What I learned in 2011

By way of a first post, I will jot down a few things I learned in 2011.  Maybe not the most earth shattering introduction, but it will do.

1. Everything is better with a kitten.  Specifically a sweet, even tempered kitten named Reggie who is orange and fluffy and gorgeous.  He loves watching me type.  He's doing it right now.

2. I really liked Borders.  Now that it has gone out of business, there is a chain bookstore sized hole in my heart.  Barnes and Noble feels so soulless in comparison, because they like to pretend they aren't a massive chain what with their "Employee Picks" and murals on the walls.  At least Borders was honest.

3. I'm an OK cook.  This year I learned how to make meat lasagna, chicken gnocchi soup (a la Olive Garden), the best creamy tomato sauce in the world, and a few other things.  I also learned that I actually like cooking!

4. The publishing industry is probably not for me.  Maybe it would be if it was still the publishing industry of "old," in which editors edited and writers retained most of their integrity.  I'm sure there are still publishing houses like this, but it doesn't seem to be the most prevalent business model.

5. J.R.R. Tolkien was an utter genius.  The more of his work that I read (and reread), the more astounded I am by his imagination.

6. I'm truly sad to see soap operas go by the wayside.  I've always wanted to write for a soap, and now that is basically and impossible dream.  Every cancellation hits me "right here."

6. No one cares what I have to say, but I still tweet constantly.  Meaning, I've learned that I'm an egomaniac.

7. Major catastrophes, such as the nuclear crisis in Japan this past year, really shake me.  I truly was scared for myself, my friends and family, and the world.  It makes me happy that I have what I think of as sympathy.  I wasn't just concerned about myself, even though I'm relatively self-centered.

8. I always feel better about myself when I dress nice.  I've discovered that more and more this year, and I'm now slightly addicted to dresses.  So simple, you hardly have to worry about styling it, yet you look classy!  It's magic.

9. I never care about sweets and the like unless I'm watching my diet.  Then, shoveling cookies and candy into my face becomes my all-consuming desire.

10. Music may not actually sound better on vinyl, but it's definitely cooler to put a record on the turn table than to hit "play" on the ipod.

11. I want to create my own jewelry line some day, and maybe sell on Etsy.  Or at Renaissance Faires, like Luke's sister on Gilmore Girls. 

12. Nothing is more important than keeping up relationships.  I know I need to work harder on this in 2012.

13. The idea that the world will end in 2012 is kind of exciting.  I know that sounds morbid, but there it is.