Hello 2010.

I'm not going to do much of a yearly wrap-up, but I'm stealing a meme from Kim since I think it will make a nice summary. Over the next couple weeks, I'm going to attempt to find some time to reorganize things over here a bit as well.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?

1. Went to Rhinebeck
2. Moved to Pennsylvania
3. Learned a whole bunch of new science stuff.

2. Did you keep your 2009 resolutions, and will you make more this year?
These were my resolutions:

1. Run a half marathon. - No.
2. Eat out less and cook more. - Sort of, as I cooked more.
3. Read more books. - Yes!
4. Find a new job. - Yes!
5. Travel to a new city. - Yes!
6. Go camping. - No.
7. Learn a new skill. - I learned new science techniques, which I think counts.
8. Write a paper. - Sadly, no.
9. Knit more than I did in 2008. - Nope.
10. Go shelling on the beach.- Yes!

So that makes for about 50% success rate. Not terrible.

This year's resolutions/goals are similar:

1. Run a half marathon.
2. Cook.
3. Read books.
4. Go camping/hiking.
5. Write 2 papers and a book chapter.
6. Knit.
7. Go shelling on the beach.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not close friends, but I know some people who had babies.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, last year no.

5. What countries did you visit?
No travel outside the US for me.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Publications. My immediate family in one state.

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finding a new, and good, job.

8. What was your biggest failure?
Giving too much notice on my previous job.

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing physical. ;)

10. What was the best thing you bought?
iPod Touch.

11. Where did most of your money go?
Bills.

12. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier, slightly thinner, better off in many ways.

13. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sleep. I don't do that enough. Running. Relaxing and enjoying myself.

14. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying, stressing out, and having insomnia.

15. What was the best new book you read?
Nothing's really standing out - I enjoyed several things I read, but nothing was that memorable.

16. What was your favorite new TV show of the year?
Glee, I guess.

17. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Being unhappy isn't always your fault. Sometimes walking away can be the best solution.

And with that, let's not speak of 2009 any more. Today's my last day with the family, and I think I have convinced the larger and smaller boy that a trip to the beach might be nice. A run is in my plans for the afternoon (it's not running that hurts, it's not consistently running that hurts.) I have some knitting to do - I cast on for a pair of Monkeys in some Sanguine Gryphon yarn which I haven't been able to match a pattern to well, and I have another pair of husband socks on the needles. I also want to pack up a box of stuff to ship back to my apartment, as I want to make sure I'm really traveling light for my return. There are a few photos on my camera to post when I return, but for now, I'm going to enjoy the family time I have left.

Aw! I got tagged...

Bells tagged me, so I had to answer these.

What Is Your Current Obsession?
This is a hard question. A better question for me is What Are Your Current Obsessions... So I'm going to answer that instead. I'm currently obsessed with my garter stitch log cabin blanket. I dropped everything else to work on that. I've also developed an obsession with Animal Crossing on the Wii. Oh, and playing Scrabble on Facebook.

What Are You Wearing Today?
Jeans and a deep v t-shirt in navy blue over a wine-colored camisole. It's hot as blazes outside.

What's for dinner?
(I want to eat at Helen's house.) Salmon, rice, and spinach, with a hot dressing of soy sauce, oil and chili oil on top. Mix, then add avocado and cilantro. Yum.

What Would You Eat for Your Last Meal?
Ooh. That's a tough one.

What's the Last Thing You Bought?
A bag of Sun Chips from the vending machine. I was hungry yesterday at lunch. Before that, books.

What Are You Listening To Right Now?
My very loud washing machine and my son who is talking to himself while driving blocks around the living room.

If you could go anywhere in the world in the next hour, where would you go?
Florida. I don't like the heat, but I'd really rather be with my mom and sister tomorrow. It's 9 months after my dad's death, and cruelly, also my parents' wedding anniversary.

Which language do you want to learn?
If I could learn another language, I'd like to learn Chinese. I am, however, hopeless with languages. Plus, although I can hear that I'm doing something wrong, I can't figure out how to make the changes to make the sounds correctly.

What do you love most about where you currently live?
Uhhh... I like my house. It's the first home I've ever owned, and there are many things about it I will miss. I'm particularly fond of the front room, which has a beautiful bay window. It's a great room to sit in to knit or read or just relax.

