released.

1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?

I worked out continuously for about a year. That was pretty amazing in terms of how it impacted my overall mood.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I am not a resolution kind of kid. I tend to set goals when they are needed.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My Cousin gave birth to twins. One boy and one girl.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My grandmother and grandfather. My uncle and my friend, Jon.

5. What countries did you visit?

Iceland.

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?

More self motivation. I would also like to work on my lack of abilty to call and keep in contact with people.

7. What dates from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

I have a hard time answering this as I am not much of a date person. I will always recognize the moments that I heard my grandparents died and my reacion to that.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Travelling solo to a foreign country where I relaxed for a week alone. It was terrifying at moments and unbelievable at others. It lead me to believe that I need to relax more and take things as they come. As much as we can be in a bind – things always work out and they are never as awful as they seem.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Doing poorly on the GRE. X 2.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nope.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

New York Times every Sunday morning. It made/makes me feel more clued into the world around me.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Joe’s. He is incredible and I am truly proud of his accomplishments this year. He has also been a supurb friend in many aspects. I could never ask for more from someone.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Bush. But aside from that I wouldn’t say anyone. To be appalled you must have expectations.

14. Where did most of your money go?

I have no idea. Generally food, drinks and gas. (see previous question.)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Traveling to NYC, California and Iceland. I love to travel and realize my abilities to thrive and hide. I find that travelling is one of the few times I get to witness myself at my most vunerable/excited.

16. What song will always remind you of 2005?

Okkervil River – “For Real.” It is a song that you can feel – from the strained voice to the excentric speeding up of tempo to the end. The emotions run wild.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? It becomes difficult to compare. I am prone to “rose tainted glass” syndrome.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner.
c) richer or poorer? Richer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Read more and learned more. Maybe retained more as well. I also wish that I had socialized more with new people. Old friends are wonderful, but can become too much of a comfort zone.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Drinking. It became too much of a pastime/social activity. I also became obsessed with chocolate – I eat it everyday now.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

In Cleveland with the family and some friends.

22. Did you fall in love in 2005?

I came relativly close – but I need more of a reality to believe.

23. How many one-night stands?

None that I can recall.

24. What was your favorite TV program?

I don’t own a TV. But I did enjoy past episodes of French and Saunders as well as the L Word. Who doesn’t enjoy hot women together?

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Nah. It becomes wasted energy.

26. What was the best book you read?

A biography about Samuel Peyps. I read a lot of biographies – and they all were wonderful in my never ending quest to “get it.”

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

The indie music scene. I learned that sometimes to get music you have to apply your own emotions to in order to understand it.

28. What did you want and get?

I wanted a new digital camera. I also wanted to leave the country without getting to Europe and having obligatory family time. I achieved it.

29. What did you want and not get?

I wanted to become more secure in myself and not compare myself with others as much as I do. It truly is a wasted effort. Yay – new goals for this year.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

Probably - “Country Boys.” It grounded me and made me thankful for my life situations. I often find that when I am driving through Appalacia Ohio I am clueless to what happens in these places and how these people live. “Country Boys” was a sliver of “reality.”

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I went out for Etheopian food with friends, drinks with friends and then kareoke. A group of us sang an funny rendition of “Carma Kameleon.”

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Maybe a relationship would have been nice or maybe more of an ability to be satisfied with how things are. I always want more – more in terms of life.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?

Black and funky. I took more fashion risks and enjoyed the outcome.

34. What kept you sane?

Working out and listening to Enya. Not at the same time of course.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Catherine Keener. She is always fantastic and beautifully flawed in her characters.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

The war and the use of gay rights to stir the conservative portions of the world.

37. Who did you miss?

My sister…
I rarely talk with her and whenever I do I love it. She grounds me well in her wonderful outlook and sense of humor.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

Stephanie – who has now relocated to Boston. Come back and save the women in architecture!

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:

I realized that somethings are out of my control. I also learned to distingish between what IS my problem and what isn’t. That within itself can take a lot of stress out of situations.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

”just a-walking down the street….” Edina – Ab. Fab.

This show was amazing. If you ever get the chance to see Sigur Ros in concert - just go. Jonsi Birgisson's voice is so pure and emotional - plus he plays a guitar with a bow.

It was a great evening that I am still reveling in this morning.

It has been a long time. Yes. I have debated about closing the whole blog thing down often and somehow cannot just yet. Since I am prolonging the blog's demise I would like to report on a small piece of news:

Check out www.cafexperiment.com on February 10th. One of my photo's will be the photo of the day.

Other than that things are rather quiet in Columbus, Ohio. I am making many plans for traveling this year including: Vancouver (ticket already purchased!) England, Finland, Ireland and an American city of my choice. Of course, there is also NYC which will become my new home towards the middle of the summer.

This should be an existing and crazy year. I should enjoy this current January lull as things will be picking up pretty quickly any minute now!

.... as if today couldn't get any worse - a five year old kid just walked into the office.

I am finding today to be a rather dull day at work and so I am posting a picture from a more exciting time in my recent past. It gives me hope of continuing to see the world and the not-so-norm things out there.

My next trip planned is that to NYC which is coming up in about a month. Should be a good time crashing with friends and wondering around with a camera. Joy!

The wexner center has spent this past weekend giving a celebratory exhale for its reopening after the pricey renovation that puts one man to shame: Peter Eisenman - the deconstructionist superb-star architect.

The grand restoration total of $16 million dollars (a lottery dream) has amounted to more than the original costs of construction back in 1989. Maybe we should reassess the date of the center to 2005 - it only seems fitting in regards to the amount of work completed.

Aside from exclaiming my horror at the clients position in this situation I am also reporting on some rumors heard around the area. It seems that Peter was scheduled to fly into Columbus yesterday to prepare for a lecture he is giving on Tuesday. Alas, due to the opening of the Wex yesterday he has opted to fly in on Monday instead. Avoiding the well deserved red faced embarrassment he should be experiencing as we speak.

Of course, he will be lecturing in his rightfully righted building on Tuesday evening at 7pm. I am quite hoping for one moment of speechlessness from the man.

I have been back from my trip for about two weeks now and I must admit that things are back into how they were before I left. Craziness. With that said, I did have a wonderful time drinking the best spring water in the world, relaxing in 'hot pots' and eating smoked lamb. ahhh the joys of new cultures.

The main reason I like to travel is due to it's way of humbling you. My most humbling moment was when I checked into the Reykjavik hostel only to find that the kid behind the check-in desk was someone I had gone to Architecture school with. He also lives in Columbus, only one block north of me.

I have attached a photo of the path I took along the bay to get into downtown reykjavik everyday. Beautiful isn't it....