The end of the year is here and I should probably take some time to reflect on the changes in my life that have occurred over the last 365 days. For the most part, this past year has been a good one, albeit more stressful than I really like. Here are some of the highlights:

• The year started off with a bang for me as I finally got to attend Lotusphere. I was able to learn a lot and hook up with a bunch of very kewl people. John Cleese and Ray Ozzie at the same event, need I say more?
• My wife and I got pregnant again and we are expecting our next (and last) bundle of joy on Jan. 27, although Colette doesn't think she will make it that long. This was not an uneventful pregnancy due to the incident in week 12 and the recent development of Gestational Diabetes. All in all, she is definitely ready for this parasite to get out and join us in the real world if for no other reason than for her to be semi-comfortable in bed again.
• The boys (Craig 15, Kyle 8, Jackson 3) have all had relatively good years. Kyle finally got some new glasses so he can see what's going on in school, although he still can't hear worth a darn. Craig made it through Freshman year at Reservoir and had his first real relationship. As with most boys, we weren't aware that it was over until way after the smoke had cleared, but sometimes ignorance is bliss. Jackson made it through the year without a visit to the hospital or ER, which is somewhat amazing. His speech is still not completely intelligible, but he knows all his letters, upper and lower case, can count to 100, can spell his own name and recognizes the names of the kids in his class and people in his life, and spent so much time in the water this summer that I thought he might develop gills.
• Yet again, I have changed jobs and it has caused me to continue my growth as a developers and a person. The new position is a bit different since it involves working with the Feds, but the commute is so much better now that I get to take the train to work instead of fight traffic for 45-90 minutes each way. And I really like being able to do a Sudoku or play my PSP.
• I was lucky enough to WIn Second Prize in a Beauty Contest for my write-up of use for AJAX. I learned a lot this year about CSS, AJAX, and customizing Quickplace.
• I finally took some time and attended a cooking class. It was a very rewarding time and I can't wait to take some more in the future.
• This site turned 2 at the beginning of December with no fanfare at all. I have averaged 3 1/2 entries a week. Some of them were better than others, but I really hope to do a better job this year.

Duffbert has asked us all about what we plan to do in the next year so here are my goals:

1. Learn PHP and MySQL enough to develop a CRM for my brother-in-law's construction company.
2. Release a production version of my ASND Export Utility and come up with a logo for it.
3. Install either Solaris 10 or Linux on the Sunfire R280 and get Domino 7 up and running in my office.
4. Learn more about Domino and XML, Workplace Designer, Ruby on Rails and SOA
5. Bring a Caden into my family and give him all the love he can handle.

Finally, Laurette and Libby both had this list going, so I thought I might add mine:

• Four jobs you've had in your life: Food Prep/Deli Worker, Waiter, Helpdesk Technician, Lotus Notes Developer/Administrator
• Four movies you could watch over and over: The Princess Bride, Die Hard, Payback, Some Kind of Wonderful
• Four places you've lived: College Park, MD, Fremont, CA, Atlanta, GA, Laurel, MD
• Four TV shows you love to watch: Everwood, ER, House, Any Law & Order or CSI
• Four places you've been on vacation: Hawaii, Las Vegas, Europe (HS trip to London and Paris), Europe(College trip backpacking through Paris, Brussels, Interlaken, Nice, Plata de Piles, and Madrid)
• Four websites you visit daily: Bloglines, Comcast (my ISP), Phig Said What (just to make sure it's still running), Google
• Four of your favorite foods: Chocolate covered mints (Godiva Grande Mints, York Pepermint Patties), Chocolate Mousse(dark and without any whipped cream), Thrasher's French Fries, and Filet Mignon.
• Four places you'd rather be: On a beach in the Caribbean, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Interlaken