1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

Met some of the most fabulous women EVAR at BlogHer. (I’m looking at you and you and you and you.) Changed careers. Twice. Got pregnant with a son.

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

I don’t make them, consequently, it’s wicked easy to keep them. That being said, I do try to make self-improvements whenever I’m aware that they need to be made.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Several internet friends did.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit?

Just the good old US of A.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

More money, less stress, more patience, less temper.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

July for BlogHer and my new tattoo and December 14th for finding out that we’re having a son.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Being brave enough to change careers. Twice.

9. What was your biggest failure?

This answer is the same as it’s been for the last couple of years: I’ve failed to be as patient and loving a mother and wife as I ought to have been.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No big injuries. Just miscellaneous colds and viruses and whatnot.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A plane ticket to Chicago.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Everyone that tried to make this world a better place for the rest of us.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Jon and Kate. Tiger Woods. Chris Brown. The Balloon Boy people. Kayne West.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Shit. If you could tell me, I’d appreciate it.

15. What did you get really excited about?

New jobs, BlogHer, getting pregnant and a hundred other things. I’m easily excited, what can I say?

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?

Poker Face by Lady GaGa.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Happier
– thinner or fatter? Thinner with more of a pronounced belleh.
– richer or poorer? Way poorer.

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

Enjoying where I was instead of wishing to be elsewhere.

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

Wishing to be elsewhere.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

At the in-laws down south.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

Is it too cheesy to answer that I fell in love with the son growing in my belleh?

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Eureka

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I don’t hate anyone.

24. What was the best book you read?

Let me just tell you that I’ve ready approximately 115 books this year. There isn’t one in particular that stands out.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I’m so embarrassed to answer this one, but here goes: Jay-Z. I am completely obsessed with his discography right now.

26. What did you want and get?

Pregnant, two jobs, to go to BlogHer, a lot of blueberry Poptarts.

27. What did you want and not get?

A trip to Vegas, a second daughter (thank goodness for that!), a million other pieces of junk I didn’t need.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Tie between The Hangover and District 9.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I went to San Marcos with my friend, Rachel, to shop and spend the night away from home. I turned 33.

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

A paycheck.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Oh dear jebus, do yoga pants and t-shirts count as a “concept?” Basically, I ensured I was fully clothed when I left the house. The End.

32. What kept you sane?

Z0loft, my husband, my daughter’s laugh, alcohol, my gorgeous friends.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Robert Downey, Jr. MROW!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

I’m so unbelievably politically ignorant. It’s tragic, really. Healthcare is a huge concern for me, though.

35. Who did you miss?

My mother.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Shelly and Donna!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

You can’t always get what you want, but sometimes, you just might get what you need.

Does Santa wrap the presents or leave them open under the tree? Both. In my family, Santa presents were wrapped. In Gerald’s family, they weren’t. Since we both felt like our way was “the right way,” we compromised and wrapped some and won’t wrap the large/oddly shaped ones.

Colored lights on a tree or white? White. Never colored and never flashing.

Do you hang mistletoe? Nope.

When do you put your decorations up? We don’t have a set time. I’m not one of those day-after-Thanksgiving folks, though. We usually put up our stuff the first or second week in December. Growing up, we put up and decorated our tree on Christmas Eve.

What is your favorite holiday dish? Growing up, my mom used to make these fabulous mashed potatoes with cream cheese and ranch seasoning in them. Those were favorite. Nowadays, we don’t have specific “traditional” dishes at Christmas, so I don’t have a favorite.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When we’re with Gerald’s family, we open presents on Christmas Eve. When were with mine, we open stockings on Christmas Eve and presents Christmas morning.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? We have a hodgepodge of Gerald’s and my childhood ornaments, ornaments we’ve been given as gifts and ornaments that Maddie’s made. There’s no theme, color scheme or plan. It’s awesome.

Snow: love it or hate it? Love it. Here in Texas, we seldom get snow and get ice storms instead.

Can you ice skate? In theory, I guess. I used to skate (badly) all the time, but it’s been about 20 years.

What is your favorite holiday dessert? Fudge.

What is your favorite holiday tradition? Since 1992, whenever my parents and I were together for Christmas, we went to the movies on Christmas day. This year, Gerald and I are going together and when our kids are old enough, they’ll come, too.

Candy canes: yum or yuck? Yum.

Favorite Christmas show? National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I love me some Clark Griswold.

How long have you been together?
Five and a half years

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Two days.

Who asked whom out?
Well, we met on eHarmony and technically he emailed me first. I think it was me who suggested the actual date that we never went on.

