Just One Year

I have been so busy blogging about the past ten years that I have not really done the whole year in review thing.  Facebook, as always, reminded me of my shortcomings, as new app allows one to build a collage of pics from the past year:

 

 And this reminded me that I should come up with a hits list for the past year (and given my poor memory, the overlap with the Aughts lists is probably going to be pretty high).

1. The year really got into swing at the International Studies Association meeting in NYC which fell near my daughter's birthday. So, we combined my professional obligations with a family excursion, and had a great time. 
2. Paris.  Despite much rain, I enjoying my return after twenty plus years and received heaps of useful information for the next book.
   
3. Berlin.  My first time to this formerly divided city, which provoked contradicting responses.  Beautiful, interesting, but historically tragic. Again, very useful stuff for the book.
   
4. London. Learned a great deal during a one day workshop.  Took advantage of my first time back since 1987 to enjoy heaps of the city, including Avenue Q, pubs, museums, etc.  And fun to see the battleground for the HP and the Half-Blood Prince--I was on the bridge that was destroyed early in the movie!  Fun times indeed.
   
5. Montreal's comedy fest was comedic, as always.
6. The family beach trip was the usual fun combo of silly kids, beaches and eating on my Dad's tab.
7. APSA in Toronto was especially enjoyable due to much time with my favorite folks. [Some might consider it strange that I have two conferences on my list of highlights, but I love conferences]
8. Ultimate.  Always proved to be aptly named, especially when playing with the kid or in the old folks tourney.
   
9. Blogging.  It has been fun to ramble about stuff; it forces me to read more stuff on the web, and I enjoy the responses I receive.  
10. Oh, and Kangaroo Milk!!
    

The year was not all peaches and cream, as my friends now that I suffered the occasional reverse.  And I have paid far more attention to those events than to the positive stuff, which I must remind myself daily, are more consequential.  Despite the economic catastrophes near and far, I have it pretty good. Of course, I hope my 2010 has more highlights like this year's with none of the bad beats.

So, here is a seasonally appropriate but highly inappropriate video.