Camaro photoshoot in Spain. Many early mornings and long days - but one hell of a lot of fun!

Now 2011 has been one hell of a ride, and I’m seeing it off with a mixture of satisfaction and anticipation for next year. It took some time, but things are finally falling into place.

The year started off with news that I got the job I wanted at Chevrolet (General Motors). It was great news at the tail end of a year, 2010, I would sooner forget.

Work at my former employer had become untenable for a number of reasons – incompatible chemistry, divergence of opinion of how things should be run and a salary that was – by Swiss standards – laughable. It was neatly closed off with a broken promise by the company boss in NY for a reference letter. But that’s the past, way past in my books. The only good thing about it is that I met some nice people (still following you on the social media highway, chaps).

In my new job, there are the usual office clashes and bumpy rides, late nights and early mornings, long meetings and uncooperative people (you know who you are!). But you know what? It doesn’t matter. It’s still great and I love it. And my bosses are great, colleagues too, our products are best in class and our Europe-wide team rocks! Even the folks across the pond and beyond are helpful and supportive.

I sometimes wonder why it took me so long to get into the business. I guess we just tend to be dragged along into a job that pays the bills. People don’t seem to understand that I chose my job because I love it. And judging by the faces of some people on trains or in cars, during the morning and evening commutes, I’d say that the vast majority of people do not particularly like their job/boss/life.

My only complaint during my time there so far is that cr#p hotel I stayed at during our Centennial event. Man, was it bad. The Sternen Hotel in Worb, near Bern. For a start, calling it a hotel is an offence to hotels worldwide. Can you imagine that after a long day at work, I arrive, at around 8.05pm and was shouted at (really!) by the owner-cum-receptionist because I was late. No, seriously. I was told off because I was late arriving at a hotel! Not only, she walked up the steps and turned a sign round sternly saying that guests should arrive from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

Now two things spring to mind – 1. It was turned the wrong way, so even if by chance I had driven by, I would not have seen it, and 2. the first time I got there was when I arrived to check in – how on heaven’s earth should I have known. So I duly apologised for being but a mere client paying good money (it wasn’t cheap!) – she didn’t get the sarcasm. So if you are ever in Worb and need a hotel, DO NOT GO THERE! The room was OK, although the TV was a relic of the 1970s (you could hear what’s on but not watch), the towel was normal sized if you were an elf, and the windows had little pieces of cloth which you had to stick on with Velcro. Oh, the mini-bar was simply not there (although the piece of furniture that housed it was there, vents and all).

My year is now ending and I have just one resolution – I’ll be moving up from Sprint Triathlons to the Olympic distance. Cycling and running should not pose too much hassle, if I survive the swimming.

I close my first year as a blogger with three little notes: the first is that my eldest kid (Kim) is an up and coming gymnastics star, the second is that my middle child (Mia) is a little artist, and finally, my youngest (Lea) is a tough little cookie who will probably go on to rule the world (must make sure not to piss her off, I guess).

PS: Jerry has four leaves now!