Things that I have learnt in the last year.

I thought of this last night, but didn't really have the time to compile the list then, so I'm going to do this now instead. Here, in no particular order is a list of some things that I have learnt in the last 365 days. Enjoy folks.

1. BS180 on a mountainboard. It's a basic trick, but it's also an awesome one. The backside 180 is one of the coolest tricks around, and once you've learnt it, it rules.

2. Haruki Murakami is a great author. I've had a couple of Murakami novels sat around the house for a while now, but I've finally gotten around to reading 'em. I really liked them.

3. I'd be in the intellectual top 5% if I lived in Canada. The Canadian equivalent of 'Test the Nation' included an IQ test on it's website. I did it, and was told I'd be in the top 5% if I lived in Canada.

4. Snowboarding's supposed to be fun. This might be a little surprising, especially if you take into account that I've been riding snowboards for about 5 years now. I got a new board for this season that I originally intended to be just for riding the snowdomes and the local dryslope. When I got out on the snow though, I had a load of fun on the new board. It's an Atomic Hatchet, and it's a fair bit softer than my old board. The extra flex and pop made a real difference to how I approached the mountain, and I spent a lot more time dicking around and riding with a smile on my face.

5. I can drive a car. I didn't have a license before I moved to Cardiff, and I'd not really thought much about getting one, but about 2 weeks after moving I realised that I needed a motor. So now I've got a license and a car. Woo-hoo!

6. Wifi isn't quite as awesome as the adverts would have you believe. I had the dubious pleasure of sorting out a wireless network at my current abode. It was a pain in the ass, and I had no end of trouble making sure that everyone's pc had enough signal.

7. My great grandmother was the last person to be sold at Abergavenny Market. She was sold into service, and bought by a farmer. My uncle told me this a couple of months ago. It blew my mind.

8. I look better without a beard. I've had a goatee for ages, but over Christmas, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should with a pair of clippers, so it had to all come off. It took a while to get used to it being naked on the chin, but I prefer it now.

9. The new Battlestar Galactica is awesome. It really is folks. You should be watching this tv show, as it's clever, thought provoking and awesome. So there.

10. Owning a car is expensive. As mentioned in number 5, I now have a car. What I didn't know is how expensive just owning a car can be. I've had to spend more on repairs to my car than I did on the car itself.

11. I can make t-shirts. I was given a crash course on screen printing onto fabric back when I was an art student. Now though, thanks to spending some time refreshing my memory I know that I can still make t-shirts should I so desire.

12. I am a happier person when I'm less stressed. In October, I stood down from leadership of the ATBA-UK (the UK mountainboarding governing body). Since then I've had more free time, and fewer sleepless nights. It's been enjoyabe.

13. Shergar tastes good. I ate some horse steak when I was out in France. It tasted good. Yummy.

14. Getting Uk government security clearance is a needlessly beauracratic process. It's a huge form, and it has an awful lot of officious conditions involved in it. Things like abbreviations will get the form sent back and you have to start all over again. What a gyp.

15. Captain America is awesome. I picked up some of the newer cap books this year, and I really enjoyed them. They're written by a fellow called Ed Brubaker, and I would recommend that you read some. I would, but seeing as how they've killed him off now, there's not really much point is there. I guess y'all missed your chance on that one.

16. I still don't like fish. I tried some this year, and I didn't like it.

17. As you get older, injuries take longer to heal. I damaged my ligaments back in January, and it still aches. It's a sad irony that as I get older, I enjoy the things that cause these injuries all the more.

18. Latenight television is very strange. Really, do you need to dedicate a 30 minute show to tell me how recorders are made? No, you don't.

19. Itunes is an awesome bit of software. I've tried a few of the contemporary alternatives in the last year, and Itunes really is a lot better. If you want to see how bad it can be, have a look at Sony's Soundforge. It's endlessly frustrating, and can give you herpes.

20. I didn't learn 20 things in the last year. That may seem a bit depressing, but remember - I knew a hell of a lot already.