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I'm about a day late in seeing 2010 off properly, but I'm always keen on keeping up recent traditions. As such, I give you the yearly...
The Random Of 2010
To start things off... this year has been kind of hard to describe. There really can't be that many more years in the future where I can say "I think I've grown up a lot this year," but I have a pretty good streak going here, and I don't mind it continuing. (So long as I don't grow up to the point where I stop thinking stupid jokes are funny. I'll grow up, but I refuse to take it seriously.) I feel like more happened than usual, but when I look back there are only a few major events and either nothing else happened, or those bigger things overshadow everything else to the point that it feels like nothing else happened. (These things being: my failtacular attempt to quit my job and my subsequent solo trip to Paris/London... and, to a lesser though more far-reaching extent, writing fiction on a regular basis for the first time since about 2007.)
But not having any idea what I'm writing about has never stopped me before, so!
Story I Have Told Over And Over To Everyone: Hands-down, I have told the story of my run-in with French security at the Eiffel Tower more than anything else this year. So much so that I can shout "jetez-la dans la poubelle!" without having to remember what the guard said phonetically and then fit the conjugation and agreement to it every time (which is, sadly, what I did the first three or four times I told it). I think I tell this story so much because 1) it's ridiculous and 2) it's fun to shout "ees a naiif, ees daenjeruus!" and "jetez-la dans la poubelle!" and also because 3) it tends to distract people well enough that they forget that their original question was "What did you do in Paris?" because "I went to cemeteries and the catacombs and it was awesome!" is generally not a proper response.
Runner up: The odd story of my second year roommate boiling her bras in my pans without asking has made a significant resurgence this year.
Best Robot Apocalypse: Transformers filming downtown. I have a feeling the wanton destruction and general disarray on our streets was far, far more entertaining than the actual movie will be, though.
Best Rock Performance That Was Probably a Hallucination: ZZ Top at the Crossroads Guitar Festival.
Best Concert With Or Without Possible Sunstroke: Probably Patrick Watson, back in May. He can keep a crowd in thrall like few others I've seen. (As an aside, however, I went to far too few concerts this year. Something I aim to remedy next year. I think, actually, that there was just this, Crossroads (which my mom dragged me to), Frontier Ruckus (which I attended because one of my friends knows the band), and Yeasayer two days ago (which was great save for the chatty pot-smoking girls who kept stomping on my feet and the fact that all the dancing near the end pinned me against the sound board very uncomfortably. But, moving on!)
Most Stalkerish Fast Food Chain: Pret A Manger, which I first encountered everywhere in London and then, three weeks after I got back, appeared in Washington DC and then when I got back from DC and was walking to my bus there was one under the Sears Tower parking deck and I swear it just was not there before.
Worst Driver/Human Being: The guy downtown who nearly knocked me into traffic with his car door and then assured me that I didn't need to worry about the car.
Arch-Enemy: CAR DOORS
Obligatory Heading About My Nightmare Job: In which I avoid the subject because, yeah.... (Note of warning: don't get me started on this! So far I've managed to avoid griping about the client that wants me fired, but once started I could go on forever!)
Most WTF CTA Moment: Being ignored by a bus driver only to later see the same bus crashed on Lake Shore. (Remarkably, other than this, I did markedly less complaining about the CTA this year. I suspect that's because I didn't use it for eight months out of the year, though, and it isn't due to any kind of increase in quality.)
Reason I Will Never Stop Complaining About The CTA Not Being Where I Think It Should Be: I still don't remember that I can text the CTA and get the bus status, or that I should check the bus tracker before I leave the apartment so I'm not standing outside waiting in the cold/rain forever. Though, to be fair, the 55 can supposedly be five minutes away and I'll still end up standing outside for 15, because that's just how the 55 works.
Worst Attempt at Flirting: The Reddit Bus Method.
Only Painting in the Louvre I Looked at and Then Went Back to Again Just to Make Sure I Hadn't Imagined It: The Blessed Ranieri Frees the Poor from a Prison in Florence. I plan it use it as a picture-prompt some day to encourage some very unusual writing.
Best Torrential Downpour Tourism: Hiking around the north side with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
flutingfrenzy, who was willing to sacrifice dryness for adventure at the hands of an unpredictable local. Both sandals and actual feet were harmed, but it was worth it!
(Special Downpour Tourism Board Honors go to Andalous, the Moroccan restaurant that didn't turn us away despite the fact that we were dripping considerable amounts of water onto their floor.)
Etc.:
Kitchen appliances purchased: 0
Extravagant kitchen accessories purchased: 2
Confessions of Love: 0
Pairs of Converses worn out: 1
Proper winter foot attire worn: 1
Pairs of shoes resurrected from several years ago: 2
Books I was on the cover of: 0
[A]political rallies attended: 1
Major landmarks I nearly fell asleep in front of: 1
Buses I have missed: Countless
Months I spent biking instead: 8
Biking accidents: 3
Biking accidents involving car doors: 2
Biking accidents involving poorly-placed hoses: 1
Flat tires: 3
Stigs killed: 1
Job interviews: 1
Job applications: Countless
Fics posted: 8 (some anonymously)
Holiday time off compared to last year: -1
Pies I still owe random strangers: 1
Hours it has taken me to compose this entry: 1
The Random Of 2010
To start things off... this year has been kind of hard to describe. There really can't be that many more years in the future where I can say "I think I've grown up a lot this year," but I have a pretty good streak going here, and I don't mind it continuing. (So long as I don't grow up to the point where I stop thinking stupid jokes are funny. I'll grow up, but I refuse to take it seriously.) I feel like more happened than usual, but when I look back there are only a few major events and either nothing else happened, or those bigger things overshadow everything else to the point that it feels like nothing else happened. (These things being: my failtacular attempt to quit my job and my subsequent solo trip to Paris/London... and, to a lesser though more far-reaching extent, writing fiction on a regular basis for the first time since about 2007.)
