Mark still makes a perfect latte or long black each morning.  He is just about to get another 60 kg of raw beans, and I hope he gets organised to meet all the orders for roasted coffee.

The time in the morning around 7.10am still aspires to be a little oasis of still in the chaos of the departure.  Sometimes it is.

1. Welcomes to the New Year

2. Reflections on the old year.

eg – Stephen Downes. I could not find a permalink.

2006 was a year of extremes for me. It was a difficult year, but only because it was one where I tried to live my life to the fullest, and I guess I can’t regret that. I made memories to last a lifetime, I touched so many places and so many lives, and was more than rewarded in kind.

I dreamed last night that I was given a fine suit, a thousand dollar suit that I would never buy for myself, with a silk scarf and a long overcoat, that when I wore it I looked like and felt like I had found my success in this life. I trimmed my hair, just a bit, to match the suit, and when I walked down the road, I strode forward with a flourish, waving the tail of my coat behind me.

Kia ora. Thank you, to all of you, and best wishes for the coming year.

Kia ora back, Stephen. Was good to meet you briefly during our Unconference in Christchurch in September.

3. Blog Greetings.

4. Plans for the new year. Marica is planning a daily post for a year, one of many bloggers to do this of course . . . Marica’s Meanderings

5. Goals (see any of the GTD sites . . .) eg 43Folders

I guess there will be a few predictions out there somewhere in the Blogs. I was cleaning out my links today, and found one in the pile from 2004: a list of predictions for 2004 from a few miscellaneous commentators, including Stephen Downes.

Other brief notes:

• LinkedIn: I stumbled on this today, a summary and analysis of the place of linkedIn in the networked world. From Veycosys, a blog I’d never seen before.
  Just this week I accepted an invite from Kevin Veich to join his network. Nothing special here – he has over 500 contacts. What is novel for me is that he is interested specifically in Christchurch (where I live), and what we could do here. And then just today I get a question from him asking about some national Trends . . .  ie something more than spam and something concrete.  I don’t always NEED certainty or anything.  Nice sometimes.

• I’ve shifted jobs. Felt quite depressed since making the transition on December 5th.
  The College has sort of wound down. But for me I think it was partly tiredness, busyess, end of year blues and sadness at the passing of an institution of 127 years.
  Started back on Monday, and saw another person in my work area at the Uni for the first time today. There is some hope, and a lot of potential in the new year.If anyone has any suggestions for effective containers/structures for staff Professional development, I’m interested.
• Coffee. Today Mark came in to work to make coffees again, and Anna made cake. $4.00 deal for coffee and cake.