I Lack Blur: The 2008 Summary

I certainly don’t lack focus. If anything, I’ve got too much focus. Why haven’t I updated my blog in years? Because I’ve been focused on other things, and lost sight of the importance of documenting my every move in verbose detail. (That sounded sarcastic, but I actually meant it. If this blog can’t be an extension of my own memory, what good is it?). And what happens when I finally get my shit together, and whip out a blog post? I write a list.

Things I have done this year, but haven’t blogged about:

I moved three times. From NYC -> Cousin’s Place -> Apartment -> Rental House. Needless to say, I’m tired of moving. I’ve had this idea that living in other parts of the country before I “settle” would be fun—and it has, largely—but living your life with the expectation that you’re going to move soon isn’t easy. For that reason, I’m going to start looking for houses to buy. I’m not saying that Austin is my final destination; I just don’t see a good reason to leave, right now.
I returned to South Africa for the first time in 20 years. It was an amazing trip, and completely worth the dent it put in my savings account. Only 20 years later do I realize the huge sacrifice my parents made trading the beautiful mountain & ocean views for small town Minnesota, all in hopes that their children would have a better life. We did, I guess, but damn, politics and crime aside, Cape Town is paradise.
I got a job I’m crazy about. It’s largely responsible for my lack of focus in other areas, as I’ve been wrapped up in work. But after spending 2 years underutilized and bored at Columbia, this is a welcome change.
I caught myself using “we” instead of “I”, far too many times. Have I lost my sense of self? Can I not make small talk with a hairdresser without talking like I’ve got a mouse in my pocket? This will not stand in 2009.
I got a dog. Well, Maggie was really the one pushing for it, but she (Molly) is great. If you knew her, you’d agree she’s a mix of Lab, Coonhound, Shepherd, Mountain Goat, Rabbit, and Frog. Being a rescue dog, she definitely has her issues, but she’s a good beast, overall, and I like her. She’s a good singer, too.
I volunteered for a political campaign, and that campaign won. Hey, two new things in one sentence.

All other minor things I did can be sussed out on flickr, or on twitter.

How about things I didn’t do, though?

I didn’t keep in touch with friends very well. The more I move, the more friends I leave behind, and the ones I’ve left behind haven’t heard much from me lately. That’s something I’d like to change.
I didn’t get in better shape. This year, lest I be a fat lump.
I didn’t write enough sentences. I certainly wrote enough code, but my network of various blogs and social networks got ignored in ‘08.

So, my resolution for 2009: be better in every way. Easy, right?