My dad emailed me and said the kid in this comic strip reminds him of me when I was a kid. Specifically, I used to try to put spells on our cat. Anyway, I don't remember having her rhyming prowess, but I like the idea that I was that crazy and hilarious. 
1) What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
I went to Mexico, I was my sister's maid-of-honor, saw Billy Elliot and In The Heights on Broadway, made crepes.
2) Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more for next year (this year)?
One of my resolutions for last year was to lose some weight - I lost 15 pounds! My other resolution was to move to Nashville. That did not happen. My resolutions for this year are to move to Nashville and get into law school.
3) Did anyone close to you give birth?
Michael's friend Joe had a baby. Or rather, his wife did.
4) Did anyone close to you die?
Not especially close, but my great-uncle died.
5) What countries did you visit?
Mexico
6) What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
More time with friends and family.
7) What date(s) from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
May 31 - Christa and Wes' wedding
8) What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I think finishing the school year was pretty big.
9) Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had a cold or two, but pretty uneventful in this regard.
10) What was the best thing you bought?
Once again, plane tickets.
11) Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
A whole bunch of congress people and senators.
12) Whose behavior merited celebration?
I think a lot of the people I know are truly amazing. They are serving God in all kinds of ways and are looking for ways to help those around them and to better themselves. That deserves celebration.
13) Where did most of your money go?
Savings, bills, food.
14) What did you get really, really excited about?
Christa's wedding.
15) What song will always remind you of 2008?
I've been thinking about this and I really haven't come up with anything. I don't really listen to pop music, so I don't know what's new and on the radio. Mostly I listen to NPR. I'm that person. Ten years ago I would have thought I was totally lame.
16. Compared to this time last year, are you?:
Wiser? I hope so. How does one measure this?
Healthier? Maybe. Once again, how does one measure this? I'd probably have to see a doctor to know, and I try pretty hard not to see a doctor.
Richer? More in savings again, so yeah.
17) What do you wish you'd done more of?
Reading, spending time with Michael and my family and friends.
18) What do you wish you'd done less of?
Anxious worrying, obsessive-compulsive thinking.
19) How much did you spend on christmas?
I don't really keep track of these things.
20) Did you fall in love in 2008?
I love my husband a lot.
21) What was your favorite blog post that you wrote?
Not that it took a lot of writing... but In The Car
22) What was your favorite TV program?
The Office and 30 Rock
23) Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Today is maybe a bad day to ask. Work can be very frustrating sometimes. I spent a lot of time after work yelling at people who weren't there.
24) What was the best book you read?
Some of my favorites: Water for Elephants, The Book Thief, The Gift of Asher Lev, Bel Canto, Skeletons at the Feast, Captivating
25) What was your greatest musical discovery?
Fireflies and Songs by Sara Groves
26) What did you want and get?
A Nook!
27) What did you want and not get?
A move to Nashville.
28)What was your favorite film this year?
I can't really remember watching any movies this year... must have been awesome, huh?
29) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Well, I don't really remember my birthday. Sad, huh? But a couple weeks later Michael took me to Billy Elliot. And I turned 26.
30) Which celebrity/public figure did you like the most?
I don't think I like any celebrities or public figures this year.
31) How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008.
Sweaters, stuff with asymmetrical lines and/or buttons, comfort.
32) What kept you sane?
Sunshine, Michael, God, Hope, Friends
33) Who did you miss?
My mom, Christa, and lots of friends, mostly Leslie. She shouldn't be allowed to go to Thailand for six months at a time.
34) Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
I don't always get what I want. (This may seem obvious, it's a constant re-learning, I suppose.)
35) What did you lose this year?
15 pounds
36 )What did you gain this year?
A dream for the future.
37) Who was the best new person you met?
I really enjoy some of my new students this year. They are fun people. They shall remain nameless to protect the innocent.
38) Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I am fighting to stay open, open like a lake.
1) What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Taught Business Math, went to Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome, met Barack Obama and Dan Rather, went to the National Zoo, paid off our car, saw Brian Regan live, saw Mary Poppins on Broadway.
2) Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more for next year (this year)?
I don't remember making any resolutions last year.
This year I want to lose some weight and move to Nashville.
3) Did anyone close to you give birth?
Linsey Bailey
4) Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother
5) What countries did you visit?
England, France, Italy, Austria
6) What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More time with family, a house and job in Nashville, more joy.
7) What date(s) from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
January 18-the day my grandmother died.
June 22-the beginning of our European adventure.
8) What was your biggest achievement of the year?
A lot of days it feels like just surviving is a big achievement. But probably, I feel like I am a better teacher all the time, and I am keeping up with my grading better than the last two years, and over all, I just feel more competent in my job, and that's a pretty big accomplishment.
9)Did you suffer illness or injury
No, just the usual maladies...
10) What was the best thing you bought?
Plane tickets!
11) Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Various students at various times.
12) Whose behavior merited Celebration?
