So, we were watching TV last night… and well, nothing was on–so we turned to the Food Network… always a good standby. It was Diners Drive-ins & Dives with that funny-haired fella that I swear, is seriously holding back his inner GAY. I know he’s married… but so is Will Smith and Brad Pitt… wait, Brad Pitt isn’t married… what’s going on there? GAY. I said it here first… Unless you said it before me… isn’t there anything original anymore? So.. anyway, the GUY named GUY on “Triple D” (ew) was bouncing off the walls over some sort of fleshy overcooked meat when he picked up a plastic dipping cup and drank the Au Jus. I said–out loud–”HE JUST DRANK THE AU JUS…” and then it occurred to me that New Year’s is next week. 
Well here we are. Time sure does fly, doesn’t it! What were you thinking this time last year? Were you excited about 2009? Were you looking forward to all good things to come or were you dreading the days ahead? For me – 2009 was one massive battle of good vs. evil… demons and angels… sweet & sour vs. hot & spicy. There was always an antithesis of each particular moment… looking down at me from way up high… getting ready to launch the next throw down test of strengths and weaknesses… HOW WILL SHE DEAL WITH THIS!!! Aaaa – aHAHAHA. I lost a lot of the fights–but I feel that those I conquered were the ones that really counted…. And while the professional side of life was not-so-slowly sliding downward… Will was always there and it was impossible to think that anything else was even remotely important. While clients, and then inevitably I, decided to stop fighting and close the doors on what were once fruitful and booming livelihoods… My family brought endless joy… I reconnected with old friends… I made many many new friends, and I learned more about myself than I ever would have if everything else wasn’t falling apart. In retrospect, now that this post has turned to total cheese… whipped creamed cheese that is… 2009 was the best worst year of my life.
And there it is.
So what about you? How was your 2009? Was it loud and obnoxious or loosey goosey? Did you take all of your money out of the bank and bury it somewhere? Or did you throw all caution to the wind and DRINK THE AU JUS? And what about this new fangled thing called 2010–any thoughts there?
I want to know. So tell me… tell me the best worst of your 2009 and then a little of what 2010 can do for you… tell me and I’ll…. throw all the answers into a hat and randomly (drum roll…) Pick the best of the best of the worst of the best and….
- Interview you for an upcoming For The Birds “Bird Watcher Profile” post.If you haven’t heard, these are tons of fun.. Here’s one and Here’s another. Come on – be the 1st in 2010.
- Then I will promote the hell out of your story for a week.
- All about you.
- I am no joke about promotion.
- Game ends sometime before 2010.
- If I’ve interviewed you before, please participate as well.
Please note that we are launching our annual SAVE RUDOLPH protest, roof-side–starting tonight… so this post will be up for a few days…
Best worst huh?Well, to be the most honest, it was a pretty good year for me. For one thing, it seemed that the worse the news reporters told me the economy got, the more web design work we got. I think that was a combination of good luck, but also having built a niche over the last couple of years in stretching my technical skills and being able to produce dynamic websites at a reasonable price.The best of the whole experience is the use of the word “we” in that last paragraph. I never saw myself as a boss, a business owner with employees…I always figured I’d be “freelancer” with a business name. This year taught me that I can think beyond that, maybe. Jury’s still out but if we can streamline our process and bring in more larger projects, we might just survive, at that.I also just need to make some personal choices to work harder than I do (frankly, I do and I don’t, depending on the day), and I think I’d like to learn to play a little harder than I do too. I think I’ve gotten away from some of the things that are central to myself – writing (creatively, as in not political blogging), art, playing music, etc. The house has taken up a lot of our time so I suppose that it’s just natural, but I miss ME.On the personal front, my family is healthy and we still have my grandmother, who was having heart troubles in 2008, with us. (About my grandfather, there’s no question, as he’s apparently still healthy as a horse and then some, at age 95). I have two of the most adorable and beautiful nieces ever made and they surprise me with some new miracle every time I see them.If there’s anything worrying it’s that I’ve added to my stress with the business…the words “cash flow” now bring on heart palpitations – when it was just me I could coast but now coasting is not an option. I hope that it can get a little easier because I have a good thing going with my web developer who is a lot more than that – he’s all but a partner in name, helping to develop the business – and it’s critical not to lose him to a “real job that pays better.”In some ways though, having someone else rely on me is a focusing exercise like nothing else I’ve ever encountered, at least since bringing home my first report card with a “B” made me think my parents would skin me alive.
2009 was a test of my resolve and patience. But in many good ways and in ways I would rather have been different. For the majority of it my husband was on unemployment wich was a fraction of what he made and my meager salary was able to get us through. But not once did I ever feel that we wouldn’t be okay. But trying to convince everyone around me, well that was a tad trying (and by tad I mean daunting at times) Chin up right?Also I (we) quit smoking, we have tried over and over with out success and today I can say I prefer working out to grabbing a butt any day and forever.I have resolved that some friends will never really be friends and while other friends have become like family and some family have become total strangers. All of this makes me happy and sad at the same time.In 2009 my parents celebrated 50 years of marriage, not all bliss but all together, forever.2009 was a doozy, but I still have my job and with every struggle my relationship has gotten stronger and more rooted than ever before.It has been an odd and wonderful year all wrapped up in a crazy package.
What? It’s 2009?? I was SURE it was still, like, 2005 or something. Does this mean I can stop singing Don’t Cha by the Pussy Cat Dolls now?Sadly, I don’t have a best worst of this year.^ lewzer ^Good luck to the rest of the entrants
Hey hey A VAPID BLONDE – you were the random selection! Thanks for participating! I’ll email you the deets.To all that commented…. I only published 3 out of the many answers because a great deal of them were PATHETIC. you know who you are and you know why. I don’t know why, and if I could request that you stop reading this blog, I would. So there.
Very Cool! I like winning things. WHEEEEE!
I would be more than happy to be interviewed by you! If you can tolerate how vapid I am. I just noticed that I put my url as http://www.avapidblonde@gmail.com simply brilliant.