Happy new year, everyone! A little belated, I know, but I’ve been enjoying some time away from the Internet for the past few weeks, with the exception of my recent Twitter addiction.

JAN – was in England, Germany, Russia with Philip, came home to Canada after 6 months away, learned that tenants wanted to leave Bloor apartment, learned that Justin was having a baby and moving to Ottawa to be with new girlfriend, had crushingly sad last meeting as a friend with Chrissy
FEB – moved from Mum’s back into Grenville condo, got my things out of Josh & Al’s basements, worried about Lena, Philip posts about us on LJ, much drama, long talk with Bastion, attend Sara’s stagette
MAR – Lena goes to NYC to visit Dave, Philip visits from England and we endure a painful breakup, failed spectacularly to file tax papers due to emotional distress
APR – saw Tchaikovsky @TSO with Lena, Heather visits from Boston, gets tour of Distillery District, Viking Boating begins, apply to FIS, apply to CO job, Dave moves back to Toronto and in with Lena
MAY – attend Free Comic Book day with Edwud, consider taking on James & Edwud as roommates, Muzzy visits from Wales, gets queer tour of Toronto, Sante wine festival a success, renovated Bloor condo floors and painted walls, balcony with help from Alice and Susan, Christie & Amy buy their house
JUN – went to Melly & Petar’s Canada Day BBQ with James, interviewed for and got new job at CO, turned down residence job at UC, decided to attend FIS for Master’s #2 in the fall, had stupid fight with James (now resolved, thank heaven), finished recording Persuasion, Areopagitica, rowed in Viking Boat regatta, saw Luminato festival & jazz at Rex with Nona, buy a new cell phone from Telus and promptly have it stolen on the train to Ottawa
JUL – Caius’s son is born, Keira stopover in Toronto, rented Bloor condo to Edwud, bad idea, awful falling out (still unresolved, dammit), Mum retires from working, moves into new townhouse
AUG – went to Shambhala in BC with Bastion, ate at Salt in Van with Keira, saw Brendan and aunt and Caius’s new baby, went to a Jays game, ran the 10K Nike Human Race, Scion gaming night with my boys
SEP – sold Grenville condo, sold furniture, went apple picking with Liz, saw movies at TIFF, Butler comes to visit, lots of packing with help from Mum, Christie, Amy
OCT – James helps me move into Bloor condo on night of Nuit Blanche, voted in elections, tried Grocery Gateway, climbed the CN Tower, celebrated Samhain
NOV – Obama elected! Attended Toronto web 2.0 summit, learned TTC will be on Google Transit in a few months, Lena & Dave get engaged, went on successful date
DEC – attended #hohoto party, went to a Raptors game, held 30 redux birthday party at Bloor condo, sang Messiah at Massey Hall, decorated tree with Mum, decorated tree with James & Brett, saw Keira and taught her how to knit, bought my first Mac computer, visited new AGO, decided to withdraw from Master’s at FIS to maintain sanity

My “Books I Read in 2008” list is abysmal.
I was too preoccupied with affairs of the heart and school part three and real estate to pay proper attention to fiction last year. Here’s what I did manage:
Salman Rushdie – Midnight’s Children
Neil Gaiman – Murder Mysteries
Marjane Satrapi – Embroideries
Dorothy L. Sayers – Murder Must Advertise
Agatha Christie – Murder of Roger Ackroyd
China Mi̩ville РPerdido Street Station
John Gardiner – Grendel
Madeleine L’Engle – A Wrinkle in Time
Christopher Moore – Fluke
Christopher Moore – Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
Jhumpa Lahiri – Interpreter of Maladies
Jane Urquhart – The Stone Carvers
Neil Gaiman – American Gods
Elizabeth Gilbert – Eat, Pray, Love
Daniel Quinn – Ishmael
Neil Gaiman – Neverwhere
Josephine Tey – The Franchise Affair
Jane Feather – The Silver Rose (mathom)
Michel Faber – The Crimson Petal and the White
Stephanie Meyer – Twilight

And now, looking forward… Things to do in 2009:
TRAVEL – visit Stephen & Skye in Japan; get out of Toronto to do minibreaks (maple sugaring, wine tour, hiking, visit Jana in Montreal, visit Heather in Boston, etc); go on a “relaxing” vacation; visit Mum more often / take her to Vegas to see Bette Midler
FINANCE – file taxes for 2007 and 2008; achieve zero debt; put at least $5000 in savings account by end of year
CREATIVITY – complete at least 2 current LV projects (Emma and Roughing It); finish at least one painting; make a quilt for the 2009 Quilt for the Cure charity; do Baudelaire illustrations; finish Sonnet project; write a blog at least once a month
CULTURE – read at least 12 good books; eat out at at least 10 new restaurants; go to the symphony, and do Messiah again
ACTIVITY – run at least 2 times a week; go rock climbing at least 10 times; go to yoga at least 10 times; help Mum with her garden
CAREER – make some solid, long term career plans
EDUCATION – consider alternative education (TESOL, yoga teacher training, dance, OCAD sewing course?); try to get back into archery
EMOTIONAL – be more calm and steady in personal relationships; stop feeling guilty about everything