State of the Matthew Address 2025

I am alive and well. As this is the baseline for me to give an address we will move swiftly on.

Regarding my Health

I am currently a bit fatter than I need to be. This appears to be a constant. I'll enter the new year at fourteen and a half stones give or take a pound. No need to worry as I am lighter than when I began my work to reduce my weight last 18 months ago and will be that much closer in this year's attempt to get down to the magical NHS condoned ideal weight of eleven stone and eleven pounds.

I have been running throughout 2024 completing a marathon in October. Continuing my foray into running, as well as adding strength training and attempting to count calories for a slow and steady decline in weight I am hoping that I'll be strong and ready for climbing Mont Blanc in June and running an ultramarathon in November. I'll get fatter next December, but hopefully we hit the magical healthy weight threshold before 1 December.

Alcohol consumption was still at record lows in 2024, but even though its low I'm considering not giving alcohol up, but drastically reducing consumption. I like a drink with my friend Jamie occasionally and having a cocktail night with my wife now and again, , besides its cheaper not to drink.

Regarding my Professional Life

I've been looking into a personal project dealing with the prediction of rainy seasons in Africa. I'd expect that if I work slowly at it I should have a decent working product by mid year, but there are many hurdles to clear before then.

Actual work continues to go well and I'm slowly building up a solid front end function at Insights.

Regarding my Personal Interests

I concentrated on working on my book throughout 2024. I have a basic draft and I'm going to go slow at it throughout 2025 getting feedback from other and incorporating it into another draft and try to get a literary agent interested come 2026.

Photography continues to happen, and I will get better if I keep working at it. Considering a little video work this year, just to see if I can make anything interesting.

Regarding my Travel

I got myself to Italy and Denmark this year climbing my first peak in the Alps. I'm hoping that 2025 will see me in Amsterdam, climbing Mont Blanc, maybe a wee trip to Orkney and the current plan sees the family going to the US for Thanksgiving.

Regarding my Volunteering

So the unthinkable happened and I was elected Chairperson of Tayside Re-Users. I'm hoping to get my head wrapped around a few of the basics and then work towards getting ourselves standing on our own two feet.

Regarding my Education

I have been working through my Russian. I am hoping to finish Duolingo and give it up in 2025, then get myself onto a course at Oxford.

Regarding my Finances

I am very comfortable at the moment. I could always be more comfortable, but I seem to be doing OK. All money is now focused on digging ourselves out of debt incurred in Louise's education, debt should be mostly gone by spring and then we are on our way to saving for a house payment.

Regarding the Future

I am strong, I am fit and I will keep moving forward.