For lack of creativity (and motivation), look!  A meme!  We all know I love memes of all flavors.  I’ll go ahead and do this year-end wrap-up on the assumption that not much else of note is going to happen this year.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?  Started graduate school.  Bought a BMW.  Got a new sister-in-law.  Ran a half-marathon.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?  I generally don’t make specific resolutions.  And if you want to know the honest truth, it’s because I’ll forget what I resolved to do.  True story.

3. Did anyone close to you have a child?  Nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?  Nope, thankfully.

5. Where did you travel?  Baltimore.  Denver.  Providence.  And also San Francisco.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?  As per my usual response to any question of this nature, it would be really nice to have a limitless cash flow.  Other than that, I’m good.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory?  Well, maybe not the specific date (because I had to look it up), but I’ll always remember the event that took place on July 25.  That’s the day I ran – and finished – my very first half-marathon.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?  Making As in both of my very first graduate-level courses.  Studying works!  WHO KNEW.

9. What was your biggest failure?  I often feel like a spectacular failure in regards to my utter lack of domestic ability.  I mean, yeah, I do laundry and keep a clean house but cooking…well, let’s just say I’m glad I’m not getting a letter grade on that particular life skill.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?  Nothing major.  Some new aches and pains as my body adjusted to running.

11. What was the best thing you bought?  Please see above re: BMW, FTW!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?  You know, my kids are really great and I don’t give them enough credit.  AE in particular is an awesomely-behaved kid.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?  YOUR MOM.  (Not really.)

14. Where did most of your money go?  Travel.  Daycare.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?  I love traveling, so this was an awesome year in that regard.  It was particularly cool to go to Providence – I don’t do a lot of traveling by myself, so that was a first for me.

16.  What song will always remind you of 2010?  All kinds of stuff that I listened to on repeat.  Be My Thrill by The Weepies.  The Funeral by Band of Horses.  Hands in the Sky (Big Shot) by Straylight Run.  All We Are by Matt Nathanson.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:  a) happier or sadder?  b) thinner or fatter?  c) richer or poorer?   About the same on all fronts, honestly.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?  Slowing down.  I’m always in a hurry one way or the other and have a really hard time just taking each day as it comes.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?  Bitching.  Unfortunately, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.  It is my lot in life, I’m afraid.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?  In The Swamp with the folks.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?  With my car, yes.

22. What was your favorite TV program?  My new obsession is Psych, and I still love NCIS, Sons of Anarchy and Burn Notice. 

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?  Yes.  Yes I do. 

24. What was the best book you read?  The only books I read other than textbooks were by Nora Roberts.  I read all three of her books in the Sign of Seven Trilogy.  Scoff if you must (N sure does), but I really enjoyed them.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?  Ah, there were many.  I’m a huge fan of Amazon’s free MP3 downloads, Starbucks Pick of the Week and the iTunes free weekly single.  I think my favorite discovery of the year is Band of Horses.

26. What did you want and get?  An iPhone 4.  And a BMW (OMG, obnoxious, yes?  Sorry about that). 

28. What did you want and not get?  A hundred million dollars.  And a yacht.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?  I didn’t see many in the theater at all, but I really liked The Other Guys.  I also watched Unstoppable a few weeks back and that one was enjoyable too.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?  What did I do?  I had to look it up, but apparently I went to the zoo and had a date night.  I turned 31.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?  A hundred million dollars.  And a yacht.  Oh wait.  That’s two things.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?  The same as 2009, I’d guess.  Casual and comfortable, with lots of black and gray.

33. What kept you sane?  My husband, particularly his willingness to take the kids out of the house whenever I needed time to study.  My employer’s flexibility with my class schedule.  Wine.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?  Let’s just say that if you search “Mark Wahlberg” on this blog you get several results.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?  MEH.

36. Who did you miss?  I’m lucky enough to live a quick drive from most of my closest friends and family.  I do wish I got to see Val more often.

37. Who was the best new person you met?  Hmm.  Did I meet someone new this year?  We have some new employees at the office.  They seem nice.  Perhaps I should get out more. 

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.  Try to take each event as it comes and don’t do too much at once.  And wine is the cure for all that ails (I may or may not have known that one already).