2011 in Review

Y Invested in the future of container housing
Y Became a faster cyclist
N Became a fast cyclist
Y Experimented with outsourcing some drudgery
Y  Discovered the joys of root vegetable soups
N Discovered the joys of kale
Y Survived the aptly named Chilly Hilly 2011 bike ride, complete with snow and gale-force winds
N Enjoyed the aptly named Chilly Hilly 2011
Y Uncloseted my longtime fascination with airplanes
Y Enjoyed a brief stint as a piano teacher
Y Visited Southeast Asia for the first time
N Flew international first class for the first time, in a seat that was half the size of my house
N Flew international first class for the first time, in a seat that was one fourth the size of my house
N Flew international first class for the first time, in a seat that was one tenth the size of my house
Y Flew international first class for the first time, in a seat that was really spacious
Y Washed an elephant
N Achieved the pinnacle of grace and elegance while washing an elephant
Y  Had an amazing time with old and new friends in Laos and Thailand
N Saw enough of Laos and Thailand that I never need to leave home again
Y Saw the final Harry Potter movie debut in Bangkok
Y Experienced the highs (international first class, gorgeous hotels) and the lows (second class sleeper car on Thai night train, highly dubious plumbing, nuclear mosquitos) of global travel
Y Enjoyed it all
Y Uncloseted my karaoke obsession
Y Launched a blog
N Achieved untold fame and renown in the blogosphere and Twitterverse
Y Joined a mentoring program and got to know an amazing young lady from Nepal
Y Revamped my living room décor
Y Bought a really nice rolling storage ottoman
N Bought a really nice rolling storage ottoman for the exclusive use of cats
Y Met a brand new human
N Spent enough time riding my bike and having fun
Y Took a glass-blowing class
N Kept a straight face while saying “glory hole” in glass-blowing class
Y Visited Ireland for the first time
N Failed to realize I was in Ireland as weather was identical to Seattle’s
Y Rode a bike around the Dingle Peninsula
N Rode a bike around the Dingle Peninsula in blazing sunshine and warmth
Y Met only nice people in Ireland
Y Met some great authors and editors at a writing retreat
Y Played with piglets (not at the writing retreat)
Y Visited Puerto Vallarta, Portland, Waikiki and San Diego all in the same Thanksgiving weekend
N Had a restful and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend
Y Saw parrots in the wild in Mexico
Y Rented hotel rooms so squalid that I wished I was bunking down with those wild parrots
Y Spent time with friends
N Spent enough time with friends