I was about to say, sara, you're getting into practically a HABIT there, with the parents, and the guides, IIRC...

Shut it meara, I know! eta: and I HOPE this one was a little different.

Suddenly I feel like taking a tour with my parents.

And that was 2001. Or so.

2009 has been a mixed bag so far. I don't think I can post about it yet, not until I know what December brings.

2009 has been a total rollercoaster year for me (and DW), and it has revolved primarily around having a baby. I started the year off by doing a round of IVF and getting pregnant after months of trying with IUIs. Then I miscarried at 5 and a half weeks and had to have a D&C. Then I did an FET (frozen embryo transfer) and got pregnant again. At around 17 weeks, I got bad test results on the baby and freaked out. Ended up that baby was perfectly fine. Now I am due in a little over 2 weeks with my baby boy. I am hoping to end the year with my healthy, beautiful son in my arms, which will cancel out all of the bad and make 2009 my personal best year ever.

Other good stuff includes DW and I staying employed during a rough economy, our bond getting stronger because of all the baby stuff we went through, and general good health.

Other bad stuff includes DW's uncle's sudden death in May and the continued emotional and financial fallout for DW's mother from the death of DW's father back in January of 08.

I've had a really good year. The best I've had in AGES. Thanks, 2009. I'll miss you, though I have hopes that 2010 will be pretty fantastic too.

I LOVE sarameg's year!

My year was up and down. My beloved Uncle succumbed to cancer after years of fighting it. That was bad, but seeing extended family at his funeral in Chicago was lovely and there was lots of time to comfort and enjoy each other.

I really wanted to go back into teaching and spent a year in prep and passed all the State tests required (which was freaking HARD, man). Then California went broke and the program I was interested in was canceled. Still employed at my present job, though, and I do like it, so that's a consolation. DH's freelance writing gigs are less than last year, but enough to keep us afloat.

A cousin I grew up with and shared friends with went into rehab finally, and there was much rejoicing. She now seems to have fallen off the wagon again and is putting her husband and kids through hell. So there's that.

Got to go on AWESOME trips to Montana and Tennessee this year and hope for more article-underwritten motorcycle travel next year. Travel is fabulous--FREE travel is even fabulous-er! I have lost 9 lbs and have 20 more to go--much due to taking up Pilates this year, which is both challenging and supportive and has me exercising muscles which I didn't even know were there.

Crap! I went to a party and missed sarameg's adventure. but the hints left behind sound fun.

and, fwiw, my inappropriate international adventures (which all happened a LONG time ago) were totally worth it. Although my parents were never along...

The final quarter of 2009 seems to be shaping up pretty well. The first 3 quarters... NSM.

I started the year determined to BE DONE with my Masters program, and I took 2 very challenging classes while working full time and just about lost my marbles. Got through it, was gearing up for graduation, when I failed my Masters Comp Exam, required for graduation. So, no graduation. Called off the party (humiliating), and the 4 years of hard work sort of fizzled out in misery and disappointment.

The summer was tough- we had no time off or vacation because we were taking a 2 week block in October, and we were both pretty exhausted and miserable.

The only thing that got me through to our California vacation was my obsessive planning for it beginning in January. It came in the first half of October and was just as wonderful as I could have hoped. We ate some amazing food, drank some amazing wine and beer, and had an amazing, amazing time. It was positively regenerative. We came home happy but disappointed to get back to reality with some wild ideas to move out that way. We'll see.

I took my comps shortly afterward and passed. Hooray. I basically just feel relieved that I avoided another humiliating failure and I can actually say I have a Masters degree. But it is certainly a positive factor of Q4 2009.

We are looking forward to our vacation in New Orleans for Christmas.

In the Will Suck for the Foreseeable Future column, no one wants to hire an administrative assistant for any higher level position even with a Masters degree under her belt. Disheartening to the extreme, especially since I am pretty bleh on my current job. Tom also is pretty unhappy in his position (which he's now had for almost a year) so it makes for pretty gloomy Sunday nights.

But the fact that we have jobs right now that seem pretty stable for now is definitely a blessing, however begrudgingly we admit it. Tom and I are happy at home with the cats and have wonderful friends and a most excellent expanding cocktail bar.

I very much hope that 2010 brings us the means to seriously explore a move to the Bay Area and for us to find more fulfilling professional lives. But those are high hopes and if our status quo continues, we will still consider ourselves lucky.