My Book of 2009
It’s that time of year again where I go back through the notebook that has a month by month listing of things that happened in my life over the course of the year. Some of the things are silly, some of the things are monumental. Either way I really enjoy the exercise of keeping the list year round and reviewing it and deciding what I want to share with you here. Without further ado, my book of 2009, enjoy:
January
- Was asked to be on a committee at shul
- Melissa made firm plans to come visit in February (so excited!)
- Daddy gave me a Wii
- Appeared on WFPL’s State of Affairs for the second time
- Was without power for 5 days during and after the ice storm. We stayed downtown at D’s condo.
- Vaguely discussed setting a mikvah date with Rabbi. He was disappointed that my birthday is so far away, far too long to wait to finish the conversion process but he likes to have the big dunk coincide with significant dates
February
- Chose date with Rabbi for mikvah visit and conversion ceremony
- Chose a Hebrew name
- Went with R to her first ortho appointment and then to lunch. This because a really fun routine for us and I was sad to see it go when her surgery and all of its follow-up visits were over.
- SMC Lou Social Media Bootcamp for Non-Profits
- Um, majorly unpleasant event that I can’t talk about on the wide open internet
- Agreed to go into therapy
- Spoke to classes at two different universities
- Melissa’s visit! So. Much. Fun. We did the Maker’s Distillery tour, had great meals at Proof and Toast and saw Amelie at the midnight movie. I say again So. Much. Fun.
- Was without power for 3 days because of wind storm. Stayed at the other D’s house one night.
March
- Entered therapy
- Lots and lots of unpleasantness both personal and Consuming Louisville wise (Breadworks brouhaha)
- Spoke to a class at a third university for the year
- Was nominated for 40 Under Forty which turned out to be one of the worst things ever
- Received a wealth of seder invitations
- Chose my mikvah witnesses
- Fell in love with Fleetwood Mac again
April
- Mikvah
- Conversion ceremony (and party with a gorgeous cake from Marsha)
- Two seders
- More major unpleasantness that I can’t talk about on the wide open internet
- Went to Chicago with B for a conference. Spent 3 days roaming the city in the rain by myself. Maybe not the best plan given my state of mind at the time.
- More therapy and more unpleasantness. I don’t know that I’ve ever experienced such a manic month in my life. It contained some of the happiness moments I’ve ever felt (mikvah, conversion ceremony) and also the worst week of my life (save weeks where someone has died).
May
- Lost my mind. No, seriously
- The “Libraries are Free but Books Aren’t” book drive on Consuming Louisville was really successful.
- Officially joined AJ
- Was asked to join the Jewish Film Festival Committee and agreed to do so.
- Made an appointment with Dr. T
- Was offered a job
- Had my first aliyah
- Went home and spent a weekend drinking, crying and being really sad with my stepmother and my sister
- Took steps to distance myself from a very large portion of my biological family
June
- Took a job
- Saw Dr. T and was diagnosed with major depression and dysthemia otherwise known as “Double Depression.”
- Started meds
- Joined Vision Committee at shul
July
- I was a mess the entire month.
- Turned 33
August
- Grace was attacked by a German Shepherd
- Got a Kindle from my dad and stepmom
- Quit my awful job
- Threw a bake sale for the library and raised $1,000
- Organized Punk Torah event at AJ
- Wrote an article for the Community paper
- Tried to gently disengage from a couple family situations. One went well, one went horribly.
September
- Was genuinely shocked by the hateful reaction to my disengagement by a family member
- Photography show that I curated (and featured my work) opened at Heine Brothers
- Bought a kiddush cup and challah cover
- Chose a realtor
- Apologized to E for not being more supportive of her new relationship
- Agreed to join the “New Media Advisory Committee” of the Kentucky Humane Society
- Stopped going to therapy monthly instead of weekly
- Served as a witness at the mikvah for a new convert
- Honors on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
- Excellent lunch with the third D.
- Rosh Hashanah dinner at Rabbi’s house for which I prepared two kick ass desserts. For real, they were awesome.
- Consuming Louisville won two LEO Readers Choice awards
- Got invitations for 3 sukkot dinners
- Rescued Cassie, a runaway dog, twice
October
- Grace got pancreatitis again
- Shul offered me a job
- Louisville airport asked to use on of my photos for the cover of their annual report
- Helped build a sukkah (being raised on a farm came in handy!)
- Had three really awesome meals in sukkahs
- At one of those awesome sukkah meals got to know N. She intimidated the heck out of me when I first met her but after a meal where she and I (and no one else) got drunk and silly I was enchanted by her and she’s since grown to be someone really important to me.
- Spent more and more time with Sam, grew ever more fond of him.
- Took Sam to speak to B’s med students
- Made Sam lunch and spent hours talking to him on his final day in Louisville before he returned to Chicago
- Had setback which mandated an emergency visit with Dr. T and a shift in meds
- Melissa came to visit and much, much, much fun was had. I’d like her to come visit every month please. We went to a fancy bourbon party and proceeded to get drunk off our asses. We then made B escort us up and down Hillcrest so we could drunkenly enjoy all the Halloween decorations. It was a very good time.
- Spoke to my mother on the phone for the first time since April.
November
- Started the house buying process
- Grew more and more fond of N
- Dropped out of Jewish adult education class that I was really disappointed in
- Found a house, made and offer and it was accepted
- Attended Focus Louisville
- Started writing weekly letters to Sam
- Had two really excellent days hanging out with Dianna.
- Speaking gig for Kentucky Parks & Rec conference
- Hosted a potluck for B’s med students. I made kugle and cupcakes for 25 people.
- Had a really lovely breakfast with my family the day before Thanksgiving as they were driving through
- Brilliant “chosen family” Thanksgiving at D + C’s house.
- Discontinued therapy
December
- Had an amazing day with N lunching and shopping for paint colors and mailboxes for the new house.
- Threw a pretty good holiday party
- Had a bad couple weeks. More Dr. T time and adjustments
- Excellent lunch at Havana Rumba with the rebbetzin
- Cantor gave me a fabulous Hanukkah present
- Bought B tickets to the Norah Jones concert for Hanukkah
- Decided to move Consuming Louisville to WordPress and finally ditch Movable Type after a million years
- An excellent time was had at Brigid Kaelin’s Christma-kuh party at the Monkey Wrench (including Eddie B.)
- B injured her shoulder and required meds, physical therapy and lots and lots of ice packs
- Moved Consuming Louisville and On a path to WordPress. Will move all of the other sites I have to WordPress as well in early January.
- Started a Louisville Blogs wiki
- Before N left for her annual snow bird pilgrimage she said to me that she has a very short list of things she actively misses while in Florida and I’m now on that list. Is it amazing or silly that kindnesses like that from people I adore send me into such a state of bliss?
- Abstained from Christmas in absolutely all forms with my family. Enjoyed being completely absent from any December stress, rush or frazzlement.
- Made a boatload of candy and baked goods for B’s colleagues.
- Movie and Sitar on Christmas day. Mushroom matar and vegetable korma FTW.
- Started packing for the move
I’ll come back and edit December to account for the last week of December later. With the move coming up though I wanted to get the rest of the year down before I get too nuts trying to manage all the administrative stuff that comes with buying a house and moving.
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