2010 Review; Will I finally NOT talk about work?

1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Bought a business (unrelated to nursing, my husband and I now co-own a small business in the town we live in).
Set a cookie sheet full of marshmallows on fire trying to make a toasted marshmallow milkshake on Valentines day.
Started watching Season One of Smallville and fell completely in love with that show.
Crocheted a very ugly "ruffly" scarf, and then donated it to Goodwill. Oops.

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Er . . . some of them. I found a job I like that is full-time. I didn't stop drinking Diet Coke (far from it!) or get my NA certification, or spend a week eating raw. Ooops.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope. That's fine, I think birth-giving is gross, although I like babies.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Nope. Several residents did, so I got to experience death up-close for the first time, but I wouldn't say I was especially close to any of them.

5. What countries did you visit? I didn't travel.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010? Education. I want to go get my g.d. prerequisites DONE.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Maybe my birthday (March 18th) because I had a mysteriously swollen lip, took benadryl, started mildly hallucinating and then went out for mexican food and to see Alice in Wonderland. I made friends with a group of ladies wearing moustaches along the way.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Surviving all those months of working 2-3 jobs at a time so that we could stay afloat until we officially bought the business.

9. What was your biggest failure? Lack of going to school or progress in my career.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Oh sure. I also got very afraid of zombies.

11. What was the best thing someone bought you? An election. That's all I can say.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Everyone who helped repeal DADT.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The dept. head that I got into it with the other day.

14. Where did most of your money go? Rent and food. Pretty important stuff, actually.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG! Best Disney movie in AGES! So, so good!

16. What song will always remind you of 2010? "Almost There" from the Princess and the Frog. Watch that part of the movie. See her cleaning out the cobwebs from that building so she can open her business in there? That's ME! See her getting home from one job, laying down for 5 seconds, then getting up to go to her next job? That was ME! Anika Noni Rose, you put voice to my life in cartoon form this year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? A LOT happier. By about a million times.
b) fatter or skinner? Same-ish? Maybe skinnier?
c) richer or poorer? Same-ish?

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Panhandling outside the Black Bear Diner in a bear costume by pretending to be a "Grrrrrr-eeter"

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Worked until I could fall asleep standing up.

20. How do you plan to spend Christmas? Already done! Worked 6am-2pm Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Eve, I stayed home with my husband, had dinner, opened gifts, and watched SmallVille. Day, I visited family which was fun but stupid because we were out till almost midnight and I worked at . . . guess when . . . 6am the next day. Ouch.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010? I stayed in love. November was our 8th anniversary and we're still very happy together and laugh a lot. It's pretty great.

22. How many one night stands? I don't have a night stand, I have a shelf by the bed to keep my books and glass of water on. And as mentioned before, I'm married. I did have, unfortunately, lots of nights where I had to stand up all night when I worked noc shift. NEVER AGAIN!

23. What was your favorite TV program? Smallville! I also liked Nikita. And Top Chef: Just Desserts. And Nurse Jackie and Scrubs on DVD.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Yeah, I hate and always will hate the douche we bought our business from for making 2010 one of the hardest years of my life by being almost impossible to negotiate with. What could have been a pleasant process turned into months of me working nonstop trying to keep it together while that asshat dithered around bitching about nonexistent things and ruining his wife's life. I hate him for that.

25. What was the best book you read? Meg Cabot's Insatiable. That woman cracks me up and I was DELIGHTED that she wrote a vampire book. Made my month!

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Rebirth Brass Band. Iron Maiden.

27. What did you want and get? To be a small business owner!

28. What did you want and not get? My NA certification. But I will soon.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? I've been talking about it nonstop, so let's say it together: "The Princess and the Frog". Even has John Goodman in it! I love him too much.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Inadvertently tripped on benadryl at the age of 28. Sheesh. I'm awesome.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? To get to play one of those dancing videogames where it watches you with a camera and you dance around.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Scrubs/PJ's/Jeans and Goodwill.

33. What kept you sane? Hoodoo.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Ryan Reynolds.

35. What political issue stirred you the most? Healthcare reform.

36. Who do you miss? All those dumb hooches (college friends) that decided to move across the country. I miss them!

37. Who was the best new person you met? There is this dog that comes into our small business. His name is Legion. He's all low-key and nonchalant and doesn't even need a leash, ever. You can talk to him all casually and he gets what you're saying.

38. What was the best thing you ate? Red beans and rice with tempeh was my quick-and-easy staple.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010? Don't give up. Keep trying, and there are always more jobs out there; don't feel trapped in one you hate. But get a new one before you quit.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
There's been trials and tribulations
You know I've had my share
But I've climbed the mountain, I've crossed the river
And I'm almost there, I'm almost there
I'm almost there!