• At the beginning of 2009, probably after seeing “Yes Man”l I promised myself that I’d do more. It turned out, that my friends were pretty much thinking along the same lines. As one of them pointed out during dinner, “these are the last few years we can actually do exciting things, soon we’ll be too old, unfit, tied down to various responsibilities etc…” So that was my one and only resolution or goal for the year – To do more (or to say yes to more things)

Love

• Blind date – In line with my “do more, say yes” resolution, I let anyone willing / threatening to set me up with some guy, set me up. I went on possibly the most awkward group “date” of my life so far (with a friend and three guys who have not seen “The Godfather”!). It was practically a job interview. I also learned that the word “lawyer” really truly scares off about 99% of guys. hehe
  

• Weddings & engagements - It really was the year for marriage and babies. Facebook did a wonderful job of reminding me that everyone was progressing in life, while I was just in my first 2 years of work :S (hello feelings of inadequacy) I think I went to a record number of friends weddings this year – I have a mini stack of baicapture photo souvenirs as proof. I’ve also managed to escape the single person games at all the weddings. I re-used dresses and discovered that I still do not own a decent pair of gold heels (I wore gold ballet flats to one wedding because I couldn’t find any other shoes to match my dress.) and although I brought my dslr to some of the weddings I was not a total douchebag by trying to cover the entire event. I hate covering events.

• Letting go - It really does take half the time of the failed relationship to properly get over everything. Save for one or two minor lapses, this year was pretty much x-less. I also deleted a lot of my old accounts (email, friendster, myspace – yeah i had one of those etc…), threw out old stuff (clothes, shoes, papers, files etc…) and really tried to just have fewer things to keep track of.

• Family – It’s been a very bumpy year in this department. Some family members became increasingly difficult this year, and rather than deal with them (when they are over) I stay at work, or visit friends. (Seriously, why is it that family is the least perceptive of PMS?! There are days when a girl just wants to be left alone.) We also lost a few extended family members early this year, siblings of my grandparents, and that was truly sad. On the upside, the family got together a lot more often this year, not just for funeral and post funeral rites, but for other occasions like birthdays and wedding anniversaries.

Career

• First Year Anniversary -I celebrated my first year anniversary at my current place of employment (August) and attended a record number of training lectures and seminars (required). I did not get fired and I got a decent pay increase at the end of the evaluation period. I’m not saving as much as I would like to but I’m happy to report that I do save a good bit every month. I’ve sort of settled into the daily work grind. I love that I can walk into the BIR and not look like a tourist nowadays. I still bitch about needing vacations and missing standard school year breaks (oh how i miss semestral & summer breaks!) but I’m happy where I am (especially when I think about where I came from *shudder*)

• I don’t hate my job - At least I finally figured out that despite the annoying office mates (who leave me to do all the