Bought a house. Traveled for business. Inspected on a construction site. Made a tiny quilt. Adopted a cat.

2. Did you keep your new year�s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Resolutions? Sure, lets make some:

-be less lazy
-make more time for exercise
-make more time for creative pursuits (piano, sewing, photography)
-eat better

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Tracey and Melissa both had little girls.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, but my one remaining granny has estranged herself from the family, so it's like she has died.

5. What countries did you visit?

Did I even go to the states this year?? Nope. But I did a fair bit of traveling within BC and Alberta.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

An ability to manage my work stress.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

I'm really bad with numbers - it's a wonder that I function in the engineering world. I will always remember certain days:

-skating outdoors on the speed skating track for the first time
-mountain biking in a sudden summer storm in Jasper, Alberta.
-spending the first night in the house
-the day Daniel surprised me with Alf
-the day Daniel surprised me with a trip to Tofino
-sighting wolves in the backwoods of Banff National Park
-lunch with my sister, aunt, uncle, and Daniel at Grey Monk winery in Kelowna
-the day I received a $3 raise
-walking around Stanley Park with my sister and Daniel on Christmas Day

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

My career.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Saying not nice things to Daniel when I was tired/stressed/angry/frustrated.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I got a wicked summer flu. And I did something really terrible to my knee on the descent on our backpacking trip. The knee thing required physio and kept me from running... well... since September.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My winter boots.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Probably Daniel.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Probably my own.

14. Where did most of your money go?

RENOVATIONS. I don't want to talk about it.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Hmm... probably the backpacking trip. Also fabric.

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?

Wondering Where the Lions Are by Bruce Cockburn and anything from Dan Mangan's Nice, Nice, Very Nice. These aren't my favourite tracks or anything like that, rather, they are from the only two good shows that I saw this year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?

a) Sadder in some ways. I don't think that I'll truly be happier until we live somewhere more inspirational.

b) People say that I look thinner, but I think it's just age. I weigh about the same and am much less fit than before.

c) On paper I have more wealth, but I am cash poorer.

18. What do you wish you�d done more of?

RUN. Hike. Take photos. Cook. Listen to music. Laugh.

19. What do you wish you�d done less of?

Work. Complain. Stress.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

At my parents house in North Vancouver. Presents in the morning, a walk in the afternoon, a turkey dinner at night. It was very low key and frankly rather awkward. I'm too old to get a stocking from Santa, and I can tell that my mother doesn't really enjoy cooking the turkey anymore.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?

Yes, with Alf. I have discovered that I have the capacity for a mothering type of love that is more honest than any love I have felt for a man.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I don't have a TV.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn�t hate this time last year?

My sister's ex-boyfriend is a total jerk.

24. What was the best book you read?

I don't like picking favourites:

A Student of Weather - Elizabeth Hay
Jimmy Corrigan, Smartest Kid on Earth - Chris Ware
Three Day Road - Joseph Boyden
Bright Shiny Morning - James Frey
The Outlander - Gil Adamson

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I didn't actively listen to a lot of music this year. I really got into Forest City Lovers and Madison Violet and this Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle song called Officer Down. Daniel controls the record player (yes, the record player) so I listen to whatever he's into.

26. What did you want and get?

A lot of stuff that I probably didn't need.

27. What did you want and not get?

A friend in this city.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

I don't keep a list, and it's hard to remember them all.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I woke up in Tofino on my 30th birthday. I rolled over and looked out at the waves. We walked on the beach, and drove through the forests, and then we visited Courtenay and Comox - our number one choice for when Daniel is done school.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Buying a character house instead of one built in 1988.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

Northern Hipster. Lots of plaid and wool and old ski jackets.

32. What kept you sane?

Alf!

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

I'm pretty irked about access to health care in the north. I could care less about the HST, but I am excited about new leaders for our provincial Liberal and NDP parties.

34. Who did you miss?

I miss Sarah, who I visited in Canmore this summer. She was my last real friend. I miss Timathy (my boyfriend before Daniel), and I met up with him at Christmas and it was really great. It had been 5 years since we had seen each other in person. I really still love him, and I love being around him, and I love the person that I am around him. I know that I can't be with him for a variety of reasons, but I selfishly want to keep him in my life. A week or so ago I saw the video of the song that he wrote about me, I am still shaken up, realizing how much I have affected/contributed to his life. We really worked well together, our energy and passions. And I miss him.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

I almost became friends with Samantha, but then she moved to Vancouver, so that's over.

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.