Category: milestones

doing this in april may invalidate the results very strongly.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Stood up for myself, several times over, pushed other people to change, pushed my own comfort limits to be a stronger person.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?’
2010’s was to have less stuff. I think I did do this.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Lots of people.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Close? No. 3 years..

5. What countries did you visit?
Las Vegas
LA
Spain
Morocco
UK (Gibraltar)

6. What would you like to have in 2011 which you lacked in 2010?
I wanted less stress, and I think I got more.
In 2011… I’d like to find myself.

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
Nov 15-Nov 22 2010.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Doing photography professionally – family photos.

9. What was your biggest failure?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Wow, I can’t remember for 2010. I guess I didn’t get much “stuff”. Camera?… 35mm lens? That was pretty awesome.
I got an iPad as a present.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Everyone’s.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one’s. People always do try their best.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Travel and a new kitchen

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
New kitchen
Spain

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
GIRL TALK of which I learned of in November.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter?
Sadder, same..ish? More gym would be nice but weight is same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Taking pictures.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Internet-browsing.

funny both are same from 2008, 2009.

20. How will you be spending New Year’s?
Can’t remember….

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Mom :) again.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
My parents, who’s support and love and care are indubitably the best.

23. How many one night stands in this last year?
N/A

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Hmmm, Castle and Mentalist probably take the cake.. HIMYM was good too.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Nope. No hate, peace brother.
26. What was the best book(s) you read?

can’t recall

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
girl talk!!!!

28. What did you want and get?
lenses, tiny chairs, OYSTERS, ipad.

29. What did you want and not get?
a new ipod. mine dies within 12 hours of music with careful use.

30. What was your favorite film of this year? black swan

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old did you turn?
turned 27, had oysters with tim, jeff, maha, tema, scarf. was awesome. <3

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Cant think of it.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
formal clean corporate with a lot of black.

34. What kept you sane? Friends. Family. Sleep.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Robert Downey Jr. (STILL)

36. What political issue stirred you the most? US Healthcare.
37. Whom did you miss? A lot of people. Netherlands.
38. Who was the best new person you met? I feel like I’ve gotten to know some people far better; that is a good thing.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Believe your gut.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

can’t think of one

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Managed money, and people – took authority and responsibility. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn’t, either way I learned that a manager is only as good as their team.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?’

Can’t remember 2009’s. 2010s is to have less stuff.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

3 coworkers, 1 Tim’s coworkers. Last year it was 1, this year its 4. Time’s acoming my friends.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No. (I am so lucky to say this 2 years in a row!!!!!)

5. What countries did you visit? US (Las Vegas (!!!), Los Angeles, Buffalo, Tampa, Orlando (Disneyland!), other side of the lake), Canada (Oakville sailing club, Frenchmans’s bay), Paris-France (with Karmun!)

6. What would you like to have in 2009 which you lacked in 2008?

Less stress.

That said – last year I said “more windows” and now I live in a crazy bright apartment. But we acquired it somewhat in part to my stress – eg I worked hard – so I dunno if this is a trade off or what.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched in your memory, and why?

The day I loved sailing. I went sailing a few times before that, but on that occasion, a very superbly awesome coworker (Leo) and his girlfriend (Ella) came along with us on a beautiful after work sunset cruise. The experience was peaceful, magical, and awesome and I fell in love with the water, the light, the view. This year, 2009, was truly the year of the boat.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Learning how to sail. Even a bit.

9. What was your biggest failure? Not uploading more of my photographs despite taking them. I have a problem with sharing my work. (Same as 2008). + Not taking more photos. Gugh,

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I officially cracked my right pinky toe and freaked out my doctor by getting a ridiculously (twice normal bound) count of white cells, which made them call me in and get retested. That seriously freaked me out and gave me a major perspective on work for all of 5 days.

11. What was the best thing you bought? 27 inch iMac, French little black dress, Wii, condo, boat.

Last year (for the memories): I bought: flash for my camera; I got as a present: my Movado gold watch (LOVE), e-book reader (LOVE), and iPod touch (LOVE). Actually I love a crazy amount of things I bought this year. 2 awesome dresses, some wonderful shoes, both will serve me long and faithfully. Awesomely cute elephants in Japan. Cool photo album that I finally put wedding photos into. Our first dining table (tii-iiny).

