Best of 2009

Blink and you'll miss it, 2009 has come and gone in a blur. I started the year feeling old, and that's the way the year has ended (I didn't get ID checked while buying liquor for New Years). And with that here's a countdown of my 2009 events. 2009 has been a year of new for me, new experiences, new starts, new decisions, and most importantly new memories:

1) New York New York: I have a hatred for the New York Rangers that stretches deep down to the depths of my soul, and for me to say that I would consider living in New York goes to show how spending one week there has changed my views. I still hate the Rangers, but the city of New York is sensory overload. You could live there for years and wouldn't see all it has to offer.

2) Julio's Whistler Birthday: Surrounded with friends, watching the UFC ppv in an outdoor pub, with all of Whistler as a backdrop. It's times like these that make you wish you had more free time.

3) The Playoff Haul: The season started in 2008, but my first organized hockey playoffs was in 2009. The famed Chow Dang Chen line distracted the other team's top defencemens allowing the rest of the Sharks team to rack up goals in the playoffs. The lessons learned in organized sports is not something you'll find anywhere else, and having the opportunity to play on the same line as two friends made it all the more memorable, even if I didn't manage a single point in the playoffs...

4) Meeting Mr. Canuck: Fifteen years of tried and true dedication, I finally met the only man worthy of the title Mr. Canuck. I only managed three sentences, and I'm sure from the other end it was a jargled bunch of nonsense, but that was the best conversation I ever had. EVER.

5) Portland Scuffle (April): Shopping, indoor skating rink, Mark's ticket for dangerous lane changes, the Kevin Garnett bouncer, Shum's worse hangover ever. The thing I'll remember most will be the Starbucks latte that almost started a fight between us, the elementary african american kids, and the hispanic kids.

6) The Perfect Grape: I set out in 2009 to find a classy drink to order at upscale restaurants. Must've went through boxes and boxes of different wines. What started out as a search for the right wine turned to long nights of reminiscing with the pals. I hope I never find the right wine.

7) Festival of Festivals: Caribbean festival, Japanese festival, farmer's market, random street festivals. I never knew how many events took place in Vancouver until I actually checked. Most of which took place during the summer time. Vancouver needs to have more of these events, and a centralized calendar to promote from, and some events during the winter time.

8) Coastal Party: I had a blast at the party. It means even more now that I'm no longer with the company.

9) Outdoor Hotpot: An annual tradition, we proved that it's never too cold to cook food around a boiling pot of water. I was also able to use my super bright commercial painters light. Any chance you have of using a light like that, you take it.

10) Controlling The Dragon: First, and probably last, time dragon boating this year. Last because I doubt I'll find 10 others who want to form a team with me. Like all sports, technique plays a huge factor in dragon boating. It was really amazing to see the difference between a unisoned rowing team and a team that's just winging it. False lake water is nasty.

With that, 2009 is done and over with. Bring on 2010!