The People I Spent Time With - 2012 in Review
~Friends, Man pt I - credit Dustin Senos
Well folks, this is the last of my 2012 year in review posts. It's been a busy two weeks putting these lists together and I hope you've enjoyed some insight into a year in the life. I've already begun keeping the stats on 2013 and look forward to an even more in depth review next January. This last post tabulates all the people I hung out with throughout 2012. I didn't necessarily count every person at every party that I went to and, in the beginning of the year particularly, I was probably a little bit lax in that regard. Near the middle of the year, I began to keep track of people at parties I had significant conversations with and by the end of year I was essentially counting everyone. Still, I think this list holds value in so far as it charts approximate face time with friends. It doesn't, of course, keep track of how highly I value friendships. Someone scoring in the double digits is not more important to me than someone I only hung out with once. Some people are inherently social and other people are not. What keeping track of these stats did do, in small part, was encourage me to seek out time with the friends I value who I didn't see enough.
~Friends, Man pt II - credit Senos
I didn't count rehearsals or work shifts or church. I counted a work drive over an hour as a half a stat. There are many people that logged only one hang out stat and I didn't record them here. I'll start with honourable mentions for Vancouver locals who logged 2 to 4 hang outs. Bolded names are mentioned in the paragraph below.
Ella Simon – 2
Mike Hodge - 2
Jay Clift – 2
AJ Marshall - 2
Matt Kelly – 2
Adam Charles – 2
Sven Peterson – 2
Shay Mcfaul – 2
Meghan Chenosky – 2
Anthony Kearns – 2
Brandyn Eddy – 2
Tim Johnston – 2
Caitlin McCarthy – 2
Katie Takefman – 3
Ivan Decker - 3
Derek Saddler – 3
Danny Marshall – 3
Aimee Odegaard – 3
Beatrice King – 3
Blake Turner – 3
Luke Bensler – 3
Phil Miguel – 3
Amber Lewis – 3
Stacie Steadman – 3
Rachel Aberle - 3
Maryanne Renzetti – 3
Matt Gostelow – 3
Cam Anderson – 4
MJ Eden - 4
James Kot – 4
Kayvon Kelly – 4
Chris Cochrane – 4
Linsey Callaghan – 4
Brennan Mcallister – 4
Kate Richard – 4
Mike Blonde – 4
Logging two to four personal hang out stats isn't all that low considering my negligence in counting parties at the beginning of the year. Rachel Aberle would've been a fair amount higher as her house, known as 'The Purple House' is a frequent gathering place. In her case, time out of town is also relevant as she's been gone for months at a time on one contract or another. It doesn't quite qualify her for an out of town asterisk but it's close. Jay Clift (and Genevieve Fleming) I see a lot through out the year but often on a work basis with the Justice Institute. We have plenty of time for good conversations but I can't call it a hang out stat or else every work shift would have to count. Adam Charles, Tim Johnston, James Kot and Blake Turner have all dropped sadly lower than they would have in years past and I hope to remedy that in 2013. Mike Blonde didn't log his first hang out until August 30th which makes his four stats a good deal more impressive.
Now we get into the out of town asterisks. In the top 50, coming up, I've given each out of town asterisk a +1.5. So 2 out of town hang outs are worth 3.5 local hangouts. 6 out of towns = 7.5 local. In reality, logging five hang outs when you live in Kelowna (which I only visited two or three times this year) is a good deal more significant than logging five if you live in Vancouver. But urgency and frequency are much higher. It's sad that I don't make more of an effort to spend time with some of the above mentioned people (Adam, Tim, Blake, James etc) but the truth is, because we live in the same city, I'm not as deliberate about making plans with them. If I'm in town from Vancouver, or you're coming for a visit, I'm much more likely to mark it in my calendar and make it a priority. Here are the twice hung-out-with honourable mentions for out of towners:
Anna Huber – 2 *
Jackie Faulkner – 2 *
Grant Mckinnon – 2 *
Peter Drake – 2 *
Kirk Smith – 2 *
Marcus Mayer – 2 *
Dustin Senos – 2 *
Now the top 51 (due to ties) people I spent time with.
49. Kelsey Neufeld - 3 *
Helped out by a four week stint I spent in Kelowna, Kelsey's last stat was logged on Canada Day.
49. Marcus Ulm – 3 *
A few beers behind the bank.
