So this is the New Year, and I have no resolutions.

Welp, it's about time; time for the annual e-version of the Christmas/New Year's/Valentine's Day card that I failed to publish in analog form in the first place. So it's only 14 days late. Here goes:

Hello, friends and family and any web-readers unfortunate enough to have been pulled into this blog by way of the gravitational pull of my enormous online ego! Happy New Year!

And what a year it's been, eh? So here's a brief 2007 retrospective, for all of you who have just tuned in and are too lazy to look at the archives...
[dream fade-in effect thingy]

2007 started out in a little bar in a small town I like to call Tokyo, and got progressively more weird. We left Japan, my home for the past 19 months, on a cold morning in mid-January, bound for Jo's United Kingdom. The flight took 12 hours. We spent two lovely weeks in the UK, seeing many of sights from London to Edinburgh. I flew back to the US so I could be searched (twice, domestically) by National Transportation Safety Administration/Department of Inefficiency/Terrorism-Maker-Goer-Away-ers/whatever they're calling themselves these days. Managed to only get involved in one major snowstorm between NY and MN, and spend Valentine's Day in the Cleveland airport. Good times.

Mid-February to Mid-September
Lived in North Minneapolis, though a slightly less dangerous neighborhood than last time. Had two fantastic housemates, friends of mine from college, who, in addition to being sweet housemates and having a kiddie pool out back for cool summertime fun, also brew their own beer. Had lots of good times with them; most of which didn't really involve leaving the yard. One good time that DID involve leaving the yard included strapping a full-size mattress and boxspring to the roof of D's Kia. We always have good adventures.

Managed to only work three jobs this summer, including an original one. Walked into my old Caribou Coffee about three days after I returned, and was offered a job! If only all jobs were that easy...I'd have about fifteen jobs right now...and I'd be late for all of them... Anyway. Worked with cool new set of kids at the 'Bou, which means I'm batting 1.000 there. Started a screenplay about a coffeeshop in space, but have only got as far as the first page. :(
The second job was at the apartment building again. Lots of the same old cast (no pun intended), but they'd changed the interior scenery, which was very nice. Lots of weekend fun.
Third job was the new one, as a writing/communications intern at a large agricultural bank in St. Paul. Got the job through a good friend of mine, who was also my boss. I think she enjoyed that. Managed to (hopefully) save the company loads of money by helping research and design an e-newsletter for corporations, and even got one of my articles included on their new website. Good times. Finished there about ten days before moving to England to start univeristy again for the first time in three years.

Jo came out for a visit in early July, and got to see how we celebrate our lack of Britishness (and no, Iain, it isn't by invading yet another sovereign nation). After showing me the beautiful, historical sights in London, Cambridge, and many other places, I was eager to show Jo some of the amazing things Minnesota has to offer.




















Ta da! A Big Ball o' Twine!

Spent a week in New York as well, splitting time between my parents' and the City. The City was a first for both of us (yes, I am that pathetic), but fantastic. Managed to eat just about everything the City is known for, as well as see a fair number of the sights. Still, a return journey will be required.

September-December
As previously mentioned, I moved to the UK this autumn to be with Jo and to start a Masters in English Lit at the University of Leeds. I decided that studying Jacques Derrida and deconstructionism would be useful in understanding postmodern literature; I decision I soon came to regret (It is a good course of study, just difficult).

Holidays
Spent Christmas at Jo's parents' in Cambridgeshire, which gave me the opportunity to meet just about every member of her extended family. Or, for them to meet me I suppose. Jo's mum is a fantastic cook, and somehow managed to feed all 10 or 13 or 650 of us huge, delicious meals every four hours every day we were there. Not sure exactly how much weight I put on over the course of one week, but it was probably in the double-digit-pound department. And a fine time was had by all.

Iain and Minori stopped by during our 2.5 days home between Christmas and New Year, which was excellent. Hadn't seen Iain in a full two weeks (oh wait, I didn't post about going to Edinburgh, did I? Crap. Story in a bit *), but we did get to do some more catching up. He's moving back to Japan in the spring, and pretty well ruining any chances of rock superstardom we had. Not that I'm bitter.

For New Year, Jo and I went with about 15 others to Abbeylands House (or here) in Alnwick, Northumberland, where a(nother) fine time was had by all, and massive quantities of food were also consumed. We rang in the New Year in style, with food, champagne, dancing, games, and (gasp) fireworks. We successfully did NOT start the New Year with a large fire or a loss of damage deposit. Which was nice. Many of the party (I believe our number and relative age allow our group to qualify as a "party") took part in vigorous activity at some point during the weekend, whether it be a walk on the beach, a walk around Alnwick (An-nick), or a game of footy. I, however, was behind a desk writing, or in "the reading room" ("!!!") reading Derrida (which brought Counting Crows to mind quite a bit - It's been a long December, and there's reason to believe/That this year will be better than the last). Oh well, the bastard paper's done.
Got back from Northumberland an afternoon ahead of the UK's first widespread snow, which was nice. It lasted on the ground a good day before politely melting and further confusing the budding trees (who I kind of imagine looking frantically around and thinking "WTF?").

Turned in the bastard paper and the other paper last Monday, which may or may not be the best feeling in the world. Other than the impending grade. Bah and humbug. Spent the last week recuperating from writing, playing Age of Empires II, and sleeping. Coming down with a bugger of a cold, and will probably spend this week recuperating from that, trying to find a job, and reading the 47 Graham Greene books I've got. Luckily, D sent some over with my coat. Will go get that from the Post Office (pox on their houses) tomorrow...


New Years Resolutions:
1. Be more punctual.

Damn.




* Embra wknd in a nutshell: Train, car, chat, beer, sleep, wake, walk, bookstore, museum, dressing up like a centurion, sleet, snow, pub, fins scots and spaniards, talk, games, sleep, car, train. Good times.
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