Hey there 2021, I didn't see you there! Let's each partake in our beverage of choice in a comfortable seating position and discuss the happenings of the last 365 days.
Using the agreed upon standard of beginning each non-ordered bullet point with a simple-past-tense-conjugated verb, I...
grew some long hair
moved into a wonderful 1979 house
bought a circular saw
built a three-legged table, a high chair, a mini-wardrobe, a kitchen cabinet unit, a banana holder, and more!
got a three year resident status "visa" (after 10 one-years in a row)
bought a "size 32" meat grinder; it's incredible
made and painted a "hina matsuri" doll set
set up my own DIY work space; the first in my life!
learned how to properly sharpen and set up a Japanese woodworking plane
befriended a "joubitaki" phoenicurus auroreus bird in my backyard, yet my crafty birdhouse remains empty
made custom decals for a teal push-bike to resemble a Yeti mountain bike
went to the beach too many times to count
made apricot liqueur with fruit from our tree
began a weekly art project called "@totorotuesday"
replaced my ancient repaired-too-many-times Vans slip-ons with rad new ones
learned how to use sketchup, figma and a few other software programs
started a seven-course Google UX Design certificate course (and completed 5 of them so far)
read the book "Equal Rites." Been a while since I read an entire fiction book. Fun!
cracked (again! 3rd time?) my molar and had emergency repair services done (thanks Watanabe Clinic!)
put a rad 42 degree sweep bar on my 29er
perfected curry-chili, easy lasagna, mapo tofu, and a few other recipes
found a perfect little stove-top two-cup espresso maker
found strength in friendships with Belgians, Spaniards, French-Canadians, Las Vegas-ians, Italians, and more!
got vaccines and a vaccine passport
drew Totoro on a pumpkin and made bumble bee wings for Halloween
learned to knit, knitted
had turkey and sushi shaped like a turkey for American thanksgiving
hosted an extra heart-warming Christmas dinner complete with celebratory ice-cream cake, home-made sugar cookies, boar stew and macaroni & cheese
hiked a mountain “washizusan” to bid farewell to the year - a six-family hike with 21 people and noodles at the top
started reading Yoshino’s “How do you live?” likely Ghibli’s next movies