So, it's that time of year when I do the yearly wrap up. This is the 5th year I've done it (here is the 2009 post, in case you're interested)

In summary, 2010 was a really busy year, on all fronts. It feels like my entire year was spent in one of 4 states;
- Working
- Travelling (usually on a plane)
- Playing with the kids
- Seeing a live band

Working;
To say that this was a really big year at work is a massive understatement. I look back very proudly on 2010, and I'm really thrilled with what we've done with the business and our people, but at the same, I'm quite tired... and more than once this year I lost my shit at the amount of work I had to do :( I spent a lot of my year not only trying to do my job, but also doing the job of roles that we just couldn't find the right people to fill (one role took 6 months to fill, and meant a huge amount of additional work for me). I also spent a fair bit of time interstate (Sydney and Brisbane in particular) guiding and working with management and the teams there... which meant I travelled a lot. Since joining the Qantas Club in March, I have taken 40 domestic flights and 2 trips to the US (more on that later)... and that's just the Qantas flights - there were a few Virgin Blue ones in there as well! On a work related note, I was really proud of us on a couple of occasions; first, coming 3rd in BRW's Best Places To Work in Australia. That was a real badge of honour, and something that I feel really strongly about upholding (not the ranking - the feeling that OBS is an awesome place to work). I was also really proud of us winning Microsoft's Education Partner of the Year award for our work on the FUSE project. Not only is it external validation that we know what we're doing, but it's a testament to the real effect we have on students and teachers in this country - which is pretty cool when you think about it. I still continue to love OBS and what we do... and I love my job. Being able to make decisions at this scale for a company like OBS is something I feel privileged to be able to do (and I remind myself of this when I get stressed). And the people I work with continue to be fucking ace.

Travelling;
Steph and I took the big leap this year and headed over for a week in New York... by ourselves! None of it could've been possible without the fabulous assistance of Marc and Danyse, to whom I will forever be in their debt. Marc is one of my absolutely dearest friends in the world, but he really went above and beyond, looking after Aurora and Atticus for 10 days (Atticus was only 13 months old at that point). The trip to New York was wonderful. It was just what Steph and I needed - some indulgent, "us" time (mind you, we're still paying it off :D). Honestly though, I think we both found it to be a complete "game-changer" for us as a couple, and it gave us both a bit of an escape from reality for a short while. Upon our return from New York, we spent another few days as a family in Adelaide, and I MC'd the wedding of our friends Alex and Jenni. I can now tick that one off the list :) Having MC'd, I now know it's a big job, and one I'll likely take a pass on again :) I loved their wedding and had a blast doing it though, and they make a great couple :) In July I headed over to the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, this time in Washington DC (where I hadn't been before). I really enjoyed Washington, although didn't get too much "tourist time" there. I did get to go to the Air and Space Museum, which was mind-blowing. In August/September, I headed to the local Microsoft conference on the Gold Coast - I got no "tourist time" there at all, but enjoyed the weather nonetheless :) Also in September, Steph and I had a weekend away without the kids to Sydney to see Wicked (by far the greatest stage show I have seen). It was nice to have a night away, and felt nice to be flying for pleasure rather than business. Our final trip in 2010 was to the mighty Ballarat in November for a family weekend away. It rained, Ballarat was pretty crap all round, my childhood memories of Kryal Castle were irreparably damaged, but the kids had fun :)

The Kids;
Like 2009, this year had a huge focus on the kids. Atticus developed a lot during 2010, and Aurora continued to grow into the little person and personality that she is. While nothing massive stands out with the kids, Aurora and I did start going to Chinese Playgroup together in September, which we both enjoyed a lot. Other than that, I think both kids would tell you that I'm a pretty fun, clever, loving and fair dad still, and that's the main thing. One thing that did have a huge effect on me this year was reading Cormac McCarthy's "The Road". As a father, it just floored me. Thanks again so much to Pauly for giving it to me to read.

