Well, Internet, it’s 2011.

I spent the last couple days of 2010 and the first few days of 2011 doping myself with Tylenol and amoxicillin, trying to kick a nasty case of strep throat. Basically, I rang in the New Year as a pathetic lump. A pathetic, whiny lump.

Let’s all hope that this isn’t a harbinger of things to come.

Anyway, it’s past due for my Traditional Year-End Round-Up. If you can call doing something twice in a row a “tradition.”

I had great fun reading through last year’s round-up and measuring it against 2010. Not as many life-changing things happened for me in 2010 – no moving, no name changes, no honeymoon. But I did a LOT of traveling this year, both physically and emotionally. And on that oblique note, let’s get to the Round Up…

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

Weaseled my way into Joined a book club.

Traveled to Napa for a girls’ weekend.

Went to Palm Springs.

Went to Asheville, North Carolina. (Which I have an entire, picture-filled post about that, due to “technical difficulties,” I have NOT posted. SIGH. Just pretend you read it, okay?)

Gave a business presentation to a group of 10 people.

Went to an NFL game.

Made Thanksgiving dinner from scratch.

Held a baby.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I’m not a big New Year’s resolutions type person. So… I didn’t make any and I didn’t keep any. I did, however, achieve my goal of making Thanksgiving dinner. (I have a bad feeling that this survey is going to involve a lot of references to Turkey Day.)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Oh my yes! One of my husband’s groomsmen had a baby boy… Two close college friends had their second baby girl… A high school friend had a baby boy… A high school friend of my husband’s had a baby boy… A couple we recently met had a baby boy… A childhood friend had a baby girl… Another childhood friend had a baby boy… A bloggy friend had a baby girl… And many other bloggers I read religiously have also had adorable children, I suspect primarily so I can visit their blogs and coo over the cute little cheeks.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No. Thank the good Lord for that.

5. What countries did you visit?

Sadly, I did not leave the country this year. Not like I leave the country regularly, or anything. I mean, I’m no globetrotter.

However, I have been to the following states this year – some of them multiple times:

• California
• Florida
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Montana
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia

That’s got to count for SOMETHING, right?

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

Same answer as last year (apparently simply writing it down and posting it on one’s blog doesn’t make it magically appear): Thinner thighs.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

The strep throat or possibly the Tylenol are making my mind very fuzzy Internet. Not good for an end-of-year recap post. But I’m having trouble coming up with specific dates.

So let’s say the big ones: My husband’s birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas – all great days.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Making Thanksgiving dinner – from scratch – with only one incident involving acrid smoke.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I didn’t exercise as much as I planned and wanted to.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

2010 was The Year of Food Poisoning, where I wound up curled into a shivering ball on the bathroom floor not once but twice. Lovely.

And, of course, it ended with me lying on the bathroom floor in a shivering ball. Because my brand of strep begins with a fever and vomiting. Lovely. Let’s hope that 2011 brings me a stronger immune system.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Tickets – plane tickets to see my parents and my in-laws last February and experience a wonderful two-week vacation… Plane tickets to Napa to spend a weekend with three high school friends… And tickets to a football game for my husband’s 30^th birthday.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My husband’s. He is so incredibly busy at work, and yet he always – always – makes time for me. This year has been tough in many ways, and he was always there to offer his level-headed, logical opinion… To give me a shoulder to cry on… To hold me… And to make me laugh. I am so very lucky to have him in my life.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

This is a loaded question this year. So I’m going to say… The behavior of people on airplanes appalled me. For the love of god, put your carry-on suitcase in the bin the RIGHT WAY so that there’s room for other people’s stuff.

I swear, the instant people set foot in an airport, they seem to forget that there’s anybody else in the universe. BLECH.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Travel, definitely! Which is a good thing!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The two vacations we took this year. Both were AMAZING.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2009?

Runaway by Kanye West

Love the Way You Lie by Eminem, featuring Rhianna

Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Hmm. I’d say that this year held sadness and happiness in equal portions… So I’m probably at about the same level I was last January. Maybe a measure sadder. But I think I’m less lonely than I was last year, so that’s good too!
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner! Okay, so I’m only thinner by a few pounds. But it’s something!

c) richer or poorer? Richer!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Well, I wish I’d exercised more. I wish I’d been more giving. I wish I’d done more writing for myself. And I wish I’d done more socializing.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

With my husband, my parents, my brother, and the dog and cat! It was a fabulous Christmas!

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?

No. But I did fall MORE in love with my husband. It was a different sort of year than our first year of marriage – not quite as exciting and new. But I learn more about my husband and how smart and strong and kind he is every day. My love for him grows and grows.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I can never pick just one! Mad Men… The Good Wife… The Big Bang Theory… Blue Bloods… Dexter… Friday Night Lights… The Office… Parenthood… All great shows!

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nope!

24. What was the best book you read?

I read over 30 books in 2010; a lot of them were great reads. But I think the best book I read was Incendiary by Chris Cleave.

25. What did you want and get?

A watch! I mentioned it in passing to my husband a long time ago, and he surprised me on Christmas with a beautiful watch.

Cute shirts!

Cute bracelets!

A warm, cozy bathrobe!

26. What did you want and not get?

A pedometer. But really, if someone had given me a pedometer as my big Christmas gift, I might have been disappointed. It’s hard to get really excited over something that measures your footsteps.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?

The Social Network. Possibly because it was the only non-3D film I saw in the theaters this year and automatically gets an extra gazillion points just for that.

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 29 in 2010, and it was the best birthday I’ve had in YEARS. My birthday fell on a day during our fabulous two-week vacation last spring. My parents went ALL OUT and we not only got to ski on my birthday, but they took me out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in all the lands. PLUS they showered me with presents.

And THEN we went to California for a week with my in-laws… And in honor of my birthday, they took me to a beautiful spa for lunch and a massage and my mother-in-law bought me adorable red sandals. Then we went out to dinner at a delicious restaurant.

Such a great birthday!

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

The ability to switch off my brain when it goes into Worry Mode.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

All about comfort.

31. What kept you sane?

My husband and my mother.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Eminem.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

34. Who did you miss?

My brother.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

I’d have to say my book club girls, collectively. They are all super friendly and fun and I look forward to our book club sessions every month.

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.

I worry too much.  And worrying doesn’t help ANYTHING. (Although I knew that before.)

Also, that an iPad may be cool, but I don’t really see its usefulness. Seriously.

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

“Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now.” – Airplanes by B.O.B.