Obligatory milestones post.
Everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?
Notable things about 2008:
Personal life
--------------
-Started eating real food again.
-Gained 40 pounds. This is generally an improvement.
-Rediscovered dating after a ten-year hiatus.
-Significant number of new friends.
Location
--------
-Moved away from family on a permanent basis for the first time ever.
-Moved into a house after 5+ years of apartments.
-Moved to be closer to my job.
(These were all covered in the same move)
Travel
------
-Saw two new time zones (Pacific and Greenwich).
-Spent time on a different continent for the first time ever.
-Spent time in a place that does not border or reside within the U.S.
-Vowed to stop taking public transportation to Cape May during family vacation.
-Formed an ad hoc traveler's cabal in order to actually make it home after Thanksgiving.
-Saw sunlight at 9:30pm, and darkness at 3:30pm.
Wealth
------
-Joined a credit union.
-Bought a new car after three-plus weeks of research.
-Made more money than I did between 1993 and 2006 (total).
-Talked to a financial planner for the first time.
-Actually had a 401(k) to shrink with the market instability.
Career
------
-Worked a steady job for an entire year; subsequently for a whole calendar year.
-Went on my first business trip; subsequently three more.
-Received my first ever performance bonus.
-Created a Tree widget implementation in the Persona engine from scratch.
-Mastered XSLT for creating HTML layouts.
Food
----
-Discovered falafel, Branston pickle, aerated Cadbury chocolate bars, pasties, Chambord margaritas, potato farls, bacon chocolate, espresso-grind rooibos, Tazo lemon yerba mate, Trader Joe's fire-roasted tomato salsa, and more things too numberous to remember.
-Invented Lemonhead candy shooters with Dr. Gonzo's Buffalo Balm
-Made at least three pies: two apple, one pecan caramel, all with hand-made crust.
-Successfully mulled a rosé wine.
-Got two superior quality knives: a cleaver and a santoku.
-Did more shopping at farmstands during the summer and fall. Bought zucchini -- made zucchini parmesan. Picked my own apples for apple pie, eating whole, and soaking in mulled wine.
-Went to a barbecue competition and ate myself silly.
Games
-----
-Finished Katamari Damacy, Sonic Adventure DX, Story mode in Super Smash Brothers Brawl.
-Mastered the fifth fret button in Guitar Hero.
-Got all the gold trophies in Mario Kart Wii.
Misc.
-----
-First speeding ticket.
-Sang more karaoke than any previous year
-Operated a vendor table at a festival.
-Spent my birthday dressed to the nines.
-Caught the flu early in the year, had a fever for a week.
-Evangelized the OLPC project by taking my XO laptop traveling with me.
Prescriptions for the upcoming year (I don't make resolutions)
--------------------------------------------------------------
-Find a form of exercise that you actually find fun. Try regular walking and mixed martial arts training.
-Get back on the bike.
-Get lost (i.e. find your way around more places in Massachusetts)
-Spend more time in Boston discovering its hidden gems.
-Go to the beach more often
-Take more day trips
-Continue to be fun.
-Do a creative project.
-Do a short film and a Channel 101 pilot.
-Decorate my walls.
-Organize my room such that I can sit at my desk.
-Put more effort/gusto/fortitude into networking.
-Make an honest effort to improve my career.
-Buy a new laptop.
Notable things about 2008:
Personal life
--------------
-Started eating real food again.
-Gained 40 pounds. This is generally an improvement.
-Rediscovered dating after a ten-year hiatus.
-Significant number of new friends.
Location
--------
-Moved away from family on a permanent basis for the first time ever.
-Moved into a house after 5+ years of apartments.
-Moved to be closer to my job.
(These were all covered in the same move)
Travel
------
-Saw two new time zones (Pacific and Greenwich).
-Spent time on a different continent for the first time ever.
-Spent time in a place that does not border or reside within the U.S.
-Vowed to stop taking public transportation to Cape May during family vacation.
-Formed an ad hoc traveler's cabal in order to actually make it home after Thanksgiving.
-Saw sunlight at 9:30pm, and darkness at 3:30pm.
Wealth
------
-Joined a credit union.
-Bought a new car after three-plus weeks of research.
-Made more money than I did between 1993 and 2006 (total).
-Talked to a financial planner for the first time.
-Actually had a 401(k) to shrink with the market instability.
Career
------
-Worked a steady job for an entire year; subsequently for a whole calendar year.
-Went on my first business trip; subsequently three more.
-Received my first ever performance bonus.
-Created a Tree widget implementation in the Persona engine from scratch.
-Mastered XSLT for creating HTML layouts.
Food
----
-Discovered falafel, Branston pickle, aerated Cadbury chocolate bars, pasties, Chambord margaritas, potato farls, bacon chocolate, espresso-grind rooibos, Tazo lemon yerba mate, Trader Joe's fire-roasted tomato salsa, and more things too numberous to remember.
-Invented Lemonhead candy shooters with Dr. Gonzo's Buffalo Balm
-Made at least three pies: two apple, one pecan caramel, all with hand-made crust.
-Successfully mulled a rosé wine.
-Got two superior quality knives: a cleaver and a santoku.
-Did more shopping at farmstands during the summer and fall. Bought zucchini -- made zucchini parmesan. Picked my own apples for apple pie, eating whole, and soaking in mulled wine.
-Went to a barbecue competition and ate myself silly.
Games
-----
-Finished Katamari Damacy, Sonic Adventure DX, Story mode in Super Smash Brothers Brawl.
-Mastered the fifth fret button in Guitar Hero.
-Got all the gold trophies in Mario Kart Wii.
Misc.
-----
-First speeding ticket.
-Sang more karaoke than any previous year
-Operated a vendor table at a festival.
-Spent my birthday dressed to the nines.
-Caught the flu early in the year, had a fever for a week.
-Evangelized the OLPC project by taking my XO laptop traveling with me.
Prescriptions for the upcoming year (I don't make resolutions)
--------------------------------------------------------------
-Find a form of exercise that you actually find fun. Try regular walking and mixed martial arts training.
-Get back on the bike.
-Get lost (i.e. find your way around more places in Massachusetts)
-Spend more time in Boston discovering its hidden gems.
-Go to the beach more often
-Take more day trips
-Continue to be fun.
-Do a creative project.
-Do a short film and a Channel 101 pilot.
-Decorate my walls.
-Organize my room such that I can sit at my desk.
-Put more effort/gusto/fortitude into networking.
-Make an honest effort to improve my career.
-Buy a new laptop.