2013 - Year in Review

Each year, I like to look back and see what I've acccomplished (or NOT accomplished). 2013 had some surpises, but I'm glad I made it through. Here are some of the highlights, if you're interested.

• Hosted the 2013 Scotch Pong World Championships - yes, beer pong, but with scotch! (B.Sweet and I even came in second place)
• Went to an awesome lodge in Hayward, Wisconsin with D.Rough for our anniversary and had the best time ever
• Spent an amazing New Year's Eve at the Gay 90's with D.Rough and a bunch of awesome Minnesota RollerGirls
• Celebrated the passing of the Same-Sex marriage bill in the fine state of Minnesota with boozy shakes and rainbow Nerds!!
• Went to the 17th Annual Running of the Llamas in Hammond, WI 
• Went to Des Moines to watch the Minnesota RollerGirls All-Stars play against the Men's National Champions - Your Mom (best roller derby team name ever)
• Did the Polar Plunge to support Minnesota Special Olympics
• Tried more ridiculous facial hair styles
• Ate Mu Shu Pork Pizza and Crab Rangoon Pizza at Fong's Pizza in Des Moines 
• Saw my amazing wife's home roller derby team win the Season 9 champinoship!!!
• Attended a few Minneapolis Scotch Society meetings
• Saw Sex Wings (The Atomic Bombshells' amazing musical group) play two sets at Camp Bar
• Showed The FP to new people who all loved it and agree it is the best movie of all time
• Went to see Tracey Morgan's live show - which ruled
• Went to a roller derby burlesque show
• Saw the Bare Bones Halloween Puppet show with 20 foot tall puppets and tons of fire!
• Brought BBQ ribs to a friend who had just had ACL surgery and was home-bound
• Tried to ride a unicycle (unsuccessfully)
• Saw two moose(s)
• Got to see D.Rough's cousin Tom and his girlfriend Tori get married
• Did duckpin bowling in Milwaukee 
• Attended a bunch of wine tastings with Minnesota Monthly's New Vintage (sponsored by Solo Vino) events with my awesome friends
• Passed the son-in-law test (I know it really wasn't a test) where I went to the family cabin, caught my first fish in 25+ years, went tubing, drove the boat, dug a pretty substantial hole through rocks and clay for the firepit, started a serious fire (in the firepit), ate butter soup, and didn't shower for a few days
• Traveled to Mason City, St. Louis, Milwaukee (twice), Des Moines, and Asheville for roller derby, including the 2013 World Championships!
• Went to Weetacon (a blog writers convention) - my favorite event of the year - and even won a trophy for Best in Show. I kept it classy this year!
• Ate a ton of poutine at various Twin Cities Poutine Crawl events
• Ran in the 3rd Anual Big Gay Race and even beat my time from last year
• Got to see my Aunt Ikue and Uncle Gene, Coach's Aunt Kathee and Uncle RAM, and my friends Caroline and Johnny in North Caroline
• Attended a few Special Library Association meetings
• Got birthday drinks with Justin, Ashley, HB, Shotgun Millie, EmaLeethal, Karen, Sarah, Carolyn, Murray, Dave
• Held various Bad Movie Nights, including a New Zealand/Peter Jackson theme
• Pulled off a pretty awesome Valentine's Day with my wife
• Got a promotion and raise at work
• Went to see amateur burlesque with CorpseKitten and The Latvian - awkward for many people
• Went to D.Rough's parents' annual Halloween party with 200+ other people. Best party of the year!
• Ate at some pretty awesome restaurants including La Cabana, Zombie Burger, Pig Ate My Pizza, Creekside Taphouse, Teque Arepa, and a bunch of other ones
• Went to one of the most fun annual Superbowl Parties
• Met some fun new work people at various happy hours
• Got to travel to Orlando for a work conference and got to see my family while I was there (and Coach's little brother Jake)
• 4th Annual .10K Triathlon
• Went to Taste of the Twin Cities with M.Giant
• Put ridiculous ads in the Minnesota RollerGirls bout program (even got asked to be in another sponsor's ad!)
• Attended a few Minnesota United Football Club professional soccer games
• Stayed in another cabin on the Canadian border just for fun (BTW, the Gunflint Trail is amazing)!
• Watched Wrestlemania at John Maddening's house with a bunch of drunken wrestling fans
• Went on the most dangerous tubing adventure I've ever been on. But didn't sprain my ankle, hit my head on the rocks, or get sliced up by being dragged through the trees like other people.
• Went to a Lagunitas beer dinner at Pig and Fiddle with M.Giant 
• Went to a serious metal festival to see The Ocean, Norma Jean, Dillinger escape Plan, Aeon, and a bunch of others
• Rocked the annual canoe trip on the Mequoketa River in Iowa that I've missed the past two years
• Did a decent job at D.Rough's mile-stone birthday this year
• Did an awesome bar crawl in the Quad Cities with my sister and brother-in-law for the first time since they got married a hundred years ago
• Got to be back home in Illinois for my mother's and my brother's birthdays
• Wrote up a cheering lyrics sheet for MNRG Aquaman Army - we're the rabble rousers that travel to the away games the AllStars play
• Went to a Festivus party at a friend's house
• Took off two weeks from work around the holidays (which, in turn, blew since I had strep throat the entire time)

Some not-so-awesome things happened in 2013, as well. I like to list these as a reminder of what to look out for in 2014...

• Missed the wedding of two of the most amazing people in the world - HB and TheDoctor, I love you guys so much!
• Missed Nile playing two sets at Station 4 and a bunch of other bands I wanted to see live (Doro Pesch, D.R.I., Meshuggah, Hatebreed, Emilie Autumn, Whitechapel, Emmure, Slayer, etc.
• Missed this year's Pi Pie Party at Justin's (but DID get to attend their housewarming party!)
• Got screwed on our tax returns this year
• Missed one of D.Rough's home season bouts (in which they destroyed the other team)
• Missed seeing the reunion show of Butt Lynt in the Quad Cities - an influential band for whom I have the utmost respect and admiration
• Couldn't afford to take D.Rough to the Bahamas like she had wanted all year
• Missed our annual block party for the third year in a row
• Missed my friend Kim's surprise 40th birthday party in the Quad Cities
• Missed going to D.Rough's parents house for Christmas, since she had Bronchitis and I had strep throat. Talk about ruining the holidays for us…

I'm coming for you, 2014! Better be ready...