Normally I'd measure my year by the number of coffees I have taken in, yet this year it doesn't seem appropriate considering I'm not doing coffee now.
Side Note: I did have a really, REALLY bad day at work yesterday so took off at/around lunch time. Not being hungry I went to my other safe haven, Starbucks. I ordered my normal Grande Vanilla Americano with xtra room. Added my cream and sugar. And about 30 minutes later I was the speediest of typists. I'm thinking perhaps jumping back into a triple wasn't such a good choice.
Right, back to measuring.
I could measure it by the number of people I did not kill.
Or I could measure it by the amount of love and support I felt throughout the year.
Or even still I could measure it by how often the local weather forecasters are wrong.
Nah. I think I'll measure it by a LIST OF 40 NEW THINGS
Yes, my faithful readers, the list is complete. (if you get my Christmas card you are 1) very lucky and 2) already know the list). Still there are others who really are dying to know what's on that list.
So without any more goofing around...drum roll please...
My 2009 List of 40 New Things
First let me say that if you don't 1)like, 2) think its not new, or 3) have any other negative opinions about my 40 new things, I'm returning your Christmas gift.
Ahem
Starbuck’s Instant Coffee – anyone who knows me knows Starbuck’s runs through my veins - or well it did. Instant Starbucks! My life had been changed forever.
Bosses for dinner – having people to dinner isn’t anything new. But having my boss and my bosses’ boss to dinner was new to me. I BBQ'd and ran out of gas...thank heavens they like their meat rare.
Podiatrist – What? There was never a need before. And I can't say it was all that helpful cuz - *clears throat* someone didn't follow all the doctor's orders.
Photograph a 5K Run – PhotoGirl asked me to assist in photographing a 5K run at a turnaround point with Seattle in the back ground. It was a blast. Tiring holding up the camera for so long, but fun all the same.
Grease the Musical – Grease is the word!
Roller Derby – A whole different crowd to watch and a whole new sport to learn and appreciate. I think I should have been a roller derby girl in another life. I think I actually came up with a roller derby girl name too...Jenicide I think.
Photograph Susan G. Komen Gala – Fancy pants gala event in which I was asked to photograph the SGK volunteers. Had to "search" for a formal and then remembered by I didn't like formals...itchy, uncomfortable, and too much work.
Moved to a townhouse – Moving isn’t new – I mean if you know me, you know moving isn’t new. But moving to a town house is. And having three floors of goodness is new. That's three whole floors full of cat fur. Yes mam.
Read 100 books – I didn’t manage to read 100, but 73 instead. Still I’ve never read 73 books in a year. So it counts. And I got turned onto a very cool site called GoodReads. It allows you to track the books you've read and want to read. I have 272 in my "want to read" queue. And no I won't be trying to read 100 next year. Maybe I'll shoot for the remaining 27 (did I do my math right? 100-73 = 27 right?)
Volunteer at Getting Started Meetings – After participating in the 3Day last year, I knew I wanted to volunteer this year. So I started by helping at the Getting Started Meetings. It was a blast and yes I cried every single meeting thanks to the overly moving video. Yes, I'm going to volunteer again this year. That should be interesting. I'll break out blubbering at the opening music...watch, you'll see.
Pampered Chef Party – Also no “new” but I hadn’t had a party in 10 years, therefore, new. Anything you haven't done in 10 years and re-do is new. Jenn's Law #45. What? You don't believe me. Well, Jenn's law #46 says, Jenn does not have to care if you believe her or not, so there.
3Day Expo Volunteer – Again, my chance to participate in the 3Day without walking. But being allowed to hang with some extraordinary men and women.
Photograph Race for the Cure – I got to wander around the R4TC and take photos of the volunteers. They give so much and I was so thrilled to be a part of it.
il Divo – Wow. And Yum.
Dueling Pianos – It is what it sounds like. Two pianos going back and forth - well dueling - playing and singing. The bar was sketchy, but the company was fun.
Seattle Duck Tours – Goofy? Definitely. Worth it? Most certainly! I mean I met my soul mate on the duck tour...the driver playing really bad 80's songs - surely my soul mate.