49. Blatch – 3 *
A very impressive showing, all things considered, from the military man. He's been away in Edmonton or Ontario for most of the year but managed to log three solid stats in the three days our paths crossed at Christmas.
45. Andy Perdomo – 5
Five of the most spaced out stats possible. Once each in May, July, August, November, and December. Corresponding somewhat with the UFC's PPV schedule.
45. Steve Lockhart – 5
An influx of Summer stats for the youngest of the Lockharts charting here.
45. Steve Atherton – 5
All of Steve's hangouts came before March 18, making him one of the few recipients of more stats in the earlier part of the year. Projected to finish much higher, sporadic schedules were the undoing of a higher finish.
45. Jane Sanden – 5
Already half way to surpassing her quota for 2013.
39. Darcy Hancock – 6
A lot of stats from eating pulled pork together and going to concerts. This is my favourite picture of Darcy from the day after his birthday a few years ago.
39. Lance Odegaard – 6
The man who married my wife and I. The highlight stat was probably when he helped me film a street hockey highlight reel. Send me a text if you don't want this picture online but I couldn't resist.
39. Arlen Tom – 6
The playwright of the fringe play 'The Best, Man!', throughout rehearsal we found out we have a lot of things in common.
39. Kyle Sutherland – 6
Set and props designer for 'Debts'. A good man to watch a baseball game with. He's the one in red.
39. Brad Isles – 6
Another Summer high achiever, Brad scored 2/3's of his stats in May and July; 1/3 came from badminton tournaments. A great lover of children and dogs.
39. Bryan Nothling – 6
A huge layoff between March and October cost 'B Noth' a higher spot on the list but we did three scenes with Dennis Rodman together and that bond will never be broken. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bn9f9QZNus)
34. Mike Cambridge – 5 *
Cashed in on the 4 week stint in June while I worked on 'Mary's Wedding' in Kelowna. This picture is from when he fell asleep on his floor.
34. Clayton Coxford – 5 *
The Edmonton native had a solid rookie season since getting call up from his GM and wife, Janine McCombe
34. Janine Coxford (McCombe) – 5 *
My wife's best friend, she made her presence known despite living far off. Three weddings helped.
34. Kelsey Ulm – 5 *
A solid showing from out of town and only logging stats during times I was in Kelowna. She also approves of this poncho.
34. David Benedict Brown – 5 *
All five hangouts came in September during the Vancouver Fringe Festival and Mr. David Benedict Browne's wedding to Melanie Moore.
32. Tristan Thompson – 7
Between finishing his master's degree and generally being a hermit, 'T' fell below his projections. It should be noted that each evening spent with this founding member of the Gentlemanly Quarrels was a quality evening.
32. Andrew Chong – 7
The first of a few whose stats suffered from the NHL lockout. He does have the highest stat of anyone from North Van, which is basically out of town as far as I'm concerned.
27. Maddy Wilson – 8
A very consistent player, I lost the exact dates of the stats through a data entry error at the end of the year.
27. Brett Harris – 8
A collaborator on a few different projects that often led to nights out at the pub afterwards. A great lad.
27. Sam Mullins – 8
Only logging one stat during the Vancouver Fringe Festival was the downfall of a potential top tenner.
27. Kat Gauthier – 8
Conversely, Kat Gauthier swung for the fences during the Fringe, logging half her stats. She was off the grid for the beginning and end of the year though. She's one of the most encouraging people I know.
27. Katie Johnston – 8
Not a bad showing, but one that could've been much higher if not for busy and opposite schedules. This picture is from way back because we go way back.
24. Conor Connolly – 7 *
Conor is proof of the importance of road tripping to quality time. I only saw him once during 2012 but it was during my trip to Coachella which was 7 days long. An argument could be made for it being worth more than 7 stats. This picture is from when we played in The Greatest Explorers in the World together. It was taken by Peter Gardner.
24. Mel Moore – 7 *
One more night out at the Fringe Bar and a public reading of her fantastic play, 'Exhibit A,' boosted Mel above her husband. This photo is from 2006, I think.
24. Tom Ulm – 7 *
Another great stat holder if an equation could be created calculating 'opportunities to spend time together' divided by 'time spent together.' Tom is very innovative and mechanical. For instance, he made this straw during his bachelor party to make it easier to get the drink to his lips.
21. Christine Quintana – 9
The director of 'The Best, Man!' it seems that show led to more stat activity than any other I took part of in 2012. It was really nice getting to know her better but I don't have any pictures of her.
