Remember when I said Flash was easy and then you didn’t hear me say anything else about it for four and a half years? Yeah, I might have been wrong about that. Cheap Flash doesn’t have to be all that difficult but, if I’m going to go through the effort, I don’t want cheap. Quality Flash, as it turns out, is much harder and not something that lends itself well to the reverse engineering techniques that have served me so well in the past because it really requires graphic arts training in addition to programming knowledge to do well. This is going to require a lot of baby steps. For my second effort, I present to you a slightly less cheesy animation that ends with a redirect to a different page. Ooooooh.

Go ahead and laugh. I deserve it.

1. Christmas cards are the bane of my existence. I mean to send them every year and every year I never get around to it. This year I went so far as to hand make them. They’re still here.

2. Two Christmases ago I was given a gift certificate to Seeds of Change, a company I love. Last night, I finally placed the order, with seven minutes remaining before the certificate expired.

3. I’ve always wanted apple trees in my yard. Several family members and friends have chipped in for them. I’ve long since picked out the varieties I want. All I have to do is go get and plant them. In three years, I still haven’t gotten around to it. Every year I tell myself I’ll get bigger trees to make up for the growth I missed out on. Doesn’t help.

4. A little over three months ago, I lent a friend in need our guest bed and turned the guest room into a luxury I’ve always wanted; a meditation room. Last night I got an email saying the bed is ready to come back. I used the meditation room for the first time this morning. Until that point, my sister, who doesn’t even live on this side of the country, had used it more. Now we’re tied.

5. Two and a half years after starting the project, the basement is still half finished. The only area with a finished floor or ceiling is the bathroom which doesn’t work because I stalled out on the plumbing when it didn’t go well on the first round. The wall I had to tear down during the flood to check for mold is still only half put back together. I could come up with a lot of really good excuses here but, really, I have none. If I’d wanted it enough, I would have gotten it done.

6. I haven’t even started on the back porch yet.

2008 was not my favorite year. It was very challenging in many ways, especially during the last half and mostly related in one way or another to my chosen profession. I learned a LOT but, since I don’t talk about my job, good or bad, for the protection of all involved and I did very little else, I was left with nothing nice to say for quite some time. Last year was simply about gritting my teeth and getting it over with. There were moments when I wasn’t sure if I would make it. Wasn’t sure if I wanted to. Well, you lose, 2008. I survived and what’s more I’m making some positive changes for 2009. I want my life back and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to just get out there and take it.