2013 in Review

Posted & filed under End of Year Round-up, Life, Lists.

The year 2013 has been quite a year, for several reasons. But before we get to that, here’s the annual list-a-polooza.

Books I’ve Read

  1. Wil Wheaton — Just a Geek: Unflinchingly honest tales of the search for life, love, and fulfillment beyond the Starship Enterprise (2013-12-13—2013-12-17)
  2. Clockwork Phoenix 4 (edited by Mike Allen) (2013-11-06—2013-12-12)
  3. Buffi Duberman — 30 Ways to Save Your Ass in English: De 30 gênantste Engelse taalblunders en hoe je ze kunt voorkomen (2013-11-02—)
  4. Stephen King — Doctor Sleep (2013-10-11—2013-11-01)
  5. Neil Gaiman — Fortunately, the Milk (2013-10-03)
  6. Clockwork Phoenix 3: New Tales of Beauty and Strangeness (edited by Mike Allen) (2013-09-23—2012-10-28)
  7. Terry Pratchett — The Wee Free Men (2013-09-12—2013-09-18)
  8. Recensiekoning recenseert Nederland (2013-09-10—2013-09-12)
  9. Ernst Jan Rozendaal — Rijden door de nacht: Onderweg met Bløf (2013-09-09—2013-09-17)
  10. Samuel Beckett — Waiting for Godot (2013-09-04—2013-09-09)
  11. Gareth Roberts — Doctor Who: Shada (The Lost Adventure by Doouglas Adams) (2013-08-22—2013-09-04)
  12. Bram Stoker — Dracula (2013-07-29—2013-08-28)
  13. Neil Gaiman — The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013-08-02)
  14. Kurt Vonnegut — Slaughterhouse-Five (2013-07-22—2013-07-27)
  15. Stephen King — Joyland (2013-07-15—2013-07-21)
  16. Neil Gaiman — A Calender of Tales (2013-07-13)
  17. Clockwork Phoenix 2: More Tales of Beauty and Strangeness (edited by Mike Allen) (2013-07-01—2013-07-13)
  18. Clockwork Phoenix: Tales of Beauty and Strangeness (edited by Mike Allen) (2013-06-17—2013-06-30)
  19. John Scalzi — Old Man’s War (2013-06-14—2013-06-17)
  20. Arjen Lubach — Magnus (2013-06-12—2013-06-14)
  21. Erich von Däniken — Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past (2013-05-17—2017-07-28)
  22. Oscar Wilde — The Picture of Dorian Gray (2013-04-21—2013-05-15)
  23. Stephen Chbosky — The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2013-04-17—2013-04-21)
  24. Mercedes Lackey — Invasion: Book 1 of The Secret World Chronicle (2013-03-07—2013-04-16)
  25. Cory Doctorow — Pirate Cinema (2013-02-25—2013-03-07)
  26. Lauren Beukes — Zoo City (2013-02-08—2013-02-25)
  27. John Green — Double on Call and Other Stories (2013-02-04—2013-02-08)
  28. Alan Moore & David Lloyd — V for Vendetta (three sundays in january)
  29. Paolo Bacigalupi — Pump Six and Other Stories (2013-01-08—2013-02-04)
  30. In Situ (edited by Carrie Cuinn) (2012-12-31—2013-01-07)
  31. Brothers Grimm — Complete Fairy Tales (2012-12-09—2013-06-20)

My favorite amongst them is Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Stephen King’s Joyland, Chobsky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Arjen Lubach’s Magnus, Neil Gaiman’s Fortunately, the Milk and John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War deserve a mention too.

I’m still about halfway through Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die.

