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All About 2009, or, The Year of 3 Major Meltdowns, 4 Jobs, 5(ish) Boyfriends, 6 Vacations, and Approximately 32 New Favorite Things

Because everyone is or will be doing it, here is 2009 in review.  You know, in case you missed it the first time around.  (Note: despite the fact that I live in the middle of the desert, I am shocked at how many of the photos below involve large bodies of water.  Perhaps my subconscious is telling me something?)

JANUARY:

While January ended on a good note with a free trip to San Francisco, the bulk of the month was crazy stressful with the impending threat of joblessness.  I survived the layoffs, went on a diet, and then took a much needed trip to San Fran to visit Steph and fell in-love with the city all over again. (Favorite Things 1-3)

FEBRUARY:

Sadness hit when I had to cancel my annual trip to the Phoenix Booksale at the very last minute.  Incredible Sadness, I’d been looking forward to it all year.  I turned twenty-six (Favorite Thing 4) without complaint or crisis like a big girl.  My dad got remarried to someone lovely, and now–through no fault or design of my own, I SWEAR–I have an x-boyfriend for a cousin.  Sigh.

MARCH:

The bulk of March was spent with a life-debilitating cold/cough thing.  I was sick for several weeks and was not allowed to take any time off work–at the time I was working for a health insurance company.  The irony kills me–then and now.  I also had to deal with a freezing cold apartment–no heat, no hot water–and a lot of relationship issues.  March was  a rough month, yo.  (No Favorite Things)

APRIL:

April was a lot better month for me.  I started a new kind of retail therapy–making over thrift store purchases.  Initial projects included painting and refinishing a ceramic lamp, and making a chalkboard for my kitchen.  (Favorite Things 5 & 6) April also marked the one-year anniversary of my super-scary car accident.  To celebrate, I visited Red Rock country–Arches National Park and Dead Horse Point. (Favorite Things 7 & 8)

MAY:

Self-imposed bloggy break.  Not much going on online–too much going on offline–but I did surface to gush about my classes to become Scuba Certified, or a Bonafide Shark Whisperer…you know, whatever strikes your fancy.  (Favorite Thing 9) Also–an epic meet-up with bloggers that was about 14 different kinds of awesome.  (Dear Ladies: Our pink brick is still there, still bright pink, and still showing our signatures.  Awesome!) (Favorite Thing 10)

JUNE:

Work woe’s hit again.  I leave my position in healthcare to take what has been presented as my dream job…only to be laid off 3 weeks later, and then rehired the same day.  This begins an ugly 8 week cycle of torture at this particular place of employment until I am ultimately laid off via text message by the company accountant.  Bad form [redacted company], bad form.  To cope, I decorate with a vengeance: dining room re-do, magnetic message board for recipes, re-upholstered side-chairs.  (Favorite Things 11-13) I even went so far as to try a self-brazilian wax (note: not recommended, stick with overhauling furniture with spray paint and sand paper).

JULY:

July was another rough month for me, emotionally.  My last un-wed sibling tied the knot, and I broke up with my boyfriend of 18-months.  Somewhere squished in there was a trip to Seattle where I met, honest-to-goodness, Téa Leoni…and she told me she liked my outfit.  It was awesome.  (Favorite Thing 14) I also went to Denver (Favorite Thing 15) to visit some friends and try and recoop from my emotional turmoil (note: trying to catch a 6:05 am flight does not help cope with emotional distress.  Please remember that.)

AUGUST:

If April showers bring May flowers, and July emotional roller coasters must bring August crushes…it doesn’t rhyme…whatever.  After a (proverbial) clean bill of emotional and mental health from my shrink, I started dating again–slowly.  I also did a lot of other things: my first soccer game and my first time camping in a decade.  And then I fell in love, several times.  Firstly on my first trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats–I still day-dream about this morning, what a perfect day.  I also fell in-love with the Shakespearean Festival, attending for the first time as a spectator; this love was promptly eclipsed by an amazing secret clot canyon.  (Favorite Things 16-18)

SEPTEMBER:

Starting with a fabulous trip to San Diego with Andrea, (Favorite Thing 19) September began life looking really good.  I’d just come back from vacation, I was dating a cute boy, he seemed to like me…then everything went to hell.  Firstly, I had cockroaches in my apartment, then the cute boy started treating me like I just didn’t matter, at all…and to cope with everything I booked a ticket to Boston and got nakey on the internet…not really, but as close as I’ll ever get to it.

OCTOBER:

After an emotional beginning that included making 47 costumes for a high school Shakespeare competition team, coaching said team, and chaperoning said teenagers for a weekend, I loved watching them take home some awards (Favorite Thing 20). And then I took a MUCH needed nap.  A few weeks later, and only after a frantic missed-flight experience, I arrived in Boston.  This was the highlight of my fall, actually; pumpkin festivals, bad ghost tours, pilgrims, fall leaves, bloggers…what more could a person ask for?  (Favorite Things 21-24) Halloween found me as both Little Red Riding Hood and Alice in Wonderland–the saucy (but not slutty) versions of them, obviously. (Favorite Things 25 & 26)

NOVEMBER:

At the beginning of November I started working a new job with insane hours but steady paychecks.  I take care of a 51-year old disabled man; he is deaf, diabetic, autistic and vegetarian.  I love it more than I thought possible, and–added bonus–I no longer work for Corporate America.  It’s refreshing.  I also had a bit of a Come to Jesus experience regarding several different things: boys, beef, baby elephants (Favorite Thing 27) and buffalo (Favorite Thing 28).  Here’s how it works: I decided that boys–the right boy–might be worth it; baby elephants are the cutest things on the planet–yes, the whole planet; beef is totally okay when raised responsibly; and buffalo’s and, specifically, their island home are among my favorite Utah destinations. I spent Thanksgiving in Phoenix with my niece and nephews and Frank Lloyd Wright (Favorite Things 29 and 30).

DECEMBER:

Working 90 hours a week has started to catch up with me…I didn’t take a single photo the entire month (seen/not seen above: no photographic evidence that December even existed).  I hardly wrote.  I hardly did anything but work and hang out with The Boy Who Has Yet To Be Named (Favorite Thing 31) on my few days off (Goal for 2010: Name Boy)(and cease using extraneous parentheticals)(seriously).  As the year winds down I am confronted, yet again, by my X.  I think it is only fitting to mention that today is my Divorciversary, and after five years things are finally over.  Done.  The End.  No Mas.  I’m thrilled. (Favorite Thing 32).

What are your favorite things from 2009?

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