2009

It appears my narcissism knows no bounds! Also, I copied this from Shannon’s blog. Feel free to take what I have rightfully stolen.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Went on a cruise!

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No I did not keep the two I had. Yes I have made more and I intend to keep them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. We welcomed to the world our godson Samuel and my cousin was blessed with his second daughter, Amelia Grace.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, a fact for which I am grateful.

5. What countries did you visit?
France, Italy, Croatia and Greece.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A sense of job security for Mark. Ian being potty trained!

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September 18th when we arrived in Venice. November 9th when Mythic laid-off 1/3 of the staff. The week in August when Teresa came to visit and brought her wonderful family with her. The night UK beat Auburn in football.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Working up the courage to leave my children for 2 weeks. Selling our house in 8 days. Swallowing my pride and admitting that we might need help from family to get through a rough patch.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being stronger for Mark when he needed me. Gaining far too much weight.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just the usual sinus infection, ear infections and that pseudo-heart attack, a.k.a: don’t let strep throat go for 3 weeks without treating it.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The service of our realtor, the balcony suite on the cruise ship, the excursion ticket in Croatia where we met Evelyn and Philip, metro tickets to show “our city” to Teresa’s kids.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mark, for being a rock when everything and everyone around him was crumbling. He is the most loyal person I know and I really think some people are about to find out the hard way what it means to lose his loyalty.

Ethan, for handling changes to his routine with aplomb and humour. We took a long trip to Georgia, we left him alone with his Granny, he had other children staying in his house for a week, he has had to face moving in the middle of the school year- and yet he’s stayed my loving and empathetic boy. Even through his struggles with reading, he continues to try. And, hey, he’s the best behaved and most recognized boy in the first grade!

Ian, for learning to talk – sort of.

Finally: Tom. For 20 years he faced continuous separation from his family. He’s been on more combat tours than I can keep track of. He’s lost friends. He wasn’t allowed to come home for Adrian’s funeral. And yet after all of that, after 20 long years of being over-worked and underpaid, he stepped up and said “I’m not done yet. I can still help and contribute.” So, despite misgivings and down-right anger from those who love him, he signed up to go back to Iraq as a contractor. I said some awful things to him when he told me, but I hope he knows that I’m proud that he lets me call him brother and serves as an uncle to my children.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Republicans in Congress. The US Navy for prosecuting Navy SEALS just doing their jobs. Executives at Mythic entertainment for not listening to the people who made them a success in the first place.

14. Where did most of your money go?
The realtor and the house repairs.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The cruise, selling the house, moving, Ian talking, staying up late and gossiping with Teresa like we were back in college, UK football.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Nickelback’s “Burn it to the Ground” Read into that whatever you like!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Probably the same
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter- damn it
c) richer or poorer? Richer, in both money and relationships

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Potty training! Dancing. Spending time with Amy (my friend, not myself!) Writing.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Potty training! Worrying about the job situation. Eating!

20. How did you spend Christmas?
We celebrated our final Christmas in this house. Just the four of us relaxed by the tree, ate home-made doughnuts and giggled at Katya wearing bows on her head.

21. What was the best book you read?
I cannot narrow it to just one. I enjoyed : Clive Cussler’s The Wrecker and all of Daniel Silva’s works. I also just devoured David Baldacci’s True Blue

22. What was the worst book you read?
Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol. What a complete let-down.

23. What TV shows did you enjoy?
We’ve just discovered “The Big Bang Theory” We love "Chuck" and I’m truly obsessed with "NCIS".

24. What TV shows disappointed you?
The plot decisions and writing in the final season of Battlestar Galactica.

25. What did you want and get?
A memorable 10th anniversary, a visit from my best friend, a nice pay-off on the house, and a child who talks in a language people understand.

26. What did you want and not get?
A potty trained 3 year old. (See a pattern?) 800 thousand WAR subscribers.

27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 34, and my men folk made me a lovely cake.

28. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Jeans and sweatpants, except when I was painting. Remember folks- don’t take the curtains down and then decide to paint while wearing only underwear! While on the cruise i wore only sundresses and sandals. Girl clothes!

29. What kept you sane?
My MP3 player. Oh how I miss you, little black case of joy. I’m sorry I drowned you- it was an a-kk-ident! (Mark’s buying me a new one for my birthday this year.)

(Bonus for those who bothered reading: count the movie references made in this post!)