Reflecting on 2009
As 2009 (and the decade!) comes to an end, I thought it would be nice to reflect on the past year considering I’m a huge fan of “end-of-the-year” lists! I’m not a fan of personal info on my blog but I think the following is pretty benign. Also, 2008 was such a horrible year, that I was determined to make 2009 awesome. I think I succeeded… Here are some month-by-month highlights (consider this my supremely annoying Christmas card!):
January
- Quit my job
- Turned 26 (sayonara quarter century!)
- Went to Madrid with my BFF
February
- Enjoyed living the unemployed dream before it got boring and tedious
March
- Started my awesome blog!
- Went to Arizona for Cubs Spring Training, baked in the sun for what I would later find out would be the last time I could do that. Thanks for the tan Arizona!
April
- Another exciting Cubs season began…
May
- As quick as the Cubs season began… it was already over.
- I learned the value of couponing thanks to all the frugal blogs out there on the information super highway! Not sure how much I saved but if my CVS receipts are any indicator, my year-to-date savings there alone is over $800!
June
- Went to Las Vegas for the first and last time
- Went to my first Cubs-White Sox game on the scary southside
July
- Can’t remember much about this… I can only assume this means that I went on the traditional midyear/midsummer bender
August
- Started grad school!
September
- Reunited with my long lost lover and became engaged!
- Went to Seattle with my family for an awesome Bears-Seahawks game
October
- Formed a legendary karaoke band, “Annette”
November
- My long lost lover moved in and I said goodbye to my beloved single life forever
December
- This month flew by, I have no idea what happened in December besides Christmas and going to Pittsburgh with my Dad for an awesome Steelers game!
So that, in a nutshell, has been my year. I look forward to making 2010 even more awesome, if that’s possible. Thank you also to all of you, my readers, for making my blog and my year worthwhile! Have a fabulous New Years, be safe, and I’ll see you again in 2010!
Ice Cream Cone Punch Toy
This is what I want for Christmas–the ice cream cone punch toy! I was at a store yesterday when I spotted a bin of these and they brought me back! Do kids still play with these? Why do I remember them being so cool? All I know is that if Santa doesn’t bring me one this year, I’m gonna be pissed.
Pet Peeve of the Day: Lies, lies, lies
Quote of the Day: “Cats always know whether people like or dislike them. They do not always care enough to do anything about it.” –Winifred Carriere
Dia de los Muertos
Another favorite fall holiday of mine is Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. It is celebrated in Mexico every year on November 1st in order to honor the dead. A few weeks ago I found these awesome paper-mâché skulls– perfect for celebrating Dia de los Muertos! They were extremely easy to make and a perfect outlet for creativity. So if you need some decor for this holiday, head to your nearest Michael’s asap!
They look kinda menacing even plain!
Klinker was excited too!
It took way more white paint to cover the brown than I thought it would...
Finished product!
872?! F U!
Nooooooo. Just when I was starting to adjust to the 15+ year old 773, Chicago has announced we will be getting a new area code: 872. That’s right my friends, Marshall Field’s is now Macy’s, the Sears Tower is now Willis Tower, and here comes 872. RICHIE! What is our fine city coming to?? Do you really think we are going to get the Olympics at this rate?
If you think I’m just going to accept this 872 code, you have another thing coming. I imagine a scene down the road where I meet a really hot, awesome guy. He gives me his number and it is 872-555-1111. Guess what amazingly awesome dude who loves the Cubs/Bears/Chesney/the beach/Klinker/Kerouac/Goldschlagger/snow/Chicago, I will NEVER call you.
I abhor taking calls from 847, 708, and 630 area codes (all suburban), and now I’ll have yet another area code to blacklist. I do love raging though, so I guess I can thank the telephone Gods for that. See, there always is a silver lining!
Things I Live For: The Cousin Trifecta, sunless tanners
Quote of the Day: “Being, not doing, is my first joy.” –Theodore Roethke
Prized Possessions – Klinker
Well, not so much a possession as an equal. Anyway, this is my cat. (Please leave all your “crazy cat lady” prejudices at the “door”). I adopted Klinker about 5 years ago when she was a kitten. My old family cat Cocoa who was living with me died of old age, and I lasted a week before I couldn’t stand a home without a cat anymore. There was no one left to talk to anymore!
So I scoured CraigsList for kittens and found this family of calico kittens– all with beautiful markings, (I had my eye on this cute little black/white/brown kitten). I met the lady who was fostering them at a PetsMart, but when I got there, other people were holding the 5 or so calico cats. There was a little all-grey one in a box on the floor that no one seemed interested in. Realizing that 
this was the “runt,” that no one wanted her, and that she was different, I immediately knew I had to have her. So I scooped her up and took her home with me that night!
I was toying around with a few names– I really wanted a pirate themed name. But then it came to me that I had to name her Klinker. This was the name of a cat in one of my favorite books that my dad would read to me as a kid: Big Bad Bruce. (Seriously, pick up the book, it’s freakin’ awesome).
I love Klinker because she truly is “my cat.” She is the first animal I have had on my own and raised. She is loyal to a fault– my friends get hissed at and bitten when they come over, but she likes me and that’s all that matters! Having grown up with cats, I got her knowing I would be investing in her for at least 10 or 15 years (God willing). She is full of cuteness and silliness; I have never doubted that she was the cat I was meant to have.
Pet Peeve of the Day: Drivers who don’t use turn signals
Quote of the Day: “Being crazy is the least of my worries.” –Jack Kerouac
