• Submitting my first full-length medical article to a scientific journal this week!
• Going on a double dinner date tomorrow with a former co-worker and her husband
• Finishing The Murderer’s Daughters, by Randy Susan Meyers, who is a friend of a woman in my book club

Books waiting to be picked up from the library today:

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
• How Did You Get this Number?, by Sloane Crosley
• Last Night in Montreal, by Emily St. John Mandel
• This Boy’s Life, by Tobias Wolff

Supplies for tonight’s girls’ movie night:

• Food: popcorn, soda, Twizzlers, and M&Ms
• Selected movies we own: About a Boy, Dan in Real Life, The Italian Job, Ocean’s Eleven, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Remember the Titans, The Truman Show, and You’ve Got Mail
• Movies to be picked up from Redbox today: The Help and Something Borrowed

To do this weekend:

• Do laundry
• Scrub bathrooms
• Mop floors
• Start a baseball-themed onesie
• Watch Thursday’s episode of Project Runway: All Stars
• Make chocolate turtle cookies and prep meatballs for sandwiches for a big group dinner on Sunday
• Make chocolate-chocolate cupcakes for a co-worker’s birthday
• Brainstorm outfits for Week 2 of Kayla’s 10-Day Winter Challenge
• Take naps

At Talula’s, there is a large, wooden table. It’s The Table from the name. Every night, parties of 8-12 sit down and eat a seasonal meal, chosen by the chef. It’s purported to be the hardest reservation in America because you have to make your reservation exactly a year in advance. The line opens at 7am, and if you are the first one through, you get the reservation on that date in one year. How crazy is that? The Talula’s dinners are mythical in Kennett Square, partly because of the rarity of reservations, but mostly because the food is supposed to be amazing. I always assumed that I would tell the tale of Talula’s, but I would never actually experience it. Can you imagine? Gathering at least 6 friends, getting them to commit to a dinner a year in advance, having no say in what’s served (minus allergies), and then paying a pretty penny? Yeah, probably not.

Several months ago, a new friend of ours told us about “another table” at Talula’s. Say what? Apparently, in addition to the farmhouse table, there’s a “chef’s table,” in the kitchen. You get the same food as at the farmhouse table, and you can get a reservation just a few months in advance, but it’s invitation-only. Lucky for us, our friend had an in with the booking guy, and he reserved the table for us, him, and his wife! That’s how I had the best meal of my life on Sunday night.

JG and I arrived at Talula’s first, bearing wine to go with dinner and beer to go with dessert. Dan, one of our servers, ushered us to the little café table at the front of the restaurant. The lights were low, and we heard faint chatter from the people at the farmhouse table. I was so excited. Our friends showed up soon after, and we had 3 small bites to start:

• Local Mushroom and Lobster Terrine and Roasted Potato
• Medjool Date Stuffed with Mascarpone, Roasted Butternut Squash, and Toasted Pepitas: sadly, I did not get a picture of these because we ate them too fast, but it was one of my favorite things of the night
• Cauliflower Soup with Roasted Cauliflower Bits and Crisp Salami

Then, we proceeded to the back of the restaurant to the kitchen. The chef, sous chef, 2 servers, and a dishwasher were bustling around, doing their duties. The kitchen was bright and clean, but fairly minimal. Our table consisted of 2 rolling butcher block counters, pushed together, with 4 stools. There was a large vase of tulips, and each place setting had a cloth napkin and a placemat. I loved being in the kitchen. The lighting was way better for pictures, but the best part was that we got to watch and talk to the staff the whole time.

For the next 4 hours, we were served 8 courses of staggering deliciousness. Every time, the server would set down the plates in just the right way and say, “What we have is…” and launch into an extremely detailed explanation of the food before us. We learned where it came from, how it was prepared, and how it should taste. Everything was so thoughtfully prepared and composed, and of course, delicious. There was a basket of housemade breads, like Bavarian pretzel rolls and cheddar sourdough. Even the salt was pretty! I was so, so happy. I mean, look at this.