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Mine for being so goshdarned adult at 25 years of age. And my team members at work who brought in kick ass results that could not have happened without them.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Sadly I saw a lot of stupidity this year. Maybe managing things does that to you.

14. Where did most of your money go? Good wine; good food; good clothes; but mostly A PLACE WITH WINDOWS.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Going sailing; but that took a while.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Flo-rida – Get low – because we made up our funny songs about it. Also, Lady Gaga.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer? Happier, thinner-ish  – this year I ate healthier more, richer. Wow, now it sounds like I’m showing off.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Taking pictures.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Internet-browsing.

funny both are same from 2008

20. How will you be spending New Year’s? I spent it with Tim, 3 more couples, and my parents, having an awesome dinner, loads of champagne, and a fun evening. It was a blast. And my dad almost got arrested for drinking alcohol outside (even if it wasn’t! :-) ).

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with? Mom. I hope to call her more often next year!

22. Did you fall in love in 2008? Same person as before :) Each year brings a new aspect to the relationship. It might not get easier, but it sure gets better

23. How many one night stands in this last year? N/A?

24. What was your favorite TV program? Again, TOUGH. Dexter, How I Met Your Mother, HOUSE is definitely probably first? This hasn’t changed in a year. (!!)

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Nope. No hate, peace brother.

26. What was the best book(s) you read? This year I went on a Sue Grafton kick. That was aweome. And I loved Twilight even if I am ashamed.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Lady Gaga.

28. What did you want and get? IMAC AND NEW CHAIRS AHOY. All the presents I got this year were awesome. I am crazy lucky to have such awesome family and friends.

29. What did you want and not get? Did not happen at all.

30. What was your favorite film of this year? Up.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old did you turn? Slept in, enterntained a large but awesome selectio of guests at home, had a great dinner I made (lamb roast. mmm.) with Tim, parents, Maha & Tema. Turned 26.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Having less stress and more free time. Apparently hard work means HARD WORK.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? More dresses, still with black & grey now with addition of navy and white.

34. What kept you sane? Family. Sleep.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Robert Downey Jr.

36. What political issue stirred you the most? US Healthcare.

37. Whom did you miss? A lot of people. Netherlands.

38. Who was the best new person you met? I feel like I’ve gotten to know some people far better; that is a good thing.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Work hard – the payoff is good. Work hard – be gentle with your marriage – it is hard to balance work and home life without damage to one or the other.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

Waiting at the station
Feel no hesitation and begin the ride
Still pretty young,but time’s already come and I begin to slide
I’m turning down, down looking down now
I got you dazey little hazey
I get the feeling, just leaves me reeling I begin to cry

Then the rain came down .. teardrops
Then the rain came down .. teardrops
Then the rain came down .. teardrops
Then the rain came down
I hope it doesn’t rain all day

So later on, thought I was on my own and twilight filled the sky
voice drifted through, it sounded just like you and I remember why
I ran away from the celebration, another year by, a fly-by
Out the door, I’ve been here once before, forgot to say good bye

Apparently I listened to this song at least 43 times (out of my 5.6K+ library), right after Runaway by Del Shanon, Let it Rock by Kevin Rudolf, Lady Gaga (Poker Face/Just Dance) or Under the Moon of Love.

But this song twingest a thing in my heart. It’s about moving on, growing up, the crazyiness that is growing up, and the enormous pain that is letting go of you childhood – the freedom, the options, the incredibly underlying sense that anything you want to do is not only possible, but is OK – that whatever it is that you do is available to you. (I can no longer decide to move to France on a whimsy).

It’s tough, but it’s good. It is still tough, and this year brought a lot of moments where I had to turn away from old photographs in order to stop crying over the life that I have lived – not because it was bad, but because it was so good that I don’t know how to handle those feelings and those memories. This paragraph took me 10 times to type.

This was overall a great year. It was the first year that I was truly a professional at work. It was the year we have bought our boat, which is definitely going influence how we live in the future, and also the year of our condo (unbelievably freaking lucky catch of a break condo).

It was the year of the iMac, the couch, the pass of a quarter century.

It was a good year.

But I can’t wait for 2010.

I have a feeling it holds more awesome things.

PS – It’s going to be 6 weeks tomorrow. Not a drag.

But, 3 nightmares (!!!) about having one. I cannot be happier that I quit. I could not be happier that I did it BEFORE the holidays, which would have annihilated any desire to do so. Allen Carr saved my life.