But not having any idea what I'm writing about has never stopped me before, so!
Story I Have Told Over And Over To Everyone: Hands-down, I have told the story of my run-in with French security at the Eiffel Tower more than anything else this year. So much so that I can shout "jetez-la dans la poubelle!" without having to remember what the guard said phonetically and then fit the conjugation and agreement to it every time (which is, sadly, what I did the first three or four times I told it). I think I tell this story so much because 1) it's ridiculous and 2) it's fun to shout "ees a naiif, ees daenjeruus!" and "jetez-la dans la poubelle!" and also because 3) it tends to distract people well enough that they forget that their original question was "What did you do in Paris?" because "I went to cemeteries and the catacombs and it was awesome!" is generally not a proper response.
Runner up: The odd story of my second year roommate boiling her bras in my pans without asking has made a significant resurgence this year.
Best Robot Apocalypse: Transformers filming downtown. I have a feeling the wanton destruction and general disarray on our streets was far, far more entertaining than the actual movie will be, though.
Best Rock Performance That Was Probably a Hallucination: ZZ Top at the Crossroads Guitar Festival.
Best Concert With Or Without Possible Sunstroke: Probably Patrick Watson, back in May. He can keep a crowd in thrall like few others I've seen. (As an aside, however, I went to far too few concerts this year. Something I aim to remedy next year. I think, actually, that there was just this, Crossroads (which my mom dragged me to), Frontier Ruckus (which I attended because one of my friends knows the band), and Yeasayer two days ago (which was great save for the chatty pot-smoking girls who kept stomping on my feet and the fact that all the dancing near the end pinned me against the sound board very uncomfortably. But, moving on!)
Most Stalkerish Fast Food Chain: Pret A Manger, which I first encountered everywhere in London and then, three weeks after I got back, appeared in Washington DC and then when I got back from DC and was walking to my bus there was one under the Sears Tower parking deck and I swear it just was not there before.
Worst Driver/Human Being: The guy downtown who nearly knocked me into traffic with his car door and then assured me that I didn't need to worry about the car.
Arch-Enemy: CAR DOORS
Obligatory Heading About My Nightmare Job: In which I avoid the subject because, yeah.... (Note of warning: don't get me started on this! So far I've managed to avoid griping about the client that wants me fired, but once started I could go on forever!)
Most WTF CTA Moment: Being ignored by a bus driver only to later see the same bus crashed on Lake Shore. (Remarkably, other than this, I did markedly less complaining about the CTA this year. I suspect that's because I didn't use it for eight months out of the year, though, and it isn't due to any kind of increase in quality.)
Reason I Will Never Stop Complaining About The CTA Not Being Where I Think It Should Be: I still don't remember that I can text the CTA and get the bus status, or that I should check the bus tracker before I leave the apartment so I'm not standing outside waiting in the cold/rain forever. Though, to be fair, the 55 can supposedly be five minutes away and I'll still end up standing outside for 15, because that's just how the 55 works.
Worst Attempt at Flirting: The Reddit Bus Method.
Only Painting in the Louvre I Looked at and Then Went Back to Again Just to Make Sure I Hadn't Imagined It: The Blessed Ranieri Frees the Poor from a Prison in Florence. I plan it use it as a picture-prompt some day to encourage some very unusual writing.
Best Torrential Downpour Tourism: Hiking around the north side with
flutingfrenzy, who was willing to sacrifice dryness for adventure at the hands of an unpredictable local. Both sandals and actual feet were harmed, but it was worth it! (Special Downpour Tourism Board Honors go to Andalous, the Moroccan restaurant that didn't turn us away despite the fact that we were dripping considerable amounts of water onto their floor.)
Etc.:
Kitchen appliances purchased: 0
Extravagant kitchen accessories purchased: 2
Confessions of Love: 0
Pairs of Converses worn out: 1
Proper winter foot attire worn: 1
Pairs of shoes resurrected from several years ago: 2
Books I was on the cover of: 0
[A]political rallies attended: 1
Major landmarks I nearly fell asleep in front of: 1
Buses I have missed: Countless
Months I spent biking instead: 8
Biking accidents: 3
Biking accidents involving car doors: 2
Biking accidents involving poorly-placed hoses: 1
Flat tires: 3
Stigs killed: 1
Job interviews: 1
Job applications: Countless
Fics posted: 8 (some anonymously)
Holiday time off compared to last year: -1
Pies I still owe random strangers: 1
Hours it has taken me to compose this entry: 1
