Happy New Year

"Another year over, a new one just begun"

I rang in 2009 in a very different way from 2008. Last year, I was at Disney World, watching the fireworks at Epcot, surrounded by thousands of people. This year, I spent the evening at a small gathering, enjoying the company of a dozen or so people.

Celebrating the beginning of another year, one often pauses to look back at the year gone by, and I'm no different. I figured I'd put together a list of some of the most memorable events of 2008.

In no particular order:

• The New York Giants upset the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, winning 17-14, in perhaps the greatest upset in the history of pro sports.
• Illinois Senator Barack Obama is elected the 44th president of the United States on Nov. 4, becoming the first African-American elected to the office. Obama picked up 365 electoral votes, soundly defeating Arizona Senator John McCain.
• Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized to Canada's First Nation peoples for the residential school system.
• The 2008 Summer Olympics take place in Beijing in August. American swimmer Michael Phelps wins a record eight gold medals. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt sets two world records in the 100 and 200 metre dashes, and makes it look easy.
• Canada's opposition parties attempt to defeat the Conservative government and form a coalition government. Prime Minister Harper manages to hold off the coalition until at least the end of January, after convincing the Governor-General to suspend Parliament.
• A global financial crisis, drawing comparisons to the Great Depression, sends world economies spiralling downward.
• The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers renewed their rivalry, meeting for the first time in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987. The Celtics defeated the Lakers four games to two, winning their league record 17th title, and first since 1986.
• An outbreak of the bacteria listeriosis from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Ontario, led to a massive product recall, and at least 20 deaths.

Some good, some bad, some just ridiculous. That was 2008 in a nutshell.

On a personal level, there were a few highlights. I graduated from university and got my first job in journalism.

And what about 2009? Unfortunately, I can't predict the future. If I could I'd be out buying lottery tickets right now.

I have some hopes of my own, and some things I'd like to accomplish. I've made New Year's resolutions in the past, but I usually can't keep them. They're quite often too much to handle. This year, I decided to make a short list, mostly of easy resolutions to keep, things that really won't be difficult, but will certainly improve my life. That's what I think a resolution should be about, making yourself better. With that in mind, I'll share a few of my New Year's resolutions.

• Read at least two books a month. I used to read a lot. But through university, I just couldn't find the time to read for pleasure. Now, I have more time. I'm working a regular job, with regular hours, so I want to take the time and get back into reading. I won't limit myself to two, but I figure two books in 30 days is reasonable.
• Watch more old movies. I watch a fair number of movies, but it's mostly films from the last 15-20 years. There's so many of those great old classics out there, from the Golden Age, that I've never seen. Even as recently as the 1960s and 70s. From my perspective, those are relatively old movies, and there's some real classics out there. Part of this resolution will probably involve watching the American Film Institute's top 100 movies of all time. (see list here)
• Go to the gym at least three times a week. I've been an irregular visitor to the gym as of late. Three times a week is a good start, as I try to get back into a regular workout routine. As the year progresses, the number will certainly increase. Three times a week probably won't include any time I spend swimming either.
• Kick the caffeine habit. I'm not a huge coffee drinker, but I tend to have at least one a day, and more often than not, at least two cups. It's really just something I want to do for myself. It upsets my stomach, and leads to acid reflux (TMI perhaps). I'll be drinking much more green tea in 2009.
• Move on to a job in Ontario. I work in Woodstock, a town of 5,000 people. This is not my final destination, by any stretch of the imagination. Since I started on my career path as a journalist, my ultimate goal has always been to work in Ontario, specifically Toronto. Whether it's for one of the major newspapers like the Globe and Mail or the Toronto Star, or for a magazine, a radio station, or anything else media-related, When I write a similar post to this as we ring in 2010, I fully intend to be writing about my experiences in the big city.

A new year, new possibilities, new challenges. Sounds a little corny and cliche, but it is what it is. Hopefully, the year past was a good one for you, and 2009 brings good things as well. If you're interested, share your thoughts on 2008 and 2009 in the comments.

Happy New Year to one and all.

-BT