Things I Saw Happening on a Stage

  1. — Hanson, 013, Tilburg
  2. — Club Gigant: a balladeer + Bart van der Lee + Benjamin Winter, Gigant, Apeldoorn
  3. — Boudewijn de Groot, “Vaarwel, misschien tot ziens” (reprise), De Flint, Amersfoort
  4. — “30 Ways to Save Your Ass in English” book launch: Sunday Sun + Adriaan Persons + Sharon Doorson + Mister & Mississippi + Hadewych Minis + a balladeer + Charlie Dee, Knijn Bowling, Amsterdam
  5. — Eefje de Visser + Elijah, Tivoli Oudegracht, Utrecht
  6. — Wende, “Last Resistance: The Berlin Sessions”, IJsselhallen, Zwolle
  7. — Steven de Jong, “Groots en meeslepend wil ik leven”, Theater Kikker, Utrecht
  8. — Torre Florim & Roos Rebergen, “De Tweede Speeldoos” + Duende Ariza Lora, Ekko, Utrecht
  9. — Twan Jansen, “Allemaal die kant op” (tryout)
  10. — JeugdOrkest Nederland, conducted by Jurjen Hempel, with Hannes Minnaar (piano), Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
    • Modest Mussorgsky — A Night on the Bare Mountain
    • Edvard Grieg — Pianoconcert in a minor, op. 16 (rev. 1907)
    • Igor Stravinsky — The Firebird (suite 1945)
    • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov — Scherazade (excerpt)
  11. — De Parade: Torre Florim & Roos Rebergen, “De Tweede Speeldoos” + Het Monica Da Silva Trio + Theo Nijland presenteert “Debby’s Droom”, Moreelsepark, Utrecht
  12. — Purest of Pain + Alerion, Willems Wondere Weiland, Amersfoort
  13. — Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, with Liza Ferschtman (violin) and Nicolas Altstaedt (cello), Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
    • Johannes Brahms — Double Concerto in A minor, Op. 102 for violin, cello and orchestra.
    • Maurice Ravel — Sonata for Violin and Cello, M. 73: ii. Très vif
    • Richard Wagner — The Ring, an Orchestral Adventure (arr. Henk de Vlieger)
  14. — Iron Maiden + Voodoo Six, Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam
  15. — Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band + Black Crows, Gofferpark, Nijmegen
  16. — Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Wembley Stadium, London, UK
  17. — Muse + Biffy Clyro, Amsterdam Arena
  18. — Multiple Voice, De Muzerie, Zwolle
  19. — Lebbis, “Het grijze gebied”, De Kleine Komedie, Amsterdam
  20. — Meat Loaf, “Last at Bat Farewell Tour”, IJsselhallen, Zwolle
  21. — Yori Swart + My Blue Van, Tivoli Spiegelbar, Utrecht
  22. — BLØF, “Later als ze groter zijn: Theatertour 2013”, Beatrix Theater, Utrecht
  23. — Audio Adam + Number Nine, Velvet Amersfoort (in-store Record Store Day)
  24. — Delain + Kingfisher Sky, De Vorstin, Hilversum
  25. — Daniël Lohues, “Ericana”, De Kleine Komedie, Amsterdam
  26. — Wende, “Last Resistance: The Naked Sessions”, De Kelder, Amersfoort
  27. — Bruce Springsteen tribute, Hedon, Zwolle
  28. — a balladeer, Sugar Factory, Amsterdam
  29. — Brigitte Kaandorp, “Bonbonnière tour”, Odeon (Hemminkzaal), Zwolle
  30. — The Gathering + Atlantis, De Vorstin, Hilversum
  31. — De Supersonische Boem!, Kleine Komedie, Amsterdam

This year, I saw some enormous shows (Bruce Springsteen, Muse, Iron Maiden), some very intimate (a balladeer in Amsterdam, Yori Swart) and a lot somewhere in between. And while I didn’t see quite as much shows as last year (and with a noticable slowing down in the last few months), they were all awesome in their own way. On a side note, I’m up to 75 straight months of seeing something happening on stage.

Things I Did From My List of Things To Do

Not much activity here, but still, I got things done.

  • #1: Bake an apple-bacon pie.
  • #27: Go the extra mile. (I was told I did.)
  • #35: Just sit and observe something for at least an hour straight. (Ditto.)
  • #51: Make a photo worthy of blowing up and framing. (David’s Shadow has been blown up and printed on canvas for over a year now.)
  • #67: Read the books on my list of 40 books to read before my 40th birthday before my 40th birthday:
    1. V for Vendetta
    2. The Picture of Dorian Gray
    3. Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales
    4. Slaughterhouse-Five
    5. Chariots of the Gods
    6. Dracula
    7. Waiting for Godot

One could argue that I came halfway towards completing #62, but that just doesn’t work that way.

Places I’ve Been

The List of Places Where I’ve Spent the Night This Year (And in Which an * Indicates Multiple, Non-Consequetive Stays) has a new recurring entry, for obvious reasons I’ll get to soon.

Museums (and the like)

Like I said last year, I really should visit more museums when I’m not on vacation. I made progress, but not much.

  • Museum Flehite, Amersfoort ()
  • British Museum, London UK ()
  • Natural History Museum, London, UK ()
  • National Gallery, London, UK ()
  • Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht ()
  • Biermuseum, Rodt, Belgium ()
  • Archeon, Alphen aan de Rijn ()
  • Aqua Zoo Friesland, Leeuwarden ()
  • Dierenpark Amersfoort ()
  • Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam ()
  • Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam ()

Everything Else

There’s just one thing left to mention. My Awesome Girlfriend. Just the fact that she doesn’t object to me calling her that is proof enough of her being awesome. Plus, she puts up with my nonsense, and she makes me want to do more awesome stuff. We got some pretty good plans for the new year.

So. All the best for 2014, stay clear of the fireworks, and I’ll see you all on the other side.