2014-01-01

TToT Don't Call It A YIR

from themetapicture,com
I see New Year posts. 
They're everywhere. 

I swore I wouldn't do a Year In Review, other than the Facebook one below:
2013: We did stuff, we saw stuff.
We ate things, I drank a lot of things.
I started a blog, blogged a little.
I donked a ton of things up, hopefully I learned from that. *shrugs*
I tried to see things from other peoples' point of view.
I tried to talk less and listen a little more.
I tried to be better for my kids.
I did my best....most of the time. Probably.

This is different though. This year I found something in Considerings blog that helps me look at life in a new way. The Ten Things of Thankful is a fun, useful way to look at all the bullspit of life and say "Hey, I'm thankful that at least this day only sucked to a level of 9, it could have been a 10 on the Suck-O-Meter" and right now, this is really important.

I'm late as usual, but the TToT 'rogue' players looked back on the things thankful from the year, and what got me was Lizzi reminding me that: 
'Oh yeah, I started an effing BLOG this  year, so I don't have to remember anything, it's all right there in black and white... and orange all over.' 

January (I can't stop singing the "Calendar Girl" song)
I started this comic strip of a blog, knowing I wouldn't have much time, and deciding since hubs purchased the domain, the money is already spent. Let's try to make it worth it. Or at least fun, which is the same thing to me.

To give people an idea what I'm all about, I wrote 2 not-really-reviews of a movie I let's say, didn't care for, Ted, and also one that I adored, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
http://www.comfytownchronicles.com/2013/01/hobbit-movie-anti-review.html

February (every day, every day of the year! The song.)
I was thankful I could blog and vent about how much I hate Valentine's Day and what you could do if you agree, so I pissed a bunch of people off with my hate-hate relationship with Valentine's Day
Thankfully I was able to win a few back actually doing something worthwhile, volunteering for my favorite charity, Equality Illinois and I wrote a real(ish) post about tolerance, and a little logic vs. religion. Not bad for a 4a.m. post.

Then I gave the whole Mom Blogger thing a try and gave my opinion on diaper reward programs. Spoiler: Not a fan.

March
I was over-joyed to over-share about my Old Man Crushes. Yes, it's weird but it's also my favorite thing I think I've ever written.

April
I'm always as thankful as a Stark in Winterfell for Spring. This Spring I was thankful my son Tinny gave zero sh|ts about going to prom! I even look back at my lame, stupid experiences with prom. Yes, there are pictures. From the 80's.

May
Thankful to have posted my first-ever Wordless Wednesday! I can be funny (kind of) without words. Beyond thankful to be celebrating my 5th wedding anniversary, huzzah! I do an interesting comparison to our 1st, in what is mysteriously my most-pinned post (no idea why) and then I thankful to the moon to be able to write my way out of an actual anniversary gift, and hopefully let other people know that if their spouses have super-WEIRD but funny clothing issues, hey, you're not alone, toots.

June
Thankful my son graduated high school. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do and I really wanted to dance. Then I lighten up with a hilarious look back at an actual movie I made with Corey Haim. TRUE STORY.

I give way too much thought, and a gross picture, to the ironic beauty of the birth of ballet

July
Thankful to The Next Step blog for reminding me of the best $5 I've ever spent. Whatever you're thinking it's probably worse....it involves strippers and sock puppets and a LOT of laughs.

Everyone is thankful I discovered how to make a publicly acceptable flask and of course shared this day-drinking life hack with the world. It's my gift to the universe. I think it's why I was born.

August
We gave Naughty Night Names to Lola's toys. Why? Mmmmm.....Weirdness? 
Speaking of weirdness, I was thankful to be awarded the coveted "Golden Sideboob" award by the lovely, lively Lizzi and answer with a not-so-coveted "Fleshy Fowl Underbun" award. 

September
I try my hand at my first recipe post, which I fill with way too many words shockingly, but luckily the recipe is an easy one for a very delicious soup. I also write a half-(ass)review for Game of Thrones in honor of George R.R. Martin's birthday.
We have an...interesting challenge with a kid in a wedding.

October
Thankful for candy, and I had a sweet, sweet epiphany about converstional Halloween candy that really should exist.

November
Movember. It drives me cray-zay. In a good way. And avoiding Black Friday, which drives me kray in a bad way. I'm given some perspective delivered from my son's friend.

December
SO much. Too much. It's so too much I write about some things I Can't Even and the pay-off for Game of Thrones fans is a peek into the Lannister Family Holiday Greetings.

Thank you for letting me relive all the thankful of the year, and letting me vent/look at my lifestuff in a new, more positive way. Probably. Most of the time. Some of the time. More than I did before anyway!

