2009 Retrospective

(I have been working on this post for weeks. Given the year I've had, I found it a bit difficult to complete. Because tomorrow is the last day of the year, I finally managed to finish it today. Bring on 2010!)

Top ten things that happened in my life this year (in no particular order)

1. Visited NYC with MM (his first time visiting the city)
2. Learned to play the piano
3. Was a godmother for the first (& second) time
4. Adopted a second golden retriever
5. Experienced my first severe dog bite (ironically, from my own dog)
6. Had my first-ever MRI
7. Celebrated my first wedding anniversary with MM
8. Visited the White House (finally, on my ninth or tenth trip to DC)
9. Tried acupuncture for the first time
10. Spent one whole weekend relaxing at a local resort (something I'd long wanted to do)

Top ten things that I would like to do (or see happen) in 2010 (not listed in order of importance or likelihood)

*1. Become more routine-oriented
2. Change jobs
*3. Visit Rowan at least three times (this was on my list for 2009, and I fell short of my goal and only saw the little guy twice this year)
*4. Lose weight (on the list again)
*5. Get more organized at home (this one, too)
*6. Get pregnant
7. If I can't get pregnant, achieve acceptance, peace and serenity about this fact.
8. Hike more often
9. Take a cruise
*10. Write a first chapter for a novel

(*NOTE: I find it more than a little troubling that six of these are the same as on last year's list)

Ten lessons I learned in 2009 (in no particular order):

1. There are some "goals" that cannot be achieved, no matter how hard I work.
2. The universe likes to f$%^ with me. (I actually knew this already, but this year reminded me.)
3. Nothing in my life ever seems to happen when it should; I seem to be perpetually out of sync, for reasons that are a mystery to me.
4. It is folly to devote the majority of one's energy to achieving something which is not necessarily the result of hard work and doing everything "right."
5. Marrying MM was one of the best decisions I've made.
6. No matter how long you've known someone, it's OK to end the friendship if the relationship is consistently one-sided.
7. Even when I'm sure I know what's going to happen in a given situation, sometimes I end up being wrong.
8. Some things are more fun in the abstract or in retrospect than they are when you're actually doing them.
9. It *is* possible for me to have more books available to me than I can read in a reasonable period of time.
10. Mexican food in Arizona just doesn't taste as good as Mexican food in New Mexico.