2009 Survey

Better late than never, but being that Mercury is still retrograde I think my time is well spent on these reflections. See my previous blog for more details.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
I starting seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis. I decorated my room for the first time ever as an adult, which sounds pretty pathetic, but until this year I never had my room painted and redone as an adult on my own. I went to a bike race. I went to Cleveland for the first time.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My new year's resolution's are better described as intentions. My girls and I have a ceremony each year between the solstice and the new year and send out our intentions to the universe with a flourish. It's awesome to see how theirs have evolved as they've matured. Ok, so mine for last year were.....well, I can't seem to find them. I had them recently because we always look back at our wishes for the previous year and talk about how they were realized. I reserve the right to come back and edit this once I find them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, my cousins family is constantly growing but not by birth.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness.

5. What countries did you visit?
Sadly, I did not leave the United States this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
I'll echo Chrys here and say romance, which was one of my wishes for 2010. It's time. I also wished for excitement which I now realize that I have to somehow balance that with satisfying my spiritual side. I definitely felt a spiritual lacking in 2009. Not that spiritual endeavors can't be enjoyable, but I have to temper wild times with some grounding methodologies. But man, I still crave excitement! My third wish for 2010 was health, good health. 2009 wasn't exactly a healthy year for myself and those around me.

Those were my top 3 wishes for 2010. However, my list didn't end there. Along with the aforementioned spiritual activities, I would also like to kick up my creativity by several notches. I would like to keep my job, to not hibernate all winter long, to travel further this year and spend more time with friends, to complete some long overdue home improvement projects, and to have enough funds to cover all that.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 24 - Christa's first visit to the orthopedic specialist
Most of August - Lollapalooza and my family reunion
September 26 - met Mark Lanegan
December 11
December 18

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Wow, offhand I can't think of one biggest achievement of the year. Perhaps remaining optimistic in the face of adversity? Surviving and realizing my own strength? Not letting anything get in the way of what I know needs to be done? Yes, yes and yes. In a nutshell, I'd call it taking care of my family.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Since I have to answer this question, it would be not keeping up with my creative and spiritual sides. I missed that in 2009.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Anything bad?
I suffered from pain and numbness in my right arm. This resulted in an MRI and weeks of visits to the chiropractor and physical therapy. I have some arthritis in my neck, and some spinal disc herniation and degeneration. All along, the docs who looked at my films advised I have the same problem on both sides, although I was only feeling it on the right side. As of a few days ago, the numbness surfaced down my left arm. This means maintenance visits to the chiropractor and continuing with my home exercise regimen and use of the my manual traction device.

11. What were the best things you bought?
I bought a new larger crock pot and I am loving the hell out of it! I obsessed on orange this past summer and purchased several orange tops as well as several orange bags and even a pair of orange sandals! Of course, a new bedspread, curtains, and accessories for my room. Plane tickets and books and cd's round out the 'best' list.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My daughter Christa for being so brave and strong this year. Her treatments took up so much of her time, and she almost never complained, never used them or her scoliosis to get out of doing anything, and still pulled a straight A in school and kept up with her extra curricular activities as well. She is my hero!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My ex-husband. A corporation. Me sometimes.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Medical expenses, medical expenses, and food. Food got really expensive this year.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to Cleveland to see Soulsavers! Going to Lolla to see TOOL!

16. What song/s will always remind you of 2009?
Passion Pit - Sleepyhead. Love this song, it's impossible to listen and not smile and bob along. I needed that this year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? Probably sadder, but I don't plan on staying that way.
ii. Thinner or fatter? Same.
iii. Richer or poorer? Poorer overall. The bank accounts took a hit this year.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I'd taken myself on more artist dates. I wish I'd seen more movies, read more books and gone to more concerts.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Less worrying and less anger. I wish I didn't let my emotions get the best of me on a few occasions. I wish I didn't let my girls see me at my worst moments.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it with family as usual.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Nope.

22. How many one-night stands?
Can I plead the fifth on this one? I'm tempted to use the old hand standard. LOL, I know Chrys will remember that one.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Dexter and True Blood. I can't say enough about either show. Who do I love more, a vampire or a serial killer?

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Hate is a very strong word and I don't like to use it. Feelings have changed over the year, but I don't hate anyone.

26. What was the best book you read?
The surprise of the year for me was Outlander byDiana Gabaldon. It was recommended to me by Tricia during our visit to Bookhaven. It's a book about a time traveling woman with a husband in 1940's war torn England and a young Scots warrior lover in 1743. At first it seemed kinda light for my tastes, but who am I kidding? I couldn't put it down. Luckily for me, it's a series so I have plenty of sequels to spend lonely nights with.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I'm finding there is so much new music to devour every year. One of the things I am forever grateful for. My personal favorites this year: Soulsavers - Broken, The Swell Season - Strict Joy, Regina Spektor -Far (her cd hasn't let my car stereo in months!), Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue, Passion Pit- Chunk of Change (this technically was released in 2008, but I don't own the full length cd that was released in 09) and One Eskimo, whose cd I don't own because I can't find it anywhere but whose music took me by surprise. Brenda Benson deserves a mention too, I spent a lot of time with My Old, Familiar Friend this year. I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

28. What did you want and get?
Hmmm, I can't think of anything.

29. What did you want and not get?
Something that was owed to me, which I'll never recover.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Coraline was my most anticipated movie of the year. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, yum) Watchmen. The Reader. Up. I didn't see many movies this year.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
42, and what did I do? I have no recollection. I'm sure my girls made me feel special.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Keeping a cool head.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
What personal fashion concept? As long as it's comfy and keeps me warm/cool in appropriate weather, it works for me. Although I did have a notion to wear more dresses this summer which resulted in me buying and wearing exactly 1 dress. I've already had my eye on others for this year's warmer months. I have invested in many pieces of jewelry. My wardrobe has to catch up with that. Like I mentioned, I was completely drawn to orange this year. Like I had to have it. Now I'm thinking maybe I should come up with a fashion plan.

34. What kept you sane?
My responsibilities.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Mark Lanegan. Can he be really be considered a celebrity/public figure though? Only in a small circle. So I'll also mention my favorite vampire and serial killer, Stephen Moyer and Michael C. Hall.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Health Care reform. It affects me on so many levels, as a citizen, as a consumer and as an employee.

37. Who did you miss?
My west coast friends. That's usually the case every year.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
The best new person I met this year would have to be Dr. Brandie, our chiropractor. She's helped both Christa and myself this year, and will continue to help us along with Teresa in 2010.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
I don't know that I learned anything particularly new but some life lessons were definitely reiterated. For example, the only person you can truly count on is yourself. You can't help anyone unless they want to help themselves. When life throws you lemons, make lemonade! Ha

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I'm thinking of so many, but they are all moments in time, not representative of the entire year.
I'm going to go with Lesson Learned by Brendan Benson.

Forget what you see
and what you thought was true
Its not really me
Speaking to you
Forget how you feel
Forget all your dreams
'Cause nothing is real
Its not how it seems

Forget what you've heard
And all that was said
the lines get blurred
Its all in your head
Forget what is right
Forget who you are
When you see the light
Its no longer a star

And we'll chalk it up to a lesson learned
And hopefully, by now you'll senses have returned
And I guess its back to the drawing board
To recreate the conversation
With no lack of communication
And to wait for sanity to be restored

This survey took a chunk of time, but I think it was well worth it. I cannot wait to get into the thick of 2010. I just started reading a book tonight that I'm hoping will set the tone for the entire year. I'm sure I'll be blogging about that at some point :)