Year in Review – 2014

 Well – that’s it for 2014 and now for 2015

Well, that was the year that was, and to give you a brief idea of how I spent it, and my plans for 2015.

• Work
  • 2014
    • My first day back at Traffic Technologies saw me called into the bosses office, and was told my services were no longer needed.  Will see how it goes looking for another job.
    • Started my own business, under the NEIS scheme.  I’ve called the business IT Solutions and Marketing
  • 2015

    • Well, now to knuckle down and work on and in the business IT Solutions And Marketing.

Family

• 2014
  • Since being made redundant from Traffic Technologies, the family have sold up at Drouin and moved to George Town, Tasmania.
• 2015
  • No major news on the upcoming year for the family, but you never know.
  • I need to get a full knee replacement – after 30 odd years of pain, it has come down to having it done.  Before the knee replacement is done, the surgeon wants to rectify a ‘deformity’ of the left femur (thigh bone).  Basically there is a rather pronounced bow in the femur, which means that with the knee there is a 20^o variation on the outside of the knee, which is more than is feasible for a successful replacement.  The surgeon called in 2 colleagues and discussed what to do.  Basically it means that the first surgery will be to cut the femur (break) and put a rod down with a plate.  This will straighten the femur, and hopefully take some pressure off the knee.  Then will need to recover from this surgery, and then revisit the knee replacement down the track.  It is hoped that we can delay the replacement as long as possible as they don’t last, and when redone, the chances of infections increase.

Other

• Government departments are full of red tape – called Centrelink after being retrenched, and was told I needed some documents, one of which was a birth certificate.  After telling them I didn’t have one, they said as long as I had enough of the other documentation, I’d be fine.  After the phone interview, they organised a physical interview which was about 4 weeks later (which was their earliest available time).  I attended the interview, and was asked for the birth certificate.  What?  I don’t have one.  I was told in the phone interview if I had enough of the other documentation I’d be fine.  No – we need to see a birth certificate.  You’ll need to provide one in 28 days to ensure you get benefits.  OK I said – I’ll organise.  Anyway, organised to get my birth certificate online, as I am now in a state different to my birth state.  Thought $90 for a rush certificate was too much, and standard was going to be $70.  Anyway, paid, and got the email advice at this point, was given a link to the timelines when I could expect to receive my birth certificate – 5 weeks.  Oh bother – 1 week longer than Centrelink’s timeline.  Rang the Birth’s, Death and Marriages and explained the situation – sorry they said – if you need it quicker – order another one.  Went into Centrelink, explained the situation, and they said – bring it in as soon as you get it.  A week later, got a letter from Centrelink telling me what my benefit will be, but I have till the 25 March to bring my birth certificate in, otherwise my benefits will be stopped.  Then a week later, I got a SMS advising the same.  Another trip to Centrelink to sort the foobar out.
• Training – some of you may have seen some of my posts through the year.  If May and June I did two (2) courses at RMIT dealing with creating iPhone and iPad apps for beginners.  Certainly help me understand the coding technologies of Cocoa.  Now to get some apps built and published.
• Achieved my Certificate IV in Business Management (Small Business)

Wishing you all a Happy and prosperous New Year for 2015