2008 in review

Snagged from Res Ipsa Crap, who, like me, had a few big events this year which tended to dominate this list...

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
What a great question to remind myself of the adventures I've had...  I got legal with SM.  Had not just one but two dresses custom-made for me.  Travelled to the Iberian penninsula. 

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Yes, lost weight.  But I've gained a chunk of it back.  So, yes, again, I'll make the inevitable pledge to lose weight again.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.  But SM's grandmother did.  I never actually met her.

5. What countries did you visit?
Spain, Portugal.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A job that doesn't make me want to spit in fury or hit someone every day.  An administration that is actually democratic -- not autocratic -- and understands and respects the Constitution.

7. What dates will you remember from 2008?
August 8th -- our wedding.  August 10th -- our reception.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don't know that the wedding was an achievement per se, so I won't say that. Getting a new job isn't all that extraordinary of an achievement either. Perhaps it was surviving my current job without going insane, going postal, needing heavy medication or saying/doing something that would deep-six my career.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Being mean to SM because of my frustrations.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.

11. What was the best thing you bought/received?
I can't pick a "best", so I'll list many of the happy things I received. SM bought me a Tiffany's charm bracelet and a heart charm for a wedding present. For Christmas, he gave me another charm for it. I also got a pair of diamond earrings from my parents for my big 4-0. And they also gave SM and I their old car (a 1998 Acura with 150K miles -- but still a great car). My sister did all sorts of wonderful things to make our wedding reception beautiful, and my dad paid for it. Scooter, SM's aunt and others schlepped Fat Tire beer from points all over the US so that I could surprise SM with it for our wedding. All tremendously generous gifts.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The American voter for electing Obama.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Several of my coworkers' (a recurring theme here…).

14. Where did most of your money go?
Wedding-related purchasing. Vacation in Spain/Portugal. Car repairs. Stuff I wanted but didn't need.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Obama's election. It was an evening like none other. Getting my new job -- not as momentuous in the grand scheme of things, but definitely has more impact on my day-to-day existence.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2008?
Beyonce: Single Ladies (mainly because it's been running through my head all morning).

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: fatter or thinner?
Fatter.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Watching what I eat.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating. Pulling my hair out from frustration at work. Complaining.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Spent the Eve at my house where I hosted my brothers, sister-in-law and mother for dinner. Went over to dad's for X-mas day to eat and open gifties. Flew up to SM's dad's house X-mas afternoon to celebrate that evening with them. Drove to SM's aunt's on Boxing Day to celebrate with her, cousins, another aunt and grandfather. Flew back home on Saturday. It was a whirlwind, but not nearly as stressful as I thought it might be.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Still happily happy with my hubby.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
No faves of anything, but I rediscovered The West Wing after the elections were over. Damned good show, even in reruns.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Don't hate anyone. Never have.

25. What was the best book you read?
Again, no "best"s or other superlatives. I did enjoy The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao. I'd have to check my bookclub list to remember what else I read and liked.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
None.

27. What did you want and get?
A new job.

28. What did you want and not get?
Our livingroom ceiling fixed. Yes, it is still on our floor six months later. ::sigh::

29. What were your favorite films of this year?
No faves. And I have to admit that I barely saw any movies this year.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I don't remember what I did on the actual day, but we celebrated by going to Spain/Portugal for a week. I was the big 4-oh no.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Blowing the whistle on the bullshit that has been and continues to go on in my current office.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
On sale.

33. What kept you sane?
SM and Gidget. And retail therapy.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I have no answer.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Issue? Not sure. The blatant hypocrisy of the Republicans and the Bush Administration pissed me off beyond words, however...

36. Who did you miss?
A smart, progressive president – and having my closest girlfriends in the same timezone as I am.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Met this year? Who did I met this year? The Scooter family? My new boss who hired me?

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Some things are worth it, and some aren't. It's important to figure out the difference.

Gidget as Max**

We had a very Merry Christmas and hope you did as well!

**_{you know... as in How the Grinch Stole Christmas}

I'm cold and there are wolves after me.

I figured that was a more interesting post title than "Festivus in DC" (which sounds a bit like there has been an outbreak of some sexually transmitted disease...), but yes, indeed, this video is about Festivus, complete with Seinfeld clips.

River Road literally becomes a river...

This is not too far from my dad's house and where I grew up.

I was wrong.

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned.

More to come.  Imminently, I hope.

My happy thing today...

Holiday cookies in the break room.

I know it's not much, but it's all I've got.

AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

It's just one of those days.  I hope it's not one of those weeks.

But I have the feeling it will be.

Ball gown

I bought a gown yesterday for the inaugural balls next month. We have tickets to two. I'll probably wear this to the first one.


It doesn't fit me like this size 2 model, but it looks pretty good. I have boobs but no waist or hips, and this gives me more curves. I am going to get gold opera-length gloves to wear with it. We'll see how that looks. If it's too costume-y, then I'll go without. I will also have to wear 3-inch heels to make sure I'm taller than the dress is long. I'll be half a head over SM with those heels, if I survive getting down the stairs and outta my house wearing them.

I also have another gown that I bought on eBay for the inaugurals. That one is at least a size too big and about half a foot too long. It will need some serious alterations. I like the style a lot, so I'll probably try to get it altered in time. I mean, when else will I wear a ball gown? The last time I wore one was prom. More than 20 years ago.

Here's the second one. If I were about 5' 10", I would be tall enough to wear it. Alas, no. Not even in killer heels.

New email scam, new twist...

Well, I guess the scam is actually nothing new, but the twist is.  It comes from the legitimate known email address in the name of someone you know.   A hacker accesses a friend's email account and then sends an urgent plea for help to send him/her money.  The name is right.  The address is right.  Just the facts are wrong.  Plausible but wrong.  And the language in the email also sounds a bit stilted, not what a native speaker would write.

