Roemer’s Neighborhood

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Taught at Mass College of Art and at Boston University, published a cookbook for our family and friends (through blurb.com), began studying Italian in earnest, saw Moby in concert. 

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Didn't do so hot this year but plan on making 2010 be rather kickass.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No immediate relatives but several friends!

4. Did anyone close to you die? My grandfather passed away in September.

5. What countries did you visit? Hmmm. I didn't leave the country this year, not even to go to Canada. 

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A trip to Europe under my belt and a downpayment on a house.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Not sure if specific dates will be etched into my brain, but I'll remember how I felt when I got the news that Romeo had kidney disease, and when my grandfather died. Oh, also the inauguration of Obama was a historic event that was incredible to be able to see, even if only on television. And the week that my long-lost friend (17 years lost!) Leanna came to visit!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Teaching, and receiving agent interest on my unfinished book (I need to get it done and follow through!!).

9. What was your biggest failure? Not getting further on the novel than I would have liked. Not doing anything about my health goals. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? A few colds (including the massive eye and nose dripping head cold I have right now), otherwise mostly was healthy.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Tickets to Italy for spring 2010!!! YAY

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Joe for putting up with me for a ninth straight year!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Let's just say that they know who they are.

14. Where did most of your money go? Probably eating out too often. Fixing appliances that seemed to always break. We did better this year, being able to save for Italy, pay down some debt and should have a good start on a down payment on a house for next year.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Visiting Italy! 

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Negramaro, Il Distrazione

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer? Happier, fatter, richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Worked on my novel.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? sleeping in instead of going to the gym.

20. How did you spend Christmas? We went to the "Pitt" as we affectionately call Pittsfield, MA. where Joe's parents live. Was happy, peaceful and full of good wine, food and excellent company.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? I fall more in love with Joe every year. Sappy but true.

22. What was your favorite TV program? True Blood, Legend of the Seeker, Sanctuary

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Glenn Beck is higher on the list.

24. What was the best book you read? Just one? Oh my. I really loved La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language by Dianne Hales. I bought several copies for friends this Christmas.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Polly Scattergood and St. Vincent

26. What did you want and get? Tickets to Italy! A Canon Powershot and a Flip Cam

27. What did you want and not get? Zelda for the Wii. A raise (company froze them, just as so many other companies have). A magic fat-disappearing wand.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Star Trek

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 38. Nothing terribly memorable. Went to Clio and ate at the bar.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? My job could have been less painless personality-wise, I suppose. Also, I still haven't mastered the ability to care less about what people think of me.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Back to my roots (blonde!). But otherwise, as bold and distinctive as always.

32. What kept you sane? Joe!

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? David Tennant

34. What political issue stirred you the most? There are oh too many.

35. Who did you miss? I ended a long dying friendship this year and that makes me immeasurably sad.

36. Who was the best new person you met? My friends in my most recent Italian class. 

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. I'm always learning. I need to get better at applying.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.  (popular Italian song, Ma il cielo e' sempre più blu)

Chi sogna i milioni, chi gioca d’azzardo

chi gioca coi fili, chi ha fatto l’indiano

chi fa il contadino, chi spazza i cortili

chi ruba, chi lotta, chi ha fatto la spia

na na na na na na na na na

Ma il cielo è sempre più blu uh uh, uh uh,

ma il cielo è sempre più blu uh uh, uh uh, uh uh…

Let me know if you do the year end meme! 

You never know what you will find here:) From me begging you to donate to worthy causes to what I'm reading. This afternoon, I finally have settled in to read Tales from a Travelling Mum: Navigating Europe with a Babe-in-Arms by my pal, AliceGriffin. I've been following Alice's adventures for a while now through her blog. It is a delightful read written by a delightful person. Great for armchair travelers, families with a dream and those actually starting their planning:)

Also, remember that amaryllis I saved? Look how it has grown and not only that, a twin shoot grew from the same bulb alongside it and now is ready to burst into bloom also!

Monty approves....... I'm learning how to use my new lens:)

Because I am team leader... I feel a bit of responsibility towards the rest of my group and am posting this here because there are only two days left to participate in this opportunity to help purchase a new digital mammogram machine for our local hospital.
For a $10 donation you will be entered in a draw on December 30th to win ALL of this! So far, only 60 tickets have been sold.

