January 2010 – Suddenly they all died. The end.

So this is me procrastinating getting any actual work done. Again. I’m just feeling lazy today. Also, I need a nap. And some pear juice. But since I don’t get to have a nap (or pear juice), I’m going to do a meme that seems to be making the rounds of my LJ flist. Why? Because it’s better than doing actual work, even if I do have to use my brain to answer the questions.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
I went to Las Vegas and gambled. Also, much sightseeing of cool places. I got all gussied up and went to shows and ate at a fancy restaurant, where the ambience was a bit ruined by the table full of drunk girls next to us who insisted on referring to each other as “bitch.” I’m glad my friends aren’t like that. Except, of course, for when we are. Silly, that is. 🙂

2. Did you keep your New Year’s Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I sooooo did not keep my New Year’s Resolution to get into better shape. As a matter of fact, I think I’m in worse shape now than I was last year. My whole work-out routine went okay for a while, but I got a little derailed by the whole having to get up at the ass-crack of dawn thing. Kind of puts a damper on working out when you hate mornings and already don’t want to do it. I haven’t made any resolutions for this year, except I would like to read more and be more on top of things. I guess we’ll see how that goes.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Greg’s cousin Kathy had a little boy about a month ago. She asked Greg to be the godfather yesterday. Yay honey!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year, thank God. My grandpa dying in 2008 was bad enough. Everyone: no more dying for a while, please. Thanks.

5. What countries did you visit?
Well, I went to France and Japan and…oh, wait, that was what David Sedaris did in When You Are Engulfed in Flames, not me. Um, does practically-Missouri count as another country? Or maybe Las Vegas? Cuz if they don’t, I didn’t go anywhere. Well, I went places, but not places where you would need a passport. It would be fun to go places where you would need a passport. If only I were independently wealthy and could afford to travel anywhere my heart desired at a moment’s notice…

6. Did you have any crushes?
Why, yes, yes, I did. He’s a married man, though. Luckily, he’s married to me. 🙂

7. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
I would like to have certain knowledge of my baby’s gender. Also, I’d like to know for sure that everything is okay. I just don’t want to have to wait six months to find it all out! I’m impatient!

8. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
May 16 – Went to a wedding with Jenni and had a blast with Jenni, Jenny, Amber, and Greg afterwards. It’s too bad we can’t all get together more often! September 18 – The night of my bachelorette party. What a fun night – we should do that more often, too! September 26 – I got married that day! October 21 – I found out I was pregnant that night. I was pretty sure already, so I was really excited to have my suspicions confirmed.

9. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Let’s see, I got married, we bought a house, I got pregnant…I really have to pick just one?

10. What was your biggest failure?
I’m not really sure about this one. My year was mostly full of good things, so maybe not getting to see my friends as much as I would like. I feel like we’re kind of losing touch with each other. I know a certain amount of that is expected, but it still makes me sad.

11. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Of course I suffered illness! I’m always sick in the winter! Sinus infections suck. Otherwise, though, I was good.

12. What was the best thing you bought?
Probably our house. It has some serious issues (radiator heat, no insulation, 90-year-old windows, hideous mid-1970s curtains/carpet/countertops/wood paneling, asbestos, full one-stall garage, leaky roof, scary dangerous wiring – I could go on forever), but we’re slowly getting them all fixed. I can’t wait till they’re all fixed. Seriously. Can’t wait. Am a bit impatient on this front. Must have attic done by spring so we can get the nursery ready by June. Despite all the issues, though, it’s a beautiful house and I adore it. I’ll adore it even more when it’s done. And when we once again have a garage to park our cars in. And when we have a dishwasher. Especially when we have a dishwasher. Heck, I’ll be excited when we no longer have drywall sitting in the kitchen and blocking the sink and cupboards.

13. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I’m not really sure I know the answer to that. It certainly wasn’t the writers of Bones who teased me with previews of Booth and Brennan finally hooking up and then having it turn out that he was in a coma and that was his dream. That was seriously not cool.

14. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Oh, lots of people. Cheating celebrities, the news media who feel that reporting on all those cheating celebrities is actually important news (it’s not, and if Tiger Woods wants to screw up his life by having affairs, that’s his business – I don’t want to hear about it), politicians who would rather play games than get meaningful legislation passed, politicians who are arguing just for the sake of arguing so that their opposition can’t get anything done…It seems like our country is going to hell in a handbasket. At least Iowa allows gay couples to marry now. I’m all for it, but it’s still a little weird seeing two guys’ names in the paper under the marriage licenses section.

