Friday, December 30, 2005

Happy New Year

This blog will be operational shortly. Admittedly, I am merging onto this New Year at the speed of someone driving a Russian Lada. Usually I do very little around this time of year and this year is no different. After the usual round of x-mas errands/parties, I buried myself under a pile of books.

So for the official holiday entry, I thought this questionnaire would be appropriate. I found it on Caro.

1. What did you do in 2005 that you hadn't done before?
Blog: a welcome and refreshing deviation from my ordinary life.
Make bread: a really cool thing to have is a breadmaker.
Play chess.

2. Did anyone close to you give birth?
People I know gave birth to a Sophia and an Anoriel.

3. Did anyone close to you die?
No, fortunately.

4. Did you travel? Where did you go? Best holiday memory?
I did not board a plane this year. We rather did small outings to nearby places, like renting a lakeside cottage in Purdy, sipping (bad) wine in Prince Edward County, walking and cycling in Iles de la Madeleine. Best memories: walking on Entry Island on a perfect july day and canoeing on Purdy Lake in june.

5. Best thing(s) you bought?
-A good bike bag.
-A Patagonia lambs wool vest.
-Two very funky retro lamps that look awesome in my new living room.
-Comfy leather mocassins.

6. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, books, student loans, clothes and credit cards.

7. What do you wish you had done more of?
Money. Bah Humbug.

8. What do you wish you had done less of?
Worrying about money.

9. What kept you sane?
Cycling.

10. What drove you mad?
At the end of every week I have less energy to deal with crap: I take any problem and blow it out of proportion.
Also, what drives me mad is my restlessness.

12. What made you sad?
Not seeing my best friends Emmanuelle and Marie-Eve nearly enough (they live in another town).

13. How was your birthday this year?
I never liked my b-day. This year was a good one.

14. What political issue stirred you the most this year?
-The war on terror.
-Any isms.

15. Where you in love in 2005?
Yes!

16. What would you like to have in 2006 that you didn't have this year?
A drivers license, a dryer and a Playstation Karaoke Revolution. I wish I had more patience with people who get on my nerves, or torerance for screaming children in movie theatres or restaurants, but I can't ask for too much.

18. What song will remind you of 2005?
Madonna's Hung up.

19. Compared to this time last year are you happier?
This time last year I had no job, no place to live (I was in between living arrangements), I had no idea what I was going to do. So yes, I am happier.

21. Biggest disappointment this year?
I wish I had made more money.

23. Best new person you met this year?
I met a lot of great new people this year, especially at work. I work with talented artistic funny people.

24. A valuable life lesson you learnt this year?
-Don't be afraid to start anything new even if you think you will fail miserably.
-Worry is like a rocking chair: I gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.

25. What do I wish for yourself in 2006?
To be smart, kind, honest, hard-working, thoughtful, insightful, committed, understanding, playful, encouraging, savvy, positive, and really, bottom line, just a good human. To have the time and patience to learn how to drive both a car and a motorcycle. To make home-cooked meals to eat at work. To find comfort in the expected, completion in work projects. To meet smart funny new people, find more quality films at my neighborhood megaplex and more cash in my wallet.

If 2005 was the year of Let it Be, 2006 will be the year of Let it Become. I'm forecasting a year of hard work, saving up for my trip in 2007, and getting comfy in my new home.

Happy New Year everybody!