I Love February (2024)

Wow, it's me again. Another four years have passed since my last blog post. Back then I thought blogs were so Passé, but it turns out there are actually some people in the world that are looking forward to reading this.

So before I have my 'free beer' to celebrate this quadrennial event, I thought I might comment on what's been happening for the past four years.

Can you believe we had a pandemic? I somehow managed to avoid it, until just a month ago. Damn you COVID.

My daughter got a new home in Invercargill, which is good for her and I am happy too.

The house I mentioned in my 2016 post was sold and we moved out exactly a year ago and so we're now planning a new house for the next decade.

Oh, and I came out of retirement. Yes ... I sold WillNotice, went into retirement, got bored, started building something new that is awesome and cool, and then decided it was much easier to simply get a job and write code for someone else, so that I can 'scratch my itch'.


What's gonna happen in the next four years - well I'm hoping I can go to the Football World Cup in North America in 2026. So lets see if that comes true - just wait another 1,460 days and I'll confirm. Oh, if blogs are still a thing in the future.

Until next time,

Stuart

I Love February (2020)

Hello again. It has been four years to the day since my last blog post. I think it is fair to say that blogs are well and truly relegated to the past, much like pagers, fax machines and common sense.

But I couldn't resist the temptation to once again visit this old place, like going back to your parents home after a long time away. There is something comforting and familiar, although antiquated.

So what's been happening over the past four years, I hear you ask. Well, I am now 'semi-retired'. I set up a cool little business around three years ago called WillNotice which has been working out pretty ok. We've bought and sold some properties along the way, and we now have a lovely holiday home just outside Akaroa. Things are pretty good actually.

And tonight I intend to have a 'free beer' just to celebrate this quadrennial event.

I Love February (2016)

So, here we are again, four years on (to the day) from my last post.

February 29th is such a fascinating day - an occasion in general limited (for most of us) to less than 25 occurrences.

And for one out of 1,461 people, it represents their birthday (on the unfounded principle of an equal number of births every day).  I don't recall having met anyone with a birthday of 29th February. I suppose that might be because I've not met 1,461 people yet.  Or perhaps it might be that I haven't asked 1,461 people what date their birthday is.

By the same token I wondered what famous events may have occurred on February 29th.  A superficial search using Google resulted in nothing of any interest. Reviewing the list found here was remarkably unremarkable. I believe the reason that interesting events happen on dates other than February 29th is because people can more readily celebrate or commemorate them if they are annual, rather than quadrennial. So, people intentionally and deliberately chose to wait an extra day (although looking at interesting events that occurred on March1st somewhat discredits this hypothesis).

So, in my own life, not much has changed in the past four years. We're now happily living in the house we began on March 1st 2012 - but there is still a little more work to do in the gardens. We did accomplish our European adventure last year, travelling for three months and experiencing a taste of European life. We've finally 'exited' from the Christchurch market, with the sale of our house and section there. I'm still working in the software industry, and experiencing new challenges as technology progresses. And - thankfully - the All Blacks won their third Rugby World Cup last year.

And tonight, I'll have a celebratory 'free beer' in anticipation of the next four years. 

I Love February (2012)

I've just been looking through some of the posts I wrote in previous years, and came across this one:

I Love February

And here we are, exactly four years on from that date.  A lot has happened since that time.  Four years ago I was busy working at MYOB, attempting to support the release of a product (BusinessBasics Online) to compete with Xero, a company I began work for a few months later.

And since my time at Xero came to an end, I've been working with a variety of software providers to help them successfully deliver great products to market, through my own business Stuart Bale Limited.

The last four years have been very eventful.  We've moved to Wellington, then to Wanaka, where we're comfortably settled.  My daughter is in Invercargill, and my son has just started primary school.  My father died two years ago. I started my own business. Christchurch crumbled. Oh, and New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup.  And tomorrow work begins on our new house in Peninsula Bay, with breathtaking views across Lake Wanaka to the mountains behind.

The next four years hold a lot of promise, and some exciting times.  I expect my life to continue to change, and I think it's important to accept and embrace that change, since it is inevitable.  Most of all, each day needs to contain a measure of happiness - as that's what makes life worth living.

Until next time,

Stuart

New website launched

I'm excited to announce the launch of my new website at:

http://www.stuartbale.com/

This is the beginning of a new venture for me, a service with a difference, providing high level successful software strategies.

There's lots more work to do, but I'm up for the challenge.

So take a look at my site, and if you have a blog or your own site, please link through to help my rankings ;-).

Until next time,

Stuart

Ideas are like pens

I have a personal belief that if a pen doesn't have your name on it, then it is available for anyone's use. These 'free pens' have an exciting travel life, moving from one owner to another, visiting countless locations, from coat pockets to handbags to shop counters to glove boxes.

Pens come in all different shapes, colours, weights, lengths for a variety of different purposes. Every person has their favourite. I like blue or black ballpoint pens, of a reasonable weight (preferably made from metal) and a nice grip. Being retractable has its advantages too, but not where the retracting device is easily triggered just by general use. A clip to attach the pen to a shirt pocket or folder is useful, although too often these are bent or broken off.

Anyway, back to the purpose of this blog - "Ideas are like pens" - I was thinking last night how true this simile is. I come to this conclusion on the following basis:

• There are lots and lots and lots of them;
• They come in different shapes and sizes;
• Some are better than others;
• There is little point having one if you don't use it;
• Each new one is really just an old one with some fancy stuff added;
• Often, the simpler, the better;
  
• Eventually, most of them are thrown away, or lost;
• Finding someone else in possession of yours can make you angry, although sometimes it really is theirs even though it looks like yours;
• They are really hard to find when you desperately need one; and
  
• You can find them in strange places, such as in the bathroom, on the beach, in the car, and under the bed.

Stuart

Changes ...

Well, on Monday 7th September I became unemployed, for the first time in 15 1/2 years. As you might expect, it's likely to take a little while to get used to it.

For those that know of this change, and have cared enough to ask me "what next?", I've replied "I'm simply not sure yet!".

I'm certain there are many opportunities out there just waiting to be found - and maybe as my wider network of friends and ex-colleagues become aware of this change, then even more will present themselves.

For the moment though, I'm happy to take some time out with my family, catch my breath, and maybe do a little more blogging :-).

Until next time,

Stuart