2010: A Reflection

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! 2010 has been a great year for gaming but for me, it was a terrific year for personal growth. I hardly ever check my horoscope but for some reason I started the year by seeing what mine had to say:

Year 2010 Overview for Aquarius

Aquarius often gets pegged as being a little too cerebral for its own good. But the truth is, that's where you do your best work. The next year is going to give you the opportunity to use those sharp mental powers to focus on what it is you really want out of life. Two eclipses fall in your Twelfth House, which will bring out your intuitive side, and give you a chance to see your life from a less-strictly-logical (yet no less valid) perspective. The additional information they give you about your life and your position in it will be your big chance to put things in order.

Saturn is also going to be bringing big changes as to your philosophical approach to life. What fundamental approaches to life have worked for you, and what haven't? You may have never stopped to ask that question, or known the benefits of finding the right answer to it. This year, those answers will come, and your life is likely to be a saner, better-adjusted place for it.

Of course, it's impossible to have a well-ordered world around you without having a few other people in it. The middle part of the year will see close friends and partners coming and going in your life, more so than you've seen in a long time. In part, this will be a reflection of the changes going on in your "higher mind." And again, the overall effect should be a positive one. It's your worldview, Aquarius -- make it the best you can!

Now, I have no idea what these eclipses are doing in my Twelfth House, but I made sure to keep a look out and shoo them out the front door should they provide me with any problems. However, I didn't take the last paragraph about how close friends and partners will be coming and going out of my life seriously until it actually (coincidentally enough) happened.

But let me talk about the highlights and what I've learned (or cared to remember) about this year before it goes flying out the window.


TOP TEN OF TWO THOUSAND TEN (in no particular order really, they're really just ten moments that come to mind).

10. I finally got to see Belle & Sebastian live (in a cemetery no less), Broken Bells, and School of Seven Bells (all in one month...practically in the same week). I was lucky enough to see B&S with @slimjimallen, @TheNotoriousTDP, and @nahdeeeyah, and School of Seven Bells with my fellow film aficionado @DavidisALLright.

9. I flew back to Nashville, TN to see my little brother graduate from O'Moore College. This was also the first time that I got to meet a few of his friends, including a buddy in the military, and now that he's legal, merrily take part in throwing back a couple libations. I flew back during Cinco de Mayo and was confused when my Southern compadres wanted to celebrate the holiday....but you guys don't even know what good Mexican food is!!

8. I slid my car out three times on the way down the mountain back in April. I'd rather not relive that experience, but I have thought twice about driving back up to Big Bear. Yes, I did have chains on my tires and they did diddly squat as I was staring down the side of the mountain and straight at death.

7. However, to make up for #8, after god knows how many seasons, I finally learned how to properly toe side and am now able to slowly carve on the snow! It helps to have a patient partner who's willing to give up their day bombing hills to show you how to go downhill without hurting yourself :)

6. We went to the county fair every single week and pigged out on just about every piece of fried food they had there including deep-fried butter, chocolate covered Oreos wrapped in bacon, Australian battered potatoes, and beer...lots of beer. But we didn't go to the fair just to eat...no, we watched plenty of pig races, visited the cute little kune lune piggies, rode an elephant, and watched our friends Badfish perform on stage!

5. Did you know that I love the Steve Miller Band? Neither did my dad but he went and got me a pair of tickets to see them at The Honda Center (formerly The Arrowhead Pond) in Anaheim. My friend got a bit tipsy off a 32 oz. Corona (apparently she's a lightweight) and by the end of the night she was crazy for Steve. "Keep on rockin' me baby..."

4. The 1990s came back in full force when we finally got to see The Offspring and 311 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (formerly the Irvine Meadows) back in July. I've seen 311 before so I knew what to expect, but we were really there for The Offspring. They performed most of their greatest hits including "Session" and "Keep 'Em Separated", and threw in a bunch of newer material like "Hammerhead." Unfortunately, they didn't perform "Total Immortal" but we had a good time, sat next to a couple of cool kids, and watched as a relationship unraveled right before our eyes two rows in front of us.

3. I had a falling out with my best friend of 20 years in June and the pivotal point of that drama came to an end this past Tuesday on the 28th. Without going into too much detail because it is a personal matter, we both decided (in our own way) that we're never going to be friends again. Complete bummer but it's really for the best. What matters most is that I'm surrounded by friends and family who really care about me. I guess some friendships can go sour like a carton of milk, but at least I know that the friends I have now are pretty much like tequila--no two are the same, lifelong shelf life, and reminds you that you're still alive (the morning after).

2. A really good friend of an old boyfriend passed away at the end of the June at the hands of the Brea police. I didn't even know about it until mid-September and even that was by chance. Even though our relationship didn't end well, I knew it was right to reach out to my ex and let him know that should he ever need to talk to anyone, he could count on me.

1. Jury duty. No, I'm serious, I finally get called in for jury duty and was veryveryvery excited about the prospect of becoming a juror. I got as far as the courtroom, sat in the little juror box, and....was dismissed. Crap. WHY?! Some say it was because it looked like I knew the difference between right and wrong, up and down, and left and right. Or it could be because they knew I wanted to be there. Either way, I haven't lost hope--there's always next year :)

WHAT DID I LEARN?

If you asked me what's the one thing I can take away from this year and roll it over to the next, I'd say it would be personal boundaries. Growing up I was always taught that you should be nice to others and that it's good to be liked. While that may be true to a certain extent, being nice all the time regularly backfired on me. So I did what anyone else would do, go on Oprah.com and looked up "boundaries."

Learning how to set my boundaries and not let others take advantage of me is the one thing I feel has made me grow as a person and help me handle quite a few scenarios (particularly #3) with grace, finesse, and most importantly, logic. On that note, I believe I'm ready for whatever 2011 has to throw at me.

Happy New Year everyone! May it be safe, prosperous, and full of health! I love you all (yes, you too Canada)!!


So long 2010, helloooo 2011! Happy New Year from tsudoku and Tuff Ryd3rz