The ABCs of 2017

In a few days, it'll be 2018, which is pretty crazy considering I still think of cars made in 2003 as being 'pretty new.' 2017, the year that seemingly began two seconds ago, is coming to a close. Time is weird. And stressful. Like one of those side-scroll video games where the screen moves forward whether you do or not. I hate those.

Anyway, 2017. It was a strange year. I know a lot of people who kind of live on the edge of their seat, expecting the world to end at any second, and in 2017 I became one of them. I just kept thinking, "This has got to be it this time." And then the world wouldn't end and I'd live to see another day and be much more surprised about it than I probably should have been. Every day this year felt exactly like the beginning of every single apocalyptic movie ever made. Some of the days felt like the middle of every single apocalyptic movie ever made. A couple of the days even felt like the beginning of the end of all those movies.

But here we are.

For now.

(I looked out the window in front of me expectantly for a long time after I wrote that. Nothing happened.)

In case I live to see this time next year (or even if I don't), I thought I'd do my 2017 ABCs. I did this last year too, inspired by a few Instagram friends who had done it. It was a fun little challenge, and it was cool this year to go back and read it. You should do one for yourself, even if you don't put it on the internet. Next Year You will thank This Year Me. If Next Year You exists.

A - Agent: I signed with Victoria Cappello at The Bent Agency and we began the process of editing my first novel together. I haven't written about the process since signing, but it has been aaaa-mazing and I can't say enough good things about her and her—as they call it in the book bizz—editorial eye. 

B - Began writing another book. Actually two. My brain is bursting with stuff; it's like the attic of a very old woman who went to too many garage sales back in the day.

C - Ceese got married. I was the maid of honour. Sullivan thought it was his wedding.

D - Donuts! I kind of inadvertently got swept up in the burgeoning #YQRdonutscene. I think I ate more donuts in 2017 than the rest of my life as a whole. And I'm glad.

E - Editing. This needs its own separate point because 2017 was the year I wrote the same book over and over and over, so that in the end it was unrecognizable—in a good way. At points this was insanely tedious and frustrating and overwhelming. Lots of times it was exciting and fun and satisfying. Sometimes it managed to be all of these things at the same time. But the thing that it was most of all, was necessary.

(And it ain't over yet.)

F - Forgot so many people's birthdays. I'm so sorry, everybody. I have the hardest time remembering birthdays. 

G - Got a hand-me-down espresso machine and made a jillion lattes. Drinkin one right now. Thanks, Jason.

H - Hung out with some really great people. 

I - Invested in the stock market! Just kidding; I don't know anything about the stock market.

J - Joined a book club; only finished one of the books on time so far. Will either do better next year or quit.

K - Kept on being a Tourism Regina Ambassador. Highlights included Winterruption, fine dining at The Willow, Regina Restaurant Week, Waskimo, Peter and the Wolf by the RSO, tons of live music, Highland Games, Musical Ride, Queen City Ex, Reginacadabra, Folk Fest, and Pulse Week.

L - Live music: Iskwe, Begonia, Elliott Brood, Fred Penner, Vanilla Ice, Salt n Pepa, Jimmy Eat World, Vertical Horizon, Everclear, Fastball, Bryan Adams, Our Lady Peace, The Zolas, July Talk, Tegan and Sara, Begonia again (I love her), Joe Bonamassa, Hawksley Workman.

M - Magic of Motherhood: The book I wrote with the ladies at C+C was published in April and it did really well. My friends here threw me a surprise book launch at The Artful Dodger because I couldn't attend the one in California and it was so incredibly special.

N - Never left the country once, this whole year. 

O - Often left the city, though.

P - Penpals: Sully and I became penpals with my grandma and grandpa, and it was the best. 

Q - Quick! Skip this letter!

R - Reading nook: We finished building the reading nook in the living room and it's my favourite thing. I have read many a book there already and have already filled all the shelves, which is probably a problem since I still have like 20,000,000 more books to buy.

S - Sullivan turned 3. We had so much fun together this year; it really does get better and better every year. But also, IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO STOP TIME PLEASE TELL ME NOW.

T - Three separate trips to the emergency room with Sullivan. He fell off a couch into a coffee table and had to get four stitches just below his eye which has healed into a pretty legit scar, then he fell on a stick and punctured the back of his throat, and then he got some random viral infection in his hip that crippled him for a short time. I hate going to the ER. He does too.

U - 'Unexpected' was The Word of 2017. I didn't go into this year with a lot of expectations, so maybe that was why every single thing that happened surprised the crap out of me. I enjoy surprises, in general, so this is mostly a positive thing, but if 2018 was a tad less surprising, if a few fewer unexpected things happened, I would probably be okay with that. Just, you know, for pacing. 

V - Vindicated. A car drove past me very quickly in 2017, and the people inside sneered at me out the window as they went, because I was driving the speed limit or something. A few seconds later, a cop car with its lights on drove past me very quickly as well. A few seconds after that, even, I passed both the cop car and the first car, parked one in front of the other. 

W - Won NOTHING.

X - XXX (see Y)

Y - Yup, I turned 30. 

Z - Zoo visits: 0.

Your turn.

Hey! Remember This Great Christmas Playlist?

Hi! Did you think I was dead? I wasn't.

It's December, though, and I don't think I need to explain myself beyond that. Shopping. Partying. Planning. Trying to avoid Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas is You. And, as a card-carrying member of the adult set (the card I am referring to here is my driver's license, which says I am 30 even though I'm certainly not more than 22), all of that is piled on top of all the responsible adult things I was already doing before the Christmas season hit.

I have been extra responsible this year. I know Santa primarily concerns himself with 'naughty' and 'nice,' but maybe there's a bonus points system?

Although, and if you are my friend on Instagram you already know this, I kind of forgot to teach Sullivan about Santa. Like, at all. We saw a Santa Claus at a thing a few weeks ago and he yelled, "Oh hey! Is that a mountie?" And that was when it occurred to me that kids aren't born knowing this stuff, we responsible adults have to lie to them about it first.

So Santa might bypass our house altogether this year. And that's okay, because we just don't have room for more stuff in here. And Sully doesn't even want more toys; he only wants jazz brushes, which Barclay and I are buying for him, so thanks but no thanks, Mountie Santa.

Anyway.

Mostly, the reason I'm dropping in right now is to remind you about the playlist I made last year of really great Christmas songs that are not All I Want For Christmas is You.

I'm listening to it right now, and even added a few new songs this year (I forgot to include Hawksley Workman in last year's version and I feel extra bad about it now because I went and saw him at the Exchange last week and remembered how great and strange his Christmas album is... Thanks for the reminder, Folk Fest).

Someday, I'll have enough really great Christmas songs that are not All I Want For Christmas is You to last a whole Christmas party.

And then I'll have to throw a Christmas party.

And have so many people in my house.

Which I'll have to clean ahead of time.

And clean again afterward.

(Actually maybe I'll just play my playlist quietly to myself. If you do the same at the same time, it's almost like we're partying together. Well aren't we so spunky and fun?)