All right, got this from Yum who got it from Sweetney. Here goes.


1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Learned how to bake bread and did so, truly stood up for myself, successfully extracted a camera from behind a refrigerator, saw a black man become President

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't do too badly because I tried really hard to make resolutions that are for life (see last year's entry), not just a year, and ones that are realistic. Judging by the scale, I need to up the exercise quotient.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, Scarlet Lily and my friend H.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Mercifully, no. I did lose an elementary school classmate a few weeks ago to a traffic accident, which was sad and strange.

5. What countries did you visit?
Canada, which is not saying too much because I live 30 minutes away, but hey, it counts.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
"Patience with myself, others, and the speed/pace of my life. I am always looking to the next step, the next chapter. There are times when this is really helpful; generally, it's a pain in the ass and it prevents me from sitting back and just enjoying life as it happens." Not to be unoriginal, but I have to agree with Yum on this one. I'd also like to have a permanent position at my place of work. I'd like to have more follow-through: I have great intentions but for some reason have a lot of trouble making them actually happen. It's what I like least about myself.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
4/21/09 Second wedding anniversary
5/29-5/30/09 Our 10 year reunion at Colgate--returned to the place where I met some of my dearest friends and realized how far we'd all come in ten years
3/21-3/23/09 Getaway weekend for my birthday. It was the first time since our honeymoon that we got to take a "just us" trip.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Again, probably standing up for myself for the first time. That and finishing coursework to get my Special Ed certificate.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Very similar to Yum, I didn't have any major fail moments, but I suppose my biggest was not taking advantage of time and opportunities often enough.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No more than a few really bad colds. Knock on wood, I also managed not to contract swine flu while working in a large high school with hundreds of sick kids.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The apparatus to make bread? Books because they're always money well spent. A car for $1 from my grandmother.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Umm...Taylor Swift in the face of arrogance and silliness? Elin Woods standing up for herself with a nine-iron? Honestly, I will say the students I work with in Alternative Ed because despite mistakes earlier on in their lives or personal medical conditions, they realized the importance of an education and now choose to get a high school diploma and not just a GED. If she doesn't mind, I will also cite my friend A who has persevered with grace and strength, despite an extremely difficult medical diagnosis. Plus she's finally realized it's all right to ask for help, a huge step for a lot of people (myself included).

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Tiger Woods. Numerous politicians. Bernie Madoff. The Buffalo Bills. Lindsay Lohan. Small-minded bigots who continue campaigns of persecution against those who are "different" than they are.

14. Where did most of your money go?
The basics, really. That's something we'd like to accomplish for 2010, to spend money on things we'd like to do and have, not just on things we have to do.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Knowing I'd come back to my current place of work, hearing our friends A and J got engaged, seeing my Colgate friends at reunion, making my first successful loaves of bread, our new car and seeing my grandmother to get it

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Oh, jeez, I never know the answer to that until I hear the song later in the next year. Probably something hideous by Lady Gaga.

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

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Reading, YES. Mostly what I've already referred to, following through on things. Spending money on us instead of someone else.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Comparing my life to the life I think I should have [sic]
Wasting time on useless worries and idleness

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my various family members, warm and well-fed; in the car with DH listening to The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes, with bread making and my new straightening iron. And I continued to fall in love with my husband (and the dog, I admit, but not as much as the former, of course. Did you really think I'd leave her out??)

22. What was your favorite TV program?
LOST, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, True Blood

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. I try not to waste time hating people.

24. What was the best book you read?
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Mick Jagger is almost 70 and is still too badass for anyone else on stage.

26. What did you want and get?
A position at OPHS for the year, my certification classes finished, lots of love from family and friends, a new (to us) car

27. What did you want and not get?
a permanent position at OPHS

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Star Trek, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
For my birthday weekend, T took me away to a B&B and we had a lovely weekend and a particularly delicious meal. I turned 32.

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

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
The same as always: Basic pieces with fun shoes and jewelry

32. What kept you sane?
Friends. Husband. Keeping this blog. Music

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

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Health care.

35. Whom did you miss?
Duh, everyone far away. [sic]

36. Who was the best new person you met?
My office mate K

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
I don't know.... Probably more of that I've written, that it's important to stand up for oneself and to be satisfied with the life that I have while still striving to improve it in reasonable ways (keep my expectations within reachable levels)