I’d love to say last year was exceedingly exciting, but in reality, the best I can come up with is average. And, since I haven’t been keeping up with statistics and the like for about half the year, there’s not much sense in pulling a year-long popular posts type thing–those will return starting end of this month, life permitting. The year was so average that, well, I can listify it. So, I will. Because lazy wins on this day after booze.

• Of course, the team I call my own (hint: over here) choked again. In spectacular fashion. They call this the rebuilding year–well, those of us who haven’t seen the playoffs since 2004 are still waiting. Oh well. We’re also used to it.
• I got a lot closer to spending the rest of my life with someone–I even had a quote in hand for a wedding, which was something a lot of people–myself included–didn’t see me doing.
• I moved back to Ottawa, where I actually started to put my life back together–or, rather, where I actually started to have a life again. This whole getting out and doing things idea? Yeah, let’s keep hold of that, yeah?
• That wedding quote I mentioned? Turned out it wasn’t going to be needed after all–I ended up single this year. It was hard getting there, a lot of things went down that kind of kicked me in the face, but I can’t say I didn’t see it coming.
• Met some extremely awesome people this year–and actually started talking to a couple of them more regularly. Get these people in the same room with a nifty amount of something alcoholic and there may not be a room left, but hey, we’d have fun doing it.
• Did a ton of job searching. No job finding, but plenty of searching. That’s halfway, right? That’s what they tell me, anyway.
• And, most importantly, survived to see 2012. Some days I don’t know how, but you’ll have that. Provided life doesn’t continue to kick me in the face, this year will rock in comparison.

So how was your year?

I started this latest incarnation of the blog in late 2009 and had absolutely no idea where it’d end up going. Over a year later, I still have absolutely no idea where it’s going. But I have a thousand or so posts to show for it. Here’s what caught people’s attention last year. Now I get to start reminding myself every 5 minutes to write 2011. I hate you, calendar.

• Last year was a continuation of the year of the geek, started at about the midway point of 2009. And in november, it culminated in the instalation of an OS inside an OS. I had some issues, but nothing a complete reinstall couldn’t fix. Perhaps this year I’ll get around to breaking it.
• I have the pleasure of having spent the last year on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). It took me not very long to figure out we’re not a whole lot less screwed over by this system than we were in 2006 when I left in favour of work. I wrote a few open letters to various political figures re: the current situation. I’ll probably write a few dozen more. You can find all of them I’ve sent so far over here.
• In 2008, Dell closed its Ottawa office, putting an end to several hundred jobs–including mine. The city of Ottawa didn’t do a whole lot to help us out back then. Neither did the provincial or federal governments. Flash forward to March of last year, when an outsourcing call center, convergys, did the same to its Ottawa office. This time, those employees got help. Nearly 9 months later and this post still made it into the top 5 reads. It’s a top 3 read on the year.
• H1N1 was declared dead in August of last year. And not 48 hours later, they’d picked a new one to replace it. And hey look, the H1N1 vaccination may not apply. Be scared, now. Except not really.
• American Airlines needs an education in the worst way. In October of this year, a blind traveller had to surrender his cane for fear it could be used as a weapon. Also in October, I asked what kind of crack they were smoking. To this day, people are still asking.
• Back to the ODSP theme for a second. In September, there was a brief episode of discussion on the blog after ODSP was ordered to make payments to two alcoholic recipients. The human rights tribunal had escentially declared an unwillingness to deal with alcoholism a disability. ODSP had been fighting it for years and, in my opinion, rightly so. Not everyone agreed with me. Fortunately, that’s why I do this.
• Clive Doucet doesn’t much like me. And with good reason. In 2009, I exchanged a brief series of emails with him over the OC Transpo strike that virtually shut down parts of the city. Since then, he’d been mailing me promotional material re: his position as city counsellor, and later, his platform as mayoral candidate. I asked him to stop. Then, I told him to stop. Then, I ranted. Fortunately he’s no longer a city counsellor. Bright side: he stopped.
• Everyone who knows me knows I haven’t legally purchased a CD in years. Nearly everyone I know can probably say the same. In May of 2010, with the help of another blog I frequently read, I explained why. I still haven’t heard very many, if any, opposing points of view. And even less of those that haven’t already been disproven 6 ways from Sunday.
• I’ve been using Linode for some of my interests for a few years. Now, it hosts a small portion of the professional endeavor I’m currently involved in setting up–more on that when we’ve got the groundwork laid out. A very nifty promotion in June nearly prompted me to move everything. Occasionally, I still consider doing so–though now, I may just move it to the afore mentioned professional endeavor. No, you’re not getting details yet.
• Technology hasn’t been very nice this year. Neither have the various cellular phone cariers. Wind Mobile, champions of the “we’re different” line of thinking, was a little extra naughty in October. I called their CEO out for it. Surprise, I still haven’t heard back. And neither has the customer who commented on that post. Different? Perhaps not.
• June was a busy, and surprising, month in the James household. Linode promotions, birthday cellebrations, time spent with family, and of course, getting engaged. I’m still not used to that last one. It’s a nice feeling, though.
• And lastly, my current web host is usually uber awesome. Largely part of why I have yet to pack up and move everything–see above. Sometimes, though, they’re awesome in ways not immediately noticeable to potential new customers. Like when they mistakenly send you an email offering customers who haven’t gone VPS a discount to do so after you’ve already done so. And then, because they can, giving you the discount. You made my year, DreamHost. Now please try not to break things–that’s my job.

