2013 Year in Review

The last few years I've done one of these posts summarizing things I talked about on the blog over the past year. This year I had a big break in blogging, and some important things happened that I didn't mention, so I thought I'd mix it up a little and do a "best and worst" post for you.

Best New Song I Discovered: Broken Heart by Dr. Dog



Best New Purchase: My Samsung Galaxy SIII. So long, iPhone!

Worst thing that happened: I got divorced. This is probably a surprise to some of you, but it happened. It sucked, and there was a lot of depression during that time. Hence the sporadic blogging.

Best thing that happened: I got to go back to Australia and see all my old friends and make some new ones. Very healing for my heart.

Best new dog: Tilly.

Best old dog: Fievel.

Those two are also the worst new and old dogs.

Most fun project: The GISHWHES photo I took for my friend. It made me laugh and she loved it. So that's a win, even if she didn't win the scavenger hunt.

You are what you eat!

Least fun project: cleaning up the garage. Not surprising I didn't blog about that one.

Best garden/house related success: my rocking garden!

Worst garden/house related item: Lake Fode formed in the backyard.

Of course, this is an ice skating rink now.

Best new venture: the winter permaculture course I signed up for on a whim.

Learning about Cindi and Curt's mud and straw greenhouse

Biggest adventure: hiking Kesugi Ridge.

Yay Denali!

Most favorite thing I used to do that I still love: Book club

Habit I got out of: reading regularly. The reading plan totally fell off track. I have been struggling to keep up with book club, even though I like it. Also, baking bread falls into this category too.

Thing I never got around to but wished I had: making a batch of beer on my own (a first goal for 2014)!

Most ironic turn of events: I came in last in one of my fantasy football leagues, and won the championship in the other. As my friend Simon pointed out, this makes me "just average".

So, 2014 is a calendar full of blank pages, and I have no idea what it will bring. I'd like to make some more friends, and spend more time with the ones I have. I want to go new places, but enjoy the beautiful place I live, too. I want to find some great new music, and rock out to my old faves as well. Based on what happened in 2013, I am both scared and hopeful for the new year. And so I'll conclude with a quote from my favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption:

I find I'm so excited that I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel. A free man at a start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.