Friday, December 31, 2010

2010 -- the year that was

It's New Year's Eve, my most hated of holidays. People put way too much emphasis on going out, drinking, and cheering when the clock strikes 12. Any time I've tried to "celebrate" this "holiday," I usually regret it... I get in a fight with someone, or the evening doesn't live up to the artificially manufactured expectations that it be awesome, and I feel like I've failed the Party Gods. So this year, I'm sitting on my couch watching movies, with a vodka cranberry in hand. This has been a not-awesome year, and I prefer to just let it slip quietly into the past.

The year 2010 actually started off really well. I was the happiest I'd been in a long time... for about six days. Then things went awry. Sadness, worry and stress took over my personal and professional lives. I'd like to say those feelings lessened as the year went on, but alas, they did not. My mom was diagnosed with MS in June. Work got all re-org-ish over the summer, some people I loved working with are no longer there, and it now seems more in flux than it's ever been. And since July, four colleagues, all under the age of 50, have passed away, three from health issues that took them from this earth way before their time; and the fourth was killed the day after Christmas at the hands of a drunk driver in Vermont. (RIP Johannes, Leslie, Wayne and Kaye.) So sad.

The year was not all bad though. I traveled a lot, (although most of it was for work) and went three places I'd never been before. I also saw a lot of great shows and concerts, participated in three great volunteer events, and made a great home improvement. This year also saw me convert from PC to Mac at home, and I must say I love the freedom of my light, easy to use, virus-free MacBook now, even though converting all my files (or not, as the case may be) was a pain. I got my awesome Droid Incredible phone. And I went to Pilates almost every week of the year. (But went on only one hike due to my knee problems, finally diagnosed in May as runner's knee... although I do not run). Here are some of the highlights of the year:

January:
  • My mom and dad celebrated their 40th Anniversary
February:
  • Bon Jovi Concert #1 in Anaheim
  • Saw Cast and Producers of LOST at PaleyFest
March:
  • Bon Jovi Concert #2 in Los Angeles @ Staples Center
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
  • Trip #9: Phoenix
  • Trip #10: New York City & Hackensack, NJ
  • Apple and pumpkin picking in Yucaipa, CA
  • The Kings season begins... awesomely. 
November:
December:

And here's what I did this year, according to some of my favorite Facebook status updates:


























As 2011 nears, I'm thinking about what I can do to make it better than 2010 was. I think my overall goals are to take care of myself, and strive for happiness in my life and the lives of those close -- and not so close -- to me.

To that end, I want to:
  • Get Healthy: I will eat better and utilize either my Wii Fit or the treadmill -- that I plan to "borrow" from my parents' garage -- at least three times per week, in addition to continuing Pilates. I also want to resume hiking when the time changes.  
  • Write More: I will not put my journal in a drawer. I will keep it in eyesight and use it to brain dump feelings and ideas not for public consumption here.
  • Read Actual Books: A minimum of four this year. One per quarter. That's doable, right? (Sub-goal: I will not let my magazine pile deter me from this goal, no matter how tall it gets.)
  • Volunteer More: Operation Gratitude takes place four minutes from my house. I can give up three hours of my life every few weekends to bring some happiness to the lives of people sacrificing theirs for our freedom. I also plan to participate in the "Walk MS" in April to raise funds for the National MS Society.
  • Host More: I love my house, I have a great kitchen and I just spent a lot of money on an awesome patio. I need to invite people over to enjoy it with me more. I also need to practice cooking more, minus eating more (see goal #1 ;) 
  • Travel for Me: I will go to Portland this year to spend time with friends -- I've made that promise. I also hope 2011, one way or another, will finally be my Italian vacation year. I'm thinking either April for someone's birthday, or a solo tour in the Fall. 
That's six things, some more complicated than others. But I was quite amazed with everything I got done in December simply by planning my month, day by day, and checking things off a list. Tomorrow is the start of a new calendar and I can start filling it in right away :)

Friday, December 24, 2010

merry christmas to all!

My Christmas Tree

Wishing you the happiest of holidays!
Christmas cookies...
and  cupcakes...
...and cake. Oh my!

  
My first Christmas with the outside of the house decorated :)

my dad knows betty white!

So I learned last night that my dad has not only met, but is working with the awesome Betty White!! (And I'm not the least bit bitter that I was that last of my siblings to learn this.... 2-4 months after-the-fact. Thanks Dad :p)

His company is making t-shirts and Hoodie Buddies (hoodiebuddie.com) for Betty. AND he appears in this hi-larious video about it all (at the 34 second mark.... look for the bald head and purple shirt ;)

I hope I get an autographed Betty Hoodie Buddie for Christmas tomorrow...hint, hint :)


Sunday, December 19, 2010

life is precious... enjoy it!

This was not the most awesome week. On Tuesday, I learned that another colleague -- a great, creative, amazingly positive guy named Wayne, who worked at my company when I first started there, and then left to start his own company that continues to do a lot of great work for us -- passed away on Sunday from liver failure at the age of 46. Such a shock. We had mutual friends, and I remember being at parties and talking with him about our newfound shared love of gardening... except he would garden in the middle of the night when he couldn't sleep. :) He was so passionate about it as he spoke, which to anyone who didn't know him and just looked at him (spiky hair and tattoos) would seem really odd. But if you knew him, not so much. He was, as one of our friends said this week, "the nicest scary guy" you'd ever meet. And he will be missed. He was married to a super sweet woman, Patricia, that is good friends with one of my good friends... we, along with another friend, co-threw our mutual friend's baby shower two-and-a-half-years ago. I feel so sad for her.


Anyway, I was thinking about Wayne on Tuesday night when my attention drifted to this card I have framed in my house. 

Wayne really loved life, and his passing was a real reminder to experience and relish the lives we've been given. I originally bought this card years ago because I felt I needed to be reminded of that. Sadly, I haven't necessarily heeded its message much in recent years. I am going to attempt to change that. Life is too short to spend all your time worrying about things that mean nothing in the long run.