Time for the annual previous year in review post (which I’ve been lazy about posting, so it’s several months late)!

January

• I started a new job! After 10 years with my old employer, I’m now a business analyst working as a contractor in the US Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
• I went to my first professional basketball game. I’m not really a basketball fan – I’m more into baseball and hockey than basketball or football – but some friends of mine thought it’d be fun to go.
• Mom, Dad and I saw an exhibit of Lichtenstein’s art at the National Gallery of Art.
• I bought and received an awesome limited-edition signed Classic Mac print from Susan Kare, the designer of the original set of Macintosh icons.
• I started work on my first Arduino project, a notification screen to tell me how long it’ll be until the next bus arrives at my bus stop. It also involved me learning to solder for my first time, too. I got sidetracked after a few weeks and still haven’t yet finished it, though.

February

• My friend Monica came to visit. We saw the Ai Weiwei exhibit at the Hirshhorn…

  …toured a few breweries and distilleries, and ate at Nando’s a lot.

• I visited the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore.
• I attended the premiere of “The Legend of Cool ‘Disco’ Dan”, a documentary on a graffiti artist in DC, and the history of DC from the 1970s through the 1990s.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4gK4HFEw88

  The showing was followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers, and narrator Henry Rollins.

• Our cat Gadget passed away.

March

• I went to DC Donut Fest, with all-you-can-eat donuts, samples from local donut bakeries, and a donut-eating competition.

  After I stuffed myself on donuts, I went to Indochino’s traveling tailors while they were in town to be fitted for a custom suit. Better to be fitted for a suit after all-you-can-eat donuts than before!

• I met track runner and Olympian Julie Culley at the DC Road Runners’ annual banquet.
• I met my friend Sara who was in Baltimore for a science conference.
• The Corcoran Museum of Art had Artini, a fundraiser preceded by feature nights hosted at several bars around DC.
  

  Presented by the Corcoran’s 1869 Society, ARTINI is a vibrant evening of art, cocktails, entertainment, and dancing. The gala is the culmination of a month-long celebration in which eight mixologists from the District’s most prominent restaurants and bars compete to see who can create the most artistic martini.

  I attended one or two of their feature nights to sample a few cocktails ahead of time, and dressed up fancy for the event itself. It was pretty smart to attend the feature nights to try a few of the martinis ahead of time as the event itself was so packed and lines for some of the bars were so long it was impossible to try all the drinks during the actual event.

• I got a flat tire.

  My car wasn’t very pleased.

  

April

• Metro Collective, a group of photojournalists I assist who are based in DC, opened a studio space and hosted a studio warming party complete with portrait sessions. This one’s by Michael Bonfigli.
• I went on what was probably the first and last time I’d go on a first date at 7 AM, to cheer on runners at the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler. A few days later I went after work to enjoy the cherry blossoms on my own. It’s nice to be working in the city and to have that opportunity to wander over to the tidal basin on my way home from work.
• I bought Bertie a cat-cam. It’s on a timer, usually set to take a picture every three seconds, so now he can take pictures as he roams around.
• I went on a tour of my office building’s green roof for Earth Day.

  Being as this was at the Department of Transportation, they also had examples of green vehicles as well, such as one of the cars made by Tesla.

  

• I look pretty scruffy in the pictures of me so far – I was growing a playoff beard for the Washington Capitals as part of a bet with a friend of mine. Once they were eliminated, gone went the playoff beard.

  For your information, I don’t look good with just a mustache.

  

• I had several friends running the Nike Womens’ Half Marathon. I drew a poster and went with some friends to cheer them on.

May

• I went on a tour of a net-zero home, designed to be highly energy efficient and expected to create as much electricity in a year as it uses. It was a very interesting and informative tour, and something I’d like to explore more in the future when it comes time for me to buy a home.
• I met the outgoing Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood.
• I saw some of the filming for the Captain America sequel movie take place. Mostly it was a lot of standing around and then the stunt double would ride a motorcycle for 10 seconds.
• My friend Paul got married.
• I ran the DC Road Runners’ Singles Mingle 5K at National Harbor. Good run, but not much mingling to be done.
• My friend Jenni and I went to see “Showboat” as the Kennedy Center’s Opera in the Outfield simulcast at Nationals Park.
• Vendors occasionally set up in the courtyard next to my office during the week; one day I was able to try some ice cream flavored to order, and made with liquid nitrogen.

June

• I ran the Baltimore 10-Miler. I think it’s probably the first ten miler I’ve ever done?
• I attended a seminar on data visualization taught by Edward Tufte, and was able to get his autograph.
• The DC Road Runners held their Women’s Distance Festival, and I ran in the subsequent Run After the Women 5K.
• A report I helped write for work was sent to Congress.

