A Year in Review: 2009

I like and dislike doing these year in review things. I like doing them because I get to look back and see what I've accomplished and not accomplished and see what has changed in the past. I don't like doing this because it just takes so much effort to think of. So while I take a break from cleaning, here goes nothing... I'm just going to take the easy way out and answer this year-end survey.

1) Was 2009 a good year for you?
Yes it was. It was the best year so far, actually!

2) What was your favorite moment of the year?
There are a lot, so I'll narrow it down to two:
1) Trip to BC in March
2) All of the live music I got to experience, especially Osheaga Festival in Montreal.

3) What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Knowing that everyone's job was not safe because of the economy.

4) Where were you when 2009 began?
My house, and really sick.

5) Who were you with?
Family, John, Astrid, Donovan and Sarah.

6) Where will you be when 2009 ends?
Probably at home? I don't have any plans this year.

7) Who will you be with when 2009 ends?
Probably family. Again, I don't have any plans.

8) Did you keep your new years resolution of 2009?
No, because I didn't make any.

9) Do you have a new years resolution for 2010?
No, because I never make resolutions.

10) Did you fall in love in 2009?
I did not fall in love in 2009

11) If yes who?
n/a

12) If yes, do they know?
John knows I love him.

13) Are you still in love with them?
Yes

14) You regret it?
No! Who the fuck wrote this?

15) Did you breakup in 2009?
No.

16) Did you make any new friends in 2009?
Actually, I did. I can think of 2.

17) Who are your favorite "new" friends?
Why would I have a favourite new friend?

18) What was your favorite month of 2009?
AUGUST! Do I need a reason? because I'll list them...

19) Did you travel outside of Canada in 2009?
Nope, I don't have a passport. I should really get one.

20) How many different provinces and/or states did you travel to in 2009?
2: British Columbia, and Quebec

21) Did you lose anybody close to you in 2009?
I guess not.

22) Did you miss anybody in the past year?
I miss my family in B.C. I should be there soon enough though.

23) What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2009?
I don't really watch a lot of movies, so I'll say (500) Days of Summer

24) What was your favorite song from 2009?
Low Rising by The Swell Season

25) What was your favorite record from 2009?
RX Bandits - Mandala (BY FAR!!!)

26) How many concerts did you see in 2009?
Umm 24?

27) Did you have a favorite concert in 2009?
Ohh shit. RX Bandits, Liam Finn, Elton John & Billy Joel

28) Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2009?
No, I think the amount that I drank in year would probably measure up to what most people drink in a night.

29) Did you do a lot of drugs in 2009?
Not a lot.

30) Did you do anything out of character in 2009?
What's my regular character anyway?

31) Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
No, gotta live with no regrets.

33) What was the worst lie you told someone in 2009?
I don't know. I don't think that I tell lies all that much.

34) Did you treat somebody badly in 2009?
No, don't think so. I don't have reason to.

35) Did somebody treat you badly in 2009?
No, don't think so. And if they did, I probably didn't care because I don't remember it.

36) How much money did you spend in 2009?
Fuck, I don't know, but it was a lot.

37) What was your proudest moment of 2009?
I know it's lame, but meeting and hanging out with Liam Finn and EJ Barnes. Liam Finn is one of my idols.

38) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2009?
I don't know. Again, if I don't remember it, it couldn't have been bad.

39) If you could go back in time to any moment of 2009 and change something, what would it be?
Nothing, it was a pretty good year.

40) What are your plans for 2010?
Save money and have fun and make it a better year than 2009.

41)What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Complain a lot about not having snow, go to Whistler, ride a Greyhound bus, go to a concert with my parents, go on vacation with John.

42)What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
All debt paid off.

43)What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 9 - Gone to B.C.
August 1&2 - Montreal with my closest friends for Osheaga Festival
August 4 - RX Bandits concert in Toronto in 2.5 years and they were co-headlining.

44)Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got (mild) pneumonia and hurt my knee. Nothing serious.

45) What was the best thing you bought?
MY FIRST CAR!

46) Whose behavior merited celebration?
Ummm no one?

47) Whose behavior made you appalled and disappointed?
Kanye West hahahaa

48) What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The entire summer of 2009. It was just super fantastic.
And also, all of the concerts I went to.

49) What song will always remind you of 2009?
Any Lady Gaga song, particularly Poker Face because I work at a radio station that plays her music all the time.

50) Compared to this time last year, are you: richer or poorer? I guess the same. There was a time when I was richer in the year, but now I'm paying for a lot more, like a car and RRSPs.

51) What do you wish you’d done more of?
Save my moneys.

52) What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spend money.