What is your favourite colour?
Green.

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
A thin, stretchy v-neck black cardigan. I actually have 2. I loved my original one, which I found in a discount store and have worn it past the point where it looks nice. I got a replacement sweater last year, and I love it almost as much.

What were you doing ten years ago?
Preparing to move from California to Wisconsin to start grad school. Planning my wedding. Completely freaking out. (Not much changes.)

Describe your personal style?
Sloppy. I'd like to say casual and comfortable, but I think that's a stretch. I'm working on cleaning it up, but I've lived in the lab too long. I wear jeans 99% of the time, and only in the last 3 years have I made an effort to wear ones without holes in them!

If you had $300 right now what would you spend it on?
I would get stuff in preparation for my move. I need some household things. If I'm supposed to spend on fun things, I'd splurge on myself instead and buy a Nintendo DS, a game, and some pretty circular needle and dpn cases. Or else I'd hire a babysitter and go out on a date or two with my husband.

What are you going to do after this?
Play with my son, make dinner, possibly make cookies, watch TV and knit, play scrabble, read a little and go to bed far too late.

What inspires you?
Passion for what you do, no matter what it is. Being excited about something can bring artistry to the simplest things.

What are your favourite films?
Boogie Nights, Soapdish, Better Off Dead, The Usual Suspects, Lost in Translation

Whose work/designs are you inspired by?
I think Wendy Bernard has a great eye and wrote my favorite new knitting book of the year. Cookie A isn't always to my taste, but she has crazy math skills and makes me think. Ysolde has some pretty patterns. Stephanie Japel (Glampyre) doesn't design for me, but I love to look at what she does - she's got a unique style. Finally, Nora Gaughan does some really wild things, and I want to look at more of her patterns to see how they're constructed.

Your favourite books?
I have many loved books, but these are always on my list.
Italo Calvin: If on a winter's night a traveler. Invisible Cities.
Norton Juster: The Phantom Tollbooth
Mercer Mayer: Professor Wormbog in Search of the Zipperumpazoo

Do You Collect Anything?
Not really. I buy a lot of books, cds, games, and yarn, but I think I play with those things too much to really consider any of them collected.

What makes you follow a blog?
Beautiful photos, good writing, or interesting projects. Sometimes something just amuses me.

What was the most enjoyable thing you did today?
I left work early. The good part of the day has just started.

What's one thing you dream of doing?
Running my own lab.

Passing it on:
Julie (I can't wait to see how you answer #1.)
Kim (Hamsterball!)
Acornbud (If you aren't reading her, you should. She knits pretty things and has beautiful photos from Hawaii. Isn't that more than enough reason?)
Anyone else want it? I don't really know who's left reading anymore... Please let me know if you take it. I like to read responses.

NERD!

I question the coolness, and I'm definitely more of a science nerd than that depicts. But it was heavily weighted towards math...

Tuesday Ten

This week's Ten on Tuesday:
10 things you want to do in 2009

1. Run a half marathon. Really. I don't have any idea why, but I'd like to do it (by the end of the year.)
2. Eat out less and cook more. I miss cooking. It takes time and effort I frequently can't find.
3. Read more books. Again, something I miss doing, that takes time and effort I have trouble finding.
4. Find a new job. Because, well, I have to as my funding is running out.
5. Travel to a new city.
6. Go camping.
7. Learn a new skill.
8. Write a paper.
9. Knit more than I did in 2008.
10. Go shelling on the beach.

Food meme silliness

I'm totally a follower, so I'm doing what Julie does today. And I'm curious about my readers - I love food, but some of these things are out there for me.

