My Year in Lists – 2009
So another year has almost come to a close, and fortunately it was better than the previous one. Noone in my family died, I didn’t get involved with someone who turned out to be ‘unhinged’ (to quote the police officer that had to tell him to never contact me again), and I seem to be getting a little better at making sure my life over here is sorted. So I figured it’s time for a quick review, a reflection on all that has happened, and as per the title of the Los Campesinos song (thank you Saber) this year it’s gonna be in lists – short sweet and to the point…
Friends I’ve made:
-Adam, Rachel, Sam, Greg, Rich, R
Friends I’ve lost:
-R, Chard
Good things I’ve done:
- Started a charity clothes drive at work
- Volunteered to help repaint inner-city schools
- Paid my mum back most of the money she lent me over the years
Bad things I’ve done:
- Got ‘too close’ to a friend when we should’ve both known better (nothing happened, but that’s not the point)
Places I’ve visited:
- Baltimore, Grand Cayman, Brighton, Glasgow, London
Steps I’ve taken to ‘settle’ in Chicago:
- Kitted out my apartment with my Xbox and a big ol’ TV on which to play it (42″ of flat-screen pleasure 
)
- Made friends outside of my work circle
- Started to make the most of Chicago and all it has to offer
Bands I’ve seen:
- The Killers, the Doves, The Manics, The Arctic Monkeys, The Fray, Colbie Caillat
Good games I’ve played:
- Mass Effect, Viva Pinata, Dragon Age: Origins, Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box, Lost Odyssey, Magic The Gathering: Duels of the Plainswalkers
Average games I’ve played:
- Ghostbusters, Half Life 2
Bad games I’ve played:
- Batman: Arkham Asylum, Brutal Legend
Things I’ve learnt:
- Friendships which burn the most intensely don’t necessarily stand the test of time
- The most common lie people tell is “I’m not like everyone else” (3 guys tried that on me this year and so far 2 of them have turned out, in fact, to be just like everyone else – I sense an upcoming article…)
- You can’t rely on other people to make you happy – they may help, but you can’t count on them or when it all falls apart you’ll be in a worse situation than you were before
So there you have it, a very brief summary of the last 365 days. I’m sure there are significant things I’ve done or games I’ve played that I’ve temporarily forgotten about, but for now this is what I remember… Happy New Year to all of you, and here’s to 2010 being even better than 2009…
