enSue’s Neighborhood

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Taught at Mass College of Art and at Boston University, published a cookbook for our family and friends (through blurb.com), began studying Italian in earnest, saw Moby in concert. 

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Didn't do so hot this year but plan on making 2010 be rather kickass.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No immediate relatives but several friends!

4. Did anyone close to you die? My grandfather passed away in September.

5. What countries did you visit? Hmmm. I didn't leave the country this year, not even to go to Canada. 

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A trip to Europe under my belt and a downpayment on a house.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Not sure if specific dates will be etched into my brain, but I'll remember how I felt when I got the news that Romeo had kidney disease, and when my grandfather died. Oh, also the inauguration of Obama was a historic event that was incredible to be able to see, even if only on television. And the week that my long-lost friend (17 years lost!) Leanna came to visit!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Teaching, and receiving agent interest on my unfinished book (I need to get it done and follow through!!).

9. What was your biggest failure? Not getting further on the novel than I would have liked. Not doing anything about my health goals. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? A few colds (including the massive eye and nose dripping head cold I have right now), otherwise mostly was healthy.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Tickets to Italy for spring 2010!!! YAY

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Joe for putting up with me for a ninth straight year!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Let's just say that they know who they are.

14. Where did most of your money go? Probably eating out too often. Fixing appliances that seemed to always break. We did better this year, being able to save for Italy, pay down some debt and should have a good start on a down payment on a house for next year.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Visiting Italy! 

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Negramaro, Il Distrazione

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer? Happier, fatter, richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Worked on my novel.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? sleeping in instead of going to the gym.

20. How did you spend Christmas? We went to the "Pitt" as we affectionately call Pittsfield, MA. where Joe's parents live. Was happy, peaceful and full of good wine, food and excellent company.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? I fall more in love with Joe every year. Sappy but true.

22. What was your favorite TV program? True Blood, Legend of the Seeker, Sanctuary

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Glenn Beck is higher on the list.

24. What was the best book you read? Just one? Oh my. I really loved La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language by Dianne Hales. I bought several copies for friends this Christmas.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Polly Scattergood and St. Vincent

26. What did you want and get? Tickets to Italy! A Canon Powershot and a Flip Cam

27. What did you want and not get? Zelda for the Wii. A raise (company froze them, just as so many other companies have). A magic fat-disappearing wand.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Star Trek

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 38. Nothing terribly memorable. Went to Clio and ate at the bar.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? My job could have been less painless personality-wise, I suppose. Also, I still haven't mastered the ability to care less about what people think of me.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Back to my roots (blonde!). But otherwise, as bold and distinctive as always.

32. What kept you sane? Joe!

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? David Tennant

34. What political issue stirred you the most? There are oh too many.

35. Who did you miss? I ended a long dying friendship this year and that makes me immeasurably sad.

36. Who was the best new person you met? My friends in my most recent Italian class. 

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. I'm always learning. I need to get better at applying.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.  (popular Italian song, Ma il cielo e' sempre più blu)

Chi sogna i milioni, chi gioca d’azzardo

chi gioca coi fili, chi ha fatto l’indiano

chi fa il contadino, chi spazza i cortili

chi ruba, chi lotta, chi ha fatto la spia

na na na na na na na na na

Ma il cielo è sempre più blu uh uh, uh uh,

ma il cielo è sempre più blu uh uh, uh uh, uh uh…

Let me know if you do the year end meme! 

• 03:25 I'm pretty sure the default greeting upon meeting me shouldn't be a handshake, but dousing with holy water. #
• 11:34 Soundtrack moments: This playing in the car at 3 am. ♫ blip.fm/~id740 #
• 14:11 Question: Why do the crazy people get to win? #
• 15:54 You can occupy my every sigh / You can rent a space inside my mind / At least until the price becomes too high. ♫ blip.fm/~idhz2 #
• 02:08 We all have a weakness / But some of ours are easy to identify. ♫ blip.fm/~ie5pm #

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wonderful christmas eve dinner with family and friends!

awesome way to end off the year 2009!

