{"id":1684,"date":"2009-12-22T09:15:49","date_gmt":"2009-12-22T15:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/?p=1684"},"modified":"2009-12-22T09:17:32","modified_gmt":"2009-12-22T15:17:32","slug":"on-to-the-next-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/?p=1684","title":{"rendered":"on to the next one"},"content":{"rendered":"

Time for the year-end roundup! I’ve been copying Chele<\/a> with this for a couple of years now.<\/p>\n

1. What did you do in 2009 that you\u2019d never done before?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Visited 7 new countries and 3 new states
\nKissed the Stanley Cup<\/a>
\nAttended a 100th birthday party
\nSaw battle raps
\nWent to a dance club in another country
\nLearned a lot about mixology
\nSaw the US men’s national soccer team at a World Cup Qualifying match (also, went to Soldier Field)
\nWent to a gay bar in Sioux Falls
\nSaw a Bruins game in Boston
\nJoined Costco
\nWon a prize for an entry at the state fair and a bowling score<\/p>\n

2. Did you keep your new years\u2019 resolutions and will you make more for next year? <\/strong><\/p>\n

“By 2009, I\u2019d like to still have amazing friends, have traveled to some new places, have done some more good work for charity, and still be madly in love.” Sure did. As that\u2019s served me well, I\u2019m going to stick to it next year. Along with \u2018have fun, be awesome, don\u2019t die.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Yep! I’ll of course go with that again, but I also have some more specific resolutions:<\/p>\n

– go to Europe
\n– sell my car and buy a used one with cash
\n– lose 30 more pounds
\n– be sweep team captain on the 3-Day
\n– get another tattoo (I know what I want, but not where)<\/p>\n

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Not yet! I’m waiting on Bill and Katie next year. A bunch of people got engaged, though.<\/p>\n

4. Did anyone close to you die?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, thankfully.<\/p>\n

5. What countries did you visit?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jamaica, Sint Maarten\/St Martin (both the Dutch and French sides!), Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Dominica<\/p>\n

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?<\/strong><\/p>\n

More time not spent at work? Oh, and I’d like a better memory, please.<\/p>\n

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Inauguration Day
\nSitting at Roots Bamboo our first afternoon in Negril, drinking rum punch and staring at the ocean
\nKissing the Stanley Cup
\nHaving the best meal of our lives at Fleur de Lys in Vegas
\nSitting on a deck in the mountains in Dominica with our driver Gary (Matt’s the only one who knows the rest of this story)
\nThe day I lost my camera in a cab in Barbados and GOT IT BACK
\nThe two nights we spent hanging out at El Batey in San Juan<\/p>\n

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Participating in my 5th Breast Cancer 3-Day
\nLosing 20 pounds in 2 months
\nFinishing Project365<\/a> (there are 9 days left. I better <\/em>finish it.)
\nAchieving my goal to travel more often (and visit more countries\/the remaining states)<\/p>\n

9. What was your biggest failure? <\/strong><\/p>\n

I don’t really believe in that whole failure thing. I guess I always want to stretch more, but don’t!<\/p>\n

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My persistent foot injury kind of sucks. Nothing major, though!<\/p>\n

11. What was the best thing you bought?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Any and all vacations we went on
\nOur new TV… it’s pretty great.<\/p>\n

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Anyone who stepped up their efforts for charity this year. It’s important.<\/p>\n

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Right-wingers in general, and the media.<\/p>\n

14. Where did most of your money go?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Travel, as it should be.<\/p>\n

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vacation. Always vacation. Also, any upcoming party, visit from or with friends, hockey game… you know. I’m easy.<\/p>\n

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?<\/strong><\/p>\n

“On to the Next One” by Jay-Z (I can listen to it 10 times in a row)
\n“No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley (because of Jamaica; it still regularly makes me cry)<\/p>\n

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:<\/strong><\/p>\n

i. happier or sadder? Happier
\nii. thinner or fatter? Thinner
\niii. richer or poorer? Richer, though the economy could do a lot more to help out. In much better position, definitely.<\/p>\n

18. What do you wish you\u2019d done more of? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Camping, playing tennis, having BBQs, roadtripping, cooking at home (though we did that a lot this year!), gardening, laying in the hammock, hiking<\/p>\n

19. What do you wish you\u2019d done less of?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Worrying that I wouldn’t have time to get everything done.\u00a0 I always <\/em>get everything done. Also, sitting in traffic. I want 35W to be done!<\/p>\n

20. How will you be spending Christmas?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tonight we’re having family Christmas in Eagan with my family, Wednesday Matt and I are having ours, and on Xmas Eve we’re driving to South Dakota to celebrate with his parents. I can’t wait!<\/p>\n

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m still in love with the sweetest boy in the world.<\/p>\n

22. What was your favorite TV program?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Always Sunny in Philadelphia<\/em>. Also Survivor <\/em>and Top Chef<\/em>.<\/p>\n

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn\u2019t hate this time last year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nope!<\/p>\n

24. What was the best book you read?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m very glad to have finished ‘Infinite Jest’. Thanks, infinite summer!!<\/p>\n

25. What was your greatest musical discovery of 2009?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pitbull? Was that 2009? I don’t know. Regardless, music that originated in the islands will probably always be my favorite. I’m pretty damn excited about our new steel drum Christmas CD.<\/p>\n

26. What did you want and get?<\/strong><\/p>\n

An awesome vegetable garden. A hammock and adirondack chairs for the yard. A firepit. An HDTV that makes hockey-viewing amazing. The best work Christmas party ever. Two trips to the Caribbean, and a trip to Vegas!!!<\/p>\n

27. What did you want and not get?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I want–no, I need–new gym shoes. I wore mine on the last two 3-Days that I walked, and they’re beat to hell. And yet I haven’t bought them yet because it’s more money than I want to spend on shoes. My feet seriously need it, though.<\/p>\n

28. What was your favorite film of this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Hangover<\/em>. You know how I feel about Vegas.<\/p>\n

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Got home from Chicago the previous day, had a BBQ with my family, and over the weekend went to Canterbury with friends and later had a party. I turned 36!<\/p>\n

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My level of satisfaction with my life is probably inappropriate in so many ways. I love it.<\/p>\n

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Does my fashion ever change? Comfortable. That’s all.<\/p>\n

32. What kept you sane?<\/strong><\/p>\n

That’s not generally a problem. When I’m stressed or worried, I talk to Matt.<\/p>\n

33. Which celebrity\/public figure did you fancy the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lebron! And Tim Howard! I think I’ll pass on Beckham this year, what with the stupid hair.<\/p>\n

34. What political issue stirred you the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not one particular issue, but the way that Obama becoming president has brought the crazies out in full force. It’s terrifying that so many people are so ignorant and hateful.<\/p>\n

35. Who did you miss?<\/strong><\/p>\n

About twice a year, I miss my cats. I don’t miss owning cats at all, I just miss my cats because they were pretty great. Chloe dying still upsets me occasionally.<\/p>\n

36. Who was the best new person you met?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Frasier!<\/p>\n

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Those little ant traps you put in your kitchen? They’re useless. Sometimes you have to get out the big guns.<\/p>\n

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Today is better than any day that’s come before.” Oh yeah, I’ve totally used that one before. That’s because it’s always true.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Time for the year-end roundup! I’ve been copying Chele with this for a couple of years now. 1. What did you do in 2009 that you\u2019d never done before? Visited 7 new countries and 3 new states Kissed the Stanley Cup Attended a 100th birthday party Saw battle raps Went to a dance club in …read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wrapup"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/po9qt-ra","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1684\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/queenofsubtle.com\/cm\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}