15. Where did most of your money go?
Our wedding and our house. Also, our honeymoon. We had an expensive year this year! Maybe next year things will be better. At least we got my car paid off.

16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Lots of things! I was excited to see my friend Amber in May since she couldn’t come back for my wedding. I was excited to get married this fall and go on a wonderful honeymoon. I was excited for my friend Jenny, who found out she was expecting and ended up getting engaged a couple of months ago. I was excited for my friend Jenni, who finally found the courage to talk to her crush and now they’re happily dating. I’m excited for my friend Tara, who finally found a job after months of searching (here’s hoping it becomes permanent!) and who met a really nice guy and is also happily dating. I was excited to learn that I had an even better honeymoon than I realized. I was really excited when I had a last-minute ultrasound and everything turned out to be fine. All in all, it was a really exciting year!

17. What song will always remind you of 2009?
The only one that popped into my head as something that was actually new this year: “It Happens” by Sugarland. Psshh, it happens… The first time I heard the song, I wasn’t really paying attention but those few words caught my ear and it sounded a whole lot like she said, “Shit happens.” I love things like that.

18. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a. Happier or sadder? Definitely happier – I wasn’t pregnant this time last year!

b. Thinner or fatter? Definitely fatter – see above. Also, I put on a lot of weight over the last year and I’d like to get rid of it.

c. Richer or poorer? About the same, I think. Our new house payment is about the same as the old one and we have my car paid off, but there’s always credit card debt…

19. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I’d done more traveling and spent more time with the kids. Fortunately, I can work on those goals this year, too. I always wish I spent more time with the kids. And come summer when I’m not working, I’ll be spending loads of time with them!

20. What do you wish you’d done less of?
I wish I’d done less stressing. I stress about lots of things – my ex and his family (although not so much lately, since they’re behaving), my dad, paying for everything, fixing our house, not falling on the ice, my sister…I have lots of stressors. I need to cut down on those.

21. How will you be spending Christmas/New Year’s?
I spent Christmas at home with Greg, the kids, and Greg’s mom. I also spent it on the phone with doctors at Covenant who tried to guilt me into braving the dangerous weather to come and get my dad, or alternately shell out $92.00 to have him take a glorified taxi. New Year’s Eve, we went to Waterloo to see about Greg’s truck, which had been towed there earlier, and then we had a nice supper with the kids at Lone Star before going home and collapsing onto the couch. We slept our way into the new year this year. Greg fell asleep first, then Rachael, then me, and then Tom. He lasted till somewhere between 11:00 and 11:15 p.m., which is a whole lot longer than the rest of us lasted.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
No, but I sure stayed that way. Well, maybe I fell more in love. Yeah, that would be a good way to put it.

23. How many one-night stands?
None! I’m married! What kind of a questionnaire is this? Of all the…I’m a lady! Ladies do no such thing! *looks scandalized*

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Bones. Without a doubt. Also, House, Glee, and probably some others I can’t think of right now. And this totally doesn’t include old favorites that no longer air. Well, some of them are on as reruns, but still. Okay, I’ll list them, too: M*A*S*H, Star Trek (all series), all the old shows that were on TGIF when I was growing up, Home Improvement, I could go on forever if I thought about it long enough…

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t hate people. I might get really super angry with them sometimes, but hating people takes energy and I have none of that.

26. What was the best book you read?
Well, I read When You Are Engulfed in Flames and it was awesome. Also, I finally got round to reading The Raging Quiet. It was good, too. I haven’t read a whole lot this year, or at least it doesn’t seem like I have. I’ve probably read more than I think.

27. What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?
The Backstreet Boys. Who knew they were still together and making music? Well, except for Kevin. He’s not. But the rest of them are and it’s awesome.

28. What did you want and get?
I wanted a baby and I gots me one! Now I just have to wait for it to be born. Waiting sucks.

29. What did you want and not get?
I wanted to see The Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas. Las Vegas I saw; The Star Trek Experience I did not. They should not be allowed to close something so incredibly awesome, especially not before I have the chance to experience it for myself.

