Year in Review

I answered these questions for 2009 and 2008, so I thought I'd keep the tradition alive.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before? Bought a car. We named her Agnes.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I was more mindful of my health last year and I intend to keep up with that. I'm also pretty determined to lose these pesky 10 pounds.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No. But don't worry. My sister-in-law is due to have her baby any day now. I'm already stockpiling the gifts!

4. Did anyone close to you die? My dad died in June. That was a pretty crappy way to start the summer, I must say.

5. What countries did you visit? Ummm...well, I stuck close to home again this year with no stamps in my passport again.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010? An tenure track position for my husband in a department where he will enjoy the students, his work, and his co-workers.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? The day my father died and the day my husband defended his dissertation. June was a big month, yo.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Not murderizing anyone in my family when I had to see them all.

9. What was your biggest failure? I have slacked on a lot of things this year - writing letters, returning personal phone calls, and sending out birthday cards. I intend to rectify all of the above this year. I just want people I love to know I'm thinking about them. Even a simple card that takes five minutes to send out accomplishes this and I feel kind of guilty when I think about how often I chose to do something other than take that five minutes to do that.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nope. And, my husband and I just got back from Mayo tonight and the doctor told us there is "nothing to worry about" with his health. There are a few modifications in diet we need to make (sigh), but he's just as fine as I am!

11. What was the best thing you bought? Agnes.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My mother who has handled my dad's death with far more grace and good humor than I would have ever predicted.

My sister-in-law, the one who has two twenty-month old twins who were born prematurely, who manages to be a great mama to two awesome babies while maintaining some semblance of a professional life AND send out thank you cards for gifts, is someone I greatly admire. I should probably tell her that to her face instead of assuming she knows it.

Also, my sister-in-law, the physician, who calms me down repeatedly when there is no one else I can talk to about how scared I am when my husband is sick. She is funny, compassionate, and I am so lucky I am related to her.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The Israelis that attacked that aid ship bound for Gaza, the people who voted for Christine O'Donnell or Michele Bachmann, people who protested about the signing of the health care law, the oil companies and the captured oversight agencies that allowed the Gulf Coast oil spill to happen, and countless other newsmakers who forced me to grit my teeth and turn off NPR before my blood pressure caused a bloody nose (I may or not be referring to the former governor of Alaska right now...)

14. Where did most of your money go? Rent, food.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The trip to NYC with Bestest Friend and the trip to the beach with my sister, aunt, and cousins.

16. What song will always remind you of 2010? "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry because it was my sister's cell phone ring every time her phone rang while we were at the beach together and "Yankee Sailor" by Great Big Sea because that is totally the best song on their new CD.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? probably the same
b) thinner or fatter? thinner!
c) richer or poorer? the same

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Spent more time in Michigan with my mom and sister.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Spent less time in Michigan with my mom and sister. Ha ha! I'm so mysterious.

20. How did you spend Christmas? At my in-laws'. Our nieces and nephews were hilarious with the present opening this year.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010? Oh, blech. You can tell I'm no longer officially a newlywed because I can't take this question seriously. I love my husband. I love him dearly. But really? I love our car a lot. Go Agnes!

22. What was your favorite TV program? Sunday Night Football. There's something about the ritual of a Sunday night game that just strikes a chord with me (even when it is Eagles versus Cowboys and the whole time you're wondering if it's possible for BOTH teams to lose).

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don't think so. I'm much more mellow this year than in the past.

24. What was the best book you read? The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block, The Magicians by Lev Grossman, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. You can't make me pick just one.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? I think I'm all played with musical discoveries. I need to listen to Pandora more to learn more about new artists, I think.

26. What did you want and get? A sedan! Monster was reliable and I don't want to speak ill of him, but having a trunk and a back seat is life altering.

27. What did you want and not get? Eh. A job for me. A job for him. It will all work out in the end.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Toy Story 3, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I was in North Carolina with my family and my aunt took us out to eat; I was 31.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A pet.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? Purple shoes.

32. What kept you sane? Knowing that at the end of the day, I would get into bed next to my husband and the rest of the world would go away for a few precious hours.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? The Radio Lab guys, Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich. Wait? Are they even famous to anyone else?

34. What political issue stirred you the most? The silliness of Tea Party supporters who haven't even read the U. S. Constitution while they slammed others for not respected it. Grrr.

35. Who did you miss? My dad. My Uncle Lenny. My friends who love far away. My mom. My sister. My nieces and nephews who see us all too little. I even kind of miss Monster. I hope he's with a family who loves him.

36. Who was the best new person you met? Dudes, I have a new friend here in the Twin Cities!! Her name is Molly and it's a new friendship, but I hope it lasts.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010. When you end a conversation with your father, thinking, "hey, that was really fun - dad's pretty hilarious sometimes," it's going to be your last conversation, so make sure to tell him that you love him.