The Year in Review

Dear 2010,

You were a year I can't easily describe. There were very high points, a lot of new things experienced, and some less-than-desirable moments. You ended on a positive note, filled with goals and ideas in the midst of self-discovery.

The blog of one new thing a day started out with the best intentions and in full vigor. About mid-year, it became hard to upkeep and became a week in review recap. Then the last two or so months of the year were all but forgotten. Not that new things were not happening, they just were not being recorded. So lesson learned - blogging every day is, for me, too hard.

I really enjoyed doing it. The best part is having a record of all the new things I experienced this year. So 2010, you were the Year of the New for me. Not bad. Small and big things combined to make it a pretty exciting year. Although you ended slowly, you still ended happily, in good health, with laughter.

With much gratitude,
Aidan


So onward to 2011. It's exciting sitting at the edge of a brand spanking-new year and wondering what it may hold, for better or worse. Better, hopefully. With a lot of hard work, the support of great people around you, a positive attitude and a bit of luck, I have a feeling that this year will be fulfilling and successful for you. Cheers to you and the ones you love - best wishes for 2011.

Here's to a bright New Year and a fond farewell to the old,
Here's to all things yet to come and the memories we hold!
~ Holiday toast

Last of the Year, Days 356-365

~ Similar to last year (and part of the inspiration for this blog), Mr. Sound and I made lasagna from scratch for Christmas. Not the noodles, but everything else. The big difference was we made a bechamel sauce. Yum!

~ Spent two days straight indoors in pajamas (though I did shower somewhere in there, I promise)

~ Started a vision board - really a vision wall, since I have this blank wall right in front of my desk. Trying to figure out what my inspiration is every day.

~ Rang in 2011 on a San Francisco rooftop in the rain.

Um... ---> Week in Review, Day 317-324

~ Visited a new Bikram yoga studio. Well, new to me. Friendly people, great class.

(I am posting this about a month after the actual week, so although I'm sure more new exciting things happened, I forget now)

Week in Review, 310-316

~ Joined a group business coaching

~ Stopped for coffee off the 80 at one of hundreds of convenience shops. Got a cup of coffee, like I have hundreds of times before. Poured creamer from a machine, as is par. But this machine Mooooed like a cow when you were done pouring! I want one for my house.

Warrior Dash -----------> Week in Review, Day 303-309

~ Competed in the Warrior Dash in Hollister, CA. My favorite part of the obstacle course? Hands down, jumping through fire! There also was a slip-n-slide, mud pit, rope climb, and running over/through old cars. We're still cleaning mud out of our clothes.

~ Walked barefoot for about a mile to get the car. The mud had claimed my sneakers and I had no other footwear. Duh.

~ Spent October 30 night in Hollister, CA. First of all, Hollister is not on the beach, nor nowhere near the beach. Secondly, people really take Halloween seriously, at least at this one bar we were at. We were costume-less, and it was very obvious. Another observation - they do not go as crazy about "Dead of Alive" by Bon Jovi during karaoke as they do in San Francisco.

~ Spent a night at Casa de Fruta in Hollister. A farm with a kid's area, market, restaurant, etc. Saw a couple of peacocks, and watched my friend Diana get followed by a llama.

Light the Night, spiders and streams ------> Week in Review, Day 296-302

~ participated in Light the Night, a walk to raise awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I volunteered for the event last year. This year, I walked, and even had a small speaking part in the ceremony!

~ spent over an hour in a lighting store, enjoying the conversation with the passionate proprietor. (Yes, I did buy something - photos another time)

~ killed five spiders in one day. All different shapes and kinds. Where the hell did we move to? (Disclaimer: 4 of the 5 were outside, hanging on the house. And yes, I do feel bad to an extent)

~ discovered how potent lemon oil is in killing spiders (again, my apologies to the spiders. But you're creepy.)

~ ate a new spin on my favorite Halloween treat - a Happy Apple with colored sprinkles (a Happy Apple is a caramel apple - you must try one!)

~ delivered work to four different client in one day. Huzah!

~ after the fourth hour of a rain storm, discovered we have a stream next to our house! It was dry the next day.

Hmmm --> Week in Review, Day 289-295

Thinking about this two weeks later, and... no. Nope, can't remember anything. Oh, wait... nooo, nope, sorry. I usually cannot remember what I had for breakfast, so this is not surprising.

Not quite sure how it all happened ------> Week in Review, Day 282-288

~ rode my bike to an appointment, through the streets of San Francisco. At one point around Fisherman's Wharf, I was stuck between a duck boat and the F-line above-ground train. Eek!

~ put Nevada license plates on my car. It's official.

