As 2012 is finally over and now we began a new year, I think this is time to put together the highlights of the past year. 

- Started the year with a party in Hungary with my best friends 

- Had snow in the UK in February

- Went to Paris with my inlaws ... and guys this was AMAZING. Paris is a fantastic city, highly recommended to everyone

- Had the inlaws over in the UK for a week, straight after Paris, celebrated birthday, had seal trips in Norfolk, etc.

- Went to North Wales - Anglesey in May, I don't think I need to really explain anything here. BEST PLACE ON EARTH. Visited friends living in the Midlands, stayed a couple days

- Organized a Hungarian Presentation at the local International Women Club ... (don't ask why I was there) :)

- Had the Bishops over from Hungary when we visited the South Coast and had one of our most exhausting walk under the chalk cliffs on the sharp rocks

- Our friends and wedding photographers visited us so we went up to Wales again, same place, awesome weather, enjoyed real summer for the first time in Anglesey

- Went to Malta to have a holiday and visited friends living there. Snorkelled the hell out of my mind. Loved it!!

- Went back to Hungary to spend a week there, visited Lake Balaton with friends, rented a house again and had great time ... probably the best holiday at the lake ever...

- Visited Osea Island with my brother, this was the filming location of the Woman in Black horror movie

- Went to the Entertainment Show in London, where I met the famous Mike Tyson, and Mrs. Smith had the chance to flirt with her teenage love Mr. Clark Kent alias Superman (Lois and Clark) - Deane Kane ... yes, HE IS STILL A CHARMER :). And of course we met a great friend, Craig who I have not seen for AGES!!

- Went to London and tried the Emirates cable car from Excel to O2

- Had a fantastic Halloween party in our flat

- Went to Hungary for a week, where we rented a house in the mountains with jacuzzi, sauna, etc. Same old friends, same fun. Absolutely loved it. And of course a Halloween party again with incredible costumes.

- December disappeared quickly, had Christmas celebrated quietly, cooking with my brother, then had a great New Year's Eve party with friends ... which I am still not sobered up properly :))))

Apart from the unreliable weather, I really hope this year is gonna be the same if not better than the last! 

Despite not updating my blog at all I am still not ready to close it down. Probably in the next couple days I will come forward with a post about the events of the last couple months. Many things happened, many things have been done as always I am busy as hell.

Still doing policing, it is now more challenging as with the daily commute I have even less time to go out on duties but this is one thing I would not like to quit. 

As the end of the year getting closer I think about all the things I have done this year and have to tell you:

1. I am getting old

2. Time flies 

3. I have not time for almost anything

I look into the future with excitement as we have many plans to accomplish not sure what 2013 will bring us. I believe 2012 was an exceptionally busy year, we have visited many places, met my friends in Hungary several times, so our social life is great, I hope this will even more increase in the future if possible. 

I believe this year I flew more than usual which extends my total flights to 53. (since 2003) Which means as I had to be there 2 hours before departure, I had wasted AT LEAST 106 hours (4.4 days!!) with WAITING at the airport. Pretty scary isn't it? Wasted this amount of time from my precious life :))))

Anyway, stay tuned for the coming blog entry with the detailed events of the last months :)

On Saturday I had a chance to meet one of the Greatest Heavyweight Boxing champion of the World. Iron Mike Tyson!

I cannot tell you how awesome was to stand next to him while a photograph was taken. This photo will be framed and going on the wall for sure :)))

I was expecting him to be a completely jerk due to his bad reputation, however he came across as a kind, talkative person, so I was truly impressed.

One of my dream came true ... 

 I always wanted to have a post about this one and of course always forgot to do it. But more recently I got reminded again. How couples manage their finances, do their share the money or keep separate accounts? I have seen pros and cons and it seems "independent" accounts are getting to be more and more followed behavior.

I remember when we moved together with Mrs. Smith we did not share our money, everyone had their own accounts and the money did not merge. At the beginning she was earning more so sometimes I ended up borrowing money from her and paying it back later. Which was really weird, but I could agree we were just a couple months in a relationship so I belive these "trust" issues were normal. Then I got more salary after a job change and in a little while as we were already in over a year in our relationship we deciced that I should pay for more things. This has quickly lead to the situation that it just did not matter anymore. Our relationship was strong, we respected each other and trusted each other completely so it was a logical thing to do.

The situation is at the moment, that we both have our own accounts where we receive our salaries, I am paying off all the bills, rent, insurances, etc from my account and pay for the groceries as well, while we literally do not touch her account. Of course we do regular transfers between the accounts just to utilize and make the best out of the money, but we treat these accounts as one and not two separate. I earn more than she does, however she works as hard as I do, so why she should not deserve the same benefits? I find this a perfect way. Shared money, shared plans, shared future. When we need to buy something we discuss. Not the small purchases, but the bigger ones. We can agree, disagree and change each others mind which many times proven very helpful and saved each others from some serious "quick-buys".

We know how much we earn, how much we have, so we can plan together. I could not imagine otherwise. 

On the opposite I see more and more couples don't think the same way. I see them having separate accounts, paying separate household bills of course trying to be fair, but at the end of the day, whatever they earn is theirs individually. Not as a couple, not as one unit. Which is hard for me to understand. How can you live and watch your partner cannot buy stuff because he/she does not earn enough? When for example you could buy these things easily for yourself. Where did love got out of the picture?

All I can see in these relationships, that they are more like flatmates and not in a relationship as a couple. This way you don't have to compromise, you don't have to discuss, argue what you want to buy, if you have money you buy it simple as that. You don't have to adjust yourself and your decision to anyone. This feels cold and distant. 

What happens when kids around? Unfortunately I once had an inside look into such family, where they split things in payments, Daddy was responsible for the haircut of the son, Mommy for the daughter. ... Daddy always complained that son's hair grows faster so he needs to pay more frequently for the haircuts :) LOL. This is sad, but TRUE. 

How the f*ck can you manage a family like that? People keep surprising me and sometimes I do not want to believe how relationships can work with these terms .... but I am happy I don't have to try because mine is not one of them....

 New budget have been announced Yesterday, so we are gonna be better off for now with around £170 a year ... but as I heard they will reduce the higher tax rate threshold to 41K ... so giving with one hand, taking away with the other one. Thanks a lot