How old are each of you?
I’m 32 and Gerald is 40.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Neither, seeing as we’re both only children.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Parenting. Without a doubt. Hands down. Unequivocally.

Did you go to the same school?
Nope. Gerald is a native Texan and I’m a yankee.

Are you from the same hometown?
See above.

Who is smarter?
Probably Gerald. He’s very knowledgeable about a lot of different things. My smartitude is generally confined to 80s teen angst movies and the ability to identify voice-over actors.

Who is the most sensitive?
100% me. Gerald is missing the sensitivity gene completely.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Um, does Sonic count? I guess if I have to pick a restaurant I’d say either Texas Roadhouse or On the Border.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Jamaica.

Who has the craziest exes?
Gerald. Although I’m the only one who has any contact with an ex. There’s no drama there at all, thank goodness.

Who has the worst temper?
Me.

Who does the cooking?
Me.

Who is the neat-freak?
I’m not a neat-freak, but I do more of the cleaning/bitching about someone needing to clean.

Who is more stubborn?
It’s probably a tie. I’m stubborn about more things, but Gerald’s tenacity is legendary.

Who hogs the bed?
We’re pretty good about keeping on our respective sides. Gerald is a cover-stealer, though.

Who wakes up earlier?
Gerald. By a WIDE margin.

Where was your first date?
We were supposed to go to the last night of the Texas State Fair and watch Blues Traveler in concert, but we never made it out of Gerald’s apartment. It’s not what it sounds like! Oh, wait. Yes it is. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Nevermind.

Who is more jealous?
It’s probably a tie.

How long did it take to get serious?
We were engaged three weeks after we met. I think we agreed to date exclusively after our first “date.”

Who eats more?
Gerald.

Who does the laundry?
Me.

Who’s better with the computer?
Gerald.

Who drives when you are together?
99.9% of the time its me.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
I had gastric bypass and lost 80lbs, went on Z0l0ft, sent Maddie to MDO/preschool.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t make them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just the good U.S of A.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A pregnancy.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 21st, which was the date of my bypass. It changed my life forever.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Have I mentioned that I’ve lost 80lbs?

9. What was your biggest failure?
My inability to save money.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I’ve had a kajillion colds since Maddie started preschool, but nothing major.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Kindle.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The American people. I’m still so proud of the voter turnout this year.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
To be perfectly honest, mostly my own.

14. Where did most of your money go?
To Target.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Again with the bypass.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Womanizer

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?  Happier. Mostly because of the Z0l0ft.
b) thinner or fatter? THINNER!!
c) richer or poorer? Poorer

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

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spend money. I’m totally a Spender. I want to be a Saver.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With family and friends. Also, sick.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Just that cheesy “more in love with my husband and kid” kind of love.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Gerald and I watched the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer series this year. I loved it.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I try not to waste time hating people. Sure there are people I don’t like, and there are probably one or two more than there were last year, but it’s not a big deal or anything.

24. What was the best book you read?
Holy cow. I’ve read SO MANY books this year. I couldn’t possibly pick one to name “the best.” I can tell you, that I did NOT like the final installment in the Twilight series.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Regina Spektor

27. What did you want and not get?
Nothing stands out. I’m very lucky in that I get a lot of the things I want. I have a very giving and generous husband.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Either Iron Man or Walk Hard. I’m not hard to please.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 32 and I went out to lunch with my husband and daughter and did something nice for a stranger.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I had saved more money instead of wasting it.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Cinched. I can wear pants for two sizes if I cinch those bad boys with a belt. Also, I’ve converted from “loose and baggy” to “figure flattering.”

32. What kept you sane?
Z0l0ft

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Robert Pattinson *swoon*

OMG! Gerald looked him up on imdb because he had no idea who RP was and guess what he found? RP has the same birthday as I do! Just 10 years younger. I’m 5/13/76 and he’s 5/13/86. Tell me that’s not fate? We’re destined to be together forever and ever!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Does the election count as a political issue?

35. Who did you miss?
My mom. This answer won’t change no matter how many years I participate in this meme.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I finally met my BFF in person!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
My time and attention are the greatest gifts I can give my child.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“The sun is hot. The sun is a not a place where we could live. But here on Earth there’d be no life without the light it gives.”

1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr search.

2. Using only the first page of results, pick one image.

3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

The questions:

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your favorite food right now?

3. What high school did you go to?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

6. What is your favorite drink?

7. What is your dream vacation?

8. What is your favorite dessert?

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?

