You will not quietly pass into oblivion. You swiftly did away with carefully crafted plans, made by a busy mind, unaware of a heart that wished otherwise. You gave that heart a voice that should long have been listened to, one that was finally heard when the endless scheming was quieted, when the world would not abide by the plan. I know now I can’t help but be true to that voice.

You were kind in your teaching, sending the most unexpected and happy turns, exactly when control was forsaken. I am left hurting, but most thankful. Goodbye 2004.

What did you do in 2004 that you had never done before?
Travelled to the UK, and something personal.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I wanted to play more guitar, I learned to knit instead.
I wanted to travel with T, and we did.
I wanted to run the half-marathon, and I didn’t.
I wanted to adopt a dog, and I did.
I wanted to start night school, and I did. It lasted one term.
I wanted to resolve my unhappy work situation, and I did.
Am I making new ones this year? Yes, but they are fewer.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, but someone very close will next month.

Did anyone close to you die?
No. Thanks for sticking around.

What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
I didn’t really lack anything.

What dates from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 25th, starting my new job.
September 15th, breaking up with T.
October 2nd, buying a condo.
December 10th, something personal.
December 11th, moving into the condo.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Successfully changing careers and doing well at the new one.

What was your biggest failure?
I didn’t fail in anything important. Maybe waiting for T to act on something that I should have been done ages before. But then again, it all came out the same in the end.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing literally broken.

Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
51% of Americans.

Where did most of your money go?
A condo! Most of the money I had, and all the money I didn’t have, as well. Before that, into travelling.

What did you get really, really excited about?
The new job. I care about the people, I’m stoked about the work, and feel like I have a real role in how we do. I’ve said “I love my job” before, but I didn’t really know what it meant.

Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder?
Today, sadder than December 31st 2003 I think, but generally in life, much, much happier.

Thinner or fatter?
8 pounds thinner.

Richer or poorer?
Over 100K poorer.

How did you spend Christmas?
Eve: Family.
Day: T then family.
Boxing Day: Old friends.
Boxing week: New friends.

Did you fall in love in 2004?
No.

How many 1-night stands?
None.

What was your favourite TV program?
Hate to say it, but the finale of the original Apprentice was my TV moment of the year.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
MC’s podcasts.

What did you want and get?
The perfect job. A dog. A piece of Montreal.

What did you want and not get?
That’s personal.

What was your favourite film of this year?
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Spider-Man 2. Capturing the Friedmans.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Dinner with friends. 32.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
Corp no longer.

What kept you sane?
Blogging. Bloggers.

Who did you miss?
Rune. Paul.

Who was the best new person you met?
Tough one. The new friend with whom I spent the most time was my new boss. My best new friend of 2004 was Martine, even though I met her the previous year. I’m also very glad I met Marie-Chantale this year, and became better friends with Nika.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004?
Roll with it.

The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami blog: A hodgepodge of information about the tsunami from various sources.

The Canadian Red Cross: Where you can send money.

Well, Christmas is now truly over, and all my friends are slowly trickling back into town (some from pretty far away), and we’re still all in that laid-back, food-coma haze of the holiday. The juletide craziness is over, leaving us only with free time to hang out and enjoy each other’s company. So I’m not sad to see Christmas go, even though it’s been a good one.

Christmas weekend highlights:
- At my mother’s family party, the hosts had organized a “name that TV/movie/videogame theme song” type of contest. When it comes to useless, geeky pop culture knowledge, my aunties don’t stand a chance, and I got to pitilessly MAIM and DESTROY them all. Way more fun than you’re supposed to have at a family party.
- Watching my dad’s face at Christmas dinner while someone explains to him what a mangina is. What did you discuss at Christmas dinner?
- Simulatneous heart attacks with Marie-Chantale and Martine.
- Got Return of the King extended edition. Now when will I have five free undisturbed hours to immerse myself in all this Pippiny goodness?
- Got Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture edition with DVD. Played it with the gang on boxing day.

Use Google’s translation tool to translate “My mom is nice and cool” from English to Spanish, and back again.

(This meme brought to you by, appropriately, Mimi).

Last night I put all my recycling out on the street. And with the unpacked boxes and all the packaging from new furniture and stuff, there was an incredible amount of it. This morning, it was all in the street and on the sidewalk, frozen over. Sigh. Fixed all that while the rain came down on me, then chipped the ice off my car and drove in to work, late.

Got in to work and there was a nice large coffee waiting for me on my desk, courtesy of my fellow producer. Chocolate Raspberry, my favorite. Sat down at my desk, and within minutes a huge basket of brownies arrived from the licensor of the first game I produced this year. Awwwwww.

I think I can do this Christmas thing after all.

Here is Amazon’s lightspeedchick.com site information page.

From the screenshot, I think they have me confused with someone else… Where do they get their info anyway?

(via Francis)

Today is the winter solstice. The shortest day of the year… which means that tomorrow, they already start getting longer.

Now that wasn’t so bad was it?

University Offers Course on Star Trek.

Another topic for class discussion will be the prime directive, the rule dictating that Starfleet officers must not interfere in the development of alien cultures.

I wonder what the male-to-female ratio will be in that class…

Thanks Dr. Wank