2006: Best Year EVER????
1. Moved to Portland, arrived Jan. 8th! One year anniversary this monday..Best decision I've made in a long time.
2. Got kick ass job at animation studio. Life suddenly felt less bleak than when I was catering to surly tourists at the hotel job I got upon moving here.
3. New friends/Old friend re-connections. There's a billion I'll forget to list, but Greg N, Chris B, Colin, ZP, Bak, Dylan, Sarah O, Doug, Niko, Misty, Dave & Paloma, Rhett, Stephan, Dain, Huy, Joshy S. and others make my day to day existence not only bearable but kind of incredible.
4. Dancing. This is the year I discovered I really love to dance. Something I didn't do a whole lot of before this year, and it's basically my new religion. If I don't hit the dancefloor at least once a week, I get ANTSY.
5. Being Single for the first time in 10 years. I'll always love the 2 ladies I was with (7 and 3 years, back to back), but I'm really loving the true feeling of freedom I have. This isn't just about uh, you know (which is AWESOME and could prolly be it's own numbered point here, but I don't want to seem TOO egoistical). It's a total outlook sea-change. I'm also really happy Carly and I have managed to stay BFFs despite breaking up, as it was for the best. She's cool.
6. Tuesdays at L'Astra and the Tube. I have a hard time saying no (to anything, really), but even though I've had to cut out almost all weeknight activities because of my 50+ hour a week job, get togethers of amazing dinners and drinks and dancing with good new peeps is something I'm unable to say no to. It's a ritual I pay for every wed, and I can't help it. I just have to go home earlier (and no more storefront!)
7. getting healthy/skinny(er). Eating better/dancing/drinking less (beer and more hard liquor) have all coincided to make me a happier,sassier person, and then that shit feeds back into itself and creates a feedback loop of FUN AND ENJOYMENT!@!!!!!
8. Music.... I got fucking burnt out on it being a college radio dj for 5 years (and MD/program director for 1.5 of those), but I kind of found my love for music again this year, in part thanks to dancing.. I still won't be reading the WIRE cover-to-cover again (coming from a subscriber of 2 years, and that shit was EXPENSIVE) or browsing pitchfork with any regularity anytime soon, but I've got a newfound enthusiasm for the audible treat. See also- best shows of 2006: Girl Talk, Glass candy @ dunes, Spankrock @ holocene, Dragging an ox @ Tube, Nurse with wound et all at Sabalas, Les Georges Leningrad, Get Hustle/Quintron, Here comes a big black cloud and Show me the pink at Rotture (and others but hey here's the things I can think of now).
9. Portland food/coffee/beer etc. BASICALLY PORTLAND IS GREAT FOR ALL THE STUFF YOUPUT IN YOUR MOUTH!!!!!!!!!
10. after losing steam on my comics career due to all the distractions of fun exciting life in general, Finding my footing and getting back on the horse again, creatively speaking.. Secret Voice #2 APRIL 2007!!!
3 TO DO:
1. Work harder on my comics life. Both on SV and newly hatched plans for collab with the talented Derek ballard(!)
2. Have more fun. I don't know if it's possible really, but I would like to try.
3. Stay healthy, continue to rock.
