JANUARY: “Show me your Palauan Face!”

I was unable to be home for Christmas, so I took a trip home in January.  I had a calendar full of “appointments” for breakfast dates, lunch dates and dinner dates, karaoke nights, and family nights.  It was exhausting–I would do it again and again.  Ro and Anthony and I had gone to The Met, my first excursion, and we barely made it through 1/5 of the museum.  There was a full grown adult male in a pair of overalls that looked like a baby onesie.  No joke.   It snowed viciously, and I had the entire month off of school.

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FEBRUARY: “Oh my god it’s Kermit! The Muppets Take Manhattan!”

I started my second semester with school, and begun to not like it one bit.  Grace K came to visit NY and I got a chance to see her and she took me to see The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino and have drinks across the street at Sardi’s.  Ro was baking cookies and goodies left and right, Anthony and I had a couple “just us” outings.  A mini reunion with a few PCPA grads (not from my class) with Kathleen and David and drinks,  and The Professor and I finally found time to hang out and grab some drinks.  And I teased him about his cel phone because it was the size of my foot.

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MARCH:  “Can I take a family pic?! Can I take a family pic?!”

I started having troubles sleeping.  I was getting anxious and dizzy, and often.  But I pushed through school and work.  Went out with Ro and Anthony, and our new friend Mark for St. Patricks Day where I took a tongue of guinness (note that I say tongue, because I did not sip it or drink said guinness) and Ro painted a clover on my face with fun face sparkly stuff.  Mark and I hung out again for a sushi night and spontaneously rented a car and drove to Atlantic City and played Roulette for a couple hours, then drove back.  I got home by 7am, took a nap, then got up and went to my classes and work.  At the end of the month I flew to Florida to vacation with Joshifer (aka The Guttersons) and Sammybear and meet my new little nephew James Gordon.  Had I not missed my flight at JFK, I would’ve been there for the birth (not in the room, but THERE maybe with Sammy bear, to help or SOMETHING).  But I got there later and got to spend a week with them.  It was perfect.  Honeybear and I watched movies in his room and played with his toys.  We ate food, we watched TV and when we watched the movie Morning Glory, I held little Jamey the whole time and he slept on my chest.  So precious.  I got my hair cut and colored while I was there, too.  And the rain was thunder was terrifying.

And I found out my sister was pregnant.  She sent me a picture of a sonogram and videotaped my reaction.

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APRIL:  “IWANNAGOTOMEDIEVALTIMESFORMYBIRTHDAAAAAAAYYYYYYY”

This is all that matters for April.

Fine.  My grades were slipping at school.  I was having health issues and missing a lot of school. Hilary came to visit and we got dressed up, She Ro and I, and went to watch Bound by Substance play in concert.  And Robin’s friend Beda (BAY-duh) had a list made by his girlfriend, Alana, for how to make her Easter Basket and what goes inside said basket.  It. Was. HILARIOUS.

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MAY:  “Is it a Chalice-night?”

Anthony had a birthday and Ro treated all of us to a Broadway show.  Alice in Wonderland .  A cute modern day version with boy-band silliness, cheshire cat full of “guatemaleness,” and a catepillar-thing…of sassy-ness.  It was cast very politically- correct. heh.  We (The Housemates and I)celebrated the fail-date for the End of the World by having drinks and food at The Poor House, somewhere in the village.  And my friend Mark and I went for an outing that included The Museum of Natural History (where the security guard snapped his fingers at me to get my attention and I made a scene about it, to him and his boss–oh yes I did), and drinks at some bar/restaurant called Columbus Tavern (or something to that nature).

Robin and I also found that our Medieval Times Chalices could hold a bottle of wine each.  Which became the birth of what we now celebrate as Chalice-Night when we have wine, maybe a snack and watch something on the TV just the two of us.  School had finished.  I barely passed some of my classes, but wrote an excellent paper in my writing class about the different levels of “knowledge” with reference to passages from The Republic.

I began dating someone.  And until I thought we were serious, I dubbed him The Mystery Man to all friends and family.

