MMX

It's about time I did this, right?

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

Started an office job. Basically, I'm this guy, but less dancefully talented:



And probably less eloquently upset about the whole thing. Oh, and my ties are definitely not as cool.¹

Felt an earthquake happen. That was new and something I'd like to never experience again even if it were one as slight as that thank you very much.

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

Looking back at last year's resolutions,² I've been almost moderately successful; I've [redacted] only, like, twice³ and I spent more time writing in 2010.⁴ Still a selfish pail of turpentine, unfortunately.⁵
This year? Use more footnotes!⁶ Write more, create more. Be better, be less disappointing.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

R. & E. had a baby. So I'm some sort of uncle or something.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Nope.

5. What countries did you visit?

I live underground and I work in the sky. You figure it out.

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

A job that I enjoy on at least some level.⁷ At least one completed work of something - you know: writing, music - that sort of thing.⁸ A self that I can genuinely enjoy.

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

March 29. G.'s birthday and my first day at the new job.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting a less shitty job, I'd say. That's it. I wasn't all that full of achievement.⁹

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not writing more, not creating things, not doing anything good in a creative sense.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing serious.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I didn't buy much in 2010 that wasn't food- or drink-related that I can remember, though I did make an order with NH to get all the CB and DSO albums I didn't own. It hasn't arrived yet, though. Oh, and a few books, no doubt.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

G.'s. Always and always G.'s.¹⁰

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Mine, at times. Probably not appalled, though, as that, to me, sort of carries with it the idea of, like, surprise and, man, am I ever not surprising.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent, vet bills, food, booze, student loans.

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

G.
Sam and Hailey.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2010?

Rites of Spring - "For Want Of"; 'cause it's awesome and it gets played frequently because of that simple fact.
Darkthrone - "Circle the Wagons"; 'cause Darkthrone is Darkthrone. And new Darkthrone is Darkthrone. And that means awesome.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier. Yup.
b) thinner or fatter? About the same, I'm pretty sure. Firmer, though.
c) richer or poorer? Richer; my new job paid (very) slightly more than the previous one. And, as of January 1, or so I was told on January 6, it'll pay slightly more on top of that. Decent.
Oh, and more student loan is paid off. So, less debt = richer, right? Right.

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

Cool things.
Writing - I spend so much time sitting at my computer not writing. Why don't I turn some of that time into sitting at my computer writing?¹¹

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

Nothing.¹²
Complaining.
Being disappointing.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Spent it in the comfort of The Cave.¹³ It was a wonderfully relaxed, too short holiday.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?

over and over and over and profoundly and achingly and¹⁴

22. How many one-night stands?



23. What was your favourite TV program?

Breaking Bad and DS9 and Flight of the Conchords and Kids in the Hall.¹⁵

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Don't think so.

25. What was the best book you read?

I re-read both:
Only Revolutions by Mark ¹⁶ Danielewski
Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware
because they are amazing amazing amazing works.

Great first-time reads:
Gut Symmetries by Jeanette Winterson (100% my favourite writer.)
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace
The Famished Road by Ben Okri
All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
Market Day by James Sturm
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
Gob's Grief by Chris Adrian
Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I got myself a last.fm subscription, so I heard so many new bands¹⁷ that I don't even know.

27. What did you want and get?

A better job.

28. What did you want and not get?

An enjoyable job. Publication

29. What was your favourite film of this year?

My Best Fiend.

Which gave me this:



Thank you, Mr. Herzog (and, obviously, Mr. Kinski, too).

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

I turned 28. I had a wonderfully relaxed day at home, spending time with G.¹⁸

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

I'm gonna second G.'s answer and say: healthy Sam.

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

Tight pants and tighter underwear.

33. What kept you sane?

G. and Sam and Hailey.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?



35. What political issue stirred you the most?

Toronto's municipal election.

36. Who did you miss?

Family. J&E

37. Who was the best new person you met?



38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010?

¹⁹

_______________________________________________________________________________

1 This statement is doubly true for the hairdo.↑

2 Find a job that doesn't make me [redacted] on a regular basis and to start writing again. Being less of a selfish pail of turpentine.
↑

3 Which could hardly be considered as some sort of regular basis issue.↑

4 Still depressingly small amounts of time and output, though.↑

5 Two outta three ain't bad, though; or so I've been told.↑

6 After struggling with trying to make them work in that other post and finally finally getting there, I need to use them all the time now.↑

7 Other than: at least it's better than the last job I was working.↑

8 An ambitious goal for me, I know. But a fella can dream, right?↑

9 SURPRISE!!!↑

10 Seriously, G. makes every day feel like a better version of itself.↑

11 There is no satisfactory answer to this question.↑

12 As in, I wish I'd spent less time doing nothing. Not as in there's nothing I should change.↑

13 The newly-minted name for this apartment that I promise to never use again.↑

14 over and over and over and profoundly and achingly and↑

15 Which I had actually previously never seen more of than a couple sketches.↑

16 Z.↑

17 Scads of them, even.↑

18 What more could I ask for? I mean, really now.↑

19 But: Thank you Mario! as in Sorry Daniel, Our Princess as in a good job and castle as in year.↑