I’ve lived (stayed for more than a year) in six different countries. The longest I’ve lived in one country was the US, 16 years. I moved there as an adult already. Since then, I’ve been living in Ireland for the past 15 years.

I view countries like products. I move to the one that suits me best at the moment. I work, pay taxes, volunteer and otherwise contribute to society as a payment for the privilege to stay, and I live fairly comfortably, based on my stage of life. The US, for example, was great for higher education and saving up money. Ireland sucks for the young and old, but is perfect for the midfle aged middle class. Once I retire, I’ll look somewhere else again.

I can afford things beyond the price levels I’d expect others to buy me gifts for. What I lack is the time to enjoy those things. Just yesterday I saw the giant Millenium Falcon lego in the store, and once again considered getting it, but then I realised it would take me years to build it, five minutes per week or so when I get a bit of alone time.

That’s why I jokingly suggested a few years ago, that for Christmas I wished for peace and quiet, and ended up offending my wife (who probably wished for the same).

I chose making fun of astrology. Dodged a bullet there.

I just checked my copy of the book. Even though it was first published in 1939, my copy was still published under the original titlein 1963.

I’m old enough to use pen and paper for my calendar, to-do lists, diary, etc. But if my kids want to use a PC for such things when they grow up, I’ll either get them an air-gapped machine, or at the very least have them use my personal server for document sharing.

Don’t know whether I remember right, but I think the product manager for Bob was the future Melinda Gates. She married Bill when Bob was close to completion.

My mind is writing books or short stories that will never be set on a paper, inventing new things that I have no idea how they’d work, but most importantly, my mind is busy arguing with others, and winning every argument :)

Running. Just one foot in front of the other. Bonus points for running in a new place and taking in the sights.

So difficult to decide between “One of these nights” by The Eagles, and “The Hustle” by Van McCoy.

Pack the tent and camping gear in my car, and take my kids on an epic camping trip across Europe.

My Zip discs. Kids today barely recognise floppies; they’d be completely stumped with those fat floppies that don’t seem to fit anywhere.

Time flies. I was in the industry, working for one of the first companies to install electronic tachographs into trucks. When I left in 2011, our customers were largely hazardous materials transporters, with a sprinkling of companies that were caught with so many HOS violations that the DOT ordered them to use devices like hours. That was indeed more than a decade ago, but it feels like yesterday.