Yearly Meme: Year 7!
Year 1: 2004
Year 2: 2005
Year 3: 2006
Year 4: 2007
Year 5: 2008
Year 6: 2009
This year: 2010
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Was surprised by a bridal shower, got married, planned a honeymoon, started referring to another human being as "my husband", started getting used to being someone's wife. Legally changed my name. Ziplined, kayaked, explored a cave I had to swim to get into, climbed Mayan temples, drank a drink out of a coconut, did yoga on a tropical beach, ate pupusas, fell in love with fry jacks.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did a decent job of keeping them. Details forthcoming in another post.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
God, freakin' everyone was giving birth this year. I can't even count them all. Amy & Josh had Oliver, Terri and Greg had Evelyn, Ert and Erin had Bibliobaby, Berenice had Natasha, Mark and Becca had Lucy, Jenn Link (our wedding photog) had Ettlin, and I can't even remember all the other new little people who happened. More scheduled for next year, too.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one really close to me. The only one I heard about was Paul Klingensmith, one of my former teachers at SU. That news really saddened me.
5. What countries did you visit?
Belize and Guatemala!
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
I'll keep part of last year's answer: more time to write and more out of town guests. I'd also like to have a yoga teacher certification, a house, a mortgage, and maybe a healthily growing fetus, but we'll see if this is the year for any of those things. Oh, and these boots, in like four different colors.
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 20, for obvious reasons.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Planning and surviving my wedding. Having an absolutely amazing honeymoon. Legally changing my name. Winning the best female bowler trophy at the bowling tournament last summer.
9. What was your biggest failure?
There are at least half a dozen things having to do with the wedding that feel like failures to me, but we're not dwelling on that and I'm not going to make myself feel bad about it anymore so I'm not answering this question.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing serious.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A trip to Belize! The odd little llama plushie guy we got in Placencia. A crap-ton of frames and picture hangers from Michael's. Twin Peaks on DVD.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
F, as always. My parents, F's parents, Meg--I am so incredibly blessed to have her for my sister. My bridesmaids--they planned an amazing bridal shower for me and were incredibly supportive and wonderful. Kirsten and Miglio, Giovanni, Rogelio, Anastacio, Ellen and John, Lola, and everyone else in Belize who made our trip so incredible.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own, my authors, and the guy from Captain Morgan's resort who picked up suitcases that didn't belong to guests staying at his stupid resort.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Wedding and honeymoon! Rent and savings.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The wedding. The honeymoon. The World Cup.
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Little Lion Man, by Mumford & Sons. Florence + the Machine's "Lungs" album.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier! Being married is pretty great.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner! By like a lot.
c) richer or poorer? Richer! Even after the honeymoon!
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Relaxing, writing. Dancing at my wedding.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Freaking out about things at the wedding, feeling guilty about wedding things.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent good time with family this year. On Christmas eve, F and I had lunch with his parents, Uncle Jim, Ambry and Jerry and David, and Mike and Amy at Jules Pizza in Doylestown. Then I got a mani-pedi with my mom. Christmas day, we woke up at our own place and opened presents here, then went to my parents' for presents and brunch, then up to Uncle Jim's for Christmas dinner with F's family. The next morning we drove down to the Chancellors to see Dan and Jamie and Elijah. Then we beat the snow home. We spent the week after Christmas getting things done around the house, stressing out about all the projects we started but getting most of them completed. It was a busy holiday but a fulfilling one.
21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Keeping last year's answer: I fall in love more and more every day.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I'm loving Doctor Who and Big Bang Theory. We also watched the first season of TruBlood and I mostly liked it.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
Details in a future post.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Florence + the Machine.
27. What did you want and get?
A husband, an amazing honeymoon, jeans that fit, a beautiful wedding day, a Kitchenaid stand mixer, a waffle maker, a drink in a coconut. So much more.
28. What did you want and not get?
A new yoga mat (but F promised me one for my birthday and we just have to get around to buying one). A new job, despite my best efforts. I also would have really liked to go to Germany for Leilani's wedding, but we just couldn't work it out.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Harry Potter, I guess. I didn't see a whole lot of movies.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31. I went to work, then F and I went out for dinner in Media. We sat outside and had a nice meal. Wanda Sykes was sitting at the next table.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Finding a new job. But my year was still pretty terrific.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
I wore a wedding dress for the first time. That was new. I also discovered blazers.
33. What kept you sane?
Keeping last year's answer: F! Yoga! And wine. And my therapist.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I'm loving the Doctors Who right now (Eccleston and Tennant, that is.)
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
On the local level, everyone in the production department of my company got laid off, which was incredibly sad, and we had to start working with the St. Louis production team instead, which is still fraught with company politics. On the national level, I got really worked up about the Dream Act, oddly. I really wish that had had happened for those kids.
36. Who did you miss?
The usual suspects (T&A, Heather, Dann, all the Sarahs, the FL crew). Lisa. Patty and Bill after they left.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Sarah and Jim. Even though they're moving away from PA pretty much as soon as we started getting to know them, they are awesome people.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
It's okay to hate Pearl Jam. It's okay to put one's foot down emphatically sometimes. I did the best I could, and that was just fine.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"We had the best time at your party. The wife and I thank you very much."
