A Farewell to 2014-- Alternately Titled: The Post With the Worst Pictures

Preface: I kind of failed here. I started writing this a few days before New Years, but I got caught up with work, and before I knew it, it was a week into 2015. With that being said, I'm going to play a fun game I call "pretend it's still December." 

This year was kind of a mixed bag for me. I experienced a tremendous amount of good fortune: my first trip to the snow, a brand new car, my first solo plane ride with the destination of Portland to visit a good friend, a trip to Chicago with Kyle for Riot Fest, and everything else in between. However, there were some negatives as well: getting a mild concussion from faceplanting whilst snowboarding, ridiculous parking tickets and a door ding that chipped my paint, missing our flight back from Chicago, plus a few other speed bumps along the way. In the past few months, I've learned to not focus so closely on the negative, but rather to be thankful for the positives. Glass is half full and all that crap.

This year, I also tried to be more productive with my time. I wanted to focus my creativity and combine it with some of my other interests, so I got reacquainted with my love of baking and created this blog. I don't know if you noticed this, but it wasn't a very successful venture, seeing as this page has been up for eleven months and only has five posts, including this one. While my effort was questionable, my tenacity wasn't, so I figure it's only fitting to end the year with some more cupcakes.

I named these Rorschach.

Three Cheers for Sweet Pastries
The story behind these is kind of convoluted. In an effort to not pen another novel, I'm going to try to give you the Twitter version. I can't guarantee that I'm going to be successful, but I'm going to try, damn it.

Santiago wanted cupcakes. Didn’t know what kind. Coach suggested champagne, but not with predictable strawberries. Decided on blackberries.

That's the gist of it. I realize that barely makes any sense to anyone outside of my head, so I'm also going to include the CliffsNotes version for your reading pleasure.

My coworker Santiago was lamenting the fact that he never gets any of the extra cupcakes that I pawn off on people at work. You can't leave food unattended around my coworkers, so by the time he gets there, they're all gone. Because I'm such a nice person, I told him that I'd bake him something and asked what he wanted. With New Years approaching, I suggested something appropriately festive, like strawberries and champagne. Overhearing the last part of that conversation, hockey coach Simon chimed in with some helpful suggestions, such as champagne and blackberries. And oranges. And coconut. As usual, I had to rein in his ideas and I settled with just the blackberries and champagne. Blackberries in the cupcake, champagne in the frosting. This was a relatively simple combination, at least compared to my previous experiences baking with booze.

Taken seconds before someone inhaled it.

I Brought You My Cupcakes, You Brought Me Your Love
I brought the cupcakes to Santiago and Simon, and all twelve were gone within ten minutes (also the reason why my picture of the finished product is so terrible). I'm not saying that all twelve were eaten, however. One cupcake was given to my coworker Austin, who placed it somewhere safe so he could eat it before going home. A few hours later, on his way out, he grabbed his jacket and accidentally knocked over the cupcake right into the garbage can. Well, at least eleven were eaten and enjoyed.

It's a little disappointing to see something I lovingly created destroyed like that, but I guess the important part here is that Santiago was able to eat one and not accidentally fling it into the trash. Speaking of Santiago, in a funny turn of events, he now owes me baked goods.

That story takes place at the New Year's Eve party we were both attending. Contrary to what my baked goods tell you about me, I don't really drink, so when the clock struck 12, I was completely sober and enjoying the shenanigans that were unfolding in front of me. Everyone was three sheets to the wind by 12:30, but Santiago insisted that he was fine. I was wary, but he was so sure in his low level of intoxication that he bet me that he would be sober in thirty minutes. I usually never have any idea what to wager, but after the confectionary events from a few days prior, I told him that if he lost, he'd have to bake me something from scratch. To make it official, we shook on it, and when he kissed my hand, I knew I had it in the bag. I decided to spend that thirty minutes by having a little fun and administering a field sobriety test of sorts (I do have photos of this, but I'm going to save what little dignity is left and not post them here). No surprise, but when 1:00 am rolled around, he was still pretty inebriated. I can't wait to see what he makes for me.

I already know that 2015 is going to be an incredible year (it already has been, but more on that later). I have no doubt that I'll be faced with some challenges along the way, but if there's anything that I learned from this year it's that it won't be anything that I can't handle. Hopefully. As for resolutions, I don't really have any. Except to learn how to do a backflip and ride a bike.