conclusion: 2008 + introduction: 2009

2008 memories come to me in bits and pieces, and it feels like the year went by doubly-quickly.  it began mildly as i returned to work in january, and as the winter wore on, the coldness took some steroids and tripped out at us with lots and lots of snow, slush, coldness, ice, and relentless mercy.  from this remarkably cruel beginning, i learned...

• i need to get away to somewhere warm in the middle of winter, or else it just feels so depressing by april
• i will never forget february 1st.  that day marked the culmination of a month of extremely tight and stressful deadlines, strained relationships with the agency, and working overtime just to have it all explode so perfectly in sync with a blizzard on a friday afternoon.  it also marked the beginning of a year of whirlwind campaigns that would leave me often deflated and exhausted at the end of a long week; it made me appreciate vacation time so much more in june when i finally took some time off for myselff
• my favourite chocolate cake recipe in february, by chance when allison was visiting and i decided to bake a cake in celebration.
• when i got my promotion to senior analyst, it also led me to a dangerous place where i would start questioning the need for a new role, my expected timeline for the next movement in my career and the next promotion.
• as first-time homeowners moving into a craptastic home that so needed our attention and care, we underestimated our patience for all the highs and lows that come with the ongoing process.  it can never be done in a matter of days - and it's true that the house&home featured homes usually say that the owner worked on it for a couple of years before being in the magazine.
• to appreciate and "make-do" with our city: we began to do a bit more exploring around the city, and that continued throughout summer.  the weather wasn't always cooperative, but i would like to think we made the best of it.  my birthday slipped by quietly but with great company and food (mmm waffles).
• vacation is important. quiet time is important. there's also a joy to staying at home doing absolutely nothing, and that luxury should be taken advantage of at every available opportunity.
• as i got older, i became more wasteful and less concerned about saving money - bad idea.  
• as i got older, i became less capable of knowing my limit when alcohol is around - another bad idea.

on that note, in 2009 i want to

• eat out less often
• stick to a budget
• get away in February 
• take time to just relax with Alex around my birthday
• take more "me" time regularly
• try a different cookie recipe every couple of weeks
• eat healthy despite having cookies every couple of weeks
• hit the gym more
• rock-climb on a more regular basis
• take a break from my good friend alcohol until my birthday
• get a bike in the summer and go biking more often
• learn to swim (this makes the list every year but i have yet to accomplish it...)

Happy new year!

[no pictures because i'm being lazy]