July

• Saw the 4th of July fireworks from the Mall. It was mostly a last-minute decision since I didn’t really feel like fighting the crowds, but I had no issues at all getting downtown and hopped on a Capital BikeShare bike to get back home.
• My friend Jae moved away from DC and back to the west coast. We celebrated with a potluck going away party.

August

• I celebrated my 31st birthday!
• My friends Eryn and Lauren and I went to the DC Road Runners Cross Country Race and Picnic. We didn’t do any of the cross country running, but did plenty of picnicking!
• My friend Monica hosted a webcomic event at Bad Decisions, my friend John’s bar in Baltimore.

September

• My parents went on a trip to the United Kingdom, so I spent a few weeks cat-sitting at their house.
• I was able to run on one of the runways at Dulles International Airport for their Dulles Day 5K.
• My sister Anne and I attended Small Press Expo in Bethesda and picked up plenty of comics to read.
• There was a shooting at the Navy Yard adjacent to my office.

October

• As part of the government shutdown, I was out of work for two weeks. I spent much of it catching up on reading, learning to program Python, and went on a few day trips with Dad.
• I ran the Marine Corps Marathon, my second marathon. I finished in 4:47:01, about 35 minutes faster than my previous marathon!
• I was invited for a behind the scenes tour of Reagan National Airport.
• My friend Dave and I saw Neko Case in concert at the Lincoln Theater.
• My sister Kelly came to town to visit for a few days.

November

• I met astronaut Chris Hadfield at the Air and Space Museum and was able to get him to sign his book for me.
• I joined the Shack Track and Field run.
• Metro Collective held an event at The Coupe, a bar / diner in DC, as one of the events for FotoWeekDC.
• I joined DC Road Runners’ winter marathon training program. I haven’t picked out a winter marathon yet, though.
• My friends Dave, Tom and Kat joined me for the DC Metro MINIs club “MINIs Take The Beltway” run.
• I took my first yoga class at Yoga District.
• My marathon training pace group joined up for a happy hour and to hang out for the first time since our marathons. Little did we know the bar we had picked was going to have trivia night that night.
• I spent Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle’s with Grandaddy and other family members from my Dad’s side of the family.

December

• My Mom and a few of my aunts and I gathered at my Mom’s office for her company’s holiday party and to view the Annapolis Parade of Lights.
• Grandaddy passed away at the age of 91. 🙁
• I found out that I’m going to be an uncle! My sister Kelly has a due date in late July.
• MINI organized a MINI Cooper owners’ gift swap, and I received a great guide to scenic roads and a new MINI friend in Arizona.

In what’s turning into an annual tradition, here’s last year in review:

January

• I had my first Jumbo Slice. Yes, that slice of pizza is as big as your head.

  

• I visited the Skydome Lounge bar in Crystal City, VA, with a few friends. First time I’d been to a spinny bar!

February

• My MINI Cooper was hit by a shipping pallet that flew off of a delivery truck, scratching my car’s roof, and it amazingly did not cause any other significant damage.
• I met the producer of the Swedish version of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” at a Q&A session at the Embassy of Sweden.
• I helped fund the ‘Manos’ in HD Kickstarter campaign to create a high-definition edition of what some people consider to be the worst film ever made.
• I went to an event for DC fashion bloggers called “Cocktails, Fancy Skirts & Fitted Shirts” held at Hugh & Crye. (Perhaps you’ve seen this commercial?)

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7hyTl3S6Y4

  Yes, my sartorial skills aren’t always what they ought to be, but I’m working on it. 😛

March

• I helped fund a Kickstarter campaign to release ebooks and source material for the online webcomic Diesel Sweeties.
• I ran the Marine Corps’ Irish Sprint 10K. It was the first time I had participated in a trail race, and because I finished, I was guaranteed a registration spot in the Marine Corps Marathon.

  

• My grandmother passed away after a short and sudden illness. 🙁
• I saw Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of TV’s “MythBusters” in a live stage show.

  

April

• I adopted a cat from the Washington Animal Rescue League during their “Mega Match-A-Thon”. His shelter name was “Lion”, but I renamed him “Bertie” after P.G. Wodehouse’s character Bertie Wooster.

  

  He was about 1 year 7 months old when I adopted him, and not only is he the best cat ever, he is also quite the troublemaker (hating my glasses, for example!):

  

• My friends Melanie and Melissa visited from Louisiana.
• I saw the awesome video exhibit “SONG1” at the Hirshhorn:

• I drove up to Boston to visit my cousin Danny and to explore the MIT Flea Market, and to visit with my friend Susan.
• I joined DC Road Runners to help me train for the Marine Corps Marathon in October.
• I visited the US Science & Engineering Expo in DC where I caught a glimpse of another MythBusters stage show,

  

  saw a presentation by actress and scientist Dr. Mayim Bialik from TV’s “The Big Bang Theory”,

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdaZKxFaRtk

  and a glimpse of Bill Nye the Science Guy as he roamed the halls.