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JUNE: “Hi Mom, you and I are going to see Paul” (mom freaks out)

I had to call 9-1-1.  Yah, that happened.  My health had gotten worse and I took an ambulance to the ER where I laid on a bed in a hallway for 5 hours.  They did blood work and an EKG. Wow.  Robin came to sit with me, and so did The Mystery Man.  I flew home to CA for a visit.  My youngest brother, Rik, graduated from high school.  When he walked the stage he shook hands then did a hi-jump karate kick.  My sister’s baby bump was in full show and got to rub the belly.  I surprised my Maamm with tickets to see Paul in Vegas.  And Ginger surprised me at the SLO airport to say goodbye and give me a ringpop.  To, of course, prove her love.

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JULY: “We have the same smile, because we’re sharing the same happiness” (that’s all him folks.  I can’t come up with romantic cute stuff like that)

The Mystery Man was revealed via video.  We had a countdown for it and everything.  He edited it and added music (one of *our* songs “Patience” by his friend GNR–I know we’re cute and it’s gross.  I’m okay with being a cliche).  Daaaaannaa had been in NY for a visit and we got to meet up at Book Off (favorite place to waste time), watched a movie at home and had breakfast the next day at a place called Kitchenette.  They have awesome, oversized french toast.  Sam, my Darling, took me to Jersey where we ate a Chili’s (so excited to have chicken enchilada soup, caesar salad, and the special yummy cake) and

 he bought us a dresser at IKEA, to share–because he moved in. heheheheh

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AUGUST:  “Fill the tub with water and stock up on canned goods”

My cousins Cara and Leah were visiting NY and I got to see them briefly.  We met up at Crumbs and had…delicious…cupcakes and chatted. Ro had a birthday and we had a girls night out where we dressed up and started the evening off right: with a wine cooler and a straw in brown

paper bags for the train ride to The Zebra Room (It’s actually called Planet Rose but everything in their is zebra print).  And we had a Hurricane Warning.  Parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens were evacuated.  I didn’t know what was going on until BoyfriendJenn texted me about all this stuff I should make sure I have to “prepare” and I was like..”prepare for what?”  Many stores stayed closed.  The MTA was shut down (that’s the trains and busses) for the weekend and everyone else stayed indoors.  Ro taped the windows in the event of them breaking to lessen the odds of shattering.  Matt found a “survival” pack his friend left behind, complete with some kind of gas mask, and I received “Catastrophe” pay from work, because if there wasn’t a natural disaster happening–I would’ve been at work.  I also decided I was not going to return to school in the fall, maybe ever.  I met the Naked-Cowboy, and got up early to see Stevie Nicks for Good Morning America’s Concert Series.

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SEPTEMBER: “I love that I’m not in school, and do I need a storage unit?”

I’m not in school.  I’m elated.  Just work.  Work and hang out with my housemates, and spend time with My Darling, and have some wine.  My sister was gearing to pop her baby boy, whose name was a mystery.  My Darling and I were going out and about to fulfill

 “Your New York, My New York” moments for people on the list.

 I was having girl nights with Ro.  One night she and I went to the San Gennaro festival

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OCTOBER: “Oh! Hellozz! Hello baby Bennett, Auntie Nani says hhhiiiiii”

My sister had her baby at the end of September, and My Darling and I flew out the following week to vacation and visit.  This was the first time he met my friends and family.  Everyone likes him.  I didn’t make appointments to see everyone this visit.  I simply said I would be visiting family mostly.

There was a night for karaoke, of course.  And Seanah offered her home to have a Meet-n-Greet BBQ for everyone to meet Sam.  It was quite a turnout.  Kevin brought karaoke, everyone brought food, we drank and sang and visited.

We cried–well, I cried and some of the other ladies cried too.  I drank Jameson from the bottle with a straw.  Had quiche every morning.  Had sushi at Izakaya Raku.  We went to my Dadda’s house for dinner.  It was a wonderful visit. Little Bennet is precious and perfect.  Adorable and beautiful.  Bennett even got his dad’s blue eyes, and they have a hint of a slant from my sister.

 For Halloween Ro got her and I Merlotte’s shirts and aprons, Sam went as a “fang banger” and Mattie went as Dexter Morgan, laminate included. heh.  Ro made these awesome fangs out of press on nails.  Seriously.