That’s 2010 according to the blog. Sadly, or perhaps not so, the year’s been fairly uneventful otherwise–kind of how I like it. There are one or two things that didn’t get posted, or make the list. You’ll see those tonight. Or tomorrow. Or eventually. So how was your 2010?

It’s been a relatively quiet year, all things considering, with the majority of the excitement coming in the last few months. In fact, so little has happened that I do believe I’ll pull out one of my rare list format entries. So, without further delay, my year, in a nutshell.

• Nothing professionally to speak of, save for a few interviews that didn’t actually lead anywhere
• Spent plenty of time on both sides of the border with Jessica, getting even closer to her than we were already
• Got to watch my cousin Stephen get married, the third in this bracket of our family to do so
• Had to return to disability against my will after unemployment insurance ran out, what with the nonexistent professional life at the moment as mentioned above
• Moved back to the Petawawa/Pembroke area as a result of having lost said unemployment insurance
• And, in and around all of this, became an uncle to a potential future quarterback

All in all, a few bumps and scrapes but an otherwise fairly average, bordering on dull, year. I’d like to say I hope 2010 turns out the same way, but really, I like a little more excitement than that. And I wouldn’t say no to a job. But, that was 2009. One of these days I’ll actually come up with a resolution for the next year. But it won’t be today.

Because, well, everyone else is doing it. Granted I’m hella late, but… well, y’know. One has to give a shit first. Things happened in spirts this year, starting about halfway through. The first few months were relatively uneventful, though. By about the beginning of march, my old job over at Dell had started the conversion from software to hardware technician. I’d originally ducked out of the night shift so I could avoid it, but they were sending everyone over there anyway. I’d since applied for the advanced qualification, though at the time of the switchover I hadn’t heard anything about it. It would be May of the year, near the end of it, when I’d received my sort of promotion and the pay increase that comes with. I observed when I heard the word about it that in about a month’s time, it wouldn’t have made a whole lot of difference. And, in fact, on June 27th of that year, I twittered it. The month-long vacation began at that point. In July of this same year, I started talking to Jessica (samari76). we’d had several conversations, and shortly after I was laid off, we decided to meet. So, on the 25th of July, she made what would be her first of a few trips to this side of the border and we met. During the course of that week, we decided to make things official. It was before she even got here that I’d gone and got certain things started in that particular area. It’s been a lot of back and forth since then, including the most recent trip up here for Christmas. There was an interview or two along the way, not that they got me anywhere. A few things of lesser importance also took place over the course of the year.

• My brother ended up getting married
• Though he might be going to afghanistan
• Found out he can’t go, due to a fairly bad knee injury
• sorted out unemployment things, and started actually receiving the relevant income

And now, I crack open and finish slamming back my first coke of 2009.