Sunday, December 28, 2008

2009, Here I come!

Happy 2009 and Good Riddance 2008.

Well, at least that's my sentiment for 2008 with regard to:
  • George W. Bush (and his whole administration)
  • The financial markets' melt downs
  • The mortgage disaster & falling home prices
  • The bailout of anything, especially the US auto giants (aka withering giants)
  • Our eight years on Maui
  • Being a victim of fraud by someone I trusted

There were some very significant things to be very thankful for:
  • Our move to Oregon and subsequent enjoyment of our home and Yamhill County in the Willamette Valley
  • My wife finding her mojo and writing her first complete draft of a novel
  • Her developing a broad online network of relationships that are becoming very meaningful in her life
  • My finding new aspects of myself that resonate more with where I want to go
  • My starting out on an endeavor to merge my creative desires through integrating a passion for photography and growing desire to create web sites that use photographic imagery as part of an overall outlet for creative expression



My hope and goals for 2009 include:
  • Build web site design/development and graphic art skills
  • Enrich content of my personal and professional web sites so they become sources of meaningful information
  • Develop blogging skills and a following
  • Support my wife's continuing endeavors to carry message and techniques of healing mind/body/spirit
  • Hope stock and bond markets return to sustained growth
  • Achieving a positive cash flow in ye'old retirement funds

Who would have guessed that 2008 would have been as "eventful" as it has. There is much that is carrying over into 2009. My view, it's more positive than negative when viewed from where we are currently. Short of terrorist attacks or pandemics, we are wallowing at the bottom of most open issues, so "up" is the most likely direction for most of those issues....housing, financial markets (credibility/trust, value, appreciation, etc.), jobs, economy/jobs, autos, politics (hang over from GWB). We have an intelligent, purposeful, determined and proactive president and team, who will be taking office in 3 weeks, that carries the hope and support of a large part of the world, not just the US.



The day he takes office, we've recovered a significant amount of our lost credibility. Yes, there are many challenges this country needs to face, but, our collective eyes are far more open than they have been in a long time; we're better equipped to deal with the problems, in large part, because we're more united than we have been in probably 3 decades. And, hopefully, we've learned some lessons from the obvious errors this country's electorate has made during those 3 decades.



Well, I've got to get revved up for the start of '09. It will be June '09 before I know it and I'll be wondering why I didn't get more done. So, with venturing out on the social networking scene, making a career out of two creative avenues I am passionate about, aka - digital photography and web design, and having a wife who provides both encouragement and help, I'm ready for an accelerating start this week. I'm not even waiting for Thursday, I'm starting today.

Friday, December 12, 2008

New Site Launched

The new bobstaples.com is live! The site will undergo a number of updates in the coming weeks. It has an eclectic combination of subjects. Until the 'contact me' form is active, please comment on this blog concerning the website. Well, it's late, the site is finally up and I'm gone until daybreak.