• Steelhead, Soft Eggs, Smoked Roe, Crème Fraiche, and Potato Wafers
• Petite Snails, Barley and Fennel Ragu, Garlic Chips
• Salt Cod Fritters, Creamed Kale, Horseradish, Tomato Fondue
• Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Sweetbreads, Mushrooms, Prunes, and Lemon Cream
• Line-Caught Tuna, Curried Lamb Sausage, Curried Grape Sauce, and Crisp Capers
• Smoked Beef Ribeye, Cheddar Polenta, Sweet Onion and Spicy Poblano
• Raw Milk Raclette, Rissolé Potato, and Little Pickle
• Baby Pecan Sticky Bun and Salty Maple Ice Cream
• Lemon Macaron with Lavender Cream (my first one!)
• Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie (to go)

JG went on and on about how there was a prune that tasted “just like bacon!” and I could not get over the awesome snails dish. Each course was only 4 or 5 bites, but that added up over the long haul, and we practically rolled out of there at the end of the night. The staff was thanked us for coming (!) and encouraged us to come back soon. If we were made of money, we’d be back in a second. I am so glad that we got the chance to have the Talula’s experience, and I can not wait until we try it again in another season with a new menu.

JG: a big gap box just showed up here for you
with a “gapfit” sticker

RA: woot woot!

I’d received e-mails about Gap’s new line of workout gear, GapFit, and I was pining silently for it because I only have just enough pants to make it though my week of fitness classes. Since I joined the Y in August, I have accumulated a good selection of tops — for which I refused to pay more than $10 each — but my pants selection is very limited. I must do laundry on Saturdays if I am to be decent at the gym on Mondays. The arrival of this package seemed especially serendipitous since it occurred on the very day that I posted about my fitness challenges. When I busted into the box, I found a jacket, a top, and five pairs of pants! Very exciting! I got so excited, in fact, that I had JG take pictures of me in terrible lighting, with my cell phone, as I modeled with goofy poses and cheesy grins, plus an occasional bewildered dog looking on. Let’s get to it!

gFast
Here I am, mid-stride in my living room, in gFast running leggings, top (that you cannot see), and jacket. I have never worn running leggings, and I was nervous that my legs would look all sausage-y in them, but these things suck you in like crazy. There’s even a convenient zippered compartment in the back for a key. They are a little long for me, per usual for my short legs, but that did not cause any problems, unless you count some ankle-scrunching.

For me, the most exciting thing about this ensemble was the jacket. No, my hand has not been amputated, as it might appear from the shoddy picture; the jacket has built-in fingerless gloves! You slip your thumb through a little slit, and the slightly-longer sleeve covers most of your hand. Once you are warmed up, just push the sleeve up and you are good to go. I also appreciated the zippered pockets on the outside and compartments on the inside. Plus, look at the kicky turquoise color! Love it.

gBalance
How could I not love a pair of cropped knit pants? These gBalance capris are super soft and comfy with a gray foldover waist band. Even though I am demonstrating a tree pose, I wore these pants this morning for my Body Pump workout, and they were an excellent, instant addition to my workout wardrobe.

gFlex
These gFlex pants are made from a lightweight material that seems like it would wick away moisture, and it’s just slightly stretchy (12% spandex, I see). They look, kind of, ah, dressier than my normal full-length pants, if that makes sense. There’s a hidden back pocket in these guys, too. Please note that in taking the awkward picture above, JG was all, “Wait a minute…” and I was all, “TAKE THE PICTURE ALREADY!” and Ted was all, “I’m confused.”

gDance
Check out my best approximation of a Zumba move as a still life! These gDance pants are really similar to their gFlex companions: same material and a back zip compartment. But this cut is slimmer overall and has a smaller flare at the ankle, which I think would be nice for aerobic workouts like Zumba or anything based on martial arts.

gStretch
When I put on these gStretch pants, I said, “Whoa, baggy!” Compared to the bootcut gFlex pants and the flared gDance pants, this last fit was positively roomy. That’s not to say it doesn’t fit, because it does. The wide leg is really comfy, and I’d appreciate it in yoga the most, think. The website calls it “part workout pant and part lounge pant,” and I have a vague feeling that my distribution of those activities in these pants will be something like 30-70. Plus, they have pockets! Even better. Judging from Ted’s expression, he had just about enough of this shenanigans.

