2010 has felt like being stuck in a rut, a lot. On the really good side, we bought a house, which while being a bit of a pain to renovate, looks really lovely now and is great to live in (and I really will get round to taking pictures when there's more light).

On the rut-y side of things, I started the PhD that I've been wanting to do forever, and even have little bits of funding for it slowly trickling in. But, partly because of problems organising disability support, I currently have no enthusiasm for it, and am generally feeling worn out by struggles over making my life fit my disability (or maybe it's vice versa). I'm hoping this will improve - it usually does. It's especially tricky against the background of the 'current economic and political climate', with my writing and campaigning focusing more and more on the mess that the government seems to want to make of disabled people's lives. Here's hoping for campaigning successes in 2011, and that my many friends who can't afford to heat their homes will have their voices heard.

In family stuff, the Girl's father's condition isn't changing, and she continues to fly out to various countries every other week to help look after him (and never once complains about how many people she's charged with taking care of). We've had to postpone our wedding, which was meant to be in May, because it just seems inappropriate at the moment. I'm trying not to be a childish whiner about that, and to be supportive and understanding. (This is hard for me. I'm working on it.) The exciting news is that her father VERY slowly seems to be coming round to the idea of our relationship. He's even considering coming to the wedding. He's said he would before and then changed his mind, but we're hoping this time he actually means it. It would be so nice for The Girl if he did.

We are quite sad that we've had no guests in our new home yet, so, like msbelle, I extend an invitation to anyone who wants to visit (Atlantic Ocean be damned, and I hope there are Buffistas developing matter-energy transportation devices). I can't wait to meet sj this year! And it was great to meet Shir at the end of last year and Jars this year. I hope for more mini-F2Fs. You all rock immensely, and you've been an incredible support this year. Good people, you Buffistas are. Very good.

Who was it who was quoting Counting Crows last night, in Bitches, I think? It was a good quote. "It's been a long December, and there's reason to believe that maybe this year will be better than the last."

So. Sitting on the couch with a cold drinking tea on New Year's day, I've decided the new year doesn't actually start until Monday.

I didn't do secret santa this year, knowing I'd be out of town (and busy trying to fit all my work in before!), but it's fun to see everyone enjoy the prezzies!

So, 2010...um. I did a lot of travel. Not just for work (though that too)--to LA for Pix and Drew's wedding thing, to DC for the superbowl (and, turns out, the snowpocalypse), to Indianapolis for my dad's 70th birthday, to Chicago to be a bridesmaid for a friend's wedding, to New Orleans for Decadence, to San Francisco for country dancing, to Baltimore for drag kings, and of course, to Eastern Europe for Christmas. Yeesh! Plus people visited me--my sis and BIL for their anniversary, friends in my new house for a big drag thing, my sister and her BF for her birthday, my best friend for my birthday, SA for some Christmas fun...

And I bought a house. And got a roommate. Which has been weird, but OK. I think I'm still not realizing the whole "OMG, I own a house and that really means I'm staying here"

I didn't really date anyone, not for more than a couple weeks. I'd love for that to change in 2011. We'll see if it does.

I'd like to go outside the US again, this year. I was so excited to put stamps in my new passport. I'd had it a year and this was the first time I used it!

I'm still thinking about what I want to accomplish this year. I'll get back to you on that. :)

Seska, let's hope you're right. Here's some posting about my 2010. [link]

2010 good- finished paying off al my credit card debt in November. That is possibly the biggest accomplishment of my life, as I had pretty much resigned myself to dying in debt. This means I am free to do anything I want. I just have to fgure out what I want. My boss at work is no longer thinking I am sabotaging our department and is back to being a good boss (she was having some issues). I worked backstage on a show for the first time in a lot of years, and remembered what I liked about theatre and mostly had fun. I started eating even better than I had been, replacing my beloved pasta with greens. My BFF has had a compete turnaround in her life, with her husband becoming sober and finding a job in marketing that suits his outgoing personality, even in this horrible job market and with no degree.