~ sold my old car, a 1996 Honda Civic. It was the very first car I bought out of college, one that has taken me across the country, one that has taken such good care of me. It's funny to have such strong feeling for an inanimate object. Yes, I did cry a little bit, out of emotion for all the good memories and the mourning for the end of an era.


~ used Skype for a long business phone call

~ witnessed the beginning of Fleet Week


~ witnessed two cows humping (at a very different time and place than the witnessing in the photo above)

~ hiked part of the Mount Rose Summit trail



~ watched a hang glider take off from the side of a steep cliff. It involved about three long strides down the cliff, then jumping with his hopes into the wind. The courage and the faith was breathtaking.




~ ate a Qdoba, a chain similar to my favorite Chipotle. Unlike Chipotle, they have delicious nachos with meat. Yum.

~ took a business call in the car. Yes, while driving. I usually cannot do two things at once.

~ realized how important it was to solicit feedback about your business. You need objective third parties to tell you the good and the bad, so you can get even better.

Hardly Strictly Average --> Week in Review, Day 274-281

~ met with a team of creatives and started to plan ways we can conquer the world (or at least, the business world of SF) Inspiring and motivating.

~ met the two new babies of two friends, a 5-month-old boy and six-month-old girl. They are both so adorable and good-natured - we hope they grow up and marry each other!

~ Checked out the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival. Watched all of Bonnie Prince Billy and checked out pieces of Buddy Miller, Richard Thompson, and Jackie Green.

~ bought a vintage lamp at the Alameda Antique Fair. From the 1950's. It's all bubble-wrapped up so will have to photograph it another time.

~ tried African food - pan-fried talapia in coconut sauce with rice and plantains. Yum-o.

~ tried goat meat, in a gorgeous Mexican-style sauce. Really tender, pretty delicious.

~ had a conversation about James Bond through the years with another girl! So fun. (we voted Daniel Craig as the man, the reasons probably being very obvious)

Settling In ---> Week in Review, Day 267-273

~ drove about 450 miles in two days

~ unpacked boxes for three straight days

~ spent four hours at the DMV. My new Subaru Forrester and I are now officially Nevada residents! It's a bit sad to not be a California girl any more.

~ finally purchased a real bedroom furniture set, the wedding gift from my mom (yes, that was a few years ago)

~ purchased a coffee maker with a timer. It's the simple things in life that make me happy.

A house! --> Week in Review, Day 260-266

~ rode the 1 California bus

~ started the day with a boxing lesson

~ chose action before thinking, and actually got something done

~ bought my first pair of vintage earrings. From the 80's, I think? Typical me...


That's right - blue rhinestones

~ closed on our first house!!!!!!!

~ got surprised by the moving company. Originally scheduled for about two weeks from now, they called and said, "how about tomorrow?"

~ watched movers pack up all the stuff we've accumulated over eight years in one place

SF-Packed + Celebrity Sighting ---> Week in Review, Day 253-259

~ missed a client meeting because I completely forgot about it. Never happened before.

~ set up Quickbooks for the business

~ had an amazing veggie sandwich at Mission Creek Cafe

~ took the 33 Stanyan bus

~ celebrated a friend who is now a full-on American citizen!

~ took a tour of an amazing San Francisco home with the architect

~ had coffee with celebrities. Well, I was in the same coffee shop where they happened to be hanging out. Robin Williams and Craig Ferguson.

~ name-dropped on my blog

~ went to Cafe Royale and enjoyed some gypsy music accompanied by belly dancers

~ and I even knew one of the belly dancers!

~ went to the Page Bar, on Page at Divisadero

~ went to a picnic in Golden Gate Park

~ drank a cold beer in a hot shower. At 9 AM on Monday. That seems like the start to a banner week.

Books & BBQ --------> Week in Review, Day 245-252

~ visited Christopher's Bookstore in Potrero Hill

~ picked up a book of Bukowski poetry and Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson

~ bought some furniture for our first house! Our first washer and dryer, a couch set, some patio furniture.

~ attended the Reno BBQ Festival and tried four different kinds of ribs

~ heard Asia perform live

~ tried fried pickles - yum

~ am now the proud owner of a Subaru!

Food and more food --> Week in Review, Day 238-244

~ ate at Goat Hill Pizza, after years of hearing great reviews

~ went Off the Grid, the meeting of the mobile food vendors in SF. Such good food, some long lines. Check it out.

~ ate takoyaki, Japanese street food. Octopus balls. No, not those kind of balls. Just round cakes.