Overall
In general, I liked the GapFit products I received. Without real road-testing, I think they appear to be well made and durable. The fabrics are light but not sheer, and I like the inclusion of details like zippered back pockets. My favorites were the top, jacket, and gBalance capris, because I know that I will use them right away and frequently. As far as fit goes, all of the pieces were in my default size, and they fit me well, with the exception of length. It’s fine; I’m a shortie, so I’m used to it. The gFlex and gStretch styles come in Ankle, Regular, and Long lengths, so I’d probably opt for Ankle instead of Regular. Even so, I appreciate the options in length.

My only quibble is price. The pants range in price from $34.50-$54.95, not to mention the top ($26.95) and the jacket (a whopping $69.95!). Sorry, Gap. I would never buy these items at these prices, but as I stated above, I am a total workout cheapskate. That said, it appears that these prices are lower than those at Athleta, Gap’s sister company for fitness clothing. I have 2 swimsuits from Athleta (bought on super ridiculous clearance with free shipping, obviously), and they are holding up great. So, I’m sure that their products are of high quality, but I could never stomach the full price. If you feel the same way about Athleta and your price threshold for workout gear is greater than mine, then you should definitely check out the GapFit line.

But wait, there’s more! If you are hankering for a piece of the GapFit action, you can order online and get 30% off with the promotion code NEWYOU until midnight tonight (ET). This discount applies to Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, and you can get free shipping for orders over $50 across all 3 brands, plus free return shipping. (You can also get 20% off Piperlime purchases, which always ship for free.) If you’re a member of Ebates, you can also earn 2% cash back on your purchase; let me know if you’d like a referral link. So all I’m saying is, now would be a pretty good time to try the GapFit line, if you are so inclined.

- – - – -

I received these GapFit items for free as part of my agreement to be a Brand Enthusiast for Gap through Brand About Town.

The 6am Friday instructor, Mike, was very nice. He helped me set up my bike and told me not to worry about the increases in resistance at first. Just get the pace at first, he said.

Oh, my goodness. Spin class was the hardest thing I had ever tried. The pedaling motion was totally new to me, and my legs were not pleased. No, wait. My rear end was even less pleased. That first class was really hard, and the hour crawled. I was sore for days afterward, but I convinced myself that the next class would be better, so I came back a week later. And the week after that. And the week after that. Even though I improved just slightly in setting up my bike and not looking like a fool, I could hardly ever keep up the pedaling pace, much less crank my resistance like the instructor told us. I gasped my way through the warm-up and then could not stop myself from looking at the clock every 2 minutes. One time, we did 8 5-minute cycles, and I wanted to cry. Each cycle seemed endless, and there were so many of them! By my fourth class, I resigned myself to the facts. Spin class was hard, yes, but I did not like it. The newness of it did not give way to my normal teeth-gritted determination to improve each time. That style of exercise did not inspire me to do better; as soon as I was trapped on my bike, I just wanted to get out of there. I let it go after the month was over.

However, I did glean a valuable lesson from my stint in the spin studio. At the beginning of every class, Mike would tell us what the overall routine would be (like, argh, 8 5-minute cycles), and then he’d say, “Remember, it’s your ride! I’m going to push you, but you’re here for you. It’s your ride.”

Hm. It’s my ride.

