship and started a different one. This place is truly amazing - one of the top research institutions in the world. Famous scientists, unlimited funding, state of the art building, amazing location. However, they told me up-front it almost certainly wouldn't lead to a job there. I've been enjoying every second of it, but I'm struggling to find a proper job elsewhere. I'm sure something will come up, but it's starting to get worrying.

FAMILY: Baby ended up arriving a month early. Spent Xmas and the new year in the NICU, which was stressful to say the least. However, getting on for a year later, he's doing absolutely brilliantly! Love him to bits. Our other boy (now 4) has taken to him very well, and also started pre-school this term.

CAR: Due to arrival of new baby, we had to get something bigger. We now have a Nissan Pathfinder. Still have the Camry, but it's just sitting there doing nothing because I get the bus to work (no parking), so it will be going soon unless I get a job that requires it.

HOLIDAYS: None. Had a weekend away at a waterpark with the kids....that's it.

HIGHS: Graduating, bringing new baby home.

LOWS: Xmas/new year sat in the NICU.

PLANS: Get a proper job! We're also looking into the possibility of moving to another country as we're getting a bit sick of the US.

 

[Maccy]

Start a new thread for 2015, title is misleading otherwise.

 

[Mrs Seabiscuit]

Close this one then Maccy

 

[steve45]

Job/Career - Great year careerwise, promotion, great reporting period since promotion.

Car(s) - went from very **** car to a slightly less **** car, but this is far from priority in life.

Holiday - nothing abroad, spent all of my holiday periods this year with family and mountain biking.

Relationship - Non existent at the moment, apart from a couple of close calls with complete nutcases, which has put me off trying for the mean time, plan to just enjoy the company of my mates and my family for a month or so.

High - returning home from a successful tour that gained me promotion and more.

Low - Slowly realising that its probably time to look at a change in career, despite doing very well and having very good prospects for future promotion, i have come to realise that i'm just no longer happy with my job, i dread the short drive to work, struggle for motivation, i just feel that life at the moment is feeling very stale, for me that is suffocating, I just generally feel its time to move on to something different, a new challenge in life, the next chapter.

2015 Plans - find the happyness in life again, or at least move in the direction towards finding it again.
I just need to switch that light back on at the end of the tunnel, and I feel that big change and new challenges are the easiest way to do that.

Hmmm interesting, completely forgot about this.
certainly wont post my current year review in this thread, but a reflection on what i posted last year.
I have to say there hasnt been a huge change, still in the same job still have the same feelings towards it, still going very well, but i guess the big change is knowing exactly what direction i want to go in life, i've whole heartedly decided on the change in career, i just need to get the balls up to make that leap, doing what i want to do will mean going back to Uni, not a change i take lightly especially being in my early 30's when most of my peers are settling down in their professional lives, i'll be taking a step back in life but for the right reasons i believe, it will be a massive hit in lifestyle and financially in the short term, but i feel it will be worth it further down the road, in terms of both happiness and finances, and one cannot put a price on happiness.

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

In.