Monday, February 1, 2010

2010: Year In Review

Because It's Never Too Soon To Look Back

I learned my lesson last year, boy, and I am
never letting the holidays sneak up on me again.

It seemed like I had
just packed away the last of the Arbor Day acorn launchers and flying-squirrel suits when - BAM! - there was Mr. Turkey knocking on my door. (A deeply disturbing incident, by the way, and by far my least favorite memory of Thanksgiving.)

Nope, th
is year I am getting the jump on the holiday season. When it's time to review the year's triumphs and tragedies...its challenges and lessons learned...man, I'll be ready. So here goes:


The First 31 Days Of 2010: A Retrospective


The Good Times
  • Sweet parking all four times I went to the grocery store last Tuesday.
  • That weird purple spot on my toenail finally grew all the way out. (Not the pinkie toe, the one next to it. What's that toe called, anyway? The ring toe? Pinkie-adjacent? Mr. Stubbs?)
  • My favorite t-shirt - the one with Abe Vigoda wearing a Napoleon hat - finally turned up. How it got crammed into the bottom of that golf bag in the garage is anybody's guess.
  • My bangs pointed the right way an average of 34% of 2010. (A significant improvement over last year's 26%!)

The Bad Times
  • I ordered a book on Amazon.com and, although I paid extra for overnight delivery, the book did NOT, in fact, arrive until two days later. (Thanks to everyone for their support during this trying time.)
  • The houseplant death toll continued to climb as we said farewell to Jerry "The Predicament" Ficus III. It seemed we'd just brought him home from Albertson's when his leaves began to turn brown and curl, leading us to scratch our heads and wonder yet again what it is that we're supposed to be giving these plants to keep them alive...?
  • On January 17, an unexpected cloudburst resulted in almost 1/16 of an inch of rain, throwing the LA Metropolitan area into chaos and resulting in the Southland domestic threat level being elevated from sea foam green to a warm saffron.
  • The Curried Bratwurst Incident - 5:57 p.m. Friday, January 22 through 9:18 p.m. Saturday, January 23.

Cheers! Here's hoping 2010 treated you right!


This Just In!

I am honored and excited to announce that BlogHer has invited me to speak at BlogHer '10 - their annual conference - this summer in New York City!

I'll be part of the Humor-Writing panel on the conference's Writing Lab Track and will be talking about the craft of writing things that (please, God) make people laugh.

I'm happy to say that the very funny Jessica Bern of BernThis.com will be joining me on the panel. I don't yet know who the other two panelists will be, but when I do, I'll plug them. (That didn't come out right at all.)

I had a blast in Chicago last year as a BlogHer Room of Your Own speaker and I'm thrilled to be going to the 2010 conference. If you're wondering whether to make the trek to meet fellow bloggers in real life, I can tell you it's worth it. It was amazing last year to spend time with so many people I admire whose writing makes me laugh (and cry) again and again.

Want to know more? Click here...


Hope to see you there and thank you, BlogHer!


31 comments:

Maura said...

Two words that should not go together: Curry and Bratwurst.

I believe that, as a species, ficus plants have a death wish. And they are not satisfied with just killing themselves. Oh no, they want to make sure you you jump through every possible hoop to keep them alive and agonize over every dropped leaf so you can then feel like a wretched failure, unable to even care for a helpless plant.

But I'm not bitter about them or anything.

Suzy said...

How to keep a ficus alive: Don't buy one.

I already congratulated you on your BlogHer coup on Twitter but wanted to do it in your blog as well because I'm codependent and a sycophant.

Sherrie Petersen said...

I'm a serial plant killer.

And I have to say, that unexpected cloudburst really messed with people's hair. In L.A., bad hair = angry drivers = dangerous roads.

Lisa Page Rosenberg said...

I like "ring toe." It sounds Hobbit-y.

Mouthy Housewife said...

Anna, I really don't think you saw the right "Napoleon Dynamite" movie.

Wendi

Ann Imig said...

Can't wait to see you at BlogHer!

xo,
Pinky Adjacent

Kevin McKeever said...

Plastic plants never die. Or degrade in landfills. It's kind of a win-lose for the Earth.

see you at BlogHer.

Florinda said...

Congrats on being invited to be part of a BlogHer panel! I'm excited about the Writing Lab track this year, and hope to make it to several of those sessions - yours will be high priority, for sure! (So yes, I'm going again this year :-D.)

I'm also trying to get a Room of Your Own session for book bloggers again this year - wish me luck (and votes)!

Chantel said...

After the 6th ficus death in our home, my brilliant mother-in-law suggested I get a litter box. Who knew?

Damn cat.

Hey, congrats on the BH!(thank goodness it's not a BlogJournal thing...)

Susan Blake said...

Hi Anna! Gosh I hate to tell you this but my ficus, Toby, has been around now four years. I think its the Riesling.

Wanderlust said...

Congrats on BlogHer. I'm planning on making the trip. I'll say hello. Even if you are a plant killer.

When Pigs Fly said...

Great post. I love the increased threat level line. Would love to come to a women's blog conference. I may have to look into it.

Unknown said...

I always wonder about Abe Vigoda.
A lot of people do.
I wonder if he knows that?
Congrats on BlogHer!
And being on a panel with Jessica! Wow! How could that not be a barrel of monkeys?

Peace ~ Rene

Anna Whiston-Donaldson said...

Looks like 2010 was an interesting month, I mean year.

Looking forward to seeing you at BlogHer!

bernthis said...

brilliant idea but I would like to add the part about how CA ran out of money and all the parents had to home school their kids which lead to a big group of them being admitted to mental institutions

Heather said...

I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that "Abe Vigoda in Napoleon Hat on Cotton" has been safely returned to you. I'm pretty sure sleep would have been lost if it had not been.

Thanks for making me chuckle.

Good luck at the conference!

Stopping be from SITS.

UberGrumpy said...

That toe is the 'piggy that ate roast beef'.

Don't you Americans know anything?

Brutalism said...

Awesome! And by that I mean the weird purple spot growing out. Although the BlogHer thing is okay, too.

This will be my first year at BlogHer and I'm hoping to attend that session...I heard great things about last year's.

Congrats!

Anti-Supermom said...

You were awesome at BlogHer last year - it was so cool to be in a (packed, so not *literally* cool) room with you and all those other fabulous bloggers. I'm sure you will rock the house come August...

and certainly adding it to your 'good times in 2010'.

Prinny said...

Hilarious. So sorry to hear of your bratwurst predicament. I'm sure there's a support group for that.

Boss Of Everything x

http://faheyyounger.com/blog

Jack Steiner said...

Any blogger who includes a picture of Abe Vigoda needs extra recognition of their work.

Blasé said...

Just googled you and saw your "Show" sketch with Aaron??

You funny lil' girl, you!

Do you know Ellen? I wish you didn't live so far away...I'd be there for you with some quarters.

Richard said...

Well done for being strong during the Horrific Amazon Incident. I don't think I'd have coped nearly so well as you!

Coffee with Cathy said...

What a great idea -- your 2010 sounds ... uh, interesting? ... so far. Can't wait for the next 11 recaps!

Anonymous said...

You and Jessica Bern! OMG (the second time I've used this phrase, which I rarely use, today, weird)! That is so freaking (the first time I've used this everrrrr, okay, not really) cool.

So where can I get a shirt like that?

Lo said...

Just found your blog and, if you'll excuse the expression, I love it.
I'll be back....that's a promise not a threat.
Love, Lo

The Retired One said...

Congrats on the speaker engagement, that is fantastic!
And your list of wins an losses?
I'm at a loss of words because of their profoundness.
:-}

mommy4life said...

Congratulations on your panel assignment for BlogHer! You are definitely funny! I am sure the houseplants had it coming....

HermanTurnip said...

I think people are missing the bigger item here. Congrats on finding your shirt!

BTW: Hope you caught the Betty White/Abe Vigoda Snickers commercial during the superbowl!

terribleanalogies.com

Kate Coveny Hood said...

The t shirt at the bottom of the golf bag was my favorite. I already told Jessica that I'd be in the front row of your panel at BlogHer (once a teachers pet, always a teachers pet...just kidding - more like, once refused to wear glasses to see the board...)

Lynn said...

Love your year in review. What a great idea to beat the rush.