Now, when I’m struggling to hold a plank or push through my third mile or hold my legs at 45 degrees during my hundreds, I remember this sentence. Sometimes, I work through the struggle, but sometimes, I rein myself in and lean back into child’s pose or put my knees down for 5 seconds. “It’s my ride” helps me persist but also relax. It reminds me that the effort I’m putting in is better than the nothing I was doing before, and the challenges I have are all part of it. Even though I hated spin class, I’m glad I learned that mantra. So, yoga today, then Body Pump on Thursday, Pilates on Saturday, and Zumba on Sunday, and it’s all part of my ride.

1. Pi bottle opener: hello, solid steel pi! The fact that it opens bottles is just a bonus.

2. Behold the Lamb of God, by Andrew Peterson: We discovered Andrew Peterson this year, and JG loves Christmas music, so I downloaded the studio and live versions of Andrew Peterson’s annual Christmas tour. It’s not traditional Christmas music; it’s more like a narrative of the Christmas story with original songs (and some carols) throughout.

3. The Very Very Many Varieties of Beer poster: I went through a bit of a tizzy with this product because it arrived damaged, but Pop Chart Lab immediately sent me a replacement. Phew. The next obstacle was framing and wrapping this thing because it is 24×36″. As in, it comes up to my chest and is therefore very bulky and heavy. But it was worth it because it is awesome to see local breweries that we love on this poster.

4. Porcelain travel mug: JG brings a mug of tea to work every day, and none of his mugs are dishwasher-safe. So when I read about this mug on Food Lush, I decided to buy one just in case he liked it. Big hit!

5. Waffle tees: JG had mentioned that he didn’t have any long-sleeved shirts between “doing yard work” and “wearing a button-down.” I got a couple of these tees at Old Navy for super cheap on Black Friday, and JG quickly put them in regular rotation.

1. Striped sweater: I got this on super clearance from the J. Crew factory store, so it is long gone now, but it’s a high-quality, light wool sweater and a good addition to JG’s teacher wardrobe.

2. Half-zip sweater: JG loves this type of neckline, and he didn’t have this color yet, so I bought it, yes, for super cheap on Black Friday. I am nothing if not predictable.

3. Mensa puzzles daily calendar: I got JG this calendar a couple of years ago, and he mentioned how his students like to try the puzzles. It was time for a redux.

4. Sheldon Cooper “73″ t-shirt: This shirt is a reference to The Big Bang Theory but more subtle than a giant “bazinga” across the chest. Sheldon wore a shirt like this on the show more than once, and when he explained it, he said, “The best number is 73. 73 is the twenty-first prime number. Its mirror, 37, is the twelfth and its mirror, 21, is the product of multiplying (hang on to your hats) 7 and 3. In binary, 73 is a palindrome: 1-0-0-1-0-0-1, which backwards is 1-0-0-1-0-0-1.” I printed out this diatribe so that JG could rattle it off when someone inevitably asked him what the deal was with 73.

5. Stocking stuffers: Scrabble Slam (thanks to a tip from Kayla), dark chocolate Kisses, and 100 Grand candy bars

For my family, I followed a formula of sorts: a book, a funny notepad, and something else. I dipped heavily into the notepad and sticky notes sections at Knock Knock, which I highly recommend.

1. LOFT pleated tunic: My sister has been wearing leggings more often, and she said she wanted more tunics. This picture is kind of misleading because I couldn’t find the one I got her online, but it’s a really deep purple color. However, I have the striped one here, and I love it.

2. Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal: This was one of my favorite books of the year, and I thought my sister would find it amusing. It’s the kind of book that you can dip in and out of, so it’s not a huge time investment.

3. Fashion Citations: Yes, my sister and I tend to be snarky. So what?

4. Brave Little Kang t-shirt: My BIL has a thing for monkeys, so I always have my eye out for monkey stuff. This t-shirt from Threadless is really interesting and could be worn under a blazer for a casual night out.

5. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand: Another one of my favorite books! My BIL already e-mailed me that he finished this book and loved it.

6. Cubicle Notes: We joke that my BIL is a career bureaucrat, so these seemed appropriate.

1. Amazon gift card: Not my finest moment, but my mom wants to get new running shoes this year, so I contributed to that purchase. Did you know that you can order an actual gift card, in a greeting card, and it gets shipped to you overnight for free? I am so doing this in the future. It’s way classier than printing one out on a home printer, folding it, and jamming it into whatever spare envelope I can find.

2. A Tiger in the Kitchen, by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan: I didn’t rave about this book, but I thought my mom would appreciate the story of a woman who goes back to her native Singapore to learn how to cook from her aunts and mother.

3. You Are Here bookmark notes: HAHA. I really should have bought these for myself, too. I just find them so hilarious.

4. Grid-It: I don’t remember where I read about this product, but I knew immediately that my dad would love it. He is a gadget hound. The last time we hosted Christmas, every outlet in the living room was occupied by one of my dad’s chargers. Really, Dad? When my dad opened this, he didn’t quite get it (despite my over-enthusiastic explanation and gesticulation), but I’m sure that he will love it once he plays with it.

5. American Places, by William Zinsser: I haven’t read this book, but it’s by one of my favorite writers. He visits major American landmarks and writes about them, and my parents love traveling around the country. I felt a little nervous giving a book I hadn’t read, but I think this was a safe bet.

6. When Pigs Fly sticky notes: Again, HAHA.

Let’s see, what else? I gave my grandmother a new photo album for when I send her prints in the mail, plus a framed copy of our ridiculous Christmas card photo. My uncle, aunt, and cousins each got sticky notes, plus a shared gift card to the movies. Oh, and everyone always gets baked goods, too. This year, I made pumpkin bread and blondies. For my part, I got a couple of fun things (cute t-shirt, mustard-colored bangle, new sheet pans), but all I really asked for was money toward a new camera, which I hope to put to use soon.

1. In Zanesville, by Jo Ann Beard
I arranged the books alphabetically by author, but it was serendipitous that In Zanesville bobbed to the top because it was my absolute favorite book this year. I am very stingy on Goodreads, but I gave this one 5 stars, so you know I am not messing around here. Read it! The story is narrated by an unnamed 14-year-old girl in a fictional midwestern town in the 70s. She is accustomed to being a sidekick, whether in choosing clothes or babysitting a pack of hellions, but when her friends start going to co-ed parties and sitting with boys at football games, she is confronted with the idea of being her own superhero, so to speak. It’s a coming-of-age story, but that category sells it short. The writing is great, and the author captures everything that is awkward and wonderful about that age. I loved the heroine so much. I wanted to reassure her that not everything is so weird once you grow up a bit.

2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley
I am not a mystery person, and I don’t know how I missed the fact that this book is a mystery, and yet, I loved it. I thought the heroine, Flavia de Luce was really wonderful. I especially love that she is a budding chemist (bordering on poisoner) and that she loves to read. Could there be a more perfect heroine for me? I listened to this book on audio, and I loved the reader. I love basically any British reader, but this one in particular was quite charming to me. I have heard from others that this is not a universally held opinion, but it made a big difference in my enjoyment. I have since read and listened to the second and third installments in the series, respectively, and I prefer the audio productions. Even though the series has sort of drifted into comfortable monotony, I still enjoy them very much, and I’ll keep up as they are released.

3. The Illumination, by Kevin Brockmeier
In this story, there is a phenomenon by which everyone’s physical pain is manifested as light. In a car accident, the car flashes with a very bright light that dies down as the people pass away. The book is told in sort of connected stories as various people in all walks of life discover and work through the Illumination, as it’s called. I thought this book started out stronger than it ended, but I recommend it because it was very carefully done. I think it’s hard to write a book that’s both mystical and realistic, and this is a pretty good shot. At the time that I read it, I had lower back pain, and I wondered how it would be if my back was radiating light as well as pain. I wondered how I would treat people differently if I could literally see their pain. In that way, I think this book is worth reading, and I thought the concept was original.

