Wrapup
I can’t get it together to write a comprehensive end-of-year summary this year. It’s just been too crazy since mid-October. A few great things have been going on in the last little while though, worth mentioning.
- Social opportunities galore. Everyone wants to see us, get in one more dinner or playtime with the kid or whatever. We have a lot of really good friends that I will miss like crazy.
- Got a fabulous new haircut. After fearing layers in my giant mop of hair for the last 15 years, I gave it a try and it’s awesome.
- Finished knitting Nuss. Also awesome. Hair and Nuss together below.
- Watching my kid turn into much more of a little person all the time. She is beyond the halfway point of age 3 and doing a lot of good things, not the least of which is sleeping an average of 12 hours a night. Also being more difficult than ever with her thrashing and refusal to do normal things like pee or get dressed, and the level of public bad behavior has definitely gone up (she’s 3.666!). My mom always brags about how I was reading by this age, which maybe might have some shred of truth if Maeve is like I was. I know she recognizes certain words already like “no” or “mom” and lately she digs looking at graphic novels to find terms like “BAM!!!” and “POW!!!” We had a long talk about exclamation points the other day.
- Despite the leaving what was a good life behind, I am getting more excited all the time about going to Dubai. IN ONLY 21 DAYS. I was musing about how it will be awesome to go to the airport to MOVE somewhere instead of just travel there. Sucky with all the luggage and 3-year-old and customs and security checks, but otherwise very very awesome.
This year I think I read about five books total. It’s miserable. I barely find time to get through “selected” articles in each New Yorker anymore. I have been reading the same Paul Theroux book for about two months now, a little here and there at bedtime. It’s really good and the fact that it covers so much of Oceania in little chunks makes it perfect for this kind of reading, which is not helping me. Someone please recommend something that sucks you in, fiction or non.
We finally became Mac people all the way. The iPod touch Rodney won at his holiday xmas party in 2008 was the gateway drug. I love having a computer that, when you push the On button, is just on. None of this waiting for 10,000 processes to run anymore.
Generally for me, 2009 was not that bad of a year. I had a happy life, a good job, a comfortable house, good friends, I ate well, we were thinking about going to Mexico or somewhere next year. It got a little crazy in October, but luckily the solution came about quickly. And what a wild solution it will be. Stay tuned and have a wonderful 2010 yourselves!
Sara said,
January 2, 2010 @ 12:00 am
Our friend from WMU moved to Dubai this past year to teach music at an expat school. I can try to connect you if you want…he’s super friendly and lived in Ethiopia for two years before heading to Dubai.
Sweater looks great too! I’ve been reading The Women by TC Boyle and it was easy to get into. A Midwestern tale for your parting?
Kirsten said,
January 2, 2010 @ 8:45 pm
The last real page-turner I read was The Outlander, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Gorgeous writing, exciting story, also the Canadian Wild West. If you like Dave Eggers & want any further proof that the US performed horribly post-Hurricane-Katrina, I really enjoyed Zeitoun. Also loved Her Fearful Symmetry this fall. Good luck on the 21-day countdown!!
monica said,
January 3, 2010 @ 11:17 pm
Love the hair!! and the new sweater is pretty. It will be fun to read about your adventures in Dubai. I can’t believe how fast it came up – the move.
annie said,
January 4, 2010 @ 9:19 am
So amazing about Dubai! Congratulations!!
lynette said,
January 4, 2010 @ 9:45 pm
your new sweater and hair looks great together. trust me, change can be frightening but you seem to be handling it pretty well.
i’ve enjoyed reading about your preparation to Dubai. now i can say i know someone who lives there.