Black Bottle Restaurant – What? I have never been there. And for the record for all you Seattle folks...Yum. If you go, get the Blast Broccoli. ZOMG sooo good.
Photograph a Wedding – Nerve wracking! But worth it to learn more about photographing people. Not sure I'd ever do it again, maybe drunk I would.
Volunteer for Survivor Brunch – For once I actually volunteered instead of photographing the volunteers. And I won, I mean Blueberry won, a free cruise on Holland America.
Try 100 new recipes – Again, didn’t get to 100, but got to 67 – and I’ve never tried 67 new recipes in a year. A few friends appreciated the endeavor. One friend concerned that I'm not eating and therefore not cooking and therefore she doesn't get left overs. She'll survive....maybe. Almost all are on my cooking blog. Go ahead, take a look. I'll wait.
Carve a white pumpkin – I didn’t even know there were white pumpkins, but I carved one for my Great Pumpkin Carving Party. It had white guts even.
Have an Ultra Sound – Yep. I had to have an ultrasound. It’s not what you think.
Had a Hysteroscopy – yah, ick.
Visited an OBGYN Oncologist – there was concern of some pre-cancerous cells found during the hysteroscopy. Had to go to an oncologist for my options.
Had a Hysterectomy – this was my option. A robotic laparoscopic hysterectomy. But you know all about that. BTW, the belly button incision is almost all closed. Thanks for asking. The stitch that was still in it fell out. I thought I lost my umbilical chord again.
Took Percocet – in the hospital they gave me Percocet as the pain killer. Weeee!
Had a catheter – 'nough said.
Estrogen Patch – well taking out the girly parts means I needed something to help “balance” me out. Notice I didn't say make me normal? Yah I know the peanut gallery pretty well and they'd contest that in a heartbeat.
Giving myself injections – because of blood clot issues in the past, and now being on estrogen, the doctor thought giving myself injections of a blood thinner for 21 days post surgery would be a great idea. I hated it. Nightly tried to talk myself out of it. And yet, 21 nights in a row, I managed to put a needle in my tummy. It's amazing what you can do when you have to.
Hot Flashes – Oh yah, these are fun. Even being on the estrogen patches, it’s a low dose and so some of the menopause side effects will come through. My own Personal Summers is one…and I cry at the drop of a hat. Wheeeee!
Program Manager – I was promoted shoved into being a Program Manager. Its hard work, and a bit discouraging at times, but its fun and new and I’m learning a lot.
Lead a Quarterly Business Review – Being the Prgm Mgr I was the lead on the business review for the first quarter. Lots of hard work, and a bit unnerving, but I put on my ubber confidence pants and prevailed. Didn't even get yelled at. So that's a plus, right?
Straight No Chasers – If you want to hear a 10 man acapella group, search for these guys on YouTube and sit back and be amazed.Go to Benaroya Hall – Straight No Chaser performed in a local theater I’ve never been in. It has a huge Chihuly glass chandeler above the stairs (look to the right of the picture)...I wish I would have brought my camera...
Super Diamond – Whoa! Went and saw a Neil Diamond tribute band. I had no idea what songs Neil Diamond did that I knew. Of course Dudley opened for them, which was the real reason I went.
Saw New Moon – What? I’m a Twilight fan. Go Team Jacob!
Bought and iPod Car Stereo – Love it. I get to skip past songs quickly. In my 4 mile commute I can listen to 30 songs...
Cracked Windshield – yes the Mustang has a boo boo. But in all my life, with all the cars I’ve owned, I’ve never had a cracked windshield. Honest! And this one apparently I'll have for a while. Every time I go to replace it, some financial catastrophe happens and it has to wait another month.
No one’s every asked me if I’d eat a triscuit off the floor – my office mate was helping me come up with one more. And in fact I've never ever been asked that. Who knew this list could produce such wild abandonment?
And the 40th New Thing: Never before (and never again) have a made a list of 40 new things.
The other thing I love to do this time of year is re-read my blog posts for the year. I don't read them all, but I skim through them and I gotta tell you...I'm all shades of surprised you all are coming back to read. There's some weird stuff in this blog...but it's all me, and all friends, and apparently almost nothing is off limits.
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