36 comments:

  1. I just spent a good part of my morning re-reading some of my old blog posts. Not so I could do a year in review, but so I could get myself jump started back into writing and posting. It's pleasantly weird to have the past year laid out in plain view instead of relying on my less than stellar memory.

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    1. I'm glad you're posting again, I missed hearing about your adventures! I felt like one of my favorite shows got cancelled!
      It was interesting to go back and read something that I wrote almost a year ago, but that's always painful for me. I always think, "Ugh, do I really sound like that?" Then I want to re-write everything.

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  2. Happy New Year -- and welcome to Year 2 of blogging!

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    1. Thank you! Having fun with it, when I actually find/make the time to post.

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  3. Wow, so your blog is a year old already! Great job! :)

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    1. Thanks! It's just about a year! End of January 2013 was my first post. I was so NOT READY, but my husband bought me the domain as a birthday present/motivator.
      Then again, am I ever really ready for anything?! No, no I'm not! I haven't been "ready" for any major things in life, I just do the best I can. That's all any of us can do, isn't it?!

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  4. Congrats on the one year of blogging! You have certainly written some great posts!

    Happy New Year! Here's to a great 2014 blogging year!

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    1. Thanks! Hopefully 2014 will include MORE posts, and more thought-out writing for me. We can only hope, can't we?

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  5. It's amazing how helpful a blog can be when needing to look up what happened in the past! You've had a busy year. (Wow, that sounded so stinkin' cliche. Sorry about that.)
    I wonder if my son will make it to graduating from high school. He's only a freshman, and have mercy, this year is killing us all! And I'm a hands-off the kids' school work type of mom!
    And lastly, I agree. Valentine's Day is awful.

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    1. Oh, I feel your pain with high school homework. Seriously, homework with my son has made me cry several times. (He's ADHD but I never wanted to give him the medicine until I realized he might not graduate without it. That wasn't until his Junior year. I should have tried it sooner) Half the time it took hours and hours. It was a constant battle to get it done. I should have tried more tutors, he had ONE he really liked, when she couldn't do it anymore, he hated his next one and kept claiming he didn't need one. He did. I did! I stink at math!
      Good luck to you, my friend. My suggestion? If he's struggling with a subject, he can talk to the teacher about student tutors, the teachers are REALLY impressed when the student expresses a need for help, and they will usually (as I'm sure you know) do whatever they can to help that student.

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  6. Congratulations on your son's graduation. My youngest graduates this year. You're right--graduation doesn't mean parenthood is over, but taking a step back and letting kids make their own decisions can be difficult--no matter how great the kids are.

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    1. I thought this time would be so glorious, but all that happened was instead of struggling through his homework, I'm struggling to keep him AWAKE during the day, and THEN we struggle through pretty much EVERYTHING once I get him up.
      I hope he goes through whatever this stage is quickly. I would even do math again if that would help :)

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  7. Love your Facebook end-of-year post. Perfection!
    Our sons are the same age. We should talk....
    And I HAAAAATE Valentine's Day.

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    1. Oh the talks we could talk! I need to talk to someone! He is going through some phase, I don't really fully understand it, but it's rough on him. He hasn't seemed like himself for months. I know 18 is scary, especially if your friends have a chosen PATH, you feel like, why don't I have ANY idea what my path is? And honestly I'm over 40 and I'm still not clear of my path, so I do tell him that.
      It just seems like no matter what I say, it's not helping him.
      V-Day blows!

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  8. You've written for about a year already! Time really flies. THanks for sharing with us, Joy!!

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    1. End of January 2013 was my first post, doesn't seem possible. This was the fastest year of my life. So far! Thank YOU for reading and commenting, the comments are literally my favorite part of blogging. It's why I started, for the interaction/community, exchange of ideas, etc.

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  9. Valentines day bites! Hitting your links I realized I've read a ton of your blog this year! The ballerina feet did gross me out a bit! Loved your fb review too! Happy 2014!

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    1. I'm glad you did, and that you keep coming back! I appreciate that.
      Sorry about the ballerina feet, I felt bad posting that but it was part of the irony of all the pain and ugliness behind the scenes to make something so beautiful.
      Happy 2014 to you, and many more posts to both of us!

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  10. Nice to meet you through TToT, and looking forward to reading more of your posts.

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    1. Nice to "meet" you! I really love this hop and all who link up here.

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  11. HA! Oh I giggled my way through so much of this, and then hit your 'old man crush' post, went to see, and nearly fell of my sofa snorking with laughter. THIS is why I love your brain so much :D You are a tonic, and a marvellously funny writer. You shine.

    Great, wonderful dollops of goodness in your wrap-up, and I love that you're 'rogue' enough to just come and plonk it right down there in the first TToT we're back into. Keep being rogue.

