1. I ate but didn't make it to Pray or Love
I had this great idea that I would have my own stay-cation style spiritual journey a la Eat, Pray, Love. The eating part was easy for a foodie like me but then as you noticed the blogging just stopped. What happen? Well, I got a yoga mate, a yoga DVD, and some prayer beads but not as much time as I wanted. So, maybe what I ended up proving was that sometimes you do have to get away from it all in order for these things to work. Bitch magazine, you've made your point!
I do have to mention though that I did see the movie and started (but not finished) the book. They are both really good. Also, I think that Richard Jenkins should have gotten a nomination for his turn as Richard from Texas...but the academy never asks my opinion:)
Anyways, I might get back on track with this in the future but for now it's on the back burner.
2. A Farewell to Music Television
2010 was the year that MTV finally stopped kidding itself and dropped the "music television" from it's title. It was sad to see the music die and I will always have fond memories of watching it as a kid while staying at my grandparent's apartment during summer break. Sadly the MTV of my youth that I loved so much has warped itself into a reality show nightmare. It makes sense for them to adapt their name. Fortunately I can now watch a random assortment of music videos on The Cool TV.
On an unrelated MTV note for the year...Daria finally made it to DVD. La,la,la,la,la!
3. Jen Goes Glam
Okay, that's an exaggeration. I did re-embrace my girly side though this year. I finally got myself a stylist and stopped doing the random Famous Sams/Cost Cutter trips during my lunch breaks. My hair looks great because I have someone who knows what works for me. Also getting my hair done now is something I make time for instead of doing out of necessity while I'm in a rush. In addition I started visiting East Village Spa every few months for massages and facials and pampering, hanging out at Ultra and Sephora, continued my addition to Eden, expanded the amount of jewelry and shoes I own, and accidentally purchased myself a pricey hairdryer.
4. I Heart iMAC
In 2010 my poor computer decided it had enough of this world and kicked it right before Christmas. I was a little bummed but I had gotten it used for $50.00 with the help from a friend three years ago and it was getting old. It was the perfect time for an upgrade and a perfect way for me to decide what I was going to get myself for Christmas. I am now a very happy owner of an iMAC. It takes up less space because there is no tower and it comes with a cordless keyboard and mouse. Plus (and most importantly) it has enough juice to play World of Warcraft.
5. I Do Not Heart Twillight
This is a two parter (both vampire related). The first Twillight in question is Stephenie Meyer's vampire/werewolf saga. I had watched the first film when it came out in the theaters to see what the excitement was all about. It was fun to watch but only because I laughed all the way through it. It gave me no desire to want to see the next in the series. Then someone talked me into watching the second movie. Turns out it's about a love triangle between a self-destructive young girl, a boy who switches back and forth from telling her that he wants to protect her and telling her that if she isn't careful around him he'll hurt her and another boy who switches back and forth from telling her that he wants to protect her and telling her that if she isn't careful around him he'll hurt her. One of the guys doesn't wear a shirt and the other one sparkles. For some reason, I just can't put my arms around this series...
The second Twillight in question is the "big bad" from the Buffy Season 8 comic book. I am a big fan of the series and enjoy comics but reading Season 8 was like watching Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko and then watching his Southland Tales. The big reveal of the main villain wasn't as much of a "wow" as a WTF...literally! I did like some of the tiny subplots (slayer's with pink mohawks are way cooler than crazy ex-boyfirends who talk to dogs) and one-shots though. The last issue was also enjoyable. Here's hoping Season 9 is better .
6. Books
This year I actually read a lot of books. I contribute this to joining a book club and Stieg Larsson. Higher education had made me sick of reading for many years so it was nice to get back into enjoying it again. I am reading at least one book a month now and loving every word of it. It's also fun to compare books to their movie adaptations:)
7. Ingersoll Avenue Went Through Some Changes
This year after much debate a bike lane was added onto Ingersoll Avenue. Now while a bike lane does sound like a great idea there is one problem. Nobody uses it. I've been keeping a tally all year of the number of bikers I have seen on Ingersoll. The total for the year was four. I'm not kidding.
Luckily that wasn't the only interesting thing that happened on Ingersoll though this year. In the fall, DART (the metro bus system) had a free bus that took you to the East Village every Friday night. The bus driver told me there would be a vote on whether they would continue. I haven't heard anything about it since but hopefully this is something they will do again in the future. Also Red China Bistro opened as well as Copa Cavana. I haven't tried the later yet but Red is enjoyable. There was another Ingersoll Live and Art Stop as well. Plus Chocolate Stam started serving alcohol and having live music on the weekends.