May

• I drove to Tennessee to visit my sister Kelly and her husband Jamie, to see their new house, and to explore Nashville. We saw a show at the Grand Ol’ Opry, and I bought my first (and, so far, only) pair of cowboy boots.

  

• Some friends of mine and I held a picnic at Gravelly Point park for Memorial Day.

June

• For some reason, Tawny Kitaen decided to follow me on Twitter.

  

  She doesn’t follow me any more; I suppose you could say here I go again on my own…

• I went with my Mom and my sister Anne to the 930 Club to see Queen Extravaganza, a Queen tribute show produced by drummer Roger Taylor.

• I ran in the DC Road Runners’ “Run After The Women 5K” and posted a time of 26:35.
• I went to my first professional basketball game when my friend Caryn received tickets to a Washington Mystics game from a coworker.

July

• MINI Takes The States, a cross-country road trip organized by MINI USA, began with a drive from New York to Washington, DC. Dad and I picked up our registration packets on the 4th of July, and that evening I joined an event hosted by MINI where we were able to view the fireworks from a vantage point on the roof of the Newseum.
• My family celebrated Grandaddy’s 90th birthday.
• From July 8 through July 15, Dad and I drove along with MINI Takes The States from Chicago to Los Angeles, and from July 15 through July 22 we drove back home from Los Angeles. On the way westward we stopped in Milwaukee; visited our old house in Waukesha, Wisconsin;

  

  went to see the Field of Dreams field in Iowa;

  went to the All-Star Game FanFest in Kansas City; and made scheduled stops in Des Moines, Lincoln, Boulder, Albuquerque, and Phoenix.

  

  I met the president of MINI USA, Jim McDowell (and his squirt-gun).

  MINI surprised us with visits to a zoo, the Kool-Aid Museum, the University of Nebraska, the Olympic training facility in Colorado Springs (later I ran a 5K with Olympic paratriathlete hopeful Michael Johnston), a barbecue in Albuquerque, a party in Phoenix, and an end-of-trip celebration at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. We also had the opportunity to drive on an autocross track at the Rose Bowl.

  

  On our way back home we went camping at the Grand Canyon;

  

  I saw the Milky Way for the first time at Mexican Hat, Utah;

  

  and visited various national parks and monuments throughout Arizona, Colorado, and Kansas.

  We went to a baseball game in Kansas City, saw the St. Louis Arch, and visited the Air Force Museum in Ohio.

August

• I celebrated my 30th birthday!
• I ran twice in one day; first, a long run as part of my marathon training, and then a 3-mile run as part of the DC Road Runners’ summer pool party. I posted a time of 31 minutes.

September

• I saw a few friends and bought plenty of comic books at Small Press Expo.
• I went to Opera In The Outfield, where an opera performance at the Kennedy Center is simulcast over the display at Nationals Park for free, and saw “Don Giovanni”.

October

• I finally completed a marathon! I finished the Marine Corps Marathon in 5 hours 21 minutes 16 seconds, all while hurricane Sandy was bearing down on the east coast. I was on pace to finish in about 4 hours 30 minutes, but around mile 18 I started getting more and more cramps and had to take more and more breaks to walk or stop to massage my legs, but for my first marathon ever, I’m happy that I finished.

  

• I saw a screening of the film “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”, another movie toward my goal of seeing as many new-to-me films as I could in 2012.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dtfeh6a01c

November

• I registered for the DC Road Runners’ spring marathon training program. I hope to run the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon in DC in March, but so far with sickness and winter weather and other obligations I haven’t been able to stick to my training regimen as much as I would prefer. I still need to register for the marathon itself, too.
• I saw the film “The Master” in 50mm, another movie toward my goal.
• I drove as part of MINIs Take The Beltway, an event hosted by my club DC Metro MINIs, where we circle the DC beltway for charity.
• I saw The Who perform in concert.

December

• I interviewed for a new job a month or two previous, and though I didn’t get the job, I stayed in touch with the recruiter. The recruiter called me on a Monday at the beginning of December with a new opening that might suit me, scheduled me for some in-person interviews and a phone interview that Friday, and by the following Monday I was offered the job! I’m excited since it sounds like there will be a lot of room for growth, it’ll be in a location much closer than my current job (I could probably even bike to work if I wanted), and it’s an increase in salary. I’m nervous since I’ve been with my current company for the past 10 years, and while the change will be nice, it feels weird to be starting a new career.
• I saw my friend Elissa and the National Philharmonic perform Handel’s “Messiah”.
• My friends Susan, Betsy and Jay came to visit and we enjoyed dinner at Founding Farmers.
• While I didn’t make my high goal of seeing 300 new-to-me films in 2012, I did average 1 new film per week for 52 new-to-me films over the course of the year.