2010 - the year in retrospect

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Gathered technical knowledge like a madwoman and furnished our home.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn’t have any but they may as well have been to get done with the house and not lose my mind over it.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not that I am aware of.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Hubby’s grandma, shortly after her birthday and our anniversary. Major sads.

5. What countries did you visit?
Portugal, Italy, Austria and Switzerland

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you didn’t have in 2010?
A vacation somewhere new to us.

7. What dates from 2010 will be etched upon your memory, and why?
January 20th , the funeral of hubby’s grandma, in the midst of all the renovation….it almost made our hearts break.
January 23rd, when we moved into our house in what had to be the most chaotic move in the history of moving.
August 12th, when I finally got to meet Melisa with one S and her awesome family face to face.
September 25th, an amazing birthday/housewarming party with almost all of our closest friends. Awesome!

8. What were your biggest achievements of this year?
Unexpectedly won recognition and an award for my good work, which made me cry like a baby when I was alone.
Tracked our personal finances.
Renovating and decorating our first (and hopefully last) home.

9. What was your biggest failure?
That I did not improve my fitness.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Luckily no.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A new bed for the hubby and I (but only because we purchased the house the previous year)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My hubby and my parents, who worked like “mules” to fix up my house.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Some so-called friends. I will not go into details but suffice to say they are friends no longer.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Most of our spending went to our house, renovations, furniture and the likes. Ouch.

15. What did you get really excited about?
My (not so) evil American twin’s visit in August.
Re-connecting with my host family from my Au-Pair stay in 1996.

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Probably anything by Lady Gaga (gag) can’t stand her (sorry Melisa).

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier: Most definitely.
Thinner: but not by much.
Richer: Not at all but happier.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise. Getting out of the house and doing things. Cooking instead of ordering takeout.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Watch TV.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my in-laws and the entire family until Christmas day, then snowed in at my parent’s house. A great Christmas.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
I am still in love with my husband. Apart from that I fell in love with a new DSLR that I’m just going to “have to buy” the minute I got enough money saved up.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Surprisingly nothing. Most of the time the TV is just on for background noise.

23. What was the best book you read?
I love to read and have read quite a few books in 2010. As I tend to forget the bad ones, Iautomatically know that the ones I remember were worth the time. So I would have to say Things My Girlfriend and I have Argued About and Eating Animals

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
That I still love the music of the early noughties - alternative rock. Played loud and hard!!!

25. What did you want and get?
Visits from great friends. Lots of home furnishing.

26. What did you want and not get?
A new iPhone, magic weight loss, a lottery win...

27. What was your favorite film of 2010?
As with books it is only the good movies that remain in my memory. Among them Kick-Ass (which came as a total surprise) and Inception.

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 34 in 2010, and I can’t actually remember what I did on the day itself. I do however remember the great party the day after. BAM!

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A daily newspaper.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2010?
Dark pants, V-neck sweaters and long necklaces

31. What kept you sane?
My husband, family and friends.

32. What political issue stirred you the most?
Our politician’s inability to lead a country instead of arguing among themselves and NOT getting ANYTHING done in the process.

33. Who did you miss?
My family and far-away friends.

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Accept that life is not always a picnic or as we say in Germany Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof.

35. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Our house in the middle of the street by Madness