2010 bad- My mother was diagnosed with diabetes. Her cat died of FLV. The other cats in the litter, save one, have also died, as has the mother. My uncle lost the sight in one eye due to diabetes. I was sort of diagnosed with diabetes after a horrible persistent skin infection/rash that made me miserable for 2 months. I have been very withdrawn from everything, including my mother, who I can't really handle being sick. I thought my eating better (which really means no pasta, as I actually ate pretty good before) had cured me of my stomach ailments, but I have spent the past few days with tummy upset. I continue to feel unsuited to both my regular job and the one at the theatre.

2010 neutral- I accidently lost 20 pounds, and am very conflicted, as I have been really into fat acceptance and Health at Any Size. I know that it is because of the eating changes I made because of the diabetes scare, but I wish I had not weighed myself (I succumbed to temptation on Christmas Eve, where there was a scale, and the doctor weighed me in September. It makes me feel a little obsessed, and like I want to try and lose more and more to prove that I can, which makes me feel guilty.

Hmm, 2010. No near-nervous breakdown or horrible screw-ups, yay!

I wrote more. I started kinda-seriously writing fiction, as in selling some stuff to Steampunk Tales, and in seriously working on a project that I'm hoping will be my Next Big Thing.

I got to see people I love, and had a wonderful Halloween at Drew & Kristin's place. I didn't get to spend as much time with my friends as I wanted, and I really need a teleporter.

My hopes for 2011: write more. Get paid for it. Sell the next book. Be healthier. Travel and see people. Yeah, that sums it up pretty well.

This year I started doing Pilates and, for the first time in my life, I almost have abs. DH and I decided to eat healthier, whihc means no fast food, whole grains, less meat yadda yadda yadda and a glass of red wine with dinner. I have lost 20 lbs, and just feel better all the way around.

Had some death and some joy this year. Lost my brother's AWESOME MiL to cancer, which can fuck off from the universe. Got to take some amazing motorcycle trips with the DH. Saw a lot of live music, including taking my mom to her first rock concert.

I did NOT finish my new play, which makes a whole year with no substantial progress. My 2011 goal is to rectify this, or I will no longer feel much like a writer anymore.

I spent part of almost every day this year here with all of you and treasure this board and its diverse, wise, fascinating, snarky and supportive denizens.

I finally got around to last month's Bon Appétit and one of my Secret Santa gifts from Tom (The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual) is on their "Favorite Cookbooks of 2010" list!

Scrappy, maybe we can help each other out with the writing thing.

I think 2010 is going to be more of a mixed bag in hindsight than it looks now. Right now, the year seems to have been dominated by vet problems. Max was diagnosed with his lung problems during the spring, nasal cancer during the summer, and liver failure and pancreatitis during the fall. And we had to say goodbye to him in October. Which was promptly followed by Marie's health problems.

On the other hand.

Marie seems to be doing better. She's eating more and more on her own, even with the feeding tube. And she's obviously gaining weight back. Which means we may be getting her IBD and swollen larynx under control.

Two new cats, Arthur and Victor, came into our lives with boundless energy and affection. So that even Marie, who finds it almost impossible to warm up to any other cat, is happy to share the couch with Victor.

And we started volunteering at Friends of Homeless Animals. Where we've met a number of fine people, as well as cats of all sorts. And (we hope) even helped to improve some lives.

In non-cat news, we had a far better Florida vacation than our budget would have predicted. And we got the finances back under some measure of control after all the vet expenses of the last few years.

2010 downer: no permanent job. Sent out many, many resumes w/ no answer. Had 3 job interviews that I felt positive & hopeful about, heard back nothing.

Passed my 99 weeks on Unemployment, so no further help from there.

Car broke. Basement flooded, taking out furnace & hot water heater. Lost two pairs of glasses. Had root canal.

Pluses for 2010 later.