2009 IN REVIEW

2009

If you were to ask me to name my least favourite year, I would tell you 2008. Though a lot of good things happened that year, it was a year of high drama. I’m not a fan of drama. I didn’t want to bring any of it with me to 2009.

At our New Year’s Eve 2008 supper, I toasted my close personal friends and said good riddance to 2008 with a poem from Moby Dick. I thought that closed out the year nicely.

If you asked me my favourite year, I’d say 2009. My personal and professional lives have both been very rewarding. I’ve been happy and busy and writing a lot and my relationship with Laura is going gangbusters.

Here are some of 2009’s highlights:

Walked home from New Year’s Eve party in a snowstorm.
Made the best bubble ever at the Discovery Centre. It was huge and it floated and shimmered.
Stayed up all night many times, working After Hours Facilities at King’s College, until the job was phased out of existence. When I was working Facilities in April, there was a man sleeping in the basement of the gym. I had to help oust him.
Realized I’ve been dating in alphabetical order: J - K - L.
Coined the phrase, ‘No skin off my grapes.’
Wrote a lot of fiction. Had an old “poem” published in Her Royal Majesty.
Wrote a lot of journalism.
Turned 21.
Wrote and illustrated a rhyming picture book called Vampires Vampires and the Bittersweet Fudge-Bag for Laura’s 21st birthday.
Did it all in summer 2009: went to Laura’s sister’s summer wedding (Laura was the Maid of Honour!), slept in a tent for the first (and second, third and fourth) time, flew kites, skipped rocks (Skipped the best rock of my life in here. It was like nine skips or something), climbed trees, went on the Insomniac’s Walking Tour of Halifax, watched a movie outside (alFresco Pulp Fiction) and stargazed.
Went to Rome and various parts of Tuscany, including Pisa and Firenze.
Went snail hunting in Italy.
Also in Italy, met some giraffes really close up! It was GREAT. But I want to meet them closer up.
Gave blood for the first time. Finally found out my blood type.
Joined a magic club.
Saw David Copperfield perform. Sat in the third row.
Met some baby pigeons. They looked like weird ducks.
Got a big furry hat at the behest of Laura. She later bought the same hat for herself.
Let my facial hair grow for a pretty long while, and had a slight mustache for about five minutes.
Wrote my Honours Project. Got an A.
Helped produce six episodes of a weekly news program. Became more efficient and more comfortable on camera and behind the camera.
Interned at the Chronicle Herald for a month. Did my first ambush-type interview and didn’t even get kicked out of Chapters and got myself a coop scoop.
Avoided alcohol for the year.
Celebrated one year with Laura on December 23.