I'd like to discuss some of the highlights for this past year and, for the first time ever, publicize some of my goals for 2010 and beyond.

In 2009 I

1. transitioned to a new position at Texas A&M University;
2. authored another article for php|architect;
3. participated in the LIVESTRONG Challenge charity bike ride in Austin, TX;
4. proposed to Lisa and we are planning our wedding for July 2010; and
5. started negotiations for a book I will author in 2010.

I blogged about it earlier this year, but back in August a friend of mine let me know that he was moving to a new position and this his current position would be vacant. I eagerly took the opportunity to apply for and be hired into that position effective September 1, 2009. Since moving in I've done some work on several projects including working on the so-called mobile web site for Texas A&M University. We have an iPhone and Blackberry application, but we saw a need for a more universally-accessible version of the site.

In October, I participated in Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG Challenge charity bike ride in Austin, TX. That is also when I proposed to my fiancé, Lisa, and she accepted. We are working diligently on coordinating all the details for a wedding ceremony — or celebration as the church calls it — on July 3, 2010. So far it's been an experience I will not soon forget.

In late 2008 I stated that I'd like to successfully pitch a book idea to a publisher in 2009. Well I was correct that it would be scary. I pitched several ideas, actually, but only one of them was accepted. I'm currently communicating with the acquisitions editor on the specifics, so I will refrain from disclosing any further information until it's appropriate. I'm glad I was able to scratch this item off my goals for 2009 list even if it's just a strike-through in pencil.

In 2010 I hope to

• Author and publish my first book;
• move into an more "adult" apartment complex;
• run my first half marathon;
• lose at least 80 pounds;
• take a photo a day — the 365 project — for the whole year; and
• author a useful blog post per week.

Obviously the book goal is sort of a carry-over from 2009, but since I'll actually be writing the book in 2010 it's a fine goal. After all, I've heard that the process is quite involved and stressful at times. Given the speed of the proposed delivery schedule I believe the friends that have already gone through this about the stress.

After we get married, Lisa and I plan to get out of the student-focused apartment complex we currently live in and move into a more "adult" complex. We are most excited about the size of the kitchen as we are both foodies and love to cook but our current galley-style kitchen leaves a lot to be desired in terms of usability — especially for more than one cook. We also hope that a garage will be available in the complex as we could definitely use the storage space. With two bicycles and the transition from two apartments into one, we'll need all the room we can get.

At one point in my life — believe it or not — I was an avid runner capable of hitting the roads for a nice 8-mile run in the wee hours of the morning before heading to class or work. These days I'm lucky to make it two miles before I need a walk break. In 2010 I want to change that. With my sister's new interest in running I thought now would be the perfect time to work up to a half marathon, and chose the Big-D Marathon in Dallas, TX on April 11. It's a somewhat realistic goal as we will both go into the race knowing that we aren't shooting for a podium spot, just a finish.

Along with the running goals I need to lose weight. I've started several times but always found excuses to put it off. Well, no more. It's time.

The 365 project is an interesting concept and I need to get back behind the lens. I've probably lost what few skills I had so I hope this endeavor will bring them back.

Finally I hope to be a better citizen by blogging more. This has always been an issue for me and I am taking inspiration from Brandon Savage's dedication to posting at least once a week. I can only hope to be able to find topics to write about and the time to crank the posts out on top of writing the book.

In the next five years I hope to

• become a parent with Lisa;
• purchase our first home;
• find two German Shepherd companions to enhance and protect our growing family; and
• kill my 1990 Acura Integra and get behind the wheel of my dream car, whatever it is.

The first two five-year goals are self explanatory. We've already talked about kids and we are in agreement of our preferences for family size and hopefully we will be able to realize those dreams. The home idea is a three-year goal. We will most likely live in the apartment we move into after marriage for two or three years before taking the plunge into home ownership. This will give us time to build up savings for the necessary investment and improvements.

I have always loved the German Shepherd breed, but, given the size of the dogs, we will need ample space for them to be happy. We know we have to wait until we purchase a home to add them to our family, but I hope to be in a position to find them within four years.

My car, as much as a love it sometimes, is on the downward spiral. Truthfully I've wanted to ditch it so many times, but it is a strong Honda car and refuses to die. The plan now is to begin looking for alternate transportation as the odometer continues to creep towards 200,000 miles. I'm thinking that for the immediate future I'll settle on either a new car or something like a Chevrolet Blazer, GMC Equinox, Ford Escape, or similar vehicle until I'm in a better position to get the four-door Jeep with enhancements I have my eye on.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

That about sums up my major accomplishments for 2009 and a glimpse into my planned future. Have a great two holidays!