~ arrived (very late) at the Chili Bowl Cook Off and Skateboard Contest at Potrero Del Sol Park

~ bought a couple of piano books to step up my lessons

~ decided to take off a month from piano lessons, just to try something new

Yosemite --> Week in Review, Day 231-237

Mr. Sound and I joined our friends John and Diana for a weekend in Yosemite. It was a two-night backpacking trip with the goal of climbing Half Dome. We succeeded. It was a phenomenal experience.

It was my first time backpack camping, and my first time hiking in Yosemite. Actually, lots of firsts:

* saw a rattlesnake in the wild
* saw a bear in the wild
* pitched a tent in the dark
* hiked in the dark
* deposited "waste" in a hole in the ground
* used a bear canister
* learned how to scare a bear away
* used trekking poles
* ate dehydrated food
* hiked about 18 miles
* thought for a split second that I may die
* saw three waterfalls in one day
* jumped into a cold mountain lake

Tyler Florence and a house (not together) -> Week in Review, Day 224-230

~ joined the planning committee for the Leukemia & Lymphona Society's Light the Night event

~ stalled in my car. My reliable 1996 Honda that has barely given me a problem in its 14 years of service.

~ got an oil change at Oil Can Henry's but still have annoying "check engine" light staring at me.

~ flew to Reno. It was 25 minutes.

~ had dinner with Tyler Florence. OK, really, we had dinner in his new restaurant, Wayfare Tavern, and our table happened to be near the kitchen. So it was almost like eating with him the whole night.

~ talked to Tyler Florence. OK, really, he said goodbye to us as we were leaving.

~ went house shopping with a real estate agent. Exciting!

~ put a bid on a house - and got accepted!!!!!!!

Food and meetings -----> Week in Review, Day 217-223

~ ordered coffee with my sandwich at lunch. Immediately turned 85 years old.

~ took a two-hour lunch, just to read The Pillars of the Earth. You must read it.

~ cancelled events off my calendar, and resolved to stop saying yes to everyone.

~ became a mentor in my networking group.

~ had a 3 1/2 hour meeting and loved every minute of it.

~ stopped into the Fruit Bowl, a cute grocery stand on Waterloo Road outside of Stockton. The fruit was straight off the trees. Best. Nectarine. Ever. Also tried dried vegetables - tasty.

~ played a song on piano by sight. I'm learning to read music - very slowly.

*Sigh* ----> Week in Review, Day 209-215

~ tweeted about the speech while attending a online seminar. Hey, I didn't say my new things were progressive - just new to me. I'm a good listener and don't multitask, so this was big!

~ bought a fiction book on recommendation alone, no idea what the story was about. So far, so good. (The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett)

~ survived our first hellish client.

~ felt left out for not having a baby.

~ splashed water at my friend's dog for 15 minutes, on the dog's request as she tried biting the water.

~ indulged in food and drink over the weekend, and paid for it in yoga on Monday. REALLY bad class.

Spin, speeches and breaking bread -----> Week in Review, Day 202-208

~ went to spin class two days in a row. Ouch.

~ did my first 10-minute presentation at my networking group. I practiced it out loud about 20 times. It went really well (I think).

~ hung out with singing/piano teacher. Been wanting to do that for a long time. We had bread and cheese in her new awesome apartment.

Health and music -------> Week in Review, Day 195-201

~ had a facial. It's true - I have never had one before. I am now a believer - my skin looked so, so much better than it normally does. And it included a foot massage as well as an arm and hand massage. Heavenly. This will be a nice gift to myself every once in a while, a good prize for reaching a goal.

~ tried a skin cleanser juice from the local organic food place. A mix of watermelon, apple and other juices. Not sure how much it did for my skin, but it was delicious.

~ traded coffee for tea. Yes, I got myself off coffee, just to see how it feels to be caffeine-free. It feels great. I really don't even miss the coffee, and that's coming from someone who REALLY loved coffee. Been drinking a ton of herbal tea, which my favorite being the spicy ones. Yum. I have gotten off coffee before and always find my way back, but it was nice to really listen to my body this time and notice the difference.

~ went to the symphony. They were showing the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock thriller "Psycho," accompanied by the orchestra's strings. To watch all the violins move sharply together during the famous shower scene was amazing. Symphony Hall in downtown SF is gorgeous - round building with all glass windows. It even has a balcony with a prime view of City Hall.


~ went to the Indie Mart street festival, where a bunch of independent designers, artists and other D.I.Y.ers were showcasing their wares. Very talented people. This party also included my very first visit to Thee Parkside, "San Francisco's premier dive venue." Great art and great music? Too much good stuff. So I couldn't resist:

Awesome necklace from Rene Kwong at Bliss Jewelry.

Chappo put on an amazing stage show with their feathers, euphoric drumming, passionate front man, and storytelling. Check them out right now.