53) What was your favorite tv program?
MODERN FAMILY hands down.

54) Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No, why hate?

55) What was the best book you read?
I didn't read too much, but the best book I read was Scar Tissue, Anthony Kiedis' autobiography.

56) What was your greatest musical discovery?
Portugal. The Man

57) What did you want and get?
A raise!

58) What did you want and not get?
To win a major lottery haha

59) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25, and I went to a Jays/Red Sox game with John, Astrid, and Kim. (That was on the actual day). But to celebrate, I had people over for food and beverages. Thanks to Astrid and Myla for cooking the amazing food!

60) What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Snowboarding Whistler ALL WINTER LONG!

61) How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
I don't really change my style too much. A little tomboyish, but decent for work and casual.

62) What kept you sane?
Music and friends

63) Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Liam Finn probably.

64) Who do you miss?
I thought this was asked already.

65) Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
In the words of T.I. and Rihanna (since it was a 2009 song... again, because the station played it a lot), "Just live your life"

The Wait is Over!

Finally! I got to strap into my snowboard and have some fun. Now it's time to get intense.

How do you...

...tell someone (not really a friend, but a kind of an aquaintance if that) that their life is a sham and everything that they believe in is bullshit? There is NOTHING that is real about it. How can one be so blind and believe that their fantasy world is reality and not back down from it?

Honestly, "the story" can't even be in the movies because it's so make believe. Even Twilight, Harry Potter, and Star Wars is more real than "the situation".

Ridiculous.

Stuff People Like

Here's something that lots people like that I don't:
Twilight! Well, I guess that I'm judging a bit early because I haven't seen the movie or read the books, but I can't stand the hype for it.

The end.

Public Transportation

Looks like I'm really going to start budgeting my money more with the TTC fare increase. There are so many people in the city bitching about the increase, and I don't blame them. What they don't know though is that the less-reliable Mississauga Transit has already increased their fares last year or sometime around last year to $3.

I ride both the TTC and Mississauga Transit everyday, so this is affecting me too. I am not here bitching about it, but I am curious as to see how much the GTA passes will be. So far there hasn't been any mention of it. If it stays at $47, then I'll be okay. I actually haven't bought a GTA pass in a while because I've been using the Metropass and Mississauga bus tickets. If all of this equals to the amount of the monthly GO Train pass, then I'll just have to suck it up and shut up and take the dreaded Go Train.

People Love Their Coffee

I think I'll keep this short:
This morning while I was walking along Richmond Street to get to work, I walked past a Tim Horton's. It's usually typically busy. Today however, there was a line outside of the door. Is there some kind of promotion going on like Roll Up the Rim or something? I don't drink coffee, so I don't go to Tim's that often so I don't know. I just thought it was interesting.

Penny for my Thoughts

In case you were wondering, I did get my seasons pass for snowboarding this year. I decided (and after lots and lots of thinking), to get it at Glen Eden. I may not be a huge fan of the place, but it's the only place that I know that I will get full use of my pass. I also got a double down pass for Blue Mountain, and a trip to Mont Tremblant is booked! I would say that I'm extremely ready for snow.

Whistler Blackcomb actually opens up this Saturday! It's kind of torture to receive emails and flyers in the mail from them knowing that they have snow and are going to open while we're still getting temperature in the double digits and seeing no sign of snow at all. Actually, there is frost in the morning, but it's not snow.

Now on a completely different note... the other day, someone at work came up to me and put a penny on my desk. He said it's for my thoughts. Now receiving the penny made me have more thoughts. I should've gotten a $1 AT LEAST.

No Drama, Really

I guess the biggest issue I have right now (and it's not even an issue... Let's be real. I'm not going to post my REAL problems on here. I don't even have a REAL problem anyway), is where I should get my snowboarding season's pass to. I have different options:

Glen Eden - It's really close to home, but it's so small and sometimes too crowded depending on when I would go. It's also cheap and convenient on Monday nights for me.

Horseshoe Resort - For some reason, it's kinda pricey. For a while, this was my first choice to get a pass at because it's not ridiculously far, and they're open till 9pm.

Blue Mountain - The thing that's holding me back from Blue Mountain is of how far it is and of how busy it is. It is cheaper than Horseshoe Resort, and I guess it's the best place to go in Ontario. Another advantage of getting a Blue Mountain pass is if I go to Whistler again this year, I'll get a discount on the Edge Card.

And I guess my other option would be to move to Whistler, BC, but that's not going to happen. I can dream though.

What to do?

Cool Shit!