30. What was your favorite film of the year?
Hmm, this is a toughie. We saw a lot of movies this year. The Ugly Truth was good and so was He’s Just Not That Into You. I think The Proposal was probably my favorite, though. That movie was so many different kinds of funny, I can’t even tell you. Also, Betty White FTW.

31. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
On my birthday, I was 25. I went to work, went home and had supper with the family, then went off to RCIA. When I got home, Greg and the kids had cherry chip cake with cherry frosting and a brand spankin’ new laptop waiting for me. The only thing that would have made it better is if I hadn’t had RCIA that night.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My dad suddenly deciding to listen to people and not think he knows better than everyone about everything. Also, my sister managing to get and keep a job. Those would both have made last year lots better. Oh, and I wish my grandparents and my mom could have been at my wedding. And I wish my dad hadn’t been so darn stubborn about wearing a tux (he refused to wear the tie or shoes that came with it; instead he wore no tie and his own shoes and got mad when people assumed he was my grandpa and that my uncle was my dad). But mostly I had a pretty good year.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Improving. I stuck to basic jeans and t-shirts (and the occasional sweatshirt) on weekends and nicer things for work. I’m trying to acquire some nicer clothes so that I don’t feel like such a scrub all the time; even my work things aren’t all that nice and I enjoy having nice clothes to wear. I don’t like being underdressed, but I also don’t like being overdressed. Finding the right balance is kind of difficult because I’m really picky about how I think things look on me and I have a hard time finding things that fit people who are curvier than Twiggy. I just need to hire my own private seamstress and get it over with already. 🙂

34. What kept you sane?
My family and my friends. Of course, my family also did a good job of making me lose my sanity, so I guess mostly it was my friends. And yes, Greg, you count as a friend, too.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
David Boreanaz. Hands down. He’s just so hot in that standard-issue FBI suit and funky socks and cocky belt buckle and mmm…

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Health care. For most of the year, I had no health insurance. I’m glad that it’s being seriously discussed, but I think forcing legislation through at this point is a bad idea because instead of doing it right, they’re doing it quickly so they can say they passed health care legislation. Both sides need to quit bickering and forget the politics and focus on the common good. After all, that’s the reason we elected those guys in the first place, to work for the common good. And I don’t mean the common good of the insurance companies or pharmaceutical companies. I’m talking about the welfare of your average Joe (or Josephine). I think some of our politicians – okay, maybe all of them – have forgotten that they work for us. I don’t want to listen to endless bickering about how we’re going to pay for this and how we’re going to provide that. I want them to sit down and hammer something out that’s affordable and beneficial for everyone and at this point in time, I just don’t see that happening. Maybe Obama just needs to lock the whole Congress in one big room and refuse to let anyone leave until they come to some sort of an agreement.

37. Who did you miss?
My grandparents and my mom, especially on my wedding day. I wish my grandpa could have walked me down the aisle. And I wish my mom could have seen me marry a good man. And I wish they could all be here to see my kids grow up. I also miss the friends that I don’t get to see often. I had so much fun in May and September going out with everyone and having a good time!

38. Who was the best new person that you met?
Probably Johanna, Queen of the Awesome for sending me The Muppet Christmas Carol soundtrack last night. Also all the penpals I’ve met through LJ and the several other people I’ve met there as well.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
You can’t always get what you want but sometimes, you get what you need. I believe that’s from the philosopher Jagger.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Ain’t no rhyme or reason
No complicated meaning
Ain’t no need to overthink it
Let go laughing
Life don’t go quite like you planned it
We try so hard to understand it
The irrefutable, indisputable fact is
Psshh, it happens
“It Happens,” by Sugarland

I suppose since it’s after 4:30 p.m. now that I’ve procrastinated enough for one day. I should probably busy scheduling those appointments so that I don’t have quite so much to do tomorrow. And maybe it will keep me a little bit warm till I have to go outside in the frigid Arctic. Since when did Iowa become the North Pole? Also, in case I haven’t mentioned it, it’s really weird typing 2010 instead of 2009. I’ve already written 2009 once instead of 2010 and I’ve typed it wrong a whole bunch of times in the last two days. Then again, I’ve been mistyping a lot the last two days, and not just in regard to the year. Maybe it’s time to give my fingers a break!