1. Venison - I don't care for it.
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare - I was going to say no, but then I realized I did have it. It was okay. I won't eat it again.
5. Crocodile - nope.
6. Black pudding - no. And you can't make me.
7. Cheese fondue - I like it, but it doesn't like me.
8. Carp - I don't think so, but I did eat some catfish my friend fished from a rather dirty river. At least I think they were catfish.
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush - yum.
11. Calamari - Unlike Julie, I like tentacles. I like octopus sushi too.
12. Pho - my love of this is well documented. I do prefer it with thin sliced beef as opposed to tripe or meatballs.
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart - I only eat kosher hot dogs, and those sort of scare me.
16. Epoisses - German cow's milk cheese.
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - Japanese plum wine
19. Steamed pork buns -yum
20. Pistachio ice cream - ice cream and I aren't friends
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras - kind of bland, really
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese - oh heck no.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche - yes please!
28. Oysters - not my favorite.
29. Baklava -
30. Bagna cauda. Had to look this up. Sounds okay, but haven't had it.
31. Wasabi peas - love.
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi - doesnt sound appealing.
34. Sauerkraut - delicious on kosher hot dogs.
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar - cigars stink.
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo - love it.
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects - not intentionally.
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - only the cheap stuff.
46. Fugu - I prefer my sodium channels unblocked.
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel - as sushi, yum.
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - overrated.
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi -I don't think I liked it.
53. Abalone
54. Paneer - I'm really not good with dairy.
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal - but not anymore.
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini - extra olives, thanks.
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads - eww.
63. Kaolin - yup, worked, too
64. Currywurst - ew
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs - I like frogs too much to eat them.
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - liked it as a kid, too sweet now.
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho - yummy.
72. Caviar and blini - surprisingly good, especially with the creme fraiche
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail - I have... issues... with slugs and snails.
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum - I prefer pho.
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - quite possibly. It was a tasting menu, it was amazing, it was in Manhattan, and I couldn't tell you where it was or how I got back to my hotel.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare - only Welsh Rarebit for me.
87. Goulash
88. Flowers - good in salad
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish - was okay.
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox - my favorite breakfast
97. Lobster Thermidor - I would probably like it, but I prefer my lobster steamed.
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Only 43. I would try another 20 on the list, but no more.

In lieu of actual content...

-3 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

Will be back soon. Just behind on blogging, as well as many other things.

I got tagged.

Cindy of Tea and Yarn tagged me. Hi Cindy! I'm not very interesting, but here it is...

1.) What was I doing ten years ago?
Ten years ago I was working in a biotech company, enjoying life as a twenty-something slacker in Silicon Valley. I was on a brief hiatus between grad school and grad school, worked as a temp, found a permanent job, was laid off, and temped again. I haven't had a real job since. Hah!

2) What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today:
- pick up my son from school
- do laundry
- run (done. Day 1, week 3 of the couch to 5k, thank you very much!)
- read something for fun
- work on finishing up some of my all but finished knit things so I have something to blog

3) Snacks I enjoy:
- chocolate
- popcorn
- tortilla chips and salsa

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
- Not worry about finding funding for my own research again, and set up some of my friends, too
- fix my roof, bathrooms, and kitchen
- travel
- get help (cooking, cleaning etc) for myself and my extended family

5) Places I have lived:
California, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, South Carolina

6) Jobs I have had:
Lab drone/dishwasher/pigeon wrangler
Quality Control technician
grad student
post doc

7) Peeps I want to know more about:

Perknitious
Llyr's Daughter
Dr. Girlfriend
Acornbud

Anyone else want it? Consider yourself tagged, just leave me a comment so I can come read, please!

Memes memes memes.

Stolen from Llyr's Daughter. I like to copy her. And wow, I seem pretentious.

The top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you've read, underline (I have no underline, so I will make them purple) the ones you read for school, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude (I loved it)
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities (there's a good chance I read this on my own.)
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies (only because we loaned it to someone and it was never returned.)
War and Peace (Ditto, to C.)
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife (I loathed this.)
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner (Own it.)
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods (Now, I like Gaiman, but how is this impressive?)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha (This was not a good book.)
Middlesex
Quicksilver (In my defense, I'm still reading it.)
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the west
The Canterbury Tales (as in, we were only assigned part of it)
The Historian : a novel (Read this year, in fact. It was only okay.)
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (HATED THIS)
Love in the Time of Cholera (loved it.)
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula (Surprisingly dull read.)
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath (I meant to read this.)
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel
1984
Angels & Demons (I may have read this? I don't remember?)
The Inferno [and Purgatory and Paradise] (Only parts of it.)
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince (A chapter or two.)
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things (Own it.)
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present (Own it.)
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves (Own it.)
The Mists of Avalon (I am the only person I know who hates this book.)
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed (Own it.)
Cloud Atlas (Own it.)
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything (Own it.)
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow (I have read part of it aloud in a marathon reading, and started it repeatedly.)
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers