2010: It was a bipolar year

Well, 2010 is over and done. I accomplished some things, missed out on others, had some bad points, but some good stuff too. Let's run some of it down.

The year started badly: I'd been layed off from my previous job and January 1st was my first day of unemployment. I spent almost two months without work, but I managed to find gainful employment at a trust & estate firm in downtown Anchorage. The work schedule was pretty tough, the hours were longer, and the pay was a bit of a downgrade. However, I persevered. Three months into that job, I got a call from the people at my current job asking if I wanted to work there. It was not an easy decision, but I eventually said yes. I'm still there now, and I'm loving it.

My friend Erik got married around the same time, and I visited Wisconson for the wedding. It was great fun, and I was able to catch up with my relatives, too. Unfortunately, my four geckos (three leopard, one frog-eyed) began getting sick and dying around this time. By summer's end, all of them would succumb to a nasty, bizarre infection that the vet had NO idea what was. The house remains reptile-free to this day. My next ectotherm will be a small tortoise (someday...).

I didn't attend any conferences this year, but I had fun at home. My wife went to visit Kansas and my family hiked out to Rabbit Lake--where Gina and I were married--for the first time in a few years. I continue to write for Nintendo World Report, and started doing a bi-weekly podcast called the NWR Newscast. Check it out if you haven't already. I also became more serious about figure-collecting. I toned down the buying of DVD's in exchange. That's okay--I have Netflix Instant.

Many times this year I was faced with the threat of IV antibiotics, which is never fun. My doctor suspects I picked up a bug in London last year and it's been haunting me ever since. After three separate treatments with oral antibiotics and a new inhaled medication, we finally managed to get it under control. I'm bumping up against 10 years without an IV, which is a stunning achievement. However, it's clear that I have to be more militant about my health than I ever have been, so 2011 will have to see some changes to my routine. This will probably involve swimming.

It was a good year for gaming. Dragon Quest IX, Picross 3D, God of War 3, Darksiders, Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, and Bioshock 2 rocked my world. There were disappointments, too: Kirby's Epic Yarn failed to achieve much beyond being pretty, and Metroid: Other M, a game I'd been excited about since its initial announcement, ended up being pretty sub-par. I actually didn't play much on the Wii that got my blood boiling. I wasn't able to play Super Mario Galaxy 2, but I really enjoyed Trauma Team.

Lots of good paleo news in 2010, especially if you're a ceratopsid fan. My new favorite member of that group, Kosmoceratops, was named not long ago. The oft-delayed ceratopsian volume from Indiana University Press finally saw the light of day and did not disappoint.

Then just last month my friend Nelson got married, too (in town, thank Cthulhu). Lots of weddings in 2010. And from what I hear, my brother-in-law is getting married in January 2011!

The Missus and I just got back from a 10-day trip to Kauai, which was wonderful. Certainly the most fun I've had in that state (and I've been there several times), and I wish we were still there. It's cold and dark in Alaska, but Hawaii is warm and light. There are fewer people. There are beaches and things to poke in tidepools. Alaska is great four, maybe five months a year. The rest of the time it's pretty depressing.

Here's to an awesome 2011!