Concerts and Music;
This year I had the fortunate pleasure of seeing a lot of concerts, and getting a fair bit of variety in as well. In chronological order, I managed to see Dirty Three, AC/DC, Soundwave (Faith No More, The Get Up Kids, The Weakerthans, Jane's Addiction - what a great lineup!), Jimmy Eat World (Soundwave Sideshow), Devin Townsend, Slash MTV Special show, John Mayer, Mumford and Sons, Slash (again, in a headlining show), Metallica (with Lamb of God and Baroness!), Biffy Clyro and Public Enemy (just a few days ago). The best show of the year was certainly Biffy Clyro - something I had been waiting for a long time, something I got to enjoy with a few friends, and probably the band that dominated my musical horizon in 2010. Metallica in full stadium mode and Slash in small club mode (at the MTV Special Show) were probably tied for second spot - both very different shows, but both reminded me why I will always love their music. In terms of stage/theater, it was a good year - I got to see Mamma Mia, West Side Story (in New York), Wicked (in Sydney) and Mary Poppins - all great shows (well, Mamma Mia was OK... not great). I also got to do Karaoke for the first time this year (yes, it's true), and I had a blast doing it.

Other interesting stuff;
Of course, my AFL team, Collingwood, won the Grand Final... eventually. I can now look back and laugh, but at the time, I think years were shaved off my life in that first Grand Final. I think I went to the footy only twice this year, but one trip was with Steph (who attended a game for the first time, and loved it). I also did pretty well in the work Footy Tipping competition, coming 2nd out of about 50 tippers. My health was pretty good this year, although I did have a bad run for a bit when I fell down an escalator at Flagstaff station, suffered a series of colds from the kids and then got a 5 day bout of gastro at a VERY inconvenient time. In terms of TV, my favourite series in a long time, LOST, sadly came to an end. Initially it left me feeling a bit flat and unsatisfied, but over time (and a few re-watches) I've come to appreciate those last few episodes so much more. Inception was an awesome movie. Just thought I'd throw that in there. We finally got a new TV in December, after about 12 years with the old one. It's pretty cool - not extravagant, it does the job nicely.

Finally, to my unquestionable highlight of 2010. I got to meet Slash. I still can't believe it, 8 months later. I fucking met Slash. Wow.

Now, onto the review of the 2010 goals I set myself;

Goal: Get healthy.
Check: I did go to the gym throughout the whole year, and have been now on a regime of multivitamins all year. I feel healthier than I did last year. My health check this year, compared to last year, is improved. I didn't lose ANY weight though... so that's something I definitely need to improve upon.

Goal: Have some great holidays.
Check: New York, Adelaide, Ballarat (questionably).

Goal: Read more.
Maybe: I read a bit this year, but probably not enough

Goal: Quit Smoking.
Check: What a great goal, I got to do it twice :S I did quit for a few months, took it up again for a few months, has now been 2 months since the last cigarette, and I happily don't foresee any in my future :)

Goal: Keep on blogging.
Fail: Massive fail. Website went into limbo for 8 months! LOL.

Goal: Play a gig somewhere.
Fail: Just didn't get it together unfortunately... unless you count Karaoke :)

Goal: Meet my long list of OBS related goals.
Check: All going well so far :)

Goal: Don't kill the garden.
Check: surprisingly, all good. Steph takes a lot of credit on this one though :)

Goal: Be an attentive husband and father.
Check: Reckon I did a good job this year

Goal: Write and record a killer song.
Fail: I have written a great riff, but just got too busy. I managed to play a lot of guitar this year... but didn't record anything unfortunately.

Not overwhelmingly achieved, but enough of the big ones for me to stay happy :) I will post my 2011 goals in the next few days.

So, 2010 proved to be a very busy year. I probably didn't see you (the reader) as much as I would've liked. Overall, Aurora, Atticus and Steph were the motivation for me breathing, eating, moving, working and living this year, as they should be every year. This year was probably most challenging on the work front (both the content and quantity), and most rewarding in seeing the kids grow and develop, as well as the time I spent alone with Steph, both at home and abroad. No doubt I'll look back in years to come at 2010 as a whirlwind year.

Here's to 2011. I love youse all. See you then :)


Andy