21. Darlisa – 9
A definite rookie of the year candidate. She played beer chess with me. I just gotta learn her last name.
21. Jen Tremblay – 9
Helped by weddings but hurt by a lack of hockey. Jen is a nurse and very busy so she is hard to get a hold of, but she also has a new puppy, so I think I will make the effort. This is her with her husband Andrew Chong who was featured earlier.
20. Nolan Labach – 9 *
A product of Prince George and Smithers, 2012 was easily Nolan's lowest stat scoring year in our nearly twenty year history. More career stability should put him back in the double digits for 2013. Still a solid showing for the opportunities we had to see each other. There were a lot of good pictures of Nolan to choose from, but I laugh every time I look at this one.
19. Derek Heathfield – 10 *
Another recipient of 'the road trip effect,' any chance I have to see 'cookies and milk,' I take. Look at the guy. How could you not?
18. Jamie Taylor – 12
Jamie's stats are unique because we essentially attended zero of the same parties by chance. We were also never in the same place due to a mutual friend. Each stat was a plan and that's pretty impressive. So is this picture.
15. John Voth – 13
My counterpart in 'The Best, Man!' John cashed in big time with 11 stats earned over the course of the Summer. Interestingly enough, he didn't log his first hang out until July 22.
15. Chelsea Haberlin – 13
Chelsea was the production manager on Debts and the cohabitant of many meaningful conversations on the state of the industry and art of theatre. This picture is maybe from when I was in first or second year. I don't think her hand in my sweater means anything.
15. Chris Wilson – 13
A former roommate, the housing change led to a lower than projected year of hanging out. A few months of him being away on the fringe circuit didn't help either. Eight unique hangs during September sure did. Interesting that I didn't see him once in October or December either and yet logged three stats during November. A streaky customer who recently moved to Toronto, I'm interested in seeing if he can match this years stats from long distance.
14. Matt Lockhart – 12 *
The top out of town stat earner, Lockhart held his own with the big kids in Vancouver despite being on Vancouver Island. He was also on the road trip to Coachella. This picture also makes me laugh everytime. I was attempting a patented bacon ladder on a the first friend sleeping at the slumber party. As soon as I got close he popped up and said, "who fucked up?" in his typical Lockhart way. This photo captures that moment perfectly.
11. Colby Wilson – 14
Colby took over in the Fall, logging six stats in October and November. A very social person, there aren't many movies or parties where our paths don't cross.
11. Sebastian Archibald – 14
Despite frequently making plans and never cashing in, Sebastian comes in strong with 14 stats. He's also a puppet master.
11. Chaad Gramlich – 14
Chaad's stats aren't as high as they would've been with a longer Canuck cup run in the spring and a season in October. A funny characteristic of his stats is that many of them come in doubles: Jan 21 and Jan 23. Then a break until March where another double crops up. Same with April and July and October. We were always inches away from a hot streak but never quite caught fire. This is a picture of him from Tom and Kelsey's wedding with their son Nolan. He looks much bigger now and it was only like a year ago... I mean Chaad, not Nolan.
10. Kristen Sawatsky – 16
The top ranking of Kaitlin's girl friends, Kristen would've been even higher ranked if not for a busy term of school. A woman of class and dignity.
8. Jordan Lyut – 18
Frequently pairing with his wife, Kristen, Jordan out dueled her with a few well placed video game sessions. I don't have any pictures of him with his shirt on though. I wish I had one of him in his bulls jersey.
8. Pembrooke Clarke – 18
Riding shotgun on Curtis Collier's wing boosted Pembrooke's numbers through the roof after coming over from Montreal. Only October is missing a stat since the move in June.
7. Gordon Family Member– 17 *
Another great example of road trips solidifying stats. My family and Kaitlin's family are heaped into their own categories for sake of ease. It was difficult to count because when I was living at home working on 'Mary's Wedding' I didn't count every day as a separate hang out stat despite hanging out with them every day. That would've been an almost automatic second place. Instead I counted more special events like going on a trip or having people over for dinner. Seven stats earned at once for a week long stay in California leaves a still very impressive 10 stats over the course of the rest of the year. Four months didn't pass this year without seeing my family and I only visited Kelowna two or three times.
6. Williams Family Members – 22
Only September and February missed the presence of a Williams family member (I bet Kaitlin saw them in those months without me). It's great to be so accepted by my in-laws and maybe even better that I so much like them back.
