2008 in Review

Well, it's started. The holiday cards are trickling in and anecdotes and pictures abound from loved ones. I always put off writing the annual Christmas letter because there's so many levels and variances to the kind of relationships I have with friends and family. One letter might be a complete over-share to one relative and another might seem too prosaic or verbose to another. Usually, I try to land somewhere in the middle with a well-written, but not terribly revealing missive. Do people want to know about Quinn's reconstructive circumcision, for example? Do you? (Laughing). I digress. This morning I went to nytimes.com because I love reading my news on their site; it makes me feel cosmopolitan and I like their take on national news and ideas. As always happens, I stumbled upon something I thought would be of interest for school- the ABC's of Ideas in 2008. For example, under the B's was a bubble wrap key chain designed in Japan that has sold millions. Can you imagine the sheer joy of that key chain? The bubble key chain always re-inflates itself! Fantastic.

So, what I would like us to do for the next two days is to develop an ABC's list of your year, filled with anecdotes, tales and adventures. Memorable people, events and epiphany's should fill your ABC's.

Here goes my start to my ABC's. You can duplicate letters if you like. My list needs a bit more emotional ummph. Hopefully as I continue this tomorrow, I'll add that more emotive element. And again, here's a preview of my year:

A: Asha visits. Since I was in 2nd grade, Asha has been one of my dearest friends. Even though she lives just on the East side, months could go by without being able to visit. This year we got into a habit of weekly dinners and rotated who did dessert and the main course. She's fantastic with Quinn, a supportive friend and someone I admire and trust. In August, she helped me put together a last minute garage sale and lead the way to emptying my house of tons of junk.

B: Brisingr. A couple years ago, I started reading the Inheritance Cycle of Books, including Eragon and Eldest. They were written by a 14 year old boy (at least the first one was) and they're fantastic books. The third book in the series came out and I was SO happy to read it. Plus, the author has added the fourth book to the series, though that probably won't be out for a couple years. Caleb is a huge fan too so we got together with a former colleague for a book club brunch, which was way fun too.

C: Chocolate Chip Eggo Waffles. Quinn has had a flurry of issues related to eating solid foods. We finished up our work at the Feeding Clinic with an occupational therapist this summer and his consumption has improved. Still, the temperament of a toddler means that we can be a little bit picky. For our family, Chocolate Chip Waffles are the go-to, anytime kind of food. He eats them before bed, for breakfast or for an afternoon snack. And to be honest, his Dad and I like them too:)

D: Dark Knight. My brother Matt and I used to go to movies together pretty frequently. Since Quinn arrived, a movie is a rarity. Somehow, Matt and I managed to find time to see this film together last summer. The last Christian Bale movie we saw together was American Psycho, a seriously freaky movie. Dark Knight was excellent though and I'm sure it will be added to our movie collection soon.

E: Elysha's Summer Visit. My best friend from senior year of high school (seen in the picture on this blog) came to town in August and we got to spend a few days together catching up and enjoying one another's company. Elysha is a middle school math teacher in MA. She introduced me to blogger.com. We were trying to blog back and forth about our attempts to be healthy. Though we both fell off the wagon, the writing was fun.

F: Fishing Trip 2008. This year, while Luke was away for his annual week-long fishing trip, I moved the family to the other side of the duplex. Our new home is completely re-furbished inside with new floors, walls, etc. It is well-lit, we have a dish washer now and the woodwork is beautiful.


G: Gays in Plays. This year I've been teaching some new courses (Blogging among them) and I'm really enjoying the newness to the courses and the great literature. As CAHS considers increasing in size and space, I know that some stricter provisions surrounding scheduling will occur. For now though, I am relishing a teaching experience that provides curricular freedom-- and the community that engages in GLBTQ literature.

H: Hamline University. Once again, I am resuming my efforts to complete my Master's Degree. All that remains in my final paper, called a capstone. I already paid to write this paper once and now I've done it again, meaning it's imperative that I complete the darn thing unless I want to continue "donating" to Hamline. Wish me luck!

H: Honda Civic. My "beautiful" 2001 Honda Civic is now mine. I made the last car payment last month. It is bruised and battered, rusty and it's missing a rear view light, but it runs and I'm glad to own it-- finally.

I: Izzy's Ice Cream. I shop at Target. I buy clothes from chain stores. I don't do enough to support local businesses, unless you include my love of ice cream. Izzy's Ice Cream is on Marshall Ave. in St. Paul and they make their ice cream using the energy from solar panels on their roof. In a word, their ice cream is: perfect. Quinn and I made a habit of heading to Izzy's last spring after school and continued this trend through summer. Down the street from Izzy's is Choo-choo Bob's, a favorite spot for Quinn. Good times, good times.

J: Jennifer Weiner. The author of books like Good In Bed, In Her Shoes and Certain Girls is one of my favorites and the sequel to one of her greats (GIB) was released this summer (CG). Her characters are relatable, smart and outside of the formula female protagonist. Great books make life better.

K: Kisses. Quinn can make the kissing noise and will kiss an injury when asked. His cars kiss and he kisses his baby (and then proceeds to toss said baby back into the toy bin). I kiss my son maybe a hundred times a day and it makes me blissfully happy.

L: LA Fitness. I've done it again. In September, the family joined the new gym on University. I've been a member at two other gyms and I always start off well, but eventually end up "donating" my membership fee. Still, it's a new start and Luke has joined too.

M: Minnesota Public Radio. I love my public radio. I don't like driving, but I do like listening to my news and music through the Current and MPR. I always find that what I hear prompts interesting conversations in my life and profession.

N:New Kids on the Block. One of the best times of my life occurred in October when I attended the NKOTB concert at the XCel Energy Center. My friend Carolyn invited me to join her in the 3rd row for the event and it was hysterically funny, blissfully sublime and seriously cool. I have a NKOTB ringtone now and it makes me happy.

O:

P:Park and Rec. This spring, the family spent a lot of time at local parks watching pee-wee baseball. Quinn loves baseball and the free entertainment was great for us all. It meant that we were outside walking and Quinn got to see something he loves LIVE, as opposed to on TV. We also traveled to the St. Louis Park Splash Pad a bunch this summer and tried out the new Jimmy Lee Rec Center indoor poor.

Q: Quantum of Solace. Daniel Craig is hot. Luke and I went to see this film recently and it was entertaining. Luke is a huge Bond fan so any new film in the series is a time for celebration in our household.

R:

S: Sex and the City- the Movie. I am a huge SATC junkie. Seeing the movie was a joyful event and I am hoping to receive it this Christmas. Even though I have little in common with the individual profiles of the 4 NY ladies, I loved the show's stories and style. I used to watch episodes with a pal every Sunday night and I own the DVD's, though they're constantly loaned out to friends.:) Sharing SATC is just spreading the joy:)

T:


U: Understanding.