January
-Allie turned the big one-nine
-Great gram had a rough go of things, but she pulled through
February
-I had myself a Valentine, who took me to see Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 3D, making me not so anti-valentine after all
-The Hobbit was still as horrible to read as it was when I was in the sixth grade (it was for my degree... whaddaya want from me?)
-Auto Show! I'm not a car freak, but I do enjoy going to see what there is to see
March
-I went on the ultimate girl adventure: my Goose asked me to be in her bridal party, and we went and spent an afternoon shopping for wedding dresses. The dress she chose was also one that I pulled off the rack!
-My 9 year old cousin won his battle with leukemia
-A week later, that cousin's great-grandmother, who was also my aunt, died of cancer
-The weather was that of May instead of March. The air was fresh, sweet, and glorious
-I started to get job placements through temp agencies
April
-With help from some glorious weather on Easter weekend, our household had its first-ever paper airplane competition with my uncle winning the title
-Happy birthday to my mom-friend
-I tried lamb for the first time. I discovered that I don't care for it, but I'll eat it to be polite
-On the 9th day, 1917, Canada won the Battle for Vimy Ridge
May
-Dadder's birthday!
-I always remember my high school science teacher during this month as he would wander through the hallways saying, "May the fourth be with you!"
-I sent my boyfriend a dirty picture of myself (I was filthy from changing the tires on my car, so my mother snapped a pic, and I sent it to him. Get your head out of the gutter)
-Happy 2-4!
June
-Hello, strawberry season!
-The CFL was underway, along with Ivor Wynne Stadium's final year (the home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats)
-I watched the airshow from my front yard, and yes, it made me very happy
-Lola our Showgirl came back to Canada from France for a visit. It was like she had never left
July
-I was taken on with Arbitrage Magazine, lovingly known as The ARB
-Canada Day! Like every year, my family could be found at the Rec Park
-The Summer Olympics in London, England was in full swing
-The heat in Southern Ontario was insane (for the record, I hate the heat)
-The best fruits and veggies that a person could ever want were finally in season at neighbouring farms
-We adopted the adorable, beautiful, cuddly stray cat that had been hanging around our property. Her name was Meu
-I went to my first-ever midnight movie showing: The Dark Knight Rises
August
-Thoughts of the fair were in the air
-We had become accustomed to Meu being a part of our family
-Mum and I had ourselves an impromptu picnic dinner at the Grand River in Caledonia, bringing back many childhood memories for her
-The days were still hot, but fall could start to be felt in the evening
-My cancer-free cousin and his family went to Legoland in California, compliments of the children's Make-A-Wish foundation
September
-Allie moved back to school
-Our Meu was killed when she got hit by a car. We had her trained to stay off the road at the front of our house, but it never dawned on us that she would go through the field to the road at the side. We were quite sad as she was more than just a cat
-Talk derby to me! The Binbrook Fair was in full swing
-Great gram celebrated her 99th birthday
-Ivor Wynne Stadium hosted its final Labour Day Classic
-My first article with the ARB was posted
-The new Bellmoore opened, and the original Bellmoore became a French Immersion school
October
-It was the year of quarter-century increments: I turned 25, my uncle turned 50, and my papa 75
-I took my boyfriend, who is a hard-core city boy, out on a pumpkin patch adventure that Charlie Brown would envy, complete with gourd slingshots, wagon ride, and cornfield maze
-The suicide of tenth-grader Amanda Todd took the nation by storm, and upped the ante on anti-bullying campaigns across the country
-The end of my road finally had a stoplight put in. It should have been there many years ago when one of my recess playmates was killed at that particular intersection when I was in grade three (she was in the second grade)
November
-Remembrance Day was memorable, like always. I met up with former cadets, former officers, and the service guest speaker, Ted Barris, gave me hope that I too can successfully keep the memories of our veterans alive
-Consumerism drove me bat-shit bonkers yet again as like every year, Halloween had been over for a matter of hours, and the commercials for Christmas had begun
-I interviewed a couple of veterans for my ARBicle, "Confessions of a Poppy Hoarder"
-My dear, darling boyfriend brought me flowers on the 19th to celebrate knowing me for a full year (we met in the Dominican Republic at a friend's wedding November 2011)
-I went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (I had received tickets for my birthday)
-I finished my Literature for Children course
December
-Christmas was in the air, and I started to feel the spirit of the season
-I applied for the ARB's co Editor-in-Chief position, but I wasn't chosen. I'm glad I tried, but I think I may have felt like I was in over my head if I got the position, so a Staff Writer I remain
-Allie moved back home
-The world was supposed to end, but when I woke up the morning of the 21st, and saw that China was still here, I figured the world was planning on sticking around for a while longer
-My family hosted its first-annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party
-Unlike last winter, we actually got some snow. I've already been out snowshoeing
If I'm exhausted by the end of tomorrow night, New Years Eve, I think you can understand why. It's been a busy, but fulfilling year. Those of you who have plans for ringing in the new year, may it be healthy and happy. May 2012 have done you well, and may 2013 only get better!
Happy New Year!