Michael's. He is very patient with me and is willing to do just about anything to make me happy. He's pretty amazing.
13) Where did most of your money go?
Bills and Europe
14) What did you get really, really excited about?
Europe, dancing with Shelli, a baby book that my mom made me.
15) What song will always remind you of 2008?
"Yes We Can" by WillIAm.
16. Compared to this time last year, are you?:
Wiser? Hopefully I'm getting wiser all the time. This is kind of difficult to measure.
Healthier? Emotionally? Yes. Physically? It's really a toss-up.
Richer? We have more in savings and less debt, so I suppose that we're richer, yes.
17) What do yo wish you'd done more of? More playing and time with friends and family, more reading, more exercise and more traveling.
18) What do you wish you'd done less of? Less anxious worrying and computer game time.
19) HOw much did you spend on christmas? I have no idea. Several hundred.
20)Did you fall in love in 2008? Marriage is a constant re-falling in love with someone you know better all the time.
21) What was your favorite blog post that you wrote?
Probably the series about Europe.
22) What was your favorite TV programs?
My favorite new series is 30 Rock, favorite returning series: The Office.
23) Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I sometimes hate various students. But it doesn't last for more than a day. So I guess not really.
24) What was the best book you read?
Probably my favorites were People of the Book and I Am Asher Lev.
25) What was your greatest musical discovery?
Probably Ingrid Michaelson and Eastmountainsouth
26) What did you want and get?
This sweet winter white cape jacket.
27) What did you want and not get?
This cute little dress in Paris.
28)What was your favorite film this year?
I really liked The Dark Knight and Wall-E.
29) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We ate at Uno's and saw Charlie Wilson's War. I turned 25.
30) which celebrity/public figure did you like the most?
Tina Fey.
31) How would yo describe your personal fashion concept in 2008
Comfort and cost effective with a little quirky.
32) What kept you sane?
Michael, antidepressants, Barack winning the election, trips home to see the family and dreaming of a different future.
33) Who did you miss?
My grandparents.
34) Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Don't trust the stock market.
35) What did you lose this year?
My temper, several times.
36)What did you gain this year?
Hope that there can be joy again, a book club.
37) What was the best new person you met?
Maybe the new principal.
38) Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
It's been a hard year, but I'm climbing out of the rubble...
Six and a half years ago Michael asked me to be his girlfriend. Four years ago, on a very cold snowy day in Valentine, Nebraska, he asked me to be his wife. A lot of things have happened since then, some bad, mostly good. I'm sure glad I said yes.
Today is better. I don't know why. But it is and I'm grateful. Yesterday when I woke up and realized that I had to teach I almost cried. But then, miraculously, they were quieter than normal, and listened better and did the things I asked (for the most part, they're not angels, after all). I think it was God's prodding, saying, don't give up yet. You still have more than a month to go.
It started snowing last Thursday and snowed on and off through Sunday. Fortunately, for my mental health, it didn't stick. If it had, we would have had quite a bit of snow on the ground because it really snowed a lot. At least it seemed to.
I remember last Easter Sunday laying on our water bed because the heating mechanism wasn't working and it was the only semi-cool place in our house. (It was more than 80 degrees and the air conditioning wasn't working. Also, we lived in a trailer, so the insulation was non-existent.) This year snow. Makes you think they're onto something with all that climate change talk.
Sadly, we're not going to make it out to Union next week as we had hoped. Plane tickets went up into the $350 range. And since we just paid about a thousand dollars in taxes, that's a bit out of our reach right now. So instead I found discounted tickets to see Avenue Q on Broadway next Thursday. Just to cheer us up. It won't make up for missing out on seeing all our friends, for sure.
And the allergies are here. I've had two migraines in the last four days. And I just have a little headache on the verge right now. It's not bad yet, and I have the Advil in my purse, just in case. Also, the phlegm has been constantly in the back of my throat for more than a week. All this and no flowers because it's too damn cold. Pennsylvania (or global warming) is toying with my emotions.
We hope to have news soon about an interview somewhere south of here. So keep that in prayer, if you don't mind. We don't know whether we want to go or not, but it's definitely something that's on our minds.
Anyway, that's all the news that's fit to be published.
Since my computer will not allow me to either read or post comments on anyone's blog, I will now respond to Katie's book selling story with a story of my own. A favorite story.
I took some music history class at Union. It was badly taught. I realized this pretty quickly into the class. We watched a lot of videos and didn't learn much from the lectures. I had already purchsased the book for said class, and it was too late to return it for the full refund. I didn't take the book to class. I got an A- in the class. I could have gotten a 100% in the class if I had taken it out of the shrink wrap. Especially because he gave open-book quizzes and tests. But I decided that it was worth it, just to make the point, and because I'm ridiculously stubborn, to not unwrap my book.
So on book sell back day I sold back my book still in the shrink wrap. I didn't get any extra money back or anything, but I like to think of it as a moral victory.
The end.
