If it weren't for this blog I wouldn't know where to begin

I want to apologize that my first post of the new year was a tribute to a spaghetti-eating cat. I don't know what I was thinking. Actually. That's a lie. I do know what I was thinking. I was thinking I would blog later that day about all of the things that I wished I was doing for New Year's Eve (there was lots of wishing). Then I laid on the couch, smooched my husband and played Wii for four days instead. Now that I am done vacationing and back at work, I have lots to blog about. New Year, old year, vacation, Rock Band, movies and the usual, how much I love my husband. I have spent the morning doing actual work and catching up on blogs I heart (see right hand column, man do I love Cup of Joe’s engagement pictures!) and decided I should probably blog myself. As you may know, Monday is usually Monday Movie Review and although I have LOTS to review, it’s already 5 (FIVE!) days into the New Year, so I decided I should first recap the old. I’m sure you’ve been reading every else’s top and top-less lists of 2008 and just in case you didn’t (and even if you did!) read my blog last year. This is how it went:

I started a blog

I bought every wedding magazine I could get my hands on

I traveled for work (in my car)

I swore by Windsor Pilate's

I subscribed to Showtime to watch The Tudors

I had my grandparent’s wedding photo restored

I helped Jewish kids with a production of The Wizard of Oz

I got a new computer

I stressed about wedding planning

I turned 28

I learned to cook edible food

I took pictures of my husband when he had a nervous breakdown over clean socks

I celebrated Easter at the Hustler store

I bowled with my grandpa on his 90th birthday in Florida

I broke down and got a joint cell phone plan (and an awesome phone!)

I taught myself to do some graphic design for wedding stuff

I started using Bare Escentuals

I saw Rascal Flatts live in concert

I improved my text messaging skills

My car turned 3 years old and 65,000 miles

I began reading lots of other blogs

I canceled Showtime

I went to a fancy wedding in San Francisco

I had my tattoo removed (kinda)

I learned to dance the rumba with my fiancé

I lost 15 lbs for my wedding

I went to a boring conference for work in Cincinnati

I learned how to apply eyeliner

I kicked our roommate out of our house

**I GOT MARRIED**

I danced with my dad to this song

I honeymooned in Mexico for eleven days (ate TONS of pico de gallo and salsa!)

I received a Wii Fit

My cat turned 7 years old and still has AIDS

I sold my wedding dress, filthy dirty. Wedding Dress valued at $5,000, purchased for $500 and sold for $1,200. Net profit = $700. Yea, I'm thifty.

I looked at my wedding photos… a lot.

I switched to skim

I visited my in-laws in rural Kentucky

I threw a surprise party for my husband’s 30th birthday

I read The Glass Castle

I gave a speech to an auditorium full of new medical students and parents

I submitted an abstract to a National Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico

I donated money to a political campaign

I got my first copy of Working Mother Magazine in the mail (WHY!)

I guest posted on The Collective (one of my favorite posts!)

I subscribed to Sirius Radio

I loved Big Bang Theory even more than I did last season

I wrote a bazillion Thank You notes

I had all of my money and most of my credit card numbers stolen

I raked leaves

My brother graduated from college

I told off my best friend’s boyfriend. Big Time.

I incurred more credit card debt than any other period in my life

I cooked dinner for my grandparents

I slept alone

I was a pumpkin and my husband was incredible

I stood in line for 2.5 hours to vote for a winning president

I was thankful

I cooked my first Thanksgiving Dinner

I opened the Wii Fit and attempted to get my fitness on

I thought about getting bangs but never did

I kept all of my Christmas stuff packed away, even the CDs

I wrote a puppet show about Chanukah for my Hebrew students to perform

I started wearing contacts part-time because I am going blurry

My abstract was accepted!

I submit a 3,500 word essay to Glamour Magazine

I went to Denver for a week and (almost) snow shoed

I made latkes for the first time and they.were.awesome.

I ate TWO candied apples

I won THIS game hands down and now wish I owned it

I couldn’t bring myself to buy a Coach purse with my Christmas money

I wished I was invited to a really swanky New Year’s Eve party

I sat on the couch and rang in the New Year with my husband and Dick Clark instead

I gained back the 15 lbs I lost for the wedding

I bought a bunch of GRE study materials

I was nominated for THIS contest

and...I did all of this without wrecking my car

OMG. Whew! The End.

This year brought memories that I will replay in my mind for the rest of my life. My wedding and grandpa’s 90th birthday were moments I will never ever forget. I started creative writing, reflecting on my life, cherishing my friends, and loving on my husband more. If 2009 brings half of the excitement that 2008 did, well then, I’m in for a treat (and so are you!).