1/1/11. 1/1/11. 1/1/11.
That is fun to type.
2010 was a great year for us. It is the first year I can say that I am happier, better off, and farther along in all the areas that are important to me. That’s not to say there weren’t a few bumps and hiccups along the way, but nothing too devastating or serious in the long run. There is much to be grateful for.
Here are some highlights from 2010:
* I published more short stories than I have ever published before.
* I also published several articles.
* I gave a reading.
* I judged a book contest.
* Kyle got a new job. This month, he will be starting at Cyan in Petaluma, which is just down the road from our house.
* Kyle published the second edition of the Official Ubuntu Server Book
* He also published articles, mostly for Linux Journal.
* Kyle’s column, “Hack and /,” was voted “Best Linux Journal Column” by the magazine’s readers.
* Kyle spoke at several conferences.
* We went to Spain!
* We got chickens.
* We bought a Karmann Ghia.
* We bought a kayak and used it until it got too cold.
* We went camping in Humboldt.
* I went to the AWP conference in Colorado, which I wrote about on the Word Pirates site.
* We went to Santa Barbara for our anniversary. We didn’t like Santa Barbara, but I’m still glad we went.
* I took a road trip to California gold country with Marcia.
* Kyle and I continued all our food hobbies. We made duck confit, bacon, beef jerky, strawberry jam, and other beers for the first time.
* I took a photography class at the community college, but I didn’t like it and dropped out.
* We made progress on the remodel of the bathroom. I hope to finish this spring.
And so on!
Our family also did well this year. My parents bought a house. This is a huge deal since my parents haven’t had a home of their own since I was in high school. Also, my mother-in-law’s business is starting to do well, which is gratifying because she has worked so hard to get it off the ground.
Our friends are doing cool things, too. Justin and Stephanie are traveling the world–and blogging about it. Marcia wrote her first book, which is coming out in April. You can pre-order it here. Word Pirates, my writing group, is doing great too. We are publishing more and seem encouraged to work toward our goals in a new way lately.
As usual, I read a lot. In particular, I read books on gardening and some classics, including Walden by Thoreau, Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham, Plato’s Republic, some Wittgenstein, and some Shakespeare. I also read new books as well, including the much-hyped Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, Jennifer Egan’s enjoyable A Visit from the Goon Squad, and The Best American Short Stories 2010. Every year, I intend to read the cool and happening writers my contemporaries read, but somehow I never get around to it and end up following strange threads instead. This fall, I became obsessed with Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald and read three biographies on them in the row. Now I seem to be over that, which is kind of a relief.
Another thing that happened this year: I hit a stride in how I handle my work, and this has been fruitful for me both intellectually and creatively. Something changed in my discipline and concentration. I would make a goal, devote time to it, and then my goal would be achieved–without the agonizing and worrying that usually accompanies this process. I also started free-writing in the morning for 20 minutes a day, which produced an astounding number of short stories and essays, many of which I polished up and published. And I kept a private journal all year, which not only helped me keep a better record of my life, it helped me remember just what the heck happens to me. Otherwise, I forget with alarming speed.
So that’s it for 2010. In 2011, I would like to:
* Go to New England in the fall. I want to see fall leaves and visit nerdy literary sites and eat maple syrup.
* Go to AWP again in Washington, DC this February, which is really a big excuse to visit the spy museum.
* Finish the book. You know the one.
* Use the kayak allll the time.
* Go on mini-trips in the convertible.
* See the Kentucky Derby in May, which also means we will be traveling to Kentucky.
* Finish remodeling the bathroom.
* Put a patio in the backyard. Goodbye ugly concrete slab.
* Plant an even bigger garden. I am going to put in blueberries, a pomegranate, a cherry tree, an apple, and lots and lots of flowers, as well as the usual vegetables. Our water bill is going to be enormous.
* Have a party in my lovely new backyard by the end of summer and invite all my friends.
Happy New Year.
