2011 yearly recap

Although I took a break from blogging for most of this year, I still kept a list of stuff that happened this year. So, here's a recap...

January - for whatever reason, I thought I could do a "Project 52" list. That's where you pick 52 things that you want to get accomplished in a year with the idea that you do one a week. I don't know what possessed me to think this was a good idea. But, I started the year off all gung-ho to get going on it. But by the end of the year, the only thing on the list that I was still actively pursuing, was reading. I wanted to read 20 books this year, but only managed to read 18. Mind you.. two of them were over 800 pages!

February - Trips to Victoria, problems at work, and being sick. Not a very "fun" month.

March - A large earthquake and tsunami in Japan dominated the news this month. And I did a training class for work, which meant yet another trip to Victoria.

April - problems with my boss started at the beginning of the year, but escalated this month. I did a lot a soul searching this month, to come to the conclusion that my so called dream job was anything but a dream. It was starting to be more like a nightmare. As a result, my creativity was challenged. I stopped blogging, writing, and crafting, as I faced the prospect of looking for another job.

May - Our company meeting was in Victoria this month, and the girls from Dallas came up on the weekend, so we could all go whale watching. It was a fun trip.

June - The Canucks skated their way to the Stanley Cup Final, only to lose in Game 7. Then a bunch of idiots decided to riot in downtown. Mom and Dad celebrated milestone birthdays, and we had a big BBQ for them.

July - A and I took a trip to the Island for his birthday. We had a wonderful time.

August - We had one of the coldest summer's ever. It never really got above 80 degrees at all. I spent some time in the pool, but not as much as other years. The weather just never seem to get warm enough. Although, it was perfect for me, working from home and all, because it wasn't too hot. Jack Layton died. And I decided to apply for another job... on the other side of the city.

September - I had a couple of interviews this month for new jobs, and spent a lot of time meeting with employment agents, and sending out resumes. At the end of the month, I was offered, and accepted, a new job. Which means I got to quit my current job! The timing could not have been better.

October - The second month, in which I did not blog at all. Not even one post. Steve Jobs passed away early in the month. And, because I quit my job, and didn't have to start the new one until November, I got 2 weeks off!! It was heaven. One of the most relaxing times I've ever had.

November - I started a new job on the first of the month. While the job is fairly easy, and the people I work with are really nice, the commute is something that I'm not actually liking too much. I'm pretty much "out of touch" from 7:00am until 6:00pm every work day now. I'm not used to being "unplugged" that much. It's been a challenge to get used to it. But, I still think I made the right move. Only time will tell.

December - Despite having been at my new job for only 8 weeks, I actually managed to take 10 days off over the Christmas holidays. A's father (my father-in-law) and his wife came to visit over the Christmas holidays. It was wonderful having family around, and we really enjoyed visiting with them.

As a side note: I read somewhere that the 3rd most stressful thing one person can go through, is changing their job. It's 3rd only to the death of a spouse, or a divorce. I never realized how taxing changing jobs could be, or what stress it does create. But, I did realize that when I'm that stressed out, my creativity vanishes. I hope next year I can find the time to get back into "blogging" on a regular basis, and get some crafting done too.

Best wishes to everyone for 2012.