All Dressed Up

This is the forth year that I’ve done the New Year’s Meme. That’s gotta be some kind of consistency record for me. Anyhow, let’s get this show on the road because I’ve got pizza waiting to be eaten and movies waiting to be watched. And I’m planning on being in bed before midnight. Don’t judge me. I’m effing tired, yo.

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.

Eggnog or hot chocolate? Historically, both. However, since my bypass I’m lactose intolerant. I don’t really have either one anymore.

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.