So rewind a few days and you'll find that I started a new job on September 1 which led me to begin seriously considering going after the Jeep Wrangler I've been lustfully eyeing for the past six months or so. It is evident that my Integra knows my thoughts because sure enough on Wednesday, September 2 a coolant hose finally cracks and sends antifreeze all over my engine bay.

Over the past few days I've learned a very important lesson regarding coolant hoses in automobiles: when one of them cracks just replace them all. As my girlfriend will attest I now know the local auto parts store employees on a first name basis, and her truck might actually be capable of getting to the store without any intervention from humans. Tracking down the hoses for a twenty-year-0ld car has been quite the endeavor.

Nevertheless, I can now say that my upper and lower radiator hose, heater hose, bypass hose, and garden hose have been replaced. Ok, the garden hose part isn't true mainly because I live in an apartment and don't own a garden hose. Which brings me to next weekend. I'll be heading down to Houston to flush my radiator of the water that is in it now and replace it with a proper 50/50 mixture of coolant to water.

I've dubbed this week the Great Hose Debacle of 2009.

Every weight loss plan worth its salt is rooted in a well-planned diet. Unfortunately, I do not have a registered dietitian at my disposal — and I am absolutely enamored by great food — which is going to make my new required choice to eat historically bland food very difficult. But it is something I must do. I will be eating primarily chicken, pork, and talapia with the occasional lean beef and salmon steak. I will get my fiber from broccoli, apples, bananas, black beans, whole wheat bread, green beans, carrots, spinach, brown rice, oatmeal, and other fruits and vegetables as they appeal to me in the supermarket. For recipes I will consult the South Beach Diet Cookbook as that particular fad diet is supposedly recommended for cyclists.

Which brings me to my exercise. My primary catalyst for exercise will be on my Jamis Ventura Race that I purchased on July 27, 2009. I don't know if I need much more motivation, but for good measure I will be participating in the Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG Challenge in October. I'm registered to ride the 90-mile course. Between now and then I have over 1800 miles of training rides planned. The many hours on the bike should produce significant weight loss.

I am supplementing my cycling with an eight week training plan for a 5K run. The day before I ride the 90-mile LIVESTRONG Challenge course I'll participate in the 5K fun run. As it is a fun run I don't necessarily have to train to be the best, but the competitor inside me demands that I run the best I can.

I also firmly believe that no exercise regimen is complete without torturous hours in the weight room. I'll look nowhere other than the Fat Loss programs Alwyn Cosgrove introduces in The New Rules of Lifting. His introductory or beginner workouts kicked my ass before, so I have the utmost confidence in his program development skills.

NROL Exercise Book

I will be blogging this entire process complete with diet updates, exercise reports, progress photos, and metric tracking. I have weekly progress photos and weigh-ins planned with almost daily post updates. Because I will want to memorialize this forever, I decided to house the posts and information on a separate blog. Keep track of my journey at http://thejourney.carouth.com.

September 1st will be my first day in a new position at Texas A&M University in the Division of Marketing and Communications. For the past year I have been a member of the Division of Research and Graduate Studies — Systems Group (RGS) web development team; say that three times fast. I learned of an opening through a colleague, Ben, and could not pass up the opportunity to apply. I'll be working with some great people and in an influential role on the University's web presence.

Reflecting on the past year and three months I feel that I made a positive impact on the web development group at RGS and also managed to grow as a developer and a community member in the process. One of my more notable contributions to the University came in October of 2008 when I implemented the Academic Master Plan white paper submission application. The development cycle was blazing fast and I worked like an employee at a startup for six days straight on that project. I believe that my hard work and dedication has paid off. I am leaving behind a project that I have grown particularly fond of, but I am confident that it is in good hands and that my original vision will come to fruition; someday.

I don't know exactly what my new position has in store for me but I am hopeful that it will push me into new areas and allow me to add to my skill set. One particular area of interest is the mobile development market. At the University we are in a position that a powerful presence on the mobile web will have a tremendous impact. Measures have already been taken but there is a significant amount of ground work that must be done before we are known as pioneers in the mobile education market. In the coming years I hope I can push us in that direction.

I am looking forward to working more closely with Chris Weldon and thankful for the new toys, err tools, I will have at my disposal. Wish me luck!