Happy 384 month birthday, me.

I am currently celebrating by spending some quality time with Emily after having chased a very reluctant Jan away for the weekend. Yes, my wife is currently on a ski holiday in Andorra while I spend a record 48 hours alone with our daughter.

I may be a bit worse for wear, but I haven’t really changed all that much since this time last year. Maybe a bit slower, a bit duller, a bit more conservative, but at least I still look more or less the same. I can’t say the same for this little weed:

One year ago:

Today:

What a difference a year makes! It seems like a lifetime ago…

I’ve comfortably settled into my new job at HP and managed to achieve the right balance of technology and art. I’m still doing the acting thing on the side and landing some very interesting jobs. I’ve even combined the two by getting an acting gig at HP!

There was that period where I almost lost my job, but my amazing manager Nuri stepped up to the plate for me and all was well. I was very sad to see her move on to another department later that year.

There’s no point in working hard if you can’t play hard, so Jan and I made sure to do our fair share of globe trotting. With Emily in tow, we relaxed in Andorra, discovered the joie de vivre of Paris, visited family and friends in England, and went coast to coast in The States. Sarah says we should calculate Emily’s air miles. I’m working on it.

This was also the year that I finally ditched Windows and the year that I got braces. Hurray!

We of course had our rough times, as well. I hurt my back before the summer and spent the following six months somewhere between serious discomfort and collapsed on the floor in tears. That sucked. Seriously. And nobody likes seeing an eleven month old in the emergency room hooked up to an IV drip. But we all managed to pull through.

Most recently, I’ve decided to end my multiple-year hiatus from the world of theatre and direct a new play. Rehearsals start next week and we open on June 12. Watch this spot for more news.

Without a doubt, though, the most wonderful part of my past year has been watching our little girl grow up and celebrating each and every little milestone.