2010 Was for the Birds

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it's no coincidence that one of the biggest timewasters of the past year was the iPhone app Angry Birds. That's because as far as I'm concerned, 2010 was for the birds. 2009 was an awesome year for me, and this year was, well, not. I started the year alone in my apartment on New Year's Eve, and then it continued from there. There was disappointment, frustration, challenge, and laziness. Relationships didn't pan out, I got too used to spending time on my own, I was let down a few too many times, and things I hoped to do I never was able to set my mind to. Sure, things got better after the midway point, but especially after the year I had 12 months earlier, this year just kind of sucked.

Not that it was all bad. I mean, "for the birds" could also refer to Twitter, and the way that particular social media site (and others) made the year more fun. It wasn't just the free ice cream in August. It was the mayorships for no reason, the connections I made and the things I learned on Twitter, and the enjoyment I got from using Facebook — on screens both small and large. Social media was good to me this year, and it's no exaggeration to say that I consider my use of it a highlight of 2010.

There were other highlights:
* I traveled a bit, both for professional and personal reasons. Work trips took me to Captiva Island, Fla.; Lake Tahoe; and Park City, Utah, among other places. I also went on my annual 4th of July trip to Chicago and enjoyed my first family vacation with my niece.
* Speaking of which, I enjoyed watching and listening to Abby over the course of the year as she got older and more fun. During our conversations on my rides home from work, she'd tell me what to have for dinner or update me on her day, and she always made me smile. Spending time together was always great, and she broke my heart when we had to say goodbye. Now Abby's going to be a big sister to two identical-twin boys, due in March. How cool is that going to be?
* My last two articles for Continental magazine were interviews with Kristin Chenoweth and David Hyde Pierce.
* There were a lot of cupcakes — probably too many, and some better than others.

One other highlight of the year was the time I spent getting in touch with the old me. It showed me just how much I've changed since my high school days, sometimes in shocking fashion. It also showed — reminded — me that I've always had up years and down years. So when the clock strikes midnight on December 31, I'm going to hope I'm saying goodbye to one of those down years and hello to an up year. There are already indications that I'm on an upswing. Let's hope it continues.

In addition, rather than make a list of resolutions I know I'll never keep, this year I'm going to resolve, simply, to make 2011 better than the year before. That I should be able to do.

Happy New Year.