10. What do you love most in life?

11. What is one word that describes you?

12. What is your flickr name?

1. Erica, 2. Roasted Cauliflower 24/30, 3. A huge sign!, 4. lunar eclipse, 5. Angelina Jolie, 6. Mojito Power, 7. Reef, 8. Crème Brûlée, 9. Giza, 10. Joy of life, 11. Fun, 12. Erica, a jardineira

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
I had a kid. And quit my job. And started working from home since The Workplace didn’t want me to quit. I also bought a minivan, aka: The Pimpmobile.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No and no. I’m done with resolutions. There are things that I’m going to do this year, BIG THINGS, but there are no cheesy resolutions about these things. I’m just doing them. Oh, don’t get all huffy. I’m totally going to tell you about them, just not right now.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My good friend Diane had a baby boy in July.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit?
Does Cleveland count? Three days in a car with a four month old has to be worth something.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Self-control

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 17 – Maddie’s birthday and pretty self-explanatory, no?

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Deciding to stay home and take care of Maddie full time.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Weight loss

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got really sick right after Maddie was born. Other than that, no.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My van. I was very anti-mini-van before we got it. Now, I can’t imagine life without it.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mine. I turned out to be better at this motherhood thing than I thought I was going to be.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Again, mine. I don’t always bring my A game.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Target

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Poop, teeth, smiles, giggles, clapping, rolling, crawling, talking and walking.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
Why Does The Sun Shine, by They Might Be Giants.

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

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

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Cry

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Yes, yes I did.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Dr Who or Torchwood

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.

24. What was the best book you read?
The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Lily Allen and Mark Ronson

26. What did you want and get?
A Dyson

27. What did you want and not get?
About a million things.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Blades of Glory

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31 and we went out to dinner. It was a disappointing birthday.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More money? I mean, come on, how do I answer this one?

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
“Fat and comfortable.”

32. What kept you sane?
My blog.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Johnny Depp

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Mandatory HPV vaccinations for young girls in Texas.

35. Who did you miss?
My mommy

36. Who was the best new person you met?
CHEESE ALERT!! My daughter. She’s awesome!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
I learned to sacrifice for my kid. I also learned that I don’t really mind it at all.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“The sun is a mass of incandescent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace.”

1. My feet are claustrophobic. I hate wearing shoes and socks. I much prefer flip-flops or bare feet around the house. Coincidentally, my feet also get really cold, so I need socks or slippers or something. It’s no fun at all.

2. I’m a better mother than I thought I would be. I find that I am much more selfless than I ever thought possible. Don’t get me wrong… I do have my fair share of “things sure were a lot EASIER before we had THIS BABY” moments, but they’re fewer than I had anticipated. I also don’t lose my Fire Of A Thousand Suns Temper with Maddie nearly as often as I do with other people. *coughGeraldcough*

3. I really miss my dad. Since he’s gotten married, he’s never around. It’s like he started a new life and I’m not a part of it. Have I told him this? Are you stupid? Of course I haven’t told him. Unless passive-aggressive snotty comments count. Then, I have totally told him.

4.  I’m a singer. I sing along with every song playing in the car. I try not to because I’m sure Gerald’s sick and freakin’ tired of it, but I can’t help myself. It just happens. And I’m not one of those poseurs who stops singing at a stop light because they’re too cool for that shit. I keep right on singing.

5. I was a bad kid. Well, a bad teenager, to be more specific. I lied, stole, and wrecked havoc with abandon. I lost more friends than I care to remember. And rightly so, I might add. (However, I still have ONE friend from those tumultuous years and I treasure her above all others.) (Hi Becky!) Even though I’m no longer that person, I live in an almost constant state of regret. I’m an insomniac, and every night as I lie awake in bed for hours, my mind replays scenes from those days. It’s my own personal Hell. One day, I’d really like to forgive myself and move on. Enough already, you know?

6. When I FINALLY lose weight, I worry that I won’t know who to be. Now, I’m the funny one. The typical funny fat person. Will I still be funny when I’m skinnier? What happens when I don’t need humor to protect myself and distract from my size? How will I fit in?

7.  I’m glad I waited to get married and have a baby. We got married eight days before I turned 28 and I had Maddie when I was 30. Sometimes, I regret being an “older mother,” but not often. I’ve lived my life, done the things I want to do. When I met Gerald, I was ready to settle down. When we had Maddie, I was ready to be a mom. I think the life experience that I have is invaluable. My mom was 23 when I was born, and I cannot imagine being a mother at 23. I was still getting my shit together at 23. Ok, so I’m still getting my shit together RIGHT NOW, but you get my point.

So, there you have it. 7 things you probably didn’t know about me. Feel better now?