5. Amitai Marmorstein – 22
I wondered how the Peter Carlone-less months of Summer would affect Amitai's chart and was surprised to find out how little they dipped. July was slightly meagre but August carried 3 stats, second only to a five stat October. The first time I laid eyes on Amitai I told him we were gonna be buddies, and we are.
4. Curtis Collier – 26
Curtis moved back to the west coast from Montreal at the end of June and quickly logged 8 stats in just around a month. He put up another 8 in August and looked as though he might challenge for the top spot. School and a busier schedule on my part have since slowed the frequency down but look for more 8 stat months in 2013. Now that he's in Vancouver to stay, he'll be a perennial top earner.
3. Jonny Flahr – 29
Jon logged his first stats in April right around when we went on our road trip to Coachella together. From there he was only slowed three times; in June, September, and November. Those are explained with 'Mary's Wedding' in Kelowna, the Fringe festival, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe' (November) (as well as some projects of his own that I think corresponded with at least two of those dates). The trend is this: when one of us is working, we don't see each other a lot. The nature of our jobs (he runs data storage for film and TV companies and is also a freelance camera operator and film maker) gives us long stretches of time off and long stretches of intensive hours on. When we're off we spend time together, when we're working we don't. I like working but I also like Jon.
2. Brant Hardy – 35
Another late comer in chipping in his first stat, Brant got rolling fast in June. While I was in Kelowna he was my point man for hang outs. He notched ten stats that month and moved to Vancouver soon after. Straight through til November he logged no less than 4 stats per month. Brant has three obstacles in his way from being the stat champ. The first is location. He lives in Gas Town and I'm in Mt. Pleasant. They're not THAT far off but that brings us to obstacle two: compete level. That's a bit of a hockey joke. Honestly, Brant really likes spending time alone and I really hate going to Gas Town. The third obstacle is the biggest hockey joke: the NHL lockout. The Canucks should've played about 39 games in 2012 that they didn't. We wouldn't have watched all those games together but I bet we would've watched a lot. Dustin Senos took this picture and it's one of my favourites of all time. Clean your screen to look at it, it's that good.
1. Peter Carlone – 101
Of course, even if Brant and I had watched every Canuck game together, he still would've fallen far short of our 2012 statistical hang out champion, Peter Carlone. Full disclosure: Peter lives in the same building as me and has the entire year. It makes it really easy to get together for an hour or so with little to no effort. Of course, Peter also left town for a quarter of the year and still made it to triple digits. We hung out 12 times in February, the shortest month (it was a leap year). May was the peak, with 14 hangouts (likely in preparation of his leaving in June). But the main point that underlines all of these stats is this: even though it often requires little work to hang out with each other, we still do it with tremendous frequency. And even though we could get together for a quick hour here or there, we often spend many hours together. I rarely get sick of the guy. He is easy to talk to, funny, and always ready for an adventure. If we didn't live in the same building, I believe that he would still come and visit me, or goad me into going to the movies with him, or meet me at the bar for a beer, just about as much. He's a good friend and he's your 2012 hangout champ.
A funny thing I realized while combing through these stats: I didn't see a single person every month of 2012. Then it dawned on me. There was one person I didn't count. I didn't count her because it would get so redundant and frequent that it would be pointless. It would be beyond logging a hang out stat with her every month, I would be logging a hang out stat with her just about every day. This is the true hang out champion of my life, my darling wife, Kaitlin.
As I wind down my 2012 Year in Review (you're reading the final post now, if you scroll down, you'll enter a world of statistical breakdowns on the most menial things you can imagine), what I'm left with is a love sleeping in the other room while I toil away on this project that has brought me late to bed every night for the past two weeks. She hasn't complained (much), and she's been nothing but supportive, reading each blog as soon as she gets up and always encouraging me to keep them coming. As I thumbed through pictures for this post, I came upon so many pictures of us from the last six years together. I'm thinking now of all the momentary breaks I've taken over the past year, during dinner, during movies, after parties, while working, while relaxing, in order to keep this log. And I'm thinking of a moment mid way through collecting, sorting, and analyzing the data from those breaks when pangs of doubt started to burn my shoulders and neck and I told her that I was worried that this blog was pointless and self-indulgent and empty and she told me that there was faith in what I was doing and love at the heart of the words that I was writing. She encouraged me to carry on. She told me that what I was doing was worthwhile. And that I was worthwhile. And what more could you want to get out of a blog than that?
Thanks for reading. See ya next year.