I watched Halloween (movie) for the first time, followed by Halloween 2, then skipped all the middle ones and watched H2O.  I was curled up next to Amy (Meredith’s friend, they came out for a visit) on the couch because we were equally scared of his creepiness.

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NOVEMBER: “You draw….FAST”

Have I mentioned how happy I was to NOT be in school?  I mean, sure I was struggling with money–who wasn’t? who isn’t? (besides celebrities and computer programmers…heh).  Sure there was my health issues, but those finally seemed to get under control, which was a nice change.  I was still working, still spending time with my housemates, and still getting to know My Darling.  I had seen his drawings before, then I watched him work and was in awe.  He entered a contest for drawing a movie poster for the movie Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance.  It was fun to see him in artsy zone.

I also had an enormous craving for ice cream.  I wanted some everyday.    Thanksgiving came and we had friends over.  Everyone made something, or brought something and I finally got my hands on some eggnog–with spiced rum in it.  I ate until I was ridiculously full.  I sampled everything, drank wine and had some of all three of the desserts.  We even played Telestrations.  Best new game of the year.

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DECEMBER: “Hit the reindeer button again”

The holidays continued to creep in and I began picking up shifts at my old store.  I needed hours, and it felt okay playing a guest role.  I wrote my first letter to Santa Claus in many, many years and I drank eggnog almost everyday.  For reals.  If it was around all year long, I’d always have it in the house.  For…reals.  Sam’s poster drawing was selected as a finalist and voting goes until the fourth.  Anthony moved back to Utah, and this was My Darling’s first Christmas with us (me and housemates) and was introduced to some family traditions.

 It was easier this year than it was last year to be away from family.  I still wore my Christmas shirt my Auntie Barbs made for me a few years back, and the reindeer jammy pants my sister sent me last year.  Ro was the winner because she made me cry when she presented me with my gift.

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I ended this year on the couch alone with red wine in one hand and a sleeping pill in the other.  The Christmas tree lights were on and song “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paginini” from the movie Somewhere in Time was playing.  The housemates were either working or out drinking, and My Darling was spending New Years with his son.  It was quiet.

My 2011 Goals were:

1) Take heed in this advise “Be patient, and wait”

2) Continue to take care Mentally, Physically, and Emotionally. A new therapist is in store, perhaps.

3) Read more than in 2010 (oooOOOooo), this whole reading-on-purpose thing is hard…but I’m game!

4) Find a job better than the one I have currently.  No “real” complaints, but I could use the cash…

5) Write more

Results:

1) Only sometimes, it takes longer than one would think

2) My health issues were intense this last year, but are in the better stages of under control.  I still want a new therapist.

3) Nope.  I mean, I read–but I didn’t end up reading more than the year before

4) Same place, I was promoted and am going to be promoted again.  Right now, it’s the best path for me.

5) Doubt it.  It’s almost like I didn’t have time, but I know I did.  So then it was like I never had anything to write about.  But I know I did.  So maybe, I was just too lazy.

I read:

Ruling House, Water for Elephants, Deception Point, The Republic, Acting: The First Six Lessons, Dating the Divorced Man, Awakened, Dragon’s Oath, The Lost Symbol, and It’s not that I’m bitter…

I almost finished another one, but that will have to go on next year’s list.

I’m unsure of the goals I want to set in place for this year.  I no longer feel driven or motivated to do much other than: Go to a job I don’t mind doing, spend time with my friend and with My Darling, hopefully I’ll get my NY esthetician license (I submitted for it three times now), and find Peace.  I want to be a responsible, accountable adult and I want my brother the Smurf to move out here as planned.  It would be good for him, and me too.  I hope I can relearn any music/songs I’ve written, now that I have a new piano, and although being far away from family can be hard I am thankful for the technology that allows them to feel close.  I get a picture of my nephew Bennett everyday from my sister.  I appreciate texting and video chatting and I hope that I can find the discipline within me to grow up a little bit more and be a better housemate, girlfriend, sister, daughter, auntie, cousin, friend, and more.  I am thankful the people in my life love me and appreciate me, just as I am with no expectations held over my head for guilt.  I do not know what this year will hold, or might hold.  I do know, however, that it will change me–and I believe that’s okay and that I’m ready.

And we’re off…