So I was just sitting here and thinking/looking through my facebook profile pictures, and I've had a lot of cool stuff happen to me throughout my life. I can say that I've met some people who are my idols, seen a lot of cool bands/artists, and been to some awesome places. There are still many more places that I'd like to go to. I know that doesn't compare to other people's experiences, but I'm happy.

So far, I've had the chance to see most of my favourites bands/artists/people as of right now live, and some of them are multiple times. Here are just a few:
- RX Bandits (5)
- Muse (2)
- Liam Finn (3, soon to be 4)
- Weezer (4)
- Portugal. The Man
- Flight of the Conchords

Those that I've met:
- Matt Embree Joe Troy of RXB
- Steve Borth when he was in RXB
- John and Zach of P.TM
- David Cross
- All-American Rejects (not a big deal, but I still met them)
- The Fray (same as above)
- Liam Finn and EJ Barnes
- All members of OK Go
- Billy Talent

The cool stuff that I've got to experience:
- Play guitar on stage with Weezer at the ACC
- Snowboard in Whistler
- Snowboard in Mount Washington, where you can see a beautiful view of mountains and the Pacific Ocean
- Go to Vegas a number of times, and even got to see Cirque de Soliel and Lance Burton's magic show (I know, I know)
- Go to California a number of times and been to the big attractions like Disneyland, Universal Studios, San Diego Zoo, Knotts Berry Farm, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, and other places
- Saw some pretty sick bands in Montreal
- Been to BC twice and had the chance to go to Tofino, Victoria, Vancouver, and Whistler
- Been to the Philippines once, but I was really young and don't remember it.

GO Train Woes

In my old blog, I wrote a pretty long and bitchy post about the GO Train. And now I'm back again with more. I've been riding the train every morning and afternoon this week... The week isn't even over yet! And now I remember why I decided not to take it anymore. People are fucking snobs who think they're superior than everyone else. Just because I look like a young student, or because I don't wear a power suit to work, doesn't mean that they're better than me or anyone else. There is no consideration for anyone at all. They don't (or maybe they do) realize that people are waiting on the platforms for the train, and they wait in the tunnel to stay warm, then run to the front of the line to get on as soon as the train arrives. RUDE.

Then on the way home, people line up at the door to be the first ones off the train THREE stops before! Then they run down the stairs and the tunnels to their cars. Too bad some of them run as fast as I walk. I really hope that someone falls down the stairs and blocks everyone from getting through just holding them back longer. EVERYONE wants to go home, I know. But what's with the rush?

Now this is my childish way of annoying those people back. I put my music really loud for those snobby assholes to hear. No one wants to hear someone else's music on headphones. I know they find it annoying, but I don't care. I can be inconsiderate too. Today, on the train, I'm going to find the loudest music I have and blast it... Unless it's a little old lady or man. I'll have consideration for them. I'm glad that tomorrow is the last day that I'll ride the GO Train. I much prefer the subway, Mississauga transit, and the hour and a half commute anyway. Yes, the GO is that bad.

50 More Days

I know that it's only October, but in 50 days, that's when the ski/snowboarding season begins! Well, that's what it says according to Horseshoe Resort and to Mount St. Louis Moonstone's website.

Next week is the ski and snowboard show in Toronto.

All I have to say is BRING ON THE SNOW!!! I'm so ready to shred the gnar. And there's my attempt at being cool, and clearly I failed.

How Long Does it Take You?

So a couple of days ago, I heard that in Toronto, it takes about 70-79 minutes on average to travel to and from work (round trip). I honestly wish that was the case for me.

My average travel time daily is 3 hours. No matter what form of transportation I take, it generally takes an hour and a half one way.

Here is my travel schedule:
Mornings
Leave at 7:30am - In car from home in Mississauga to Keele and Wilson in Toronto.
8:15-20am - Wait at the bus stop on Wilson 5-10 minutes. 8 minute bus ride to Wilson Subway Station.
8:30am - Get on the subway at Wilson Station to Osgoode Station. About a half an hour subway ride.
9:00am - Get to Osgoode station and walk to work. Arrive at approx 9:05am.

Afternoons
Leave at 4:50pm - I leave 10 minutes early because the subway station is PACKED after 5pm.
Get to Osgoode Station at 4:55pm.
5:02pm (appox.) arrive at St. George Station
5:30pm - Arrive at Islington Station. I usually don't catch the 5:30 bus, so I end up taking the 5:45.
5:45pm - Hop on the 109 Mississauga Transit, and make it home between 6:30 - 6:45, depending on traffic.

I wonder where these people got the stats from and if they only surveyed people who live in Toronto.

Isn't it a Little Dark?