 

it's a quiet 37th birthday for me, as it usually is. it's what i've come to expect since my birthday is just two days after christmas.

but i can't complain. my cold is almost gone and i had a quiet day with just doug and chaeli.

doug and chaeli baked me a cake and i'm about to have a delicious dinner - spaghetti and garlic bread. doug made the sauce from scratch - tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, ground beef and pancetta. the bread is a freshly made italian loaf from the bakery and the wine is my favourite spanish red.

all these things will make this day memorable.

but what will REALLY make it one not to be forgotten, is the fact that i didn't hear doug and chaeli come home from the market. and the fact that i was dosing off while watching 'love actually' when chaeli came barging into my room. and the very fact that on our 37" high definition, flat lcd screen which towers over chaeli, was the scene from 'love actually' of the two stand-ins talking to one another, in the nude, while stimulating a sex scene (as they were stand-ins for what we are to assume is a porno flick).

and it was at that exact scene, to which chaeli stops right there, front and centre of the TV and asks, "mommy... what are you watching?"

i stumble towards the remote while muttering, "uh... nothing" as i fumble to find the off button.

then, my dear five year old turns to me to say, "doesn't look like nothing."

this is how i sum up parenting. you spend all this energy to shelter your child from things they are too young to see... all the effort and energy, snubbed out in one single split second where you totally fuck up.

• 15:48 Just played @RockBand online with my half-brother and his two kids many states away. Technology is cool. #
• 19:14 Drinks and dinner tonight. Been too long since I've seen him. (@ Goose's Acre) 4sq.com/8S1rVP #
• 23:24 Drinking with Ryan. (@ Martinis and More) 4sq.com/4sH7nk #

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• 12:53 OMFG. How much did I drink last night? Want to die. #
• 13:10 Thank you, Jack in the Box, for being over. So hungover. Maybe the Coke and french fries will help. (@ jack in the box gessner) #
• 16:27 Aww! Happy second anniversary to you too, @erinen31! Woo GLOF! :-D #
• 16:56 Feeling a little better after a long nap and a shower. Took some Extra Strength Excedrin and am drinking a Coke. Stupid hangover. #
• 18:38 Looking for something to do tonight? David Beebe, Jim Henkel, and Allen Hill will be playing at The Big Top! Woo! #
• 19:42 At @cma tusow's with @jeffbalke and et. al. Still dragging ass. #
• 21:10 Listening to The David Beebe Three with @jeffbalke, @cmatusow, @gettago, and others. (@ Shoeshine Charley's Big Top Lounge) #
• 22:12 Little Joe Washington on the stage at The Big Top, tearing it up. bit.ly/7zyRHn #
• 22:47 Touching my boobs just got compared to touching the face of God. bit.ly/8GuSVn #
• 00:06 Getting food with @gettago, @jeffbalke and @cmatusow. Waiting on @cybertoad and @twistedotter. (@ Katz's Deli and Bar) 4sq.com/6Qu1WA #
• 00:19 Watching @gettago making love to a pickle. And no, that's not an euphemism. bit.ly/6lXKhv #
• 01:42 @VirginiaO: Ha! We wondered why that car honked at us. :-D #

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• 12:35 In case I've never mentioned it, I am the luckiest girl in the world when it comes to having friends. Last night's #Lubbfest was awesome. #
• 12:43 Amazon mp3 Deal of the Day is the 21 song Ultimate Christmas Collection by The Jackson 5 for only $2.99: bit.ly/4GMzc0 #
• 13:53 I swear to Pink Jesus, it's only a matter of time before my family makes my blood pressure spike and I stroke out. Merry Christmas, right? #
• 14:32 New photo on Flickr: ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons bit.ly/6VPUcU #
• 16:23 Anyone using @SocialScope notice @FourSquare checkins not going th rough to Twitter? I have the account linked and options checked to share. #
• 18:26 At Russell and Jubilee's for family Christmas. bit.ly/70fBS4 #
• 20:05 At JC's for Christmas Eve traditions of fondue, chicken and dumplings, stockings, and Scrooged. Yay! bit.ly/5JdkrU #
• 21:07 Drive through liquor stores open until 9 FTW! (@ Beverage Barn) 4sq.com/7RjXqa #
• 21:34 I just burned the shit out of my hand on the chicken and dumplings. Someone come and kiss it for me? bit.ly/5JdkrU #

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Autograph I got when Balke and I ran into him at 1 am in Denny's. Rawk!

i was able to get chaeli just before 1pm, today, and head home.

unfortunately, we've all got a head cold. but i count ourselves fortunate given all the horrible flu viruses making others in a much worse state then us. i'll take the sniffles over any of the other ailments anyday!

so it's just chaeli and i. we're about to head upstairs and get under the covers, while watching a bunch of dvd's. she picked that will smith sharks tale flick to start with. don't know why she loves that movie so much...

doug will be home for dinner and then it's an extra-early night for chaeli since she didn't fall asleep as early as i hoped last night. i'm letting her miss nap so she can get to bed early tonight.

as usual, we will wait for her to be in deep sleep before we move all the presents down to the living room and under the tree... and stuff the stockings to the brim!

then i'm going to go back to bed, put on 'love actually' (my personal ritual on christmas eve) and hopefully get more then several hours of good, solid sleep.

merry christmas, everyone!