Impossible List Update - 15 October

October update on my progress on the Impossible List.

Professional

Hilary Campbell’s is currently looking at choosing a development company to take forward her idea about an online spelling platform. The MVP is currently on hold while that work is underway, but once selected that company will be the ones to take the MVP forward. Hilary’s graphic design ideas for the platform are ace so it will be neat to see the whole shebang put together and working.

I’m still working on those monthly blogs the fourth blog article is coming out on 1 November so January will see this goal accomplished. I was a bit surprised when people had a wee look at the site after mentioning it on Facebook. That will encourage me to put time and effort into it and not just throw up any old crap.

Speaking at a technical conference I think I’m going to let lay dormant until I get to stand up on a stage. I guess this might be due to my personal need for applause in my life.

Likewise the Dundee Tech Meetup is hitting a wall with the coronavirus pandemic putting a stop to anything of this nature. At this point its looking like this might take until at least the new school year in 2021.

Health / Fitness

I’m making strides in the health department, but these are mostly just starting to get a bit active. I’ll keep going, but I might have a bit to hit these goals.

Personal Skills

Photography is still moving forward. I’ve moved the needle and now have 235 photos shot, selected and edited. I might modify this to shots I have on Flickr and then go through a further edit of photos so I’m just posting those that I like.

Travel / Events

Started the tough conversations with my wife about the basic necessities needed to get travel started. We are looking at defining those goals we need to shoot for and accomplish before we can really set out to travel. But I think we have really started to set the path by starting to define a goal to achieve. And while it’s not 100% yet (as I’ll include it in the travel goals when it is ready), but we are looking at visiting 100 countries before my wife retires. No layovers or one foot in visits count (I’m looking at you Joint Security Area between North and South Korea). We’re thinking about defining it as a country we have both visited together and had a meal in outside of the port of entry. We’ll get a solid goal and definition in the coming months.

While finances and the pandemic are going to keep us close to home over the next few years, hopefully we can come out swinging and start a really fun journey in 2022. It’ll give me time to get better at photography and perhaps even get comfortable in front of a camera enough to pull together a travel vlog. I don’t know if old farts travelling is as exciting as 20 somethings and I’m not sure I can talk as fast as those youthful YouTubers, but giving it a go never hurt.

Volunteering / Charity

I’m still working away and building up a social media presence at Tayside Re-Users. I’m about to put in place a Facebook ad campaign (hopefully not to be scuppered by pandemic restrictions). I’ve been making mentions about volunteering and membership. I’m going to look at the membership list and hopefully start making gains in the run up to the 2020 AGM.

Education / Languages

Still on Object Orientated Python. It’s a slog, but I'm getting through it. I’m noticing that I have not dug into Russian. I’m thinking I’ll start back up with Duolingo during my morning commute. Let’s see how far we get in a month.

Financial

I’ve made no progress here. In reality I think that nothing will start to move forward until summer 2021 when my wife starts back in work after a year off to help clear her mental state and complete her counselling course. I’m secretly hoping that after a year of being frugal and living on one salary that when we have two incomes things just get exponentially better month on month.