2 tickets to Mooseheads game on January 8th vs Montreal Juniors

$30 gift certificate to THE ARMVIEW

My head is absolutely buzzing with ideas and planning, goals, projects and lists. I should be a professional project creator. I have come to the conclusion that there are simply not enough hours in the day. What should one do? Sleep less? Hardly!  But managing my time more effectively would probably go a long way towards helping me accomplish every harebrained scheme I think up.

 

 

What a delightful weekend we just spent. Sherlock Holmes was interestingly done and well worth a watch. I remember my mum reading Sherlock Holmes to me and my sisters at bedtime. The story of the speckled band scared the proverbial crap out of me.  I remember reading the story to Jesse and Libby when they were still quite young (we were living in Hawaii at the time) and they were completely unruffled by it.

 

 

I wanted to go to the zoo today (yes, in December) but the snow was coming down thick and fast.

 

 

 Todd didn't fancy negociating icy roads all the way to Indianapolis so we stayed close to home.

 

 Ice skating wasn't the same without our English cousins but we're planning to get them stateside next winter.

 

 

 

It's not a very bad cold. In fact it's one of the milder illnesses I can remember... My sinuses are about 40% stuffed up. My throat is just vaguely scratchy. I'm more tired and achey than usual, but not by much. Nonetheless I am taking the cue and lounging on my couch for the 2nd day in a row, swaddled in blankets, books, and handkerchiefs.

Sometimes when I'm sick I will do a juice & tea fast for the day - to keep myself hydrated and let my body concentrate on killing the virus, rather than digesting complicated foods. So today I've had emergen-c, water, yerba mate, and vegetable juice. And I really must not be all that sick, because I am STARVING. I think I will get some extra-spicy thai food for dinner.

And then perhaps I will watch the Dr. Who xmas special AGAIN! I can't believe it's the 2nd-to-last episode starring David Tennant.

I got a copy of The Talented Miss Highsmith for xmas (Patricia Highsmith's new biography). It's sort of fascinating, especially considering that the author seems to hold a certain amount of (justified) disdain for Highsmith. Apparently she was a racist and anti-Semite. Her personal life was chaotic, despite her solipsistic tendencies (it is even referred to on the inner flap as a "Pandora's Box"). She was an obsessive list-maker and left behind 8,000 pages of journals when she died. Her life is a rich territory. Still, this bio is a bit cumbersome... Mostly I'm interested in reading about writers' writing habits.

Being sick is dull. More tea!

Boxing Day sales start. I'm not much of a shopper but I have a Lululemon certificate that I am hoping to stretch to twice it's size today:) I also want to pick up an armband for my new nano.

I am also hoping to try out a new lens I got for my camera:)) Better get out there!

Only 3 days until this is drawn!!Only 58 tickets sold!!
Dec 30th. The BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW , hoping that you might be interested in donating $10 to help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Thanks to all of you who have done so already:)) Winner gets it all. Great odds at this point!

December Views

我們不是機關或團體，也不隸屬於任何協會；我們只是一群志同道合的好朋友所集結而成的力量。
這些照片並不是試著掏出你口袋裡的錢，更不是高調張揚氾濫的愛心；我們只是想宣揚一個觀念，一個一念之間就能改變生命價值的觀念。
我們都知道再多的捐贈都不如給他們一個溫暖的家，所以，請大家一起支持並宣導”以認養取代購買“以及“為流浪動物結紮“，並積極推動且嚴格的實行“動物保護法“才是根本的解決之道。
團結力量大，讓我們一起為人類的好朋友們盡一份棉薄的力量！

We are not an association or belong to any organization. We just a bunch of good friends having same common goal.
When you see these pictures please try to understand, we are not trying to make you donate any money or showing off how much we love animals. We just want to advocate a concept. A concept which can makes life become different.
Please support "Adopt Instead of Buy" and "Fixed for Homeless Pets". The main purpose of Adopting a Pet Instead of Buying One is to give a chance to the homeless pets in the world to find a good and loving family who will love them unconditionally forever, and "Fixed for Homeless Pets" is stop making more and more homeless pets.

Father Christmas brought everyone what they wanted, but Mother Nature didn't bring us any snow.

they say a massive ice age killed the dinosaurs...

You may remember him from such posts as this.