2010

January

• 1/10 – The Explorer and I have been together for a year.  We fall more in love every single day.
• 1/13 – Fort George Brewer’s Dinner: Indian Food and IPAs.  We dressed up and I began my courtship with IPAs (I was strictly a wheat/wit girl).
• 1/16 – Went skiing at Mt. Hood Meadows with D and the boys.  It was the closest thing to a powder day I had all season.
• 1/30 – Went skiing at Meadows with my sweet baby.  It was just us and it was wonderful.
• Since D bought me a pool pass for Christmas, I start going to the gym.  I’m really proud of how consistent I was – I think I averaged at least once or twice a week for the full three months.
• Started planning my move more.  Decide I’ll be moving into a friends house in the spring.

February

• 2/4 – My Dad opens his coin shop! I’m so proud of him.
• 2/5 – Ma Barley, the local Bob Marley cover band, played an awesome show at the Events Center.
• 2/16 – The Explorer and I finally go flying again, for the first time since December. It was such a beautiful night!
• 2/18 – We decided to fly to dinner in Hillsboro for our Valentine’s Date. We looked pretty schnazzy, all dressed up, flying ourselves to dinner. There were about a gazillion stars out on the flight back.
• 2/23 – My Mama and I went to Portland for a girls “weekend” (it was the middle of the week). We grabbed a delicious dinner at The Melting Pot then saw my favorite dance company in the entire world, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, perform at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. They are so amazing. If I hadn’t been injured so often in high school and college I think I probably could’ve danced for them. The next day we wandered downtown and went shopping. =D

March

• 3/10 – The week before my last day at Coffee Girl we had a going away party at Fort George. I was amazed how many people showed up! A few people even just came in to say hi, which I thought was amazing. I met a lot of really great people working at Coffee Girl and it was a really nice send off.
• 3/15 – After nearly two years, I worked my last shift at my favorite coffee shop. I made it through the entire day without crying, but then, as soon as I was done cleaning and getting ready to lock up for the last time, I burst into tears. I will always love my beloved Coffee Girls.
• 3/19-21 – The Explorer and I went to Montana for the weekend. We skied at Lost Trail, right on the Montana-Idaho border. It was my first bluebird day and I had a blast skiing with D, his brother Mike, and his best friend Nick.
• 3/26-28 – As a surprise for one of D’s close friends, we hiked out to Shi Shi Beach on the Olympic Peninsula for her birthday. It was awesome! I mean, it rained the ENTIRE time, but we had a blast. It was great to meet someone his close friends and it was my first backpacking trip (I finally got to use the amazing Gregory pack that D picked up for $50 [orig. price $300] for my birthday).
• 3/30 – I moved to Seattle. (I can’t believe it’s been 9 months already!)  That night I had dinner with my best friend from high school and her adorable daughter Piper.

April

• 4/9-11 – Made a weekend trip back to Missoula to see Yonder Mountain String Band in concert at The Wilma. I love Missoula and I love Yonder.
• 4/19 – I finally found a job at a coffee shop, just up the street from where my Grandma grew up.
• 4/23-26 – Came home for my last weekend of skiing for the season. It was beautiful both days. Glad I got two days in a row in!

May

• 5/9 – As a surprise for my Mama, I drove home for Mother’s Day. Showed up at the house with drinks from Coffee Girl and the Sunday paper before we all left for church.
• 5/22-23 – The Explorer came up to Seattle for the weekend. We got together with some girls from high school and hung out at the Museum of Flight.  We added new breweries to our list (Elliott Bay Brewing, Pyramid Brewing, Elysian Brewing, Black Raven Brewing, and Big Time Brewery [5 new for D, 4 for me]) and ate amazing food.
• 5/24 – As part of training for my new job, I had a day of training at Caffe Vita. Man, I miss working at a shop that really, truly cares about the quality of coffee they produce. One day I’ll hardcore work coffee again.
• 5/30 – D and I went to Cougar Hot Springs for the day. I’d never been to one before and I loved it!

June

• 6/3 – My parents took the day off and came up for a Mariner’s game. I love my parents and I love baseball. We lost, of course, but it was definitely fun.
• 6/11 – Sue Ann, my ’91 Subaru, started over heating and I got stranded about 8 miles from the house. I got her towed back and a few days later got her radiator replaced (and had them replace my front right ball-joint, which was on the verge of killing me). I love her to pieces, but man she causes me a lot of problems.
• 6/13 – I hate the internet 90% of the time, but when I can snag FREE photos from Zack Arias all because of a twitter update a food blogger I follow posted, then I love it.
• 6/24-27 – Birthday Weekend! Started off with a mini-party at the Hotel Elliott in the Presidential Suite. I won a free night stay there last summer and they let us upgrade to the nicest room in the place (regular price, $850!!!) for only $100(!!). Then we went camping at Mt. Adams. I got sunburnt, again.
• 6/28 – Christa flew to Seattle on a whim! Anna, Lynne, Molly, Christa, and I hung out for the day. I know all of them from my favorite place on the internet and it was the first time I met Christa and Molly.

