When Two Months Feel Like Two Minutes: A Whirlwind Recap
You know that feeling when you blink and suddenly it’s two months later? That’s exactly how November and December felt—like time was on fast-forward, and I was just trying to keep up. There’s never quite enough time in a day, is there? Between work, family, and the odd curveball life throws, it’s a wonder anything gets done at all. But somehow, things move forward—sometimes in leaps, sometimes in tiny, stubborn steps.
Let me walk you through the chaos, the wins, and the surprises that made these months memorable.
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Animation Deadlines: When the Clock Wins (But You Don’t Lose)
First up, the big 3D animation project. Picture this: CAD files everywhere, scenes to set up, products to bring to life for a client who wanted everything ready before Christmas. Sounds straightforward, right? Well, not quite. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the clock just runs out. For once, I had to admit defeat on the timeline. The project got pushed into the new year.
Was it ideal? Not at all. But honestly, sometimes you have to accept that things slip. The important part? The visuals were looking sharp, and the client was still on board. And, of course, I can’t spill too many details—NDAs and all that jazz. But trust me, it’s shaping up nicely.
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Rebuilding a Website: Same Look, Brand New Engine
Now, here’s a project that did cross the finish line—a major website rebuild for a UK boiler company. The brief was a bit unusual: make it look exactly the same, but overhaul everything underneath. Imagine gutting a classic car and fitting it with a brand new engine, suspension, and all the trimmings, but keeping the paint job just as it was.
The old site was groaning under the weight of over 60 plugins. Sixty! No wonder it was slow. We trimmed it down to 13, added some custom code, and suddenly the site was zippy—both for visitors and for Google. The backend? Lightning fast. The hosting? Now handled by my own brand, Empire Base, which means a nice, steady stream of monthly income and the chance to offer ongoing support. Not a bad result, if I say so myself.
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The Little Things: Pages, Updates, and Friendly Faces
Of course, not every task is a headline-grabber. Sometimes, it’s about the small wins—like adding new pages for the Aluminum Federation. They’re a great team, and it’s always a pleasure to help them grow their content.
Then there’s the Bloodtest website (bloodtest.co.uk). Over the past few months, I’ve been deep in the weeds: updating content, setting up a new CRM, migrating data, automating emails, and even rolling out a support ticket system. It’s the kind of work that’s invisible when it’s done right, but makes life so much easier for both the team and their customers. Plus, we built a custom SMS plugin to make sure no lead slips through the cracks. It took ages, but the payoff is worth it.
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Payment Processing: The Never-Ending Quest
Switching gears, let’s talk about Pollux Technologies, my US LLC. If you’ve ever tried to find a payment processor for so-called “high-risk” transactions, you’ll know it’s a bit like dating—lots of conversations, plenty of rejections, and the occasional glimmer of hope. The transactions aren’t really risky, but the label sticks, and that means more hoops to jump through.
I connected with eight or ten more processors over these months. Will any of them pan out? We’ll see in the new year. The goal is simple: make it easier and more compliant for Pollux to handle US card payments. Fingers crossed for a breakthrough soon.
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Empire Base: Making Systems Talk (Finally)
Here’s something I’d been meaning to tackle all year: getting the billing system and CRM for Empire Base to actually talk to each other. Sounds simple, but these systems were like two neighbors who’d never met. With a bit of help from a developer, we finally got them synced up. Now, when someone signs up, they’re automatically added to the CRM, welcomed, and slotted into the right automations.
It’s one of those behind-the-scenes upgrades that makes everything smoother—onboarding, follow-ups, even future marketing. I’m genuinely thrilled about it. Sometimes, it’s the nerdy stuff that brings the biggest sense of accomplishment.
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Life Off the Clock: Christmas, Family, and a Full House
Work aside, December was a blur of shopping trips, last-minute errands, and prepping the house for Christmas. It was our second Christmas in this home, but the first with the baby—so, of course, we wanted it to be special. And then, surprise! My father-in-law decided to join us for the holidays. That almost never happens, but he wanted to be part of Laszlo’s first Christmas.
Cue even more prep, more shopping, and a bit of chaos. But you know what? It was worth it. The house was full, the memories were made, and I even managed to take some real time off. Sometimes, the best moments are the ones you don’t plan for.
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A Christmas Eve Plot Twist: Surgery Calls
Just when I thought I had the holidays mapped out, the hospital called. After waiting all year for gallbladder surgery—something that was supposed to be urgent, then kept getting postponed—I suddenly got a pre-op appointment for Christmas Eve. Not exactly the festive outing I had in mind.
But here’s the thing: they had a surgery slot open on December 31st. If I didn’t take it, who knows how long I’d wait? So, after a flurry of tests and a bit of anxious waiting, I was cleared for surgery. My parents came to help out, and on New Year’s Eve, I found myself in the hospital at 7:30 AM, ready to finally get this sorted.
Funny twist: I was supposed to be third in line, but somehow got bumped up. By lunchtime, it was done. Waking up, I realized the pain that had been dogging me all year was finally gone. Sure, there was some soreness from the surgery, but the old pain? Vanished. That’s a feeling I won’t forget.
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Looking Ahead: Clearing the Decks for 2026
So, that’s how 2025 wrapped up—projects in progress, a few loose ends, and a fresh start for my health. There are still some tasks hanging over into the new year (isn’t that always the way?), but I’m determined to clear them out and make space for new goals.
I’ve got big plans for 2026. New challenges, new promises to myself, and hopefully, a bit more balance between work and life. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that you can’t control the pace of time, but you can choose how you respond to it.
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What About You?
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for sticking with me through the ups, downs, and unexpected detours. I’d love to hear what your goals are for 2026.
What are you hoping to tackle, change, or finally cross off your list? Drop me a note if you feel like sharing.
Here’s to a year of progress—however messy, unpredictable, or surprising it might be.
