December, 2004:

I know that there’s usually a lot of talk about New Year’s Resolutions around this time of year but as well as being interested in your resolutions for 2005, I’d like to know what your resolutions for 2004 were. Were you able to achieve the goals you set for yourself?

I’d love to be able to research just how many resolutions make it to the end of the year intact. For that matter, I’d like to know how many survive until the end of January each year.

I did OK on some of mine and not so much on others.

I suppose none of us will make dramatic lifestyle changes just because we decide that it’s a good idea. We need to find the small goals that will help us toward the bigger goals and we need to have some kind of action plan to see it happen.

Some people don’t agree with setting New Year’s resolutions and I can see exactly where they’re coming from, but if we do it right, I still think that the start of a new year is a good time to reflect and readjust. It can be a good milestone as we check whether or not we’re going the direction that we should.

If you’d like to check other resolutions you can check out the list at technorati.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

I was reading that Terry and Robin Smith from South Carolina in the US, have received a fantastic Christmas present. It’s a car that they last saw 23 years ago.

The vintage 1963 Ford Fairlane finally turned up over four thousand kilometres away. California Highway Patrol officers called the couple to tell them authorities had recovered the vehicle. Apparently Robin was given the car as a wedding present from her parents.

I’m certainly glad that they got their car back. I certainly wouldn’t mind a 1963 Fairlane.

My only concern is that they’re describing a car that was manufactured in 1963 as vintage. I was manufactured in 1963 too. Surely I’m not a vintage model just yet.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

What are your plans to see in the New Year?

We’re off to the Perth Zoo for Happy Zoo Year. They have the kid friendly New Year countdown at 9 o’clock, which I guess will be midnight on the east coast of Australia. The zoo will then close by 10. We should be at home with a couple of sleeping children soon after.

I don’t know if we’ll even be awake at midnight. We haven’t really celebrated the New Year for the past few years. You see we’ve discovered something amazing. Even if you’re in bed asleep when the clock strikes 12, it still automatically changes to a new year.

Whatever you’ve got planned I hope you enjoy yourself and that you ensure that what you do on New Year’s eve 2004, isn’t your first regret for 2005.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

You have probably seen TV pictures of aid reaching those who are suffering as a result of the South Asian tsunami disaster. It’s wonderful to know that the aid that so many are giving is reaching its target.

I posted several times a couple of days ago about the tragedy and at that time provided a link for anyone wanting to donate through World Vision Australia.

If you’d like some choice in who you direct your donation through you might like to check out the list of agencies on Sonshine FM’s website.

If you’re not in Australia, this post by Benediction gives details of a number of aid agencies in several countries who would welcome your donation.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

If you’ve tried to email me over the past few days you probably had your message bounced. It seems that my ISP has now blocked my .tk email address (which is simply redirected to my ‘real’ address).

If that means nothing to you you may simply like to know that my email address is now working again. If you’d like to email me, simply click on the email button in the left hand sidebar.

Posted by Rodney Olsen