So, if you get an email that looks like this, do your due diligence!

----- Original Message -----
From: [someone you actually know]
To: [their real email address]
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 5:23 AM
Subject: I NEED YOUR URGENT HELP.

I am in hurry writing you this short message and I am sorry I didn't inform you about my traveling to China for a program called "Empowering Youth to Fight Racism, HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Lack of Education. The program is taking place in three major countries in Asia, which are Taiwan, Singapore and China. It has been a very sad and bad moment for me, the present condition that i found myself is very hard for me to explain.

I am really stranded in China because I forgot my little bag in the Taxi where my money, passport, documents, cell phone which i have all my contacts and other valuable things were kept on my way to the Hotel am staying, I am facing a hard time here because i have no money on me and the weather is so cold right now. I am now owing a hotel bill of $1,400 and they wanted me to pay the bill soon else they will have to hand me over to the Hotel Management, I need this help from you urgently to help me back home, I need you to help me with the hotel bill and i will also need $1,500 to feed and help myself back home.

So please can you help me with a sum of $2,900 USD to sort out my problems here. I am sending you this email from the city Library, I will appreciate what so ever you can afford to send me for now and I promise to pay back your money as soon as i return home. So please use the details of one of the hotel managers below to send the money to me through Western Union money transfer because that is the only way i could be able to get it fast and leave since he has a valid ID to pick up the money for me from the western union. These are the details below....

Last Name: Olajide
First Name: Abideen Olaolu
Address: 27B Jiang Shi Tu, Guilin, Guangxi, China
Text Question: To whom
Answer: [friend's first name]

After you have send the money, email to me the western union money transfer control number or you can attach and forward to me the western union money transfer receipt so that i can pick up the money fast and leave. Right now, i dont have any acess to phone communications because the phone in my hotel room had been disconnected due to too much bills, i only have acess to the computer at the library where am sending you this email right now.

Hope to hear from you soon. The embassy here has already promised to give me a covering traveling papers that i will need to have my way back home, all i need right now is the money to settle up the bills and leave.

Thanks and get back to me soon.

Sincerely,
[someone you actually know]

Happy Friday!

Nothing special planned for the weekend.  The onslaught of Holiday Parties begins next week, which should be fun.

Meanwhile, it's Friday!  It's Friday!  It's Friday!  It's Friday!

Performance appraisal

Just had it.  It was an awkward process.  It always is. I don't think my boss was fair to me on a few things, but overall it was fine.  She did tell me that she put me in for a promotion over the summer with the hope that they could get it approved in time for it to be implemented when I became eligible (next month).  The bad news is that the Continuing Resolution has resulted in a spending freeze, which means that no promotions have been approved in the past month or so -- and we don't know when mine will go through.

The news of the promotion takes away some of the sting of the no news on the other stuff... and life goes on.

Prop H8

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

I just bought a dress from a drag queen.

On ebay.

(That's all.)

Raindrops on roses. Whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. Round paper packages tied up with string...

Okay, so maybe it's a bit hokie, but do I get credit for trying to be positive and optimistic and hopeful?  Even if I'm not swirling around in my nightgown dancing with Julie Andrews in the middle of a thunderstorm?

Happy news: SM comes home tonight.  I bought a dress on ebay that I think will work for some of the inaugural events we're attending next month.  I'm looking forward to the holidays.  I think I will finally resolve an issue with Macy's (about a gift on my registry) that has been on-going since JULY.  I'm feeling better.

No news: The job I'm waiting to hear about.  Put off my performance evaluation until today because I was feeling so crappy yesterday.

And I don't have any grumpy news.  So file that under "happy news" too.

Prezzies Prezzies Prezzies!

(Grinched this from Jami!)

Iro iro

Quickly, because I have no patience right now for full paragraphs but feel like I should post something...

1. I'm feeling sick (which explains my lack of patience) -- nauseated and generally icky. I hope I don't heave. It feels like I could. At any moment.
2. Despite this, I am at work.
3. I may go home later, but I'm trying to gut it out (no pun intended) through lunch.
4. I have my yearly evaluation this morning, which is why I'm trying to stay. I don't know if the evaluation will make me feel worse tho'. Not because I expect anything bad, but because these things are always horribly awkward, especially with my supervisor who likes to balance praise with critique. Fun.
5. I heard from a co-worker that her whole family was felled with something similar-sounding last week. I also went home from work last Wednesday because of this. But then, I thought it was something I ate that upset my stomach. Now, I don't think it was but is rather a bug going around. Bugger.
6. I still haven't heard about the job.
7. I can't tell you how much that sucks. It adds tons of stress to my every day.
8. I can't believe it's December. I can't believe it's almost 2009. Wow, where did this decade go?
9. I still haven't sent out the majority of my thank you notes from the wedding. Does the one-year rule apply to thank you notes as well as presents? I hope so.
10. There are so many places I'd rather be than at the office. I can't even begin to tell you.
11. SM is out of town for work. He gets back tomorrow night. Poor guy had his connecting flight cancelled and couldn't get on a later one (because they were all full with folks cancelled off of his flight), so he changed his car rental reservation and drove the last leg. It was approximately 100 miles. And he drove it in something like an hour and change. That's wicked fast. But then again, where he is, it's flat with not much to hit.
12. I am also back on my "diet". Both SM and I have been indulging to our stomachs' content (pun intended!) since the wedding. And we've both packed on a few. Smart time for me to try to diet, eh? The holidays. I'm frickin' brilliant that way. Oh well.

I'll shut up now. Anyone have anything cheerful to share? Cuz I'm all about the grumpy right now and could use some happy...