happy new year!!!

it's time again to look at the past year in retrospect and consider what to do better or at least differently in the upcoming one.
last year, i:

• went to new york city for the first time, and fell in love immediately - with the city;
• spent a couple of months in calgary, closer to home than i've been in a few years, and literally minutes away from j whom i didn't see, and was miserable - that was a total waste of a golden opportunity and a huge opportunity for regret;
• watched "the dark knight" and had to accept that stories about batman are better than stories about superman, even though superman is a way better hero;
• didn't fall in or out of love with anyone - that's a huge step although i'm not sure if it is forward or backwards;
• completed several really big and important projects and i learned that for a sensitive person, it's much harder to ask other people to work hard than to work hard yourself;
• got an iPhone without which i could never have completed those big, complicated projects;
• made over a dozen timelapse videos of myself and/or my cats for the benefit of the youtubisphere;
• completed the new tomb raider game in december - omg, i love tomb raider!!!;
• said goodbye to an old friend and watched her absence deeply sadden my dearest friends;
• antagonized an entire city of old friends, and am still somewhat confused about what to do about it;
• started taking yoga and feeling that it is the best, most therapeutic thing that a person can do in a room full of sweating bodies - that i've encountered thus far;
• jizzed in my pants (ok, not really, but the video is freaking hilarious).

this year, rather than resolving to work out harder or more often, to read more hegel or kant or aristotle, or whatever, my resolution is geared towards living in a time of global recession.  i have resolved to avoid patronizing national and international retail chains and to only shop from local merchants.  for example, i don't want to order a pizza from pizza hut, but i will order from vesuvio's pizzeria on dundas street west.  i won't get a burger from harvey's or macdonalds, but i will get one from craft burger on king street.  i want to support small, local businesses who benefit the local economy directly, rather than corporate entities that only exist to create profit, rather than great product or customer experience.  i'm hoping that if enough people took a similar approach to evaluating the sources of their purchasing activities, that could have a significant impact on regional economic strength, and that can have an impact on our country's economic independence.  well, i'm willing to give it a try.

so, to all of you who have new year's resolutions, and those who don't, have a great 2009, and all the best in the upcoming year!!!

- g

ps.  oh yeah, i also want to reincarnate the weekly adventure activities.  we'll see how that works out!