The year in review (sort of)

It’s nearly time to close the books on 2014. How’d you do?

Well, no matter how you did, I’ve got you covered today. We’ll start with the good, and then slide down to the other territory.

As for the good, judging from reader correspondence from the year-to-date, many of you did well, especially those of you with business action rolling in Asia or Guam. I always enjoy hearing of the latest projects, and the latest successes, from these readers.
Just because Saipan is small and remote doesn’t mean it’s trivial. OK, I’ll admit its cachet is, shall we say, somewhat past its prime, but it still offers ties to Asia’s business scene, though I guess most of these are legacy ties that are fading with time.

Anyway, let’s move along now. If you’re in the group that didn’t have a standout year, you’re always welcome to join the delinquents in the back of the class. Today we’re rolling dice for lunch money. Tomorrow, we’ll play hooky and hit the beach.

And I sure spent a lot of time on my beach chair, so I’m pretty much at a loss to have much to show for 2014. The mundane details will bore you as much as they bore me, but, dang, where did the time go?

Do you ever ask yourself that? Or am I such a chronic goof-off that I’ve drifted into uncharted waters? Maybe so. So pardon me while I mutter to myself distractedly as I try to tally the time.

I opened the year by heeding a notion that sort of drifts in and out of my brain like a patch of advection fog. This notion was to start using the Linux operating system. I had a favorite old computer earmarked for the project. The good news is that I didn’t manage to do everything wrong. The bad news is that I certainly didn’t do everything right. So don’t ask me where I am on this little project, I really don’t know. Still, there is something very cool about Linux, so I’m going to keep chipping away at this.

As for mid-year, well, I’ll admit that I lost a month. Namely, August.

It’s not my fault.

But I should explain. First of all, the 99-cent Super Deluxe V.I.P. Senior Successful Boardroom Executive’s 2014 Pocket Planning Calendar that I bought in January was a good buy. You caught that part about 99 cents, right? A pittance, to be sure. I was being a smart shopper.

And, like all smart shoppers, I know that the satisfaction of getting a cheap price lasts far longer than the bitterness of dealing with low quality.

Anyway, to keep the price so satisfyingly low, they apparently had to cut a few weeks out of the printing job. You’ve heard of a leap year? They had a leap month. Indeed, in July they leapt clear over August and landed in September. Not a bad stunt when you think about it.

At least they had the decency to make August the sacrificial month. Most V.I.P. Senior Successful Boardroom Executives are, of course, on summer vacation in Monte Carlo during that time, so they’re not consulting their pocket calendars.

But August wasn’t a complete loss. That month, the Wall Street Journal ran an article that caught my eye: “Condo-Size Tents for the Campsite,” said the title. The summary: “The palatial, high-end tents that are flooding the market are hot properties for comfort-conscious campers.” I think I mentioned that article in this space, but, whether I did or not, more recently my wife and I got some experience with some very large tents, and came away impressed with the realm. The WSJ looked at the upper-crust realm, some of it well over a thousand bucks, but even my lowly budget of $300 had some great options, though the actual shopping process had some pitfalls. More on that later, maybe, if anyone is interested.

Still, I’ll note for the true aficionado of relaxation, camping is great because it provides a veneer of being an “activity” while it’s really a great excuse to do nothing at all. After all, even the most comfortable beach chair is good for, what, a few hours at a time, right? True, that’s not too shabby, but we can do better. A 150-square foot cabin tent and a shoe box full of peanut butter sandwiches can keep you in fresh air and peace for a solid week. I’m sure it’s not as compelling as the latest smartphone app, but I’ll let someone else draw the distinction between relaxation and amusement.

Well, this brings me to the end the year, or close enough to it, since I’m locked into the Christmas mode and the rest of the month is a write-off. So pass the dice, please, it’s time to roll for chocolate.