Bye bye, '09

(I stole this from Sundry.  Did it last year too.)


1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Learned to teach a class, and somehow managed to teach it several times without making a total ass of myself.  Earned a fancy "title" to put on my business cards.  Told off a co-worker when stuff he did made me look like a fool.  Started sewing a real quilt.  Made a bunch of homemade stuff like salsa & pasta sauce & pumpkin puree.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?



Kind of.... I didn't really make any last year though, come to think.  I really don't like making yearly resolutions.  I've found it's easier to set monthly goals - it gives me a better sense of accomplishment which in turn motivates me to keep going.  It worked for me this year with going to the gym, until I caught a cold & couldn't go, then spent a weekend in the hospital and still couldn't go... threw me completely off.  But this year, each month I'll re-set my goals of eating healthier and getting more exercise, creating things and staying motivated at work.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?


Friends back home had another little girl, & cousins did too.

4. Did anyone close to you die?


No.  Which is good of course.

5. What countries did you visit?


No foreign travel yet.  I think I visited one new city in the U.S. - the booming metropolis of Yuma, Arizona.  Good times!

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
I'm hoping that the company will have more money so that I have more opportunities to DO stuff.  Also a kitten.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
God, I suck at dates.  My trip to Phoenix & Yuma, and when B & I went to Chicago.  Whenever those were.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?


Teaching that class, especially the one time in Phoenix when I totally had to wing it.  That felt pretty good.

9. What was your biggest failure?
My attitude about a lot of stuff.  And dropping out of therapy.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major, but there was this story which was kind of funny.  Also was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which sounds unpleasant but it just leaves me a bit sore.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
I would say my Macbook, but I didn't buy it.  Woot!  Hmm, maybe my food processor?  It gave me the means to turn a mountain of tomatoes into a freezer full of pasta sauce and salsa.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I'll have to say B again, who made a difficult decision to ensure his well-being and take some strain off our relationship.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?


The aforementioned co-worker that I finally worked up the nerve to tell off.  But then he apologized and was pretty sincere about it, so while he royally pissed me off I've managed to let it go.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, groceries, credit card debt, and the university.  Did you know that when you cook at home, you have to buy a lot of groceries?  It's appalling.

15. What did you get really excited about?
An idea I ran past my bosses that was completely out of left field, and they are so far totally supportive & enthusiastic about it.  Ask me again in May, and we'll see where it goes!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Sara Bareilles' cover of Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay, from her live album.  It gave me goosebumps the first time I heard it, and both B and I love it.



Also, Supermassive Black Hole by Muse, it was my go-to driving song all year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Neutral.  Things have changed, but not for the better or the worse, just changed.
– thinner or fatter? Fatter I think.  It's all this cooking.


– richer or poorer? Always poorer!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?


I wish I had gotten off my ass more.  At work, at home, with exercise and creative things... I could have done so much more than just SITTING.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?


Spazzing out about stupid stuff that wasn't worth spazzing out about.

20. How did you spend Christmas?


Just B and I, a lazy day.  We'll celebrate with the family tomorrow.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Erm... well... I developed a couple new crushes.  But they don't really count.

22. What was your favorite TV program?


Leverage and Bones.  Which, if you haven't seen Leverage, you should!  January 13th!  Season two starts up again!



On DVD, I caught the Wire bug (ha!!) and have gotten a little hooked on Angel too.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?


There were some people that I severely disliked during the course of the year, but it's mostly okay now.

24. What was the best book you read?
Hunger Games and Catching Fire, the whole Percy Jackson series, An Echo in the Bone, and World War Z.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

The White Rabbits


and Sara Bareilles.  If you get beyond the annoying song from the radio, the chick has an amazing voice.

26. What did you want and get?
An awesome computer, and Photoshop Elements 8.

27. What did you want and not get?

Something out of therapy.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Avatar and Star Trek.  Done and done.  Those two will always be on my favorites list.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We had a real party this year!  And I have no pictures except this one, which is sadly sober!  Considering I turned 30, I would have thought I'd be drunk off my ass by this point...

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More work opportunities.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Getting away with jeans when I could - or at least until HR sent out a memo.

32. What kept you sane?


The couch.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Christian Kane.  I mean, really.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?


Climategate and the whole climate change/global warming load of crap.  Urgh.

35. Who did you miss?


My friends from home.

36. Who was the best new person you met?


Lisa, one of our reps in Chicago who unfortunately isn't with the company anymore.  But she's still awesome.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.


My inner critic is a raging bitch.  I'm waaaaay too hard on myself and take things waaaaay too personally.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.


I couldn't think of one last year, but this year I'm cheating a bit because I have a particular song lyric typed out and taped to my computer monitor:

"You don't always have to hold your head higher than your heart."
Hope - Jack Johnson