Helloooooooo 2011

I have been so quiet on the blog front as of late, and I am saddened by that. Silence can sometimes mean not so great things in someone's life, but that's the not the case here my friends! I've just been busy and haven't had the time to sit and think. To sit and write. So in hoping to get back to that this year, here's a recap of the last few weeks:

Christmas:

Christmas!

• The drive back to the mitten only took a grand total of 10 hours on clear roads and with several stops. We rolled out of Manhattan like grandparents in our rental Grand Marquis. Not exactly the car of choice for us, but hilarious none-the-less. It stowed all of the things we needed to transport back to MI though, and for this we are thankful. You'll be thankful for our much emptier office/guest room now too when you visit!
• Christmas Eve day was spent with my family. Somehow my brother managed to turn wrapping his gifts for other people into a game for my sister and I, and I either won or lost, depending on how you look at it. Hey, I was just just happy to wrap things. Visiting with my family was nice, and I gifted them a snazzy new laminated city map so they could relate when I explained all about things in my crazy Brooklyn life.
• Christmas Eve was spent with the Mister's family. We noshed on stuffed mushrooms and shrimp cocktail, bested a hardcore subway map puzzle, and toasted the holiday with a few too many bottles of wine and champagne (my favorite tradition).
• Christmas we spent the day with the Mister's immediate family. We enjoyed a late breakfast, so many snuggles with my niece and nephew, a giggle-fest with toy centipedes, and far too many lovely gifts. T'was a good day.
• The next few days were a whirlwind of more family gatherings, meeting up twice with the lovely Kristal and her hubby for meals (mmm, Vinology), reading books in front of the Christmas tree lights, and packing a preparing to drive back to New York, directly into the eye of Snowpocalypse 2010. That's right, while Michigan barely got any snow, Brooklyn got hit with almost 18 inches in a 24 hour period. I was prepared for the worst.    

Wrapping, Assembling, Centipede giggles, and new slippers

New Years:

Leftover snow and CAR

• Fortunately for the Mister and I, our friends Nick & Carly joined us on the drive back to NYC, and it was lovely to have company, especially during the 1.5 hour wait to get through the Lincoln Tunnel. I have to say, despite there being almost 24" total of snow everywhere, the city streets were for the most part clear, and we managed to even return our rental car before the 9pm deadline. Hooray!
• The next few days were spent eating, enjoying, and navigating large piles of snow. Carly and I went for New Year themed manicures (loving the OPI "Glitzerland" shade), and we had fantastic breakfasts at Dizzy's here in Brooklyn, SarahBeth's at the Chelsea market,  and Clinton Street Baking Company on the LES. We also got a private tour of the Manhattan Google offices, and played board games with several employees and friends there for hours. I considered a career change as a Google Admin just to keep the fun vibe going. We cooked, we walked, and finally, we watched the fireworks light up the sky over the Statue of Liberty and Prospect Park from our roofdeck. Pure NYE magic.
• We spent New Years Day appropriately with friends, homemade quiche, naps, plenty of college football, and games. They say what you do on New Years Day sets the tone for the entire new year. I think given that, 2011 is off to a great start!

Sparkly Glitzerland

View from Google Manhattan Office windows

New Year's Framboise

New Career Plan:

• Just after our friends departed back for MI, I prepped for a second round interview that I alluded to before the Holidays. It went very well, and I got the job that same day. :-)
• Negotiation details of the new position are still being worked out, but it's looking like I would start this new job on the 24th of January. It feels great to be starting the new year on a new foot. I'm excited for the opportunity, and to start feeling more settled into this New York life. 

New Goals:

I finally thought about and set goals for 2011. They are as follows:

• Financial:
• Close the chapter on the Milan house (by August)
• Pay off Wells Fargo Balance (March 15)
• Save $100/month to an emergency slush fund
• Restart 401k contributions at a minimum of 10%, ideally 15%
• Health/Wellness:
• Finish 2 months of 4HB (goal to lose 20 lbs and 5 total inches)
• Maintain healthy lifestyle/weight for the remainder of the year
• Cut my sugar addiction (dessert no more than 5/week)
• Schedule an allergist appointment (April)
• Personal Enrichment 
• Sign-up for one cooking class (Butterlane class by June)
• Complete at least one session of Iyengar yoga at Yogasana (sign-up by March 1)
• Read at least one book per month
• Career:
• Determine the requirements for ASA AQI certification (by June)
• Research Masters in Healthcare Administration Programs in NY (by November)

I hope you're as excited about 2011 as I am. I'm foreseeing good things and many good times, especially with THREE weddings to attend on the horizon!