Eeeeeeeeek!!!

Only one more day in 2010 and my last post was Thanksgiving?!?!? Let's fix that, shall we?! Here goes my quick recap of my life since turkey day.

We finished up our fall kickball season a couple of weeks ago. I had a an absolute blast playing, and discovered that I'm actually pretty decent at it. Apparently others thought so to, as I was nominated for Rookie of the Year, as well as Most Improved Kickballer. I didn't win either, but it was nice to be noticed!

I did managed to fit in almost two weeks off of work, and took a little trip to see my fabulous relatives in Austin, TX. There was much eating and drinking and being merry. We ate like kings, had an amazing spa day, got in a bunch of golf and laughed like it was going out of style. I got to finally meet their two kids, Zoe and Mickey - they're Papillons, not actual children. It was great to catch up on life with them, and to have a nice relaxing week away from reality.

The last day, I headed down to San Antonio to see a couple of friends. It had been a few years since I'd see Senior and his wife, so I was super excited to see them, as well as their house, pets, and the life they've made for themselves. It was awesome to catch up with them as well, and I'm super thankful they opened up their home and their life to me. It better not be several years before I see them again!!

Christmas was....well....different. I complain a lot about the stress of the holidays, and my general disdain for any holiday that occurs after 11/1. The runaround of where I'm going to be and when, what to wear, finding the perfect present, etc. Every year I complain about it, and yet finally, this year, when I don't have to be anywhere at any specific time.....I missed my family. I missed seeing my nephew's face, I miss showing up late to my aunt's and not being the last one there (or even the most hungover), I miss the sound of wrapping paper being torn off the pile of presents under the tree.

That isn't to say that I didn't have an awesome Christmas, not by any stretch. There was a pickup kickball game arranged, but unfortunately it was too cold, and only a few of us showed up. We went to the local Chinese joint after cocktailing in the street for an hour or so. Then it was off to the bar.....where I discovered that about the only way you'll get me to drink egg nog is by making a White Russian out of it.

There were a couple of White Elephant parties over the last couple of weeks - my favorite gift that I ended up with was a wooden box filled with Boone's Farm, 4Loko and Miller High Life. Talk about a kickball care package!! I got to see a couple of old friends, and have made some more new ones. All in all, the last month has been an awesome blur (as evidenced by my lack of posting here).

It's been a year of ups and downs, learning, exploring, leaving, joining, experiencing, eating (which needs to stop!), shaking things up, calming the soul, tearing it up, picking up the pieces. It's been crazy, it's been amazing. I wasn't sure how I could top the summer of awesome of 2009, but I think I've done it. And I'm so thrilled to see what 2011 will bring. Well, everything except for the tax bill I'm certain to have. Eh, I guess I can't have it all just yet. :)

Thanksgiving

I meant to to this yesterday, but slept all day instead. It was the most relaxing, stressless Thanksgiving I've ever had. For all the whining I did about being an orphan, it was kind of nice actually. In between naps, I really had an opportunity to reflect on the last year, the last six months, and figure out what exactly it is I'm thankful for.

I must say, that after coming home from my best friends birthday party, and being around all the people I love so much, the week and a half leading up to yesterday was a bit of a challenge for me. For all the years I whined about going to St. Cloud, or St. Paul or wherever, the thought of not being around my family was a rather large pill to swallow. Coupling that with the notion that I'm officially less than 6 months away from being 30....well, it felt a lot like a midlife crisis to me. Thankfully, there isn't a new corvette in my driveway.

So, on to the things I'm grateful for. I'm thankful I live in a city where there isn't snow on the ground. Matter of fact, it's raining right now. I could be complaining about how cold 60 degrees is, but it could be worse. At least I have warm clothes and a roof over my head. So, I'm thankful for that; having a job that I adore (even if I don't always adore the people I work with), that provides a comfortable place to put my head and food in my belly.

I'm thankful for my wonderful family, even though I take y'all for granted sometimes. You mean the absolute world to me and I'm so lucky to have some of the best family a girl could ask for. I love that you constantly surprise me, I love the way you make me laugh, the way you make me cry (yes, sister, you and your wedding dress are going to make me cry), the way I can come to you with a question or a problem and you'll give me exactly the answer I need, not the one that I want. I appreciate you more than words can describe. I love you.

My friends. Some of you belong in the previous paragraph, (you know who you are). I have the most amazing friends ever. Some of you I've known forever, some only a short time, but the amount of fun I have with y'all is really pretty incredible. We've done some stupid things, some crazy things, some wildly awesome things, and at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter what it is we've done, because we've done it together. I love you more than life itself, because you make life worth living.

One last group of people, then a giant list of stuff I'm thankful for. It may sound odd, but I'm grateful for all the people in life that have wronged me, lied to me, cheated on me, made me question my faith in people. These are the people that teach me how to be a better person, to not take people for granted, to return a phone call even if you don't want to, to ask for what it is you want and tell what it is you don't. I've learned so much from these people about what I want and don't want in life, and while it's caused a fair amount of pain to me, I'm grateful for it. I can't thank you enough for showing me how not to live life.

And my list of stuff I'm thankful for: this pretty MacBook that I'm typing this on, iPhone, my fancy schmancy shoes, watermelon in November, red velvet cake, RSVP pens, satin sheets, the smell of bacon (and taste, really), a general lack of artistic talent, short skirts and high heels, the color purple (not the movie, the actual color), the five senses, Surly Beer, compliments, the egg rolls at Que Viet, naps, the inventor of the vibrator, kickball, gyros, humor, the Dewey Decimal system, loud music, Anchorman, tomfoolery and shenanigans, quality literature, football (even if my home team sucks), photographic evidence, passports and impulsive behavior, champagne cocktails, Jeopardy, Special K, mini-golf and go-karts, In 'n Out Burger, Random Bar Night, kittens, fantasy football, online shopping, The Simpsons, po' boys.