Year 2: 2005
Year 3: 2006
Year 4: 2007
Year 5: 2008
Year 6: 2009
This year: 2010
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Was surprised by a bridal shower, got married, planned a honeymoon, started referring to another human being as "my husband", started getting used to being someone's wife. Legally changed my name. Ziplined, kayaked, explored a cave I had to swim to get into, climbed Mayan temples, drank a drink out of a coconut, did yoga on a tropical beach, ate pupusas, fell in love with fry jacks.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did a decent job of keeping them. Details forthcoming in another post.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
God, freakin' everyone was giving birth this year. I can't even count them all. Amy & Josh had Oliver, Terri and Greg had Evelyn, Ert and Erin had Bibliobaby, Berenice had Natasha, Mark and Becca had Lucy, Jenn Link (our wedding photog) had Ettlin, and I can't even remember all the other new little people who happened. More scheduled for next year, too.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one really close to me. The only one I heard about was Paul Klingensmith, one of my former teachers at SU. That news really saddened me.
5. What countries did you visit?
Belize and Guatemala!
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
I'll keep part of last year's answer: more time to write and more out of town guests. I'd also like to have a yoga teacher certification, a house, a mortgage, and maybe a healthily growing fetus, but we'll see if this is the year for any of those things. Oh, and these boots, in like four different colors.
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 20, for obvious reasons.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Planning and surviving my wedding. Having an absolutely amazing honeymoon. Legally changing my name. Winning the best female bowler trophy at the bowling tournament last summer.
9. What was your biggest failure?
There are at least half a dozen things having to do with the wedding that feel like failures to me, but we're not dwelling on that and I'm not going to make myself feel bad about it anymore so I'm not answering this question.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing serious.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A trip to Belize! The odd little llama plushie guy we got in Placencia. A crap-ton of frames and picture hangers from Michael's. Twin Peaks on DVD.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
F, as always. My parents, F's parents, Meg--I am so incredibly blessed to have her for my sister. My bridesmaids--they planned an amazing bridal shower for me and were incredibly supportive and wonderful. Kirsten and Miglio, Giovanni, Rogelio, Anastacio, Ellen and John, Lola, and everyone else in Belize who made our trip so incredible.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own, my authors, and the guy from Captain Morgan's resort who picked up suitcases that didn't belong to guests staying at his stupid resort.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Wedding and honeymoon! Rent and savings.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The wedding. The honeymoon. The World Cup.
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Little Lion Man, by Mumford & Sons. Florence + the Machine's "Lungs" album.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier! Being married is pretty great.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner! By like a lot.
c) richer or poorer? Richer! Even after the honeymoon!
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Relaxing, writing. Dancing at my wedding.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Freaking out about things at the wedding, feeling guilty about wedding things.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent good time with family this year. On Christmas eve, F and I had lunch with his parents, Uncle Jim, Ambry and Jerry and David, and Mike and Amy at Jules Pizza in Doylestown. Then I got a mani-pedi with my mom. Christmas day, we woke up at our own place and opened presents here, then went to my parents' for presents and brunch, then up to Uncle Jim's for Christmas dinner with F's family. The next morning we drove down to the Chancellors to see Dan and Jamie and Elijah. Then we beat the snow home. We spent the week after Christmas getting things done around the house, stressing out about all the projects we started but getting most of them completed. It was a busy holiday but a fulfilling one.
21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Keeping last year's answer: I fall in love more and more every day.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I'm loving Doctor Who and Big Bang Theory. We also watched the first season of TruBlood and I mostly liked it.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
Details in a future post.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Florence + the Machine.
27. What did you want and get?
A husband, an amazing honeymoon, jeans that fit, a beautiful wedding day, a Kitchenaid stand mixer, a waffle maker, a drink in a coconut. So much more.
28. What did you want and not get?
A new yoga mat (but F promised me one for my birthday and we just have to get around to buying one). A new job, despite my best efforts. I also would have really liked to go to Germany for Leilani's wedding, but we just couldn't work it out.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Harry Potter, I guess. I didn't see a whole lot of movies.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31. I went to work, then F and I went out for dinner in Media. We sat outside and had a nice meal. Wanda Sykes was sitting at the next table.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Finding a new job. But my year was still pretty terrific.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
I wore a wedding dress for the first time. That was new. I also discovered blazers.
33. What kept you sane?
Keeping last year's answer: F! Yoga! And wine. And my therapist.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I'm loving the Doctors Who right now (Eccleston and Tennant, that is.)
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
On the local level, everyone in the production department of my company got laid off, which was incredibly sad, and we had to start working with the St. Louis production team instead, which is still fraught with company politics. On the national level, I got really worked up about the Dream Act, oddly. I really wish that had had happened for those kids.
36. Who did you miss?
The usual suspects (T&A, Heather, Dann, all the Sarahs, the FL crew). Lisa. Patty and Bill after they left.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Sarah and Jim. Even though they're moving away from PA pretty much as soon as we started getting to know them, they are awesome people.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
It's okay to hate Pearl Jam. It's okay to put one's foot down emphatically sometimes. I did the best I could, and that was just fine.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"We had the best time at your party. The wife and I thank you very much."