I ride the subway everyday to get to work and to go home. I always notice that some people wear their sunglasses inside, and I wonder why. The subway is underground, and doesn't have the greatest lighting. I know that there are times when the subway does see the light of day, but for the most part it's underground.

This is in the same boat as people wearing their sunglasses at night. WHY?

If anyone has the answer as to why people wear sunglasses in dark places, please enlighten me.

Thanks,

J.

Take A Walk in Those Badboys!

So I finally figured out why it's such a struggle for me to walk in heels. On Saturday I went to a wedding. There are three factors as to why I probably looked funny when I walk:

1) I was wearing (thin) heels. They're not quite stilettos, but they were about 3 inches high. I could walk in them, but it felt really awkward. I also seem to walk hard (not like the movie), but I'm heavy on my feet.
2) My dress was snug, and didn't allow me to take my long strides that I normally take. Plus, every time I did TRY to take my long strides, my dress would ride up a bit.
3) I walk really fast, even when I'm trying to take shorter steps and I'm dressed up.

So with that said, the solution to my problem is, be more lady-like and take slower, shorter, light steps and everything would be good.

Cleaning Hurts Me

Yesterday I decided that I REALLY needed to clean my room. First of all, the mess was getting annoying. And secondly, I found mouse shit under my bed. For a while, I was in denial about the possibility of a mouse making it upstairs in the house, let alone my room.

I went out and bought a paper shredder to get rid of bills that I've had in my room since 2005. With all of the stuff that went to the shredder, it took up 3/4 of a clear garbage bag!! It would make great confetti. I also got a storage unit for other random stuff that I have.

As I cleaned my room, I got my brother to help. Well, he owed me because he doesn't have a job and I buy him food all the time. It was his idea to move my furniture around. After moving my bed, two dressers, and a shelf, I realize that I am no longer in shape to move big items... or even sit on my floor for long periods of time. For some reason, my ass hurts. It's not the working out kind of hurt, it's a sharp pain. At first I joked about it being sciatica because my dad has had it before. I'm not sure if I actually have it because I've never seen a doctor about it and it doesn't happen often.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is, cleaning is not fun and it hurts me.

The Crazy Bug

I'm a bit of a crazy person when it comes to The Beatles. Naturally, I bought The Beatles Rockband last Tuesday when it came out. As much as I LOVE the game, I have a few observations. Before I get into them, I know that it's just a game and that there's no need to make a big or any deal out of it. I'm not making a big deal... they're just observations/attention to detail.

- In "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", it shows The Beatles in the studio playing this song and it's implied that George is playing lead guitar. The fact is, it was Eric Clapton playing lead guitar. He's not in the game.
- In "I Me Mine", it showed the band playing this song. But during the recording, John Lennon had left the band so it was only George, Paul and Ringo who recorded it. By the way, kind of off topic but I Me Mine on expert guitar is hard! (for me anyway).
- I think that some really amazing songs (Oh! Darling) were left out of the game and should have replaced some of the ones that are there such as Hey Bulldog.

I could go on, but I won't because I'm tired and need sleep. Also, I'm not complaining that they came out with a game just for The Beatles. Don't worry though, I'm not one of those crazies who will tape myself playing the game then post it on youtube. I'm not THAT crazy.

There's No Crying in Baseball... There's No Crying!

There wasn't really any crying in this particular baseball game but there definitely was a brawl. It looked intense, but hilarious at the same time. Last night, the Jays played the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. Let's just say that two Jays players got hit with the ball while at bat, so the Jays had to do something about it. This clip has it all. Just watch.

I've gotten out of my Jays fanatic stage, but still. This was worth mini-blogging about.

Hey, it's Colin Firth!

Here's a not-so interesting TIFF story. Last night, Astrid and I were going to watch The Damned United, but she wasn't feeling up to it. That was fine by me too because I wasn't sure if I was really in the mood to watch a movie anyway. After trying to sell her tickets to the gala and walking around Toronto/Yorkville, eating and having Caesars, we heard a bunch of girls screaming and lots of camera flashes. We decided to see what the hype was all about and ran across Avenue Road. It turns out that Colin Firth had just showed up to the screening of one of his movies. We got to see him! The funniest thing though, was the girl who was standing near by and completely freaking out because she LOVES HIM SO MUCH!

How Many Is This Now?

I don't even know how many blogs I've had in the past. My domain name expired and I didn't renew it... I totally forgot to do it. Since my blog was linked to my website it can't be viewed anymore, so here's a new one. I decided that I wont renew my domain name until I actually design my site. It could be another year until that happens. In the meantime, I still have my music blog (which I DO update) and my photo blog (it doesn't get updated very often).

So, happy (continued) blogging!

Me.