July

• 7/2-6 – D and I went down to Eugene for the 4th of July. We had a nice little family get together with his Mom, brother Kevin and his wife, and brother Mike and his wife and three kids. I hadn’t been around all three boys before and it was really nice. Plus, it was gorgeous ALL weekend and we got three new breweries in (Ninkasi, Oakshire, and Hop Valley)!
• 7/25 – Got hired at a chocolate shop in Pike Place Market. I was so very happy to quit my last job!
• Rehearsals started for the show and I officially joined New Vision Dance Co.. It felt so good to be dancing again!

August

• 8/1 – We went into Portland today and took Jason flying for the first time. We took Teewinot along with us and flew around Mt. Hood. I took video of it, posted it on youtube, and Meadows posted it on their website!
• 8/17 – The Explorer goes underground. =(
• 8/27 – He came out of the cave early! I’m so glad it was just a short trip this year. Last year he was underground for 27 days.
• 8/28 – Becky, one of my best friends from high school, called and asked if I needed a place to live. I of course jumped at the opportunity to live with someone I’ve known for 9 years and who is like a sister to me. Plus, Capitol Hill? Definitely exactly where I wanted to live.

September

• 9/5-8 – We flew me to Missoula to spend the weekend! I love Missoula and had a blast hanging out at the Hippy Hop House. I’m glad I’m beginning to feel like part of the group and not just D’s girlfriend. We drove back on Sunday and I actually made it from Missoula to Ellensburg before I needed D to take over.
• 9/12 – Company photos! One of the studio moms offered up her photographic services for free, so we spent the afternoon trekking around the Olympic Sculpture Park.
• 9/18 – Mary Murphy was in town for Burn the Floor and stopped by our rehearsal!
• 9/25 – D came up to Seattle today before flying to California for a week for work.
• I was invited to become a Wordy Girl!

October

• 10/8-9 – New Vision Dance Co.’s first performance in Seattle! It went great!
• 10/26 – I was given a couple ballet classes at the studio to teach! I didn’t continue with the littlest ones, they just weren’t a good match for me, but I am still teaching my eleven year olds. There’s four of them and they’re adorable and I’m glad I’m finally learning how to teach.
• 10/30 – D, my parents, and I went out to dinner tonight at The High Wheeler (which was delicious and amazing, but sadly has closed). I’m so happy we all get along.
• The mountains started getting dumped on and man, I was itching to get out on the slopes again. I learned out to ski in the beginning of November last year and was hoping to get out even earlier this year.

November

• 11/1 – I moved into my new apartment! It’s amazing being in the city again. I love the energy.
• 11/7 – A girl from my dance company asked me to be in a piece for Live to the Drum 2.
• 11/20 – Teewinot suddenly became an old dog. Originally we thought he’d make it to Thanksgiving, but after taking a turn for the worst, I drove home the weekend before. We loved on him and took him to the beach for one last time. I really, really, really didn’t want to leave because I knew it’d be the last time I saw him.
• 11/22 – SNOmg hit Seattle, so they closed down Denny hill. After watching people sledding for a bit, Becky and I bundled up and joined them. We got up the nerve and borrowed someones sled. It was so much fun!
• 11/24 – Rest in peace, sweet dear wonderful Teewinot. That night, B came to town. I’ve now met two of the four other Wordy Girls! Just Kat and Cate left now.
• 11/25-28 – I came home for Thanksgiving and on the 27th D, Nick, Jason, and I went skiing down at Willamette Pass. Awesome powder! Great first day of the season!
• Living with Becky has been awesome! I love living with someone I’ve known for nearly a decade. She’s like my sister and we haven’t had any weird “new roommate” issues.

December

• 12/3 – Live to the Drum 2 performance!
• 12/4 – Changed jobs – started working for the Pike Place shops parent company.
• 12/10 – D, Chadler, Megan, Jason, and I went to CAKE at Crystal Ballroom in Portland tonight. I hadn’t seen them before and they were amazing! I love shows at the Ballroom.
• 12/18 – The radiology department had a Christmas party, so I came home to get dolled up and go out with my sexy baby.
• 12/23-26 – I drove home for Christmas, then The Explorer and I went down to his Mom’s house. We had an amazing day skiing on Christmas – I linked turns all the way down a black diamond!
• 12/28 – We had a belated Christmas celebration with my parents. My Mama made my favorite cranberry-raspberry pie, we watched White Christmas, and exchanged presents.
• 12/31-1/2 – We were planning on going to Montana to ski, but Mt. Hood is getting DUMPED on right now, so I think we’re convincing Nick to come here and we’ll ski in the new year!

It’s been a pretty amazing year.  Despite Teewinot dying and D’s Mom getting sick, it’s probably been the best year of my life.  Sometimes I feel like I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop – I’ve been so blessed and have such amazing people in my life, I wonder when something really bad is going to happen to derail it.

2008 was a huge, massive year of growth.  At times it felt like hell and I really wasn’t sure I’d see the end of it.
In 2009 I found myself again.  I fell in love and I learned to be happy.
Last year I had hoped 2010 would be even half as amazing as 2009.  It’s been so much more than that.  A hundred gazillion times more amazing.
I’m not expecting 2011 to top this year (though since we’ve started talking about sparkly third finger rings, I suspect in some ways it’ll definitely be the best year ever), but as long as I can remember how to keep my head sane and continue to stay as happy as I am now, I know it’ll be pretty amazing.