4. Room, by Emma Donoghue
Room tells the story of a young mother who has been held in captivity with her little boy. The boy narrates the story, and Room is where they live; it is all he has ever known.  You’ve probably heard about this book. It got a lot of hype, and I think it was deserved. In some parts, the child narrator seems too prescient for me, but for the vast majority of the book, I was completely swept in. Yes, some of the parts are traumatic, but it’s a story about an abusive captor, okay? I zoomed through it during a business trip and stayed up way too late reading and then being scared. Soon after, I saw a lady reading it while we were both waiting for a train, and I burst out, “Ooh, that book is really good! I read it in 2 days!” and she said, “Oh. I’ve been working on it for a couple of weeks now.” Awkward.

5. Still Alice, by Lisa Genova
Lisa Genova is a neuroscientist, and her novel about early-onset Alzheimer’s is very thoughtfully done and informative. That is to say, it is terrifying. Alice, a college professor starts noticing problems with her memory and retention, and after the diagnosis, the reader experiences the progression of the disease through the narrative. I am probably more sensitive to this book because I am 1) in the medical field and 2) terrified of losing my mental capabilities, but I think the story is very well done. There’s a good treatment of the disease itself and how it affects the patient and the family. Even if it was totally scary and I thought I had early-onset Alzheimer’s every time I lost my keys.

6. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand
Unbroken tells the true story of a WWII pilot who is shot down in the Pacific, survives on a raft for a record number of days, becomes a Japanese POW, and manages to make it back to the US, only to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism. At times, it’s a very difficult book to read, especially in the POW camp, but I could not put it down. There were moments when I glazed over, like in the recounting of battles, but overall, it’s really great. I gave it to my new brother-in-law for Christmas, history buff that he is. For what it’s worth, I also enjoyed Seabiscuit, the author’s first book, and I knew not a thing about horses or racing.

7. The Dirty Life, by Kristin Kimball
In The Dirty Life, the author moves out of New York City to start a farm in the country with her boyfriend. But, oh, not just any farm. They have a vision for a year-round CSA program: produce, dairy products, meat, and sweeteners (honey and maple syrup). And they want to do it using horsepower! As in, horses! There’s a part in the book where the author is talking to an older man who wants to be “a gentleman farmer,” nice and tranquil, living off the land. She looks at him and says, “What you want is a garden.” Farming, we learn, is warfare against the earth. There is nothing idyllic or peaceful about it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the experience, even if it is not something I would ever attempt.

8. Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Until this year, I only knew Amy Krouse Rosenthal as the author some of my favorite books to give at baby showers: Little Hoot, Little Pea, Little Oink, and Spoon. Then Megan told me about this book, and I fell even more in love with AKR. She is awesome! This is a weird memoir of sorts, more of a collection of random stories, tables, and diagrams about her life. My favorite bits were the ways that her full name can be anagrammed, the table of childhood memories, and how you judge a song by what station plays it on the radio (eg, hipster independent station versus light rock). I thought it was really funny, and I enjoyed wondering about what my life’s encyclopedia would be like. I gave this book to my sister for Christmas, and now I think I should have ordered my own copy.

9. St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, by Karen Russell
I read this book because I really wanted to read Swamplandia!, but it was based on one of the stories in this book. At the end of the day, I liked this collection of short stories better. They are all kind of odd and eerie, but I liked that. It’s so hard to create a world in a short story, but Karen Russell does it and then thrusts you in. I have a friend who thinks that short stories are weird as a genre, and I tend to agree, but these are so well done. My favorite pieces were “Haunting Olivia” and “Z.Z.’s Sleep-Away Camp for Disordered Dreamers.”

10. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
This book is about a group of cancer cells from a woman named Henrietta Lacks that were replicated in a laboratory setting and led to major medical discoveries. However, at the time that the cells were harvested, there were virtually no regulations in place about informed patient consent or ethics in research. The Lacks family wasn’t even notified that the cells were in commercial use, which resulted in huge lucrative gains for the developers. Yes, I was compelled by this story because I’m in the medical field, but I’m constantly dealing with informed consent and protection of patient information. But you don’t have to be in medicine to understand and appreciate this book. It’s such good journalism, and it raises so many hard questions, so I think it’s certainly worth reading.

