January
- Started out the year after what has turned out to be a fairly crucial turning point for our family. Sometimes things need to crack in order to heal.
- Turned 26
- Applied to graduate school to study business and media and stuff in NYC, Canada and Chicago
February
- Voted Obama in a very exciting, packed local primary.
- Said goodbye to my Grandma - one of the most warm, most fun, most full of life people I have ever known.
- Ate at White Castle on Valentine's Day with Justin, Molly and Eric
- Drove M & E to the airport, sent them off to Haiti for what felt like a very long time. Cried, but didn't really know what about and worried a lot those first few days.
- Flew to Hawaii. Laid on many beaches. Watched whales. Read 100 Years of Solitude to the sound of waves crashing. Learned to surf. Ate a lot of avocados, drove a rental car, went to a random party with locals and freeloaders, laughed a lot.
March
- Got really tired of hearing Sublime everywhere and feeling like no one was aware that the whole rest of the world existed - flew home to cold, grey Minnesota ready for spring and more sunshine, but were really ready to talk about things and spend time with friends and participate in the world again.
- In an effort to brighten up day to day life, I redecorated my office
- Listened to Menomena
- I was accepted into NYU and all of a sudden was maybe going to move to New York
- Signed up for a hip hop dance class through community ed
- Mom gave me her sewing machine, and an adventure began!
April
- I made my first skirt.... and then another one and another one and then I made a dress. And another one. And another one.
- Hip hop dance class cancelled - and sewing club was born!
- Beirut on my headphones on the morning bus to work
- Molly and I navigated letters between Minnesota and Haiti on the blue light electronic pony express
- Justin and I celebrated one year of being married. And we didn't really know how to celebrate that since it was our first time, so we ate sushi and went shopping and loved each other so wonderfully much for another day.
May
- New bike!
- It snowed again - and we all thought spring would NEVER come and everyone got really irritated.
- Decided not to go to NYU, but then flew out to New York anyway to hang with friends and spend a weekend in another place.
- No emails from Haiti for three weeks! Boo....
- Made my first bag out of neckties. Huh. Cool.
- Decided that maybe Justin should go back to school instead, and realized again that plan-making is for suckers, because nothing ever really goes how you expect.
June
- Molly and Eric are back for a few wonderful weeks! A bigger world fills our house, we squeeze them tight and then release them again to Nicaragua, Argentina, and beyond...
- The sun is back!
- Started dreaming about life outside of my FCS office and began to email myself new job opportunities
- Listend to Muscles a lot
- Realized that neckties are a totally badass thing to make stuff out off, and ordered myself a box of 300 from ebay, and this whole sewing thing took on a new life altogether.
July
- Rearranged our house... spread out and welcomed the light.
- New blog! It's good to write things down.
- New plan! Justin enrolls in MCTC's graphic design program for fall 2008.
- Pitchfork 2008! Justin and Colin and I head down for quality time with Dan Wren, the Hold Steady and Dinosaur Jr.
- I start to go beyond browsing... applications sent out for new jobs.
- I begin an account at etsy.com called Tart Design.
- Molly and I discover the miracle of the telephone.
August
- Cell phones suck! We ditch em and buy an old-school land line.
- I apply for a job with The New Teacher Project.
- Justin gets laid off, starts classes.
- I start calling in sick. A lot.
September
- Tart Design - first sale!!
- Shalee, Kristina and I head to Wisconsin Dells for dancing, roller coasters, mooning and general troublemakery.
- The New Teacher Project calls and I accept a part time job, put in my notice at FCS and begin the wild ride of pursuing a happier day to day.
October
- I head in to Saint Paul Public Schools for my first day with The New Teacher Project.
- Justin turns 29!
- I find myself with 4 jobs instead of one suddenly - still working for FCS, working at a new job, writing for three websites, filling Tart Design orders, and feeling overwhelmed all the time.
- Polka girls get a tattoo.
- Buy a new macbook, and it totally rules so hard. I'll never go back.
- Molly and Eric begin life in Tanzania and the light splits open a little again...
November
- Holy shit - Obama is elected president!!!!!
- First craft fair at the Lake Nokomis Community Center...
- My brother, Judd, gets a girlfriend.
- I feel overwhelmed and stressed for most of the month and become increasingly difficult to calm down. Still have 4 jobs.
- Tart Design is featured in Metro Magazine. This is so cool!
December
- FCS finally hires someone and I gradually phase them out. Thank GOD. I can breathe a little again.
- The New Teacher Project has its first interview event!
- Craft fair #2!
- Molly and Eric depart Tanzania for Greece and try to decide where to go next.
- It's cold and snowy... and New Year's is just around the corner.
I love New Year's. And I'm so excited (as always) for next year. You just NEVER know what's going to happen. And tonight, I'm feeling optimistic.