    FYI; I have Old Man Crushes, too. Predominantly Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson and Steven Tyler. Don't judge. They just *do* things to me...

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    1. I'm glad someone enjoys the weirdness. I had fun writing that one, and that is the ONE (and I think only) post that I can re-read and not think about how I need to rewrite every sentence! I just smile and laugh.
      OMG Alan Rickman SO MUCH! I loved him as Prof. Snape, but my sister only said she 'got it' after seeing a picture of his handsome short gray hair and non-evil-looking snicker from the movie. I liked the Snape character and long hair, but the real life as well.
      I get Liam and Steven, except for Steven Tyler was recently ruined for me by a photo that was going around of his bare man-breasts. He is somehow SLIM in this photo, but has a full C-cup. Mystery.

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  12. Looks like you've got tons of great posts. Will have to go back and look through them. Very interested in you dancing with Corey. :)

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    1. Thank you. The night we made a movie with Corey was legend....wait for it...dary. I was even IN a scene, kind of. I am still looking for/waiting to see that movie!

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  13. Oh, wow, I love your day-drinking tip. No lie, I once brought a bloody mary in a travel mug to a teacher workshop. A little horrified to admit that.

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    1. I think that makes you a hero. You're doing it right. When you board an airplane, one of the FIRST things they tell you is that, if/when the oxygen masks fall down, put your OWN mask on first, THEN put the child's on. We have to take care of our own needs, or we won't be able to care for others. It's the right thing to do really.

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  14. and you want to going charging into 2014 after finishing the Year described above? damn!

    yeah, this TToT is a good place to pass some virtual time (and you get to thread-hop and jump into Comment threads whenever the spirit hits!)
    (and, don't forget the Book of Secret Rules for the TToT!)

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    1. No CHARGE, Clark, it's always free for you. nyuk nyuk.
      This year was busy, so that means it just flew by. I love that I started this blog last year, even though I thought it was a bad idea, now I have this journal of sorts, and all of you wonderful people to show for it. I should have started years ago, but I'm glad I finally did.
      I am in love with Book of Secret TToT rules, it totally reminds me of the Marauders map from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which among other things, requires the following phrase to open it:
      "I solemnly swear I am up to no good"

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  15. Congratulations! I can't imagine going back and looking at my posts that way. Some are so better left in the past! I love your Old Man Crushes! Ahhh Patrick Stewart, but no Sean Connery???

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    1. Well, it was easier for ME to go back and look at the year, I only posted 1-2 times each week, and some were Wordless and most were more like a comic strip in the paper. Lots of pictures, maybe a chuckle or 2, not much substance. Which is fine, it's all I have time for, and at least it's a creative outlet for me.
      I'm SO GLAD you're part of TToT, I just left the looongest comment on your first entry, sorry for the reading assignment!
      Sean Connery is a bit of an enigma to me, the only reason he did not make this list is because I am/was WAY more attracted to YOUNG Sean Connery, and this was about the Older Man Swag thing. He is a hottie at every age though.

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  16. It's already been a year? It feels like just yesterday we started wandering over here. You know you've done a good job when I actually remember these posts in great detail, like the Corey Haim movie that never came to be. Nothing's worse than reading a blogger's recap and thinking, "I don't remember a damn bit of that."

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    1. That is one of THEE best (and only) compliments I've ever received about my blog. Thanks for reading and commenting. And coming back.

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  17. Loved the top photo. Also, I think you should write an inspirational book w/ this as the title: "Hey, I'm thankful that at least this day only sucked to a level of 9, it could have been a 10 on the Suck-O-Meter." Can you say bestseller? I didn't know you've only been blogging for a year. I thought you were an old pro. I also particularly loved your FB post about the new year. So true. Congrats on getting your kid graduated - no small task. Can't wait to kick my 2 to the curb!

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    1. Oh, I'm old all right. I just started blogging last year end of January. I don't know why I was dragging my feet as long as I did. I still don't have a lot of time, but what I put up is fun, the people I have "met" are wonderful, it's been an amazing experience all around despite the small amount of fragmented time.
      hahahaha well, if you read the post about graduating, you'll see that for ME, it only got worse. Our relationship anyway, but hopefully we'll work that out.
      If you can, send them AWAY to college! That is my only advice, whatever it costs, it's WORTH IT.

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  18. This had me howling...good thing everyone is out of the house this morning! I love your FB status and it sounds just about perfect. This was a great look back and a fun way to spend the morning! Thanks!

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    1. I'm so glad you got a chuckle out of it! Seems to be about all I was good for last year, which I am not saying is a BAD thing. I need to laugh at least a few times every day, more on bad days!

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