At the grocery store that week, JG picked out cheeses and cured meats for an antipasto platter. I baked a loaf of no-knead bread to go with it, made stuffed mushrooms, and roasted some broccoli to balance out the bread and cheese. JG poured champagne into flutes we got from Mimi’s house. Our TV is being repaired, so he set up the laptop for us to watch Season 1 of Community on DVD. We ate our finger foods and refilled champagne to the cool blue light of the screen and the warm glow of the Christmas tree.  Our little cocktail party, spread out on the coffee table, was just about perfect. I didn’t miss that fancy party at all. Maybe next year.

For some reason, I loved our Christmas tree this year more than I can remember than in the past. For the first time, it went up like a dream (thanks to a miracle tree stand), barely dropped any needles, and I apparently decorated it perfectly on the first try. In other years, I have futzed with the lights or the distribution of the ornaments almost every day after putting it up, but not this year. Whenever I looked at it, it always seemed right. Not that I had a lot of time to enjoy it. I regret running around so much this year and not letting myself take in all of warm, fuzziness of Christmas. On New Year’s Eve, I felt like I finally did that. I was full of good food, tingly from champagne, and so cozy on the couch. Even as I enjoyed the sensation, the acute knowledge that it was all going away the very next day was sharp and clear. I picked up my camera and took a blurry picture of the dark scene. When I cleaned off my memory card the next day, I was taken aback, pleasantly surprised. Somehow, everything I wanted to capture on that last night of the year was in the frame. The softly lit tree. A shiny champagne flute. The silhouette of my favorite person. Calm and bright.

- – - – -

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Take a weight-lifting class, take a cycling class; travel to Salt Lake City and Nashville; attend 2 college national championships.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I was a dismal failure at completing my 11 projects (depressing recap to come), but yes, I am setting goals for next year (optimistic post forthcoming).

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Friends in the blog world and my book club had babies, but no one in my immediate circle had a baby. Next year, however, will be very different.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
JG’s grandma Mimi passed away.

5. What countries did you visit?
I only flew domestic this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you didn’t have in 2011?
A big fat vacation! We are booked for Seattle in August!

7. What dates from 2011 will be etched upon your memory, and why?
October 15, when my sister had The Wedding of the Century!

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?
I finally figured out how to exercise consistently with my (not so) new work schedule.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I failed at balancing work, exercise, time with JG, projects, and writing. I feel like I can get most of them balanced, but not all. Writing is the big loser right now, and I hate that it’s getting the shaft.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Other than a bout of whooping cough, I was fine all year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Half of Teddy showing up at my sister’s wedding.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
JG’s, for being so super patient during an insane year.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Jerry Sandusky.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Wedding presents and travel.

15. What did you get really excited about?
Delaware playing for the national title! My sister getting married!

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
“Raise Your Glass,” by Pink, because we danced to it at almost every wedding.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier, thinner (even though I weigh the same), and richer. Woo!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Being irritated so easily.

20. How will you spend Christmas?
We saw both sets of family this year, which is rare. We spent time in the Pennsylvania Poconos and then Queens, New York.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Yes, with my smartphone and Twitter. (Okay, and I still love my husband, obviously.)

22. What was your favorite TV program?
How I Met Your Mother, but I finally caught the Modern Family hype.

23. What was the best book you read?
My absolute favorite book this year was In Zanesville, by Jo Ann Beard. I really need to buy a copy so I can re-read it and then lend it out to everyone I know. I just loved the heroine so much. I wanted to hug her the whole time.

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Andrew Peterson.

25. What did you want and get?
A pair of brown leather boots. Does that make me super shallow? I had been hunting for months, I swear.

