Looking back on 2010

This is my first ever blog. I was sat, bored, looking through my facebook pictures. It occurred to me that whilst on the surface, 2010 felt like a year full of frustrations and closed doors; I actually managed to squeeze in quite a lot of fun!

So -- here is my highlights list;  memories, trips and achievements of 2010.

1.  A trip to Vegas!! Along with Ryan, Mark, my brother and his beautiful girlfriend. Highlights; climbing aboard the 3 thrill rides at the top of the Stratosphere and seeing the Lion King production..awesome! Not-so-highlights; discovering "circus circus" is nowhere near as fun as it sounds, and having to give housekeeping an extra good tip to ensure puke-free sheets after  quite the messy night out. - oh and the hangover that ensued should be added to this portion!
   



Miranda and I in front of the Bellagio



2.  Skiing! After lots of coaxing Ryan, we finally made the trip up to Mount Washington... and the rest was history! We quit the gym, and instead treated ourselves to season ski passes. Highlights; skiing with my family; in particular mum and dad...absolutely hilarious. Not-so-highlights; waiting the 20 minutes for my mum to get up after feeling "somewhat faint" at the top of the mountain.
   

   

   A real live-action snapshot
   
   

3. Visits from the homeland.  I had three visits from family and friends back in England this year! The first were two close friends from high school, Hannah and Sophie. Highlights; Playing/singing/drumming to Coldplay on Guitar Hero (we rocked!) Not-so-highlights; Destroying our running shoes with mud on a hike in Campbell River.
   

   

   Trying to avoid the mud
   
   

4. Our second trip to George, Washington on Labour Day weekend to see the amazingly talented Dave Matthews Band play a three night gig at the beautiful Gorge Amphitheater. Highlights; Seeing Dave play from the very front row of the pit, and hearing "Sister" for the first time. Not-so-highlights; one word... portapotti!!!!
   

   

   Dave Matthews

   
    
5. November was a very special month for us. We gained two new additions to our family, my first ever pets! A 7 week old exotic kitten named 'Little Whiskey' (aka garfield, stink butt, ginger minger), and a 10 week old tabby kitten that we rescued from the SPCA named 'Autumn'.  Highlights; Seeing Autumn run and find Little Whiskey whenever she hears him crying (usually because he is lost). Not-so-highlights; None.
       

   

   Autumn and Little Whiskey playing.

   
   
6.  The two other family visits I had from aunts, uncles and cousins I hadn't seen in years were fantastic. The first to stop by were uncle Peter and auntie Janice; unfortunately Ryan and I had been ill the whole week of their visit, so we only saw them for one day. The second visit was from my uncle Kevin,auntie Sam and their two little boys Alexander and Zachary. It was lovely to show them around the island. Highlights; meeting Zachary for the first time, and hearing him say "tickle ma belli sawra, tickle ma belli" in the cutest Yorkshire accent! Not-so-highlights; Discovering our brand new bed in a box had leaked air and deflated under Sam and Kev in the night!!
   

   

    My cousins Zachary and Alexander.

   
    
7. Sketching - This year I discovered that I can kind-of draw! I have now started sketching in my spare time, I have only finished two pictures so far. It feels great to see the finished product of something you have worked on for hours!
   
   
8. My trip to NYC! Yup, the big apple. I went along with Sophie and Hannah for a weekend trip. We seemed to cram a lot into the time we spent, walking miles through the heart of New York City visiting the sights and sounds...and all in the rain! Highlights; Getting standby tickets to see Chicago on Broadway. It was totally amazing. Not-so-highlights; All the rain!!
   

   

   Posing with the 'Charging Bull' in NYC.

   
   
9. Two moves... two months. In September we moved into a much bigger, nicer house. Ahh the luxury! But it wasn't to last for long. Three weeks later, I was informed by work that I would be moving to Williams Lake, BC. I wouldn't say this was a particularly pleasant experience, but it was definitely an achievement of a sorts! Highlights; Driving up to Williams Lake with the kittens roaming around the car - Autumn's reaction to the windshield wipers was priceless. Not-so-highlights; Pretty much everything else.
   
   
10. Visiting family and friends for Christmas. This was a nice treat to be back at home in Nanaimo, BC. Not only that, but I got to catch up with my friends Val, Ingrid and Drew. Highlights; Seeing how much Jakob has grown and gained his own gorgeous personality. Not-so-highlights; the security agents at the airport making me carry both kittens in my arms at the same time through the scanner before realising that they didn't actually need me to do it. (Grrrr) Oh, and discovering it wasn't all-you-could-eat-sushi day after sitting down at the restaurant with Ingrid. Heavy were our hearts.   
     

    

    Myself, Jakob and Drew at the Mall with Val.

    
    

 There are lots more memories that pour into my mind, but I think I've shared enough for now. Let's just hope 2011 brings even more of the good stuff!