I am back to work after two abbreviated work weeks. I have nothing to show for it and it’s 12:30. Now, for just a minute, pretend that you and I are Christmas Card friends and that I am the type to write one of those newsletters.
2008 was a big year. We bought a house, I was promoted and we celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary. The second year (all 4 months of it) seem to be going more smoothly than the first year.
Other highlights this last year included our belated honeymoon trip to St. Maarten/Martin, and FOUR trips to Florida (including visits to 5 themeparks and the space museum), one of which I took with Ashley (who has a new web link, but I’m ashamed to say I don’t know what it is) to Key West.
Speaking of Ashley, in September,Tom and I attended her wedding to B, which was very lovely (you, too, can see her wedding invitation design which was featured in this month’s St. Louis Magazine).
Several people in my life died this year, beginning with my grandfather last January. In February, my neighbor of 7 years passed away suddenly, and Tom and I adopted one of her three cats. We were apprehensive, but we wanted to keep Sonny in the neighborhood. He’s mostly a delight, even though we pulled a bait-n-switch and moved him out of the neighborhood a scant 4 months later. Blue took to him right away, but Fiona remains guarded, although once they were both on neutral territory in the form of the new house, they don’t fight nearly as much.
Unlike in 2007, no one came back to life (like Eskimo Dan did), but I still look for my old friend Chris (known once upon a time in an earlier incarnation of CasaChristy as The Simpson) in nearly every bar in Soulard.
I entered the graduate certificate program in clinical healthcare ethics in the Fall, and it nearly kicked my ass. I did just fine though, and plan to continue the program this Spring (if I can get my vaccination records from employee health to give to student health in time to register).
Work is great. Even though we won’t be getting raises this year, I’m fortunate to not only have a job, but a job I love. Also fortunately, Tom and I are in a position to ride out the recession smoothly (and according to a quiz I took this morning, I’m 68% certain to survive a great depression). At this point, our personal debt consists of mainly our house.
Oh, yeah, and did I mention how happy and excited I am for this next presidential term to begin. Gobama. (I love portmanteaus).
/Year End Newsletter.
Christmas was great this year. Tom surprised me with an iPhone (even though his pants called me from the ATT store, and left a voice mail hint that I would be getting one). I LOVE it. I’m obsessed with it, in fact. He spoiled me this year. I no longer have to worry at the end of the Angel cycle on TNT, if the programming will change because I now have the complete series on DVD. He gave me a gift certificate for my salon/spa and even wrote me a love note.
My parents also spoiled me with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and a roomba (among MANY other things, including a late gift from my father).
Among my favorite presents: a box of ShamWows! You’ll say wow! every time. And I do.
Coming next:
My family has organized a Biggest Loser program. There’s approximately 800-900 bucks to be had for the winner. I’m very competative and I’m very motivated by money. I’m going to use some of my winnings to buy a Kindle (which means that in May, v2.0 will be released, because I will have just purchased v1.0).
I don’t really have a list of new year resolutions, except that I’m going to win our Biggest Loser competition and most importantly, I’m going to be working on being a better friend, wife, daughter, stepmother, etc. In short, improving the relationships I have and those that develop.
Oh, and to finish the Vision room.
Happy New Year!
4 Comments
January 5, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Happy New Year…..My husband would love to get your late gift….and his birthday is around the corner.
I wondered what I could do to prepare for hard times just in case it comes to that…and I bought a sewing machine.
January 5, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Happy New Year to you, too! I saw your husband quoted in St. Louis Magazine, btw…
January 6, 2009 at 10:12 am
So happy to have found your blog again. Somehow, I lost it for awhile but now you are back! Yay!
January 19, 2009 at 3:49 pm
A Roomba? cool gift. I’d love one of them, even though I don’t do the hoovering anyway.