26. What did you want and not get?
A vacation. I know, I am harping on this. But I really wanted one.

27. What was your favorite film of 2011?
I don’t think I watched any new movies in 2011. I can only remember the second to last Harry Potter movie, which almost put me to sleep, so…

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 28, and I (pause to consult the blog) got my nails done while I read a book, watched Modern Family DVDs, and ate barbecue ribs.

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A lot more writing time and output.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2011?
Skinny jeans, flats, cardigans, and scarves, so basically, the same as ever. I feel like I got a much better handle on wearing bright color and patterns. Later in the year, I latched on to the sock bun with a vengeance, and now I’m figuring out more interesting ways to work with my longer hair.

31. What kept you sane?
JG being patient and Ted being cute.

32. What political issue stirred you the most?
Hm. Probably not a good sign that nothing is springing to mind.

33. Who did you miss?
In May, JG and I left our church and started attending a new one, and that was a big, good change for us. But I miss seeing and having closer relationships with our friends at our old church.

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Be better; feel better.

35. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Could it be that the many roads
You took to get here
Were just for me to tell this story
And for you to hear this song?
And your many hopes
And your many fears
Were meant to bring you here all along.

- Andrew Peterson, “Many Roads”

This week is a rare occurrence of simultaneous time off for JG and me. So far, in between episodes of Modern Family on DVD, we  are both slipping in and out of naps, taking full advantage of our big sofa. Right now, he’s making dinner while I futz around on the computer. The Christmas tree is twinkling in its last days of glory before I take it apart on Saturday. I’m 100 pages into The Grapes of Wrath, and I relish my 2-day uniform of big sweater, leggings, and socks.  Ted is calm and eager for snuggles. From now until Monday, all we have scheduled is lunches on Thursday and Friday with friends we hardly see. We declined invitations to parties for New Year’s Eve and the Penn State bowl game on Monday. No, it’s better for us to be home together, soaking in the Christmas afterglow, until the daily routine rises up to meet us. It feels a little self-indulgent, but that’s because it is.

To make matters worse, I felt awful. I was eating poorly throughout the day, taking advantage of my break room’s assortment of delicious, fattening snacks. At night, I stayed up late watching sitcom re-runs, and then I had a hard time getting up early to go to the gym. I was sluggish, inert.

One day, my inner monologue was especially whiny. “Why do I feel so bad? I don’t feel like talking to anyone. I just want to have earbuds in all day. Why do I only want junk food when I have good snacks at my desk? I know it’s bad for me, but I don’t care. I say I’m owning my bad decision, but that doesn’t make it a good one. It’s still bad. I’m just pretending that owning it will make it seem less stupid. I am knowingly making stupid decisions.”

Around this point, a postcard pinned to my cubicle wall caught my eye. It’s one my dad sent me in college, and I have kept it ever since. The card has a quote on it from Abraham Lincoln: “Whatever you are, be a good one.” I see this card every day, but I really needed to see it that day because I was not being a good anything. I was succumbing to gravity and blaming it on tiredness and everyone else around me. No. Not good enough.

I resolved to go to bed at a reasonable hour, get up to go to the gym, and only eat the snacks I brought to work. I had to retrain myself in work discipline and did my very best to do things quickly instead of procrastinating until the last minute. I’m ashamed that I had to make intentional effort in these things because they are sort of the base expectations for being a functioning adult, but I was not doing a good job. And then, gradually, I started feeling different. I had more energy, and I felt productive at the end of the day. I realized that I felt better because I was better.

So now I try to remind myself: be better; feel better. It’s common sense, I think. Like those mantras in The Happiness Project, the phrase doesn’t break much new ground, but it rings true to me. I can’t control my circumstances, but I can take responsibility over how I respond to them. It’s unreasonable to assume that good feeling comes out of nowhere, that keeping the same course will result in a different outcome. This is my call to make better decisions, be a kinder person, and take better care of myself. I’m not striving for perfection here. It’s just that, if I want to feel better, I need to push myself to overcome inertia and be better first.