2012 - The Year of No Posts

Yeah, no posts in 2012.  I really want to get back into semi-regular blogging, because I realize how much I love going back and reading my old posts.  So here's another New Year's meme like the one I did about 2009.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you've never done before?
I led a study abroad trip to France!

2. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Le Parisien and his wife had a daughter. Jube and I are tonton/tatie now!

3. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

4. What countries did you visit?
I went to France, Spain, and Russia.

5. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
I am hoping for a long vacation with Jube.

6. What were the highlights of 2012?
I turned 30 in May.  I led that study abroad trip to France, which was awesome. I got a new job in August, which was super exciting! In June, I went to Ohio for a wedding and got to see all kinds of old friends.  My brother moved to Puerto Rico.  And of course, I can't leave the highlights of my year without mentioning going to Russia with my mom!

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Starting this new job.  It is a promotion and has a lot of new responsibilities.

8. What was your biggest failure?
I should have finished my master's project, but it's not quite done yet.

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing serious.

10. What was the best thing you bought?
I guess it would have to be my tickets to Russia!

11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I have been really impressed with my brother (who moved to Puerto Rico).

12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one, really.

13. Where did most of your money go?
My new job has a longer commute... more money on gas.  I love buying clothes and plane tickets, too.

14. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Leading the trip to France.  I danced around my office and my apartment for awhile after that.

15. What song(s) will always remind you of 2012?
"Neutron Star Collision" by Muse.  Thanks, Twilight. 

16. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
No difference. Still basically happy with my life!

ii. thinner or fatter?
Probably a little bit fatter.  I lost a lot of weight in 2011-2012, but since starting my new job I haven't been able to work out a lot.

iii. richer or poorer?
Richer :)

17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Working out.

18. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stressing out.

19. What was the hardest thing you did this year?
Changing jobs.  Starting somewhere new has been a real culture shock experience.

20. What was the best thing you did this year?
Went to Russia.

21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
I stayed in love! 

22. How many one night stands?
Boring.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Parks and Rec.  I love, love, love this show.

24. What was the best book you read?
At long last, I took the advice of one of my best friends and started reading Lois McMaster Bujold.  I fell in love with Shards of Honor, although I have been assured that it is not even her best.

25. What were your greatest musical discoveries?
I don't think I made any musical discoveries.  Maybe... well... no, I have no idea.  I don't think I listened to any new bands or bought any "new" music.

26. What did you want and get?
A new job (sorry to keep talking about it, but it was the big event!).  Also, I turned 30 and Jube gave me the best birthday party I've ever had in my life.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?

Two Days in New York

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

I turned 30.  I kept pushing Jube for a party, and he delivered in a big way.  My good friend BB came down from Ohio, and tons of friends came to my place.  We even had a (mini... pony?) keg.  After they came over to our place, we went to a Mexican restaurant and pigged out.  I got a little bit drunk, but it was all worth it!

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

I loved my previous job.  If I could have changed one thing, I would have loved my new position to be at my old employer.

30. What kept you sane?
My colleagues, my husband, and books on tape.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept for 2012?

Wear jewelry.  I don't wear makeup or high heels very often, so finding ways to make my natural attributes work for me was/is important.  Also I love wearing colors, especially if they clash just a little bit.

32. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay marriage.  Go Maryland, the first state to legalize marriage for all through a legislative referendum!

33. Who did you miss?
I saw almost everyone I miss this year, although not my cousin who lives in California.  I miss my little brother now that he's off to the US Commonwealth.

34. Who was the best new person you met?
My new colleague Dharma.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
You have to take risks, even if they don't turn out exactly the way you want.

Happy 3rd!

Last Thursday Jube and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary - or as they say in French, our "three years of marriage." We went to the Manor House at Poplar Springs where we celebrated our wedding reception in 2006. My little brother now works in the kitchen there, and he had them create a little dessert surprise for us. Yum!

Vas-y, Francky, c'est bon!

Oh my oh my... I still haven't finished talking about our vacation in France, but what can I do? I'll promise a post about St. Saturnin and La Fontaine de la Vaucluse, is that all right? In the meantime, be content with this:

Once upon a time, during assistantship days...

At my going-away party, all of the English teachers and some other colleagues gathered to celebrate. We had a really fun time, eating, drinking... and someone had brought a karaoke machine! I was able to sing a lot of the English songs (one of the teachers even played "Wild World" on his guitar for me to sing), but I was unfamiliar with the old French karaoke chestnuts like "Cette annee-la." By the end of the night, we were all pretty happy and silly. It wasn't just a goodbye party for me, but one of the other English teachers had recently been promoted and was leaving the school. He was one of the best teachers and I had really enjoyed working with him.

All of a sudden, I realized that nearly everyone was in the living room listening to that same teacher boogie down with the karaoke machine, laughing like crazy. I couldn't understand many of the words of the song (which is okay, because half of them are in Creole), but he was singing the girls' part: "Vas-y, Francky, c'est bon! Vas-y, Francky, c'est bon bon bon!"* It was probably the funniest thing I'd ever heard: an older man, with stylish clothes and graying hair, simpering about how sexy Francky was in bed... He was really hamming it up, too!

He ended up sounding (and acting) like this girl I just saw on YouTube:



If you'd like to hear "Fruit de la passion" in its entirety, feel free to watch Francky Vincent get it on. My favorite line? "Il n'y a pas que la fesse dans la vie... il y a le sexe, aussi!"**



*Go for it, Francky, it's good! Keep going, Francky, it's good good good!
**I'm not translating that for you ;)

Lunch Party!

A couple of weeks ago, while watching The Office, I was surprised by one of the jokes. The officemates had created a banner that was supposed to read, "Launch Party!" Instead, Phyllis messed it up and printed out a banner that said, "Lunch Party!"

It was a cute joke, but it reminded me of my junior year in high school when my friends and I would put together our own Lunch Party! every Friday. It operated on basic potluck principles, with everyone bringing a dish and sharing. I usually brought the drinks, 2-liter plastic bottles of pop. I even bought plastic champagne glasses from a party supply store. I'd bring them to the Lunch Party! and rinse them out afterwards, keeping them in my locker for the next Friday.

One of my friends was the editor of the school paper and wrote an article about Lunch Party! (forever immortalizing the silly exclamation point). Another one of my friends painted a posterboard that said "Lunch Party!" and hid it behind the pop machine in the cafeteria. I think it lasted for a couple of weeks before one of the custodians threw it away.

I hadn't thought about Lunch Party! in years. High school might not have been the best four years of my life (as promised in my class's valedictorian speech), but I had a good time with good friends.