I am flabbergasted that the last time I updated Hans’ Milieu was just under five months ago. In fact, I am appalled that I have neglected you – my fellow readers and the blog itself, which I regard as the online extension of my living entity – for so long.

So much has happened over the last several months that it would be almost impossible to detail it all in a single post. I will eventually get to updating my milieu, but until then here is a brief account of the major events that have transpired:

• I am another year older.
• I have almost finished my Masters – something I am both excited and anxious about.
• I am a now Mac user – who would have thought?!
• I have made wonderful new friends.
• I have grown stronger emotionally, mentally and, most importantly, spiritually.
• I am still single.
• The Upper Palatte is making a glorious return – beginning again in August.
• I have started a website for video games and technology: Vamers - officially launching in October.
• One of my Tweets went viral.
• I am committed to going from Flab to Fab by December this year – just in time for Summer.

I will attempt to update as often as possible, at least once a week from this day forward, but my education comes first. So until my Masters is complete I will be unable to update as frequently as I would like. Only a few months to go!

Until the next time Milieunairs!

As I write this post I am sitting outdoors in our front yard. Half of my person is covered by the shadow thrown by the lapa and the other half of myself is silently ‘soaking up the sun’. I have Lullubelle resting gently against my left leg, her undulating breathes a quiet reminder of her unconditional loyalty, while Gizmo, the resident Pugoodle, continues to attempt a rather macabre courting ritual with Chocolate, an ADHD riddled Bouvier pup. I let the dogs be and immerse myself in the sounds of modern day suburbia – cute tweets and natural chirps mixed with the growl of an angry 4×4 and the howl of an emergency vehicle. Ah, the sweet suburban lifestyle!

As my gentle fingers stroked my laptops worn keyboard I realise that placing the laptop in direct sunlight may have not been the best of ideas, hence the partial cover of the lapa. Not only was I unable to make out what was being displayed on the screen, but with every touch of a key my fingers would smart with heat from the frying keyboard. So much for durability! A laptop in the truest sense should be water proof, shock proof and sun proof. Only then will mobile computing reach a sense of true portability.

I am blogging outside today because while we were away, for the holiday season, the sun and my skin had quite a few make-out sessions. As a result I have a lovely sun kissed look which I would like to keep. That and I thought it would be nice since my family and myself do not seem to make use of our garden enough – ‘Year of the New’, remember? Speaking of the sun and the outdoors, for those interested, the photograph above is one I found by a photographer who goes by ‘Alex Skywalker’ on Flickr. There are quite a few other beautifully photographed scenes, of a similar vain, and are worth a look. At the mention of photography, I realise that I would still like to pursue my own photographic endeavours. I have been told that I have an artistic eye and a way with the camera. Perhaps ‘Hans’ Milieu’ could act as a gateway for my photographic exploits? What do you think?

I also started gym again today – I am committed to going from ‘Flab 2 Fab’! To be honest, I actually could not wait to get back from our holiday and start. It felt so good to get the blood flowing into my muscles, expanding every capillary and vein until bursting point, and just to feel the pump, the glorious pump that comes with hard work and determination. Yeah! Feel it! This is definitely the year in which I obtain a ‘Men’s Health’ cover look and as Naruto Uzumaki would say “Believe it”! When ‘Ab Day’ arrives, I will be sure to let you all know… and see!Visual is the way to go people… but hopefully Microsoft will not try and ban me again! *Heh heh*

One more thing, I have created a photographic album with photographs from the 2008 Christmas holiday season. New Years to follow…

View Full Album

1. Hans’ Milieu was too ‘cluttered’, resulting in long load times, and needed to be streamlined

2. A new look for a new year

3. I’m sure there is another reason but between my throbbing ear and lack of sleep I just can’t think of anything else right now… except maybe of food *Hans stars blankly at the laptop screen for several moments, eardrums pounding all the while, bats his scratchy sleep deprived eyelids and proceeds to wipe the drool from his mouth – all while offering venomously furtive glances at his little cousin whose slowed breathes indicate a deep peaceful coma like sleep*

4. Man… I’m hungry. Ravenous in fact. It feels like I am being eaten alive from the inside out. Okay… I need to focus… *Hans disappears to the kitchen for a snack – Yummy, leftovers: chicken Parmesan*

5. Ah, much better… Oh… where was I?

So 2009 will be the year of the ‘New’. What that means exactly, I have not fully decided, but I reckon it will, unsurprisingly, have to do with ‘new’ experiences in love, life and studies/work/play… in everything really.

Speaking of new. A few posts back I mentioned that I was attempting a physical transition from ‘Flab to Fab’ – a 16 week challenge to turn my flabby self into something fabulous. Well… that 16 week period ended three weeks ago. The results? Enough fab to dither the flab, but still enough flab to denounce the fab.

In other words, although my strength and size have improved, there is not yet enough definition. For example: With a light press I can feel the rippling washboard that is my abdominal region, however I just can’t physically see it *sigh*.

I have not given up hope though and look forward to obtaining that ‘Men’s Health’ look within 2009. For now, I have posted a few pictures to indicate my ‘progress’ (the pictures were taken this holiday season). The fact that I have posted a photograph of myself without a shirt on (those who know me will know how big a deal this actually is, for a variety of reasons) is testament to the improvements in self confidence one can gain through exercise.

The ‘new’ year is almost upon us, only 15 odd hours to go. Have you got your new years resolutions ready? I have a few, but I have yet to put pen to paper and jot them down. What an old adage. It no longer reflects the times, in the literal meaning, and really should be updated. Let’s see… putting ‘fingers to the keyboard’? Heh heh. Or, even simpler, ‘post it to my blog’. Well, something to that effect. If you have any suggestions, I would like to here them, so please don’t hesitate to post them in the comments section. Without further ado, here are some of my ‘resolutions’ for 2009, listed in no particular order:

• Blog more often
• Get that ‘Men’s Health’ look – Abs people, abs!
• Attempt to upgrade my Masters study to a Doctorate
• Finalise our move to Australia
• Attempt to do at least one A.R.K. (Act of Random Kindness) a day

Some good news… the ear appears to have stopped throbbing. I will still have to get it sorted today though, don’t want the same thing to happen to me again tomorrow. Okay, it is the last day of the year, so I am going to attempt to make the most of it… whatever that entails! Heh heh!