Thoughts and Observations of 2009

Rememorandom—The Blog
I revamped my blog back in February, after it sat idling for several years.  I took a brief hiatus with March, April, and May, as I was finishing up college and buying a house, so I was ultra-busy and without reliable internet at times.  But once June arrived I ran headlong into my blogging, posting basically every weekday and occasional weekends.  I also began using Google Reader to manage feeds and find many new blogs.

For the most part I’ve remained true to the statement of what my blog is: “A hodge-podge, with reviews, musings, music, fiction, comics, real-life tomfoolery, and sometimes even poetry.”  I’ve posted several reviews, mainly of books, but every so often of films and music albums.  I’ve mused on morbid curiosity, Memorial Day, peanut butter sandwiches, and a slough of other things.  I took the plunge early in the year and put up some videos of songs I recorded, I’ve written several fictional pieces (especially on Writing Wednesdays), and I’ve thrown in an occasional poem.  Aye, I’ve stuck mostly to my statement.

Another big thing for me was my iPod Journey.  On 7/1/09 I set out on my quest.  In short, I would listen to practically every album on my iPod and rank them, deciding ultimately what the best (and worst) music was on my iPod.  I finished this long, exhausting, fun journey on 9/11, and the results were interesting.  I really enjoyed this quest and will have to do it again some day.

While my blog serves primarily as an online account for me to recall things (like a journal, almost), it’s also been a great tool in finding other blogs and connecting with other bloggers.  I’ve really enjoyed reading many posts, from the cooky, compassionate My Little Corner of the World to the spooky account of Nicole Kidman stars in: ‘The Astronaut Dropped’ (I just found this one this week, but I enjoyed it enough to read 23 straight posts to get caught up), from the budding directorial career of Mattson Tomlin to the multiple-reviews-and-always-helpful Layers of Thought.  And then there’s the list of folks I love but don’t update often enough: Captain Joe’s Revenge of the Written Word, The Life and Times of me, Drinking to the Foam, Life or Something Like It, The Crystal Perspectives, and cucullus non facit monachum.  I’ve also found the holy grails of knowledge and insight for the SF/F genre: The Wertzone, Speculative Horizons, Neth Space, Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist, and Graeme’s Fantasy Book Reviews.  If I were half as knowledgeable as these gents then I’d be thrilled.  There are too many blogs for me to mention and link here, but I’ll try to update my “Otherwheres” blogroll on the right of the screen soon.

Overall, it’s been a great year for blogging.  I’ve discovered many things, won a few books, got on the good side of two publishers, and had a few (practically all) Followers declare their everlasting and undying love for me.  A great year indeed.

The Busy Times
It may strike you odd, but I did not spend my entire 8760 hours this year at the computer blogging.  I spent a good chunk of time doing important things with my life, like graduating with my Masters in Engineering from the University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering and buying my first house.  After 14 consecutive semesters I finally said farewell to college life and moved onto post-college life.  I got a job for a private engineering company called the Mexico Lightbulb Corporation (MLC) (not really the name of it, but for privacy reasons that what I call it) just days after graduating.  I bought a house in Owensboro, KY, along with my beautiful wife, Keisha, and our perfect puppy, Stella, and we all moved in.  Everything happened in May.  Graduation.  Job.  House.  ‘Twas a very busy time.

We found a great church—Macedonia Baptist—and joined a wonderful Sunday School class.  We’ve been pretty active and involved, and I’m thankful to finally have a church where we fit in.  Lord knows that Keisha and I searched and tried in Louisville, but that was a joke.

Miscellaneous Observations
I’ve severely slacked in playing tennis.
I’ve discovered the joys of disc golf.
I’ve spent a lot of time playing the piano and teaching myself.
I bought an XBox 360.
I’ve learned to make delicious and pretty cheesecakes.
I’ve joined a gym, and Keisha and I will go.
I’ve worked on the same project at the MLC since May.
I miss college life.
I’m glad I don’t have to go through college life anymore.
Keisha’s got one semester left of classes and she’ll have her undergrad!
I’m losing a best friend I think.
I’m sorry for all the failures and shortcomings in my life.
I’ve put in 60+ hours to Oblivion and still have a wide world to explore.
I became an uncle for the first time.
NPR and I became close, dear friends.
I survived a devastating Ice Storm.  (See next link for more info.)
I blacked out and thought I was paralyzed after a terrible, awful, agonizing sledding accident.  A bad back at 23 is not fun.
There was a crazy-wild-bad flood.
I made it through a head-on collision without much pain.
Stella learned Gaelic.
I’m not as crazy as I once was, but I’m not as sane as I should be.
I’m still a fan of randomness.
I’m disturbed by the atrocities of the Shankill Butchers, but I love the song.
Have a good New Year’s Eve.