Hello 2009 questionnaire

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Used my passport!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I think I curse less. I certainly didn't go to the gym at least once a week but it probably evened out to at least that, because I trained and finished another mini-marathon
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, my friend Tracy and sister Katie both had beautiful little girls
4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes, my beautiful and wonderful grandmother, Diana Stratton. I am glad that I got to tell her that we would name a little girl after her before she died. My life will never be the same after her passing.
5. What countries did you visit? Australia and London, UK
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? I wish I had visited Portugal with Mike... I would also like much more satisfaction with myself in total than 2008
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 11, 2008... our wedding anniversary and the babydog's birthday!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Held my tongue WAY MORE than I thought possible
9. What was your biggest failure? Being a bad big sib to my mentee Gracie... I just have way too much to do
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nope
11. What was the best thing you bought? Air conditioner, August 2008... Dog, November 2008
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? As always, my mom and dad
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Family not named to protect the not-so-innocent
14. Where did most of your money go? Various costs to be a grownup
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Many random roadtrips
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Beyonce - Single Girls ...If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it.. My sister sang this to make my niece laugh and it cracked me up
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? oy, fatter fo sho
c) richer or poorer? richer, very very slightly
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? working out
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? worrying about the election
20. How did you spend Christmas? With my husband's family
21. Did you fall in love in 2008? yes, with my baby dog, Milly. I LOVE THAT DOG.
22. What was your favorite TV program? How I Met Your Mother
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Yup. Can't say who
24. What was the best book you read? Twilight books
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Straight No Chaser and Chipmunks Christmas CDs
26. What did you want and get? Chef's knife and new vacuum
27. What did you want and not get? new carpet
28. What was your favorite film of this year? Zach and Miri make a Porno (HILARIOUS) and Twilight
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 29... and spent the day writhing in pain with sore tooth (later needed a root canal) in so much pain I cried myself to sleep and couldn't think straight.. Excellent birthday!!! At least I can say I had Chipotle for dinner that night. I love that place.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Dog not crapping on the bathroom floor
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Expensive Jeans and Cheap Tops
32. What kept you sane? Hubs
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Hmmm, Justin Timberlake, again
34. What political issue stirred you the most? The election
35. Who did you miss? My grandmother. I can't believe she's gone. I miss her so much.
36. Who was the best new person you met? My niece, Gracie. She is the best little booboohead I have ever met!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. To shut up and mock from afar.... I need to refine this even more in 2009, as I still don't shut up as much as I should!
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Baseball season's underway
Better get ready for a brand new day...
Hey Chicago what do you say?
Cubs are gonna win today...

They're saying, "Go Cubs go, go Cubs go,
hey Chicago what do you say
Cubs are gonna win today"

Well, until at least the Cubs doo-dood the bed and got swept in the playoffs!!

Baby Gracie

DSC_0304.JPG, originally uploaded by agstratt.

Mike and I babysat for Baby Gracie yesterday. She was a doll, we had a great time. Check out her new little hairbow... and her eyes are so blue! The only downside was that I thought my arm was going to fall off after holding her/standing and rocking her to sleep.... I have a new respect for my sister's arm strength!

I love this dog!

DSC_0237.JPG, originally uploaded by agstratt.

We have found that Dog only howls when there is Great Unfairness in the world: largely, when you are eating some kind of cheesy salty meat and she is not. Pequod's pizza and McDonald's breakfast samiches have elicited The Howl this week, which cracks us up. We don't feed her much (if any) people food, so I'm thinking the breeder probably let the puppies lick their plates clean or something. Her nose just starts sniffing and sticks straight up in the air and pretty soon... ARRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

The Math

Sunday roundup

Dog is equal parts awesome and frustrating. On the awesome list: this look, her obsession with bacon, and her exuberance for playing fetch with a pink tennis ball. On the frustrating list: peeing on the floor right after a walk (YOU. JUST. WENT.), whining, and silent-but-deadly gas.

My friend Tracy and her husband Tojy had a baby this morning, Soraya Ruth. She is VERY cute and VERY tiny. I had a no-good very bad day yesterday and today is shaping up to be MUCH better. I broke my iphone, and today Apple replaced it for free! score! I also got pulled over for semi-kind-of running a red light (it was yellow! totally yellow!) and luckily the police officer had much better things to do and didn't give me a ticket. And, oh yeah, it took me 3 hours to go to Target and Jo-Ann fabrics. I am not going back to the fabric store until the holiday season is waaaaaay over, I almost went insane in there. JOANN FABRICS is a soul-suck. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Hello from the Knowles Household

We got our babydog, Milly, and she is the best puppy ever!

• She has seriously awesome ears.
• She has the saddest face ever when we put her in her area and close the babygate, or when it's night-night time and she has to go in the crate. So cute!
• Everyone at the vet's office loved her! She didn't even whimper when she got a vaccination on Tuesday
• There have been a few accidents, but not many. Many less than I expected for a brand-new puppy
• She loves hanging on the couch and playing with toys or just chilling out and watching TV. She has a mad love for the couch, just like I do.