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The year that was

If you asked me how I feel about 2009 being over & I started with “WooooooHOOOOOOO” and ended with “thankgod, thankgod, thankgod”, then you’d probably have a pretty clear idea of your answer. No?

There were some highlights, of course. Apparently my name is now on the cover of a book (that really happened, right?) & I did get a new job (well, 2 new jobs, but the second one actually looks pretty good) & I did make a bunch of excellent new friends from all the workplace-alterations I undertook. And the house is now painted. Yay! I waited 12 years for that, I kid you not. Sometimes the issue was money, sometimes the issue was my poor choice of living partner (something else I’ve rectified in recent years). Also 2009 marked the return of healthiness post-gallbladder. Yes, the gallbladder thing took longer than expected — & longer than it should’ve, I’m sure. Slowed down as it was by other committments & general chaos. And apart from a lingering inability to drink anywhere near the way I used to be able to (actually, I never WAS able to drink the way I used to be able to), it seems to be working out fine.

We spent the New Year bit of 2009-10 in the Blue Mountains, holed up all cosy & snug in the drizzling weather. I love rainstorms. I love the smell of rain & I love being away from the tropical Sydney heat. Man, I hate the heat. But 2010 is starting off kinda cool & wet in Sydney, which is my favourite kinda weather. So I can’t complain.

So, what will I remember of 2009? Heck, I’m not even sure I WILL remember 2009. But according to the Guardian, it was the year of the short story. Which is nice. And although it’s apparently not technically the end of a decade, it’s surely the end of the ‘noughties’ — which is leading a lot of people to make ‘best of’ lists not only for the year but also the last ten years.

Here in no particular order is my List of Top Five Lists (Inspired by December 2009). Lemme know of others you’ve enjoyed:

The Book Maven’s Top 20 Books of the Decade
NY Times’ Favourite Book Covers of 2009
PublishingPerspectives’ Best Publishers of 09
About.com’s Best Books of the 2000s
Flashlight Worthy’s Best Graphic Novels of 2009

And for entirely unrelated reasons, 100 Extraordinary Examples of Paper Art.

Excelsior!