2010 In Review

I did this little questionnaire last year (find it here) and because I liked going back and seeing the answers I’ve decided to update it for 2010. I’ve seen this particular list of questions on several blogs, so I don’t know who started it, but feel free to link to yours in the comments if you decide to answer for yourself!

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before? A two-mile open water swim that was far more challenging than I thought it would be. I want to try it again this summer. I think I can do it a lot faster if I can get myself to not freak out with wetsuit induced claustrophobia.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don’t think I set any specific ones last year, though I’m sure I started the year with the on-going, vague hopes to lose weight that I always have. Probably won’t make any resolutions this year either. Maybe to give up Diet Coke (again…).

 3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yep, my BFF in Arizona and several other friends had babies and I know at least four pregnant people right now, so more coming in 2011.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, thankfully.

 5. What places did you visit? Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin. Hoping to go to Michigan and Wisconsin again this summer.

 6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010? A feeling of fitness and preparedness before my next race. I always feel undertrained and like I’m inconsistent with the training between races, so I’d like to get in a really steady fitness groove.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 7th, when I found out that the grant I co-wrote was successful, which resulted in 1.2 million dollars of funding for my school as well as my job being continued. It was kind of a big day.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting the grant funded, finishing the open water swim, finishing the six hour race.

9. What was your biggest failure? The fact that it is the end of December and I’ve worked out maybe twice since Thanksgiving, partially due to a cough I can’t shake and cold weather inertia.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing big, the usual assortment of colds and such that you get when you work in a school.

 11. What was the best thing you bought? We got a new car last winter and it is such a freaking relief to have a four wheel drive in the winter and to have a car that doesn’t break down once a month. And, as always, any money spent to bring the older boys out to see us is always money well spent.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? The kid was awfully fun this year, my husband continues to be the person I most count on to be on my side and I’ve developed some really solid friendships here in Iowa, so I am grateful for those newish people in my life.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Almost everyone on any of the Real Housewives series (not that I watch, of course).

 14. Where did most of your money go? The usual stuff: daycare, rent, food, etc. Nothing terribly dramatic.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Watching the kid turn into such a little person. I love that he can talk now and he regularly cracks my junk up.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machines. 

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

 a) happier or sadder? MUCH, much happier. The winter isn’t nearly as brutal as last year was, we aren’t fighting a mouse infestation, we live in a better neighborhood (for us) and I finally feel like I’ve got a decent social life going here.

b) thinner or fatter? About the same, give or take 5 pounds

c) richer or poorer? Richer. Mr.Monkey got a full-time, permanent position, which totally helps, and we both did some extra teaching and got small raises, all of which has helped.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Training and writing. As always (sigh).

 19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Eating candy at my desk at work when stressed (same as last year)

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2010? Very quietly. Just the husband and the baby and me. We went to church on Christmas Eve and enjoyed a peaceful day at home on Christmas.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010? I stayed in love in 2010.

22. What was your favorite TV program?  Friday Night Lights, The Amazing Race, Mad Men, 30 Rock, Community, and The Good Wife were high on the list this year.

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2010? I was in Wisconsin for the open water race with my friends E&N, so it was a good birthday. The only thing missing was Mr. Monkey and the kid, who were in Kansas. They come with me in 2011.

24. What was the best book you read? I really like The 19th Wife

25. What did you want and get? I wanted to keep my job past September, which happened and I wanted some resolution on our house in Arizona situation, which I am in the process of getting. Oh, and a car to replace our POS minivan.

26. What did you want and not get? In shape.

 27. What was your favorite film of the year? I’m pretty sure I only saw one movie in the theatre in 2010, which was Toy Story 3, which I liked a lot even though I saw it with the kid who was, as I discovered too late, not quite ready to sit through a movie in the theatre.

28. Did you make some new friends this year? Yes, thank goodness. I’ve had a good year in this department

29.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Better ways of handling stress and anxiety (same as last year)

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? Whatever is clean and hides my muffin top best. Sad and shameful. Please submit my name to What Not To Wear at your earliest possible opportunity.

31. What kept you sane? My friends (both on-line and in real life), my husband, my boys, exercising, and writing.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Jon Stewart for making me laugh and Lewis Black for making my husband laugh.

33. What political issue stirred you the most? The economy and DADT.

34. Who did you miss? My friends in Arizona and elsewhere. My step-sons. One of the hardest things about adulthood is knowing I will never again have everyone I love in the same place (same as last year)

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010. The hours might be long but the weeks and months of life are short. Time keeps moving faster and faster so the hard moments won’t last as long as they might feel like they will.