Good riddance 2010, hello 2011!

It's the first day of 2011 and I am welcoming it with open arms.  The last two years have been kind of shitty.  This year is a bit different in that we're not currently seeking treatment or doing anything to change our childless status.  I have hopes for this year that I didn't have last year.  With that in mind, I'm going to fill out this meme that I found from The Road Less Travelled. 

1. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? 
I'm not really in the habit of making new year's resolutions.  I say it's because I think it's kind of stupid to choose the 1st to do something.  If you really want to do it, do it the day you decide to.  Or it could be that I'm lazy and don't want to fail in my resolution making.

2. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
I didn't really branch out this year.  It was a very dull year.  Half of it was spent in a haze after the second IVF did not work.  I went to work, came home, slept, went back to work.  Wash, rinse, repeat.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
This was the year of babies.  Births, pregnancy announcements galore.  I guess the closest was my nephew being born.  I was so worried that Christmas would be awful for me with him being born a few weeks earlier, but it really wasn't that bad.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully no.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just the US.  We didn't do much traveling this year at all.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
The obvious answer would be a baby, but realistically, that's not going to happen. 

7. What date(s) from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?.
Not the specific date, but the month of June was pretty shitty as that was when the second IVF was a bust.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finally going to therapy and starting to work on myself.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Hmmm, not sure about that one.  Being miserable at work I guess?  Although I have been trying my hardest to find a new job. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I was pretty sick September through November.  Got some kind of bacterial infection that got into my chest and aggravated my asthma.  It took 4 rounds of antibiotics, 2 rounds of steroids and two different inhaled corticosteroids to get rid of it.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Can't recall, most of our money went to paying off my car.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Again, can't recall.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? 
No one comes to mind.

14. Where did most of your money go?
To paying off my car.  We bought it new in June 2009 and it will be paid off by this April.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
There wasn't much to get excited about this year sadly.


16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
There are a few: 

Anything by Lady Gaga or Katy Perry as they are both way overplayed on the radio.  Hey Soul Sister - Train, If We Ever Meet Again - Timbaland/Katy Perry, Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
Happier, fatter, about the same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Running and exercise in general.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? 
Eating junk.


20. How did you spend Christmas?
We are still not done with Christmas, believe it or not.  We spent Christmas Eve with my dad.  Christmas day was when the in-laws came to our house, the day after was when we celebrated with them.  Last Tuesday was Christmas with my mom, and then tomorrow we go to see my grandfather to do Christmas with him.

This was the first time in my life that we have ever had snow on Christmas day.  Living in the deep south of the US, that just doesn't happen.  That was a great memory.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
No, but I stayed in love.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Way too many to list them all.  We watch a bit too much tv.  Here is what I have enjoyed this year: So You Think You Can Dance, The Office, 30 Rock, Weeds, The Tudors, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report among many others.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you did not hate this time last year?
None that I can think of besides my boss, but I didn't really like him all that much last year either.

24. What was the best book you read?
I loved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  Noah's Wife was also cool, as I got to meet the author at our book club.  I also got to meet the author of The Help at a book signing.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I didn't really branch out that much with music this year.

26. What did you want and get?
I didn't want for much this year, but can't think of anything specific.

27. What did you want and not get?
Do I really need to restate the obvious here?

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
We don't really go to the movies.  Finally watched The Hangover through Netflix and I enjoyed that.  More of a tv show watcher than a movie watcher.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Is it sad that I can't remember?  I turned 29.  It was right around the time that IVF #2 was beginning so I don't think we did much.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Again, the obvious.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Anything that fits.  The second round of IVF did a number on me, both because of the meds, and because of the subsequent depression when it didn't work.  I've gained about 20 pounds that I desperately want to lose.

32. What kept you sane?
DH and my therapy sessions.  Literally.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I love me some Johnny Depp.  Mmmmmm.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The healthcare debate in the United States.  I'm still kind of depressed about the state of our healthcare.  It is sad that a nation so prosperous can't provide basic care for so many of its citizens.  There were times in the past year during the many debates that I just wanted to up and move to Canada or Europe.  I would do it in a heartbeat if we had the resources/jobs/money.

35. Who did you miss?

36. Who was the best new person you met?

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Life is shitty sometimes, with no rhyme or reason.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.I was blessed with a birth and a death, and I guess I just want some say in between. ~Ani Difranco   That would be the theme of this year.  Realizing I have no control over major areas of my life and trying to come to terms with it.