The obligatory year-in-review post

2009. Not too bad, as far as years go, but I have a very high tolerance for bad years thanks to 2004, so my opinion should always be taken with a grain of salt on that front. But whatever. Still not a bad year. 2009 started off a bit shaky since I tend to panic when I don't know what I'm doing with my life, and that had been a struggle that had been building for quite some time. But luckily things started falling into place just so which seemed to push me in some sort of direction that made sense, so that helped a bit. Here's to hoping 2010 sees that through.

(Resolution for 2010: be an even bigger hot mess)

My camera broke, my laptop broke, Fry's Electronics broke my brain, and then my laptop remained broken. Plus, someone stepped on my mother's brand new GPS and cracked the LCD screen (we don't have good luck with those, it'd seem), I broke a string on my cousin's daughter's brand new guitar less than an hour after she unwrapped it for Christmas, my dog's vagina fell out, I lost my most favorite BPA-loaded Nalgene bottle and am still mourning its loss (I can hear Robbie shaking his head over that one), and I got my wisdom teeth pulled. So, uh, those were good times.

(In case you didn't notice: TOTALLY DRUGGED)

I had a boyfriend and then I didn't (which was rather nice on the whole considering 20 of my 23 years have consisted only of the "I didn't" part), and I learned how different it all seems once you're out of the relationship. It was fun while it lasted, but it was all for the best in the end. I went down two belt notches without really trying, but I find that I do have to try to remain those two notches down. I flew on an airplane and didn't have a panic attack, which is AMAZING for me, considering my track record on that. I visited two states I'd never before been to - California and Nevada - which actually led me to being west of the Mississippi for the first time in my entire life. The California landscape had me mesmerized - it really looked like another planet - Mars, maybe Jupiter. Somewhere red and barren. And with a lot of aliens.

(Dilemma: potentially offend your intelligence by pointing out the subtle joke in that last sentence, or risk letting my incredibly mediocre wit go unnoticed due to the fact that the joke is, in fact, kiiiinda abstruse. And dumb. By typing my dilemma, I hope I have resolved the issue. So there.)


And in complete obsessive nerd-style, I visited a bunch of theme parks, and in the process I completed my Back Lot Stunt Coaster trifecta, got my first 4-D coaster credit, and completed my North American Intamin launching coaster collection (okay, now I'm just making up milestones). I finally got to visit Disneyland as well, but I missed out on a lot of things due to me being too worried about what everyone else around me wanted to do. I can't help it, it's just my style. I also rode the Big Shot on top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas but skipped out on X-Scream and Insanity, and to this day I DO NO REGRET skipping them. There are some things I simply have no desire to do, and dying is one of them.


And finally, as the year came to a close, I was presented with the most generous offer by someone whom I've never even met. He knows who he is, he knows what he's done for me, and for that I thank him profusely and hope that in 2010 and beyond I can find a way to be so generous to others. You know...all Pay it Forward style. Without the stabbing.

Oh, um, spoilers.

Happy New Year everyone!