You realise all this stuff is mainly for my own benefit, don’t you? So I can benchmark what happened in 2004 and see if I went forwards significantly or not. If you’re still interested, read on…

Top concerts in 2004 were: David Byrne, Brian Wilson, BB King, Rufus Wainwright. There was also the Tricodex ballet at the Power Center plus the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and Candide at the Michigan Theater.

Top sporting events attended: Yankees vs Blue Jays, Wolverines vs Northwestern, Mariners v Blue Jays. On TV: Pistons vs Lakers. Top non-sporting events: “trying on” cars at the Auto Show, riding a horse in Sedona (although I’m never going to be a cowboy, woah no).

Travel: Los Angeles (CA), Tempe and Sedona (Arizona), Chicago (IL), New York (NY), Pittsburgh (PA), Interlochen (northern Michigan), Toronto (Canada, twice), Maumee (Ohio). And let’s not forget Detroit (MI).

Top cheek: giving Tom Hulce a copy of The Car on DVD; leaving a business card in the UofM President’s office; getting on the tour bus to say “Hi” to BB King; driving down Sunset Strip in a red Mustang convertable listening to Cake; Tempe.

Achievements: winning Best Short Film at the Texas Film Festival–definitely a highlight, being selected as Critic’s Pick at East Lansing Film Festival, having a sell-out screening in Hollywood, finishing first short in USA, American Short Film, and new short, Serial Dating.

Also being adopted as Resident Filmmaker at the Michigan Theater, being asked to be on the Ann Arbor Film Festival screening committee, being asked back as a judge at the Lightworks Festival at the UofM. Finishing videos for ArtrainUSA and making commercials. Learning to dance swing. Learning After Effects.

And let’s not forget making Cinema Slam happen several times, getting a screening for Fate & Fortune and Last Train in St Albans, screenings for The Car at several festivals, more screenings for other films in London and getting write ups in three newspapers, US and UK (Ann Arbor Current, East Lansing Journal and St Albans Observer).

Best things of the year: getting married to Laura. Followed by buying a house together, travelling, making films, going to concerts, dining out at some truly excellent restaurants, making lots of new friends and, of course, getting new cars.