A year in review

I was reading my friend Ashley's blog and she did something really awesome that I plan to imitate. I hope she doesn't mind.

I've never been one for resolutions, so I like this idea better.

What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
It's such a cop-out, but I got married. Haven't done that one before that I remember. Well, I guess I got married to a guy named David Brooks in pre-K in the playground of my childhood church. I'm pretty sure it didn't count, as we weren't consenting adults yet...

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
As previously addressed, I'm not one for resolutions. I think I just make myself promises all year long.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
My dear friend Ashley did! She had adorable Noah!

Did anyone close to you die?
Sadly, I did have a few deaths this year. Mostly, my dear friends' parents, which is always sad. It was hard on me. It's difficult to realize that we're getting to that age now. For instance, my dad is only six years younger than my mom's father when he died and already older than his father when he died. Spooky.

What countries did you visit?
I visited Mexico with my lovely husband on our honeymoon.

What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
I would really like to have a little bit more of a pad on my bank account. David and I started a budget system, which we've done pretty well sticking to. I'm hoping we keep that up.

What dates from 2010 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
Jan. 7 - It was the national championship and my birthday. Although the game didn't turn out as well as I had hoped...it was nice to have everyone over at my house for my birthday.
March - We moved to Albuquerque. What. Were. We. Thinking??? Planning a wedding? Moving across state lines? Yeah, probably not the smartest thing I've done in my life.
Aug. 7 - My father's birthday and the date when my best friend got married to the man of her dreams. Congrats Brandan and Ian!
Sept. 4 - David and I got married. The wedding went perfect, as far as I know, and we had a blast.
Sept. 10 - David and I left for our honeymoon. We had a blast on the cruise ship to the Mexican Riviera.
Oct. 30 - My dear friend Amanda married the man of her dreams, Wes. Congrats peeps!
Dec. 17 - This may seem like a random date, but this was our beer exchange party. It was really one of the first times here that we've really felt like we had a friend group in Albuquerque.

What was your biggest personal achievement of the year?
I would say fitting into my wedding dress. That was a feat of physics and a true testament that if you only eat salad for two weeks, you WILL lose weight. OH. And getting a promotion at work. So glad that I got recognized for my hard work.

What was your biggest failure?
Probably not saving enough money. I always want to save more money and simultaneously wanting to travel more. I'm rather confusing.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Well, I simply suffered from homesickness and a bit of a cold. Other than that, pretty healthy, thank God.

What was the best thing you bought?
Probably David's wedding gift : a Citizen EcoDrive watch. It's beautiful and I'm really proud of it.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
That's a tie for me. David did so well this year, putting up with our constant traveling and going to galas. He's amazing. Also, a close second would be my mother. She found out about her disease and got a surgery to hopefully get rid of it forever. Her bravery amazes me.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
America. I'm sick of everyone fighting. I miss the days when politicians would cross the aisles and listen to each other. I miss the days when a person could say their political affiliation without the fear of being mauled or ridiculed. Grow up America. Your political party has nothing to do with anything.

Where did most of your money go?
Weddings. Weddings and more Weddings.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Cop-out again. Wedding. It rocked our socks off.

What song will always remind you of 2010?
Probably "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Makes me miss NYC every time I hear it. I love that city. I know, the song came out in 2009. But I didn't get into until 2010. A close second would be Airplanes by B.o.B., featuring Hayley Williams and Eminem.

Compared to this time last year are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
I am happier, thinner and richer in life. Not sure about actually richer. Moving is expensive and so is getting married.

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Traveling. I know it sounds really ironic considering how much we flew...however I really wish we had been able to afford trips that were for actual recreation instead of so purposeful.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Probably complaining. I feel like I did a lot of self-pitying in 2010 instead of just embracing what I had. That was a waste of time. I'll stop that.

Did you fall in love in 2010?
I fall in love every day with David and my adorable dog Milo.

What was your favorite TV program?
Of course, finishing LOST in a new city was depressing, but that series was beautiful and I feel honored to be apart of it. Currently, Top Chef: All Stars is rocking my face off. I always stand by 60 Minutes, but as for less-than-serious series, I give a nod to Grey's Anatomy. They actually surprised me with their season finale with the mass shooting, so well done. We got into Biggest Loser this year (we had never watched it before). I actually think it holds me accountable for working out. So well done Jillian and Bob.

What was the best book you read?
People of the Book By: Geraldine Brooks. Really a marvelously-structured book. Ashley, if you wanted a religious book to read this year, this is a Jewish book and super well-written.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Usually I have an answer to this because I lived in Austin -- where I always discovered a GREAT new band. This year was a bit stunted. Though, tonight, I did discover Mumford and Sons and am crushing them.

What did you want and get?
A husband. That worked out well. :D

What did you want and not get?
A new vacuum cleaner. I know. Pathetic. But I really would like one. Other than that, I got everything that I wanted. I'm a very lucky girl.

What was your favorite film of this year?
I'm thinking it might be Inception. David and I saw it at the dollar theater and really thought it lived up to the hype. I could barely sleep that night. It gave me that whole LOST feel.

What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
As previously addressed, I watch my favorite college team's star quarterback get a stinger and leave the game in the not-so-capable hands of the freshman quarterback and lose the national championship to the useless state of Alabama. Even worse, the gorgeous cookie bouquet that my mom and dad had sent to me? Yeah. We left it on the kitchen table when we ran out and Milo ate the whole thing. The. Whole. Thing. That was depressing. I turned 25. Let's hope Friday works out better.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having more money and living debt free. I wish education was a little cheaper in this country.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
I finally succumbed to the whole trend of thicker leggings. Didn't think I'd participate, but turns out they actually look cute on me. Also, loving the boot trend, especially now that I live somewhere cold where the trend actually makes sense.

What kept you sane?
One word: Television. I need junk television. Don't get me wrong, David helps me. But with us traveling all the time and being so tired all the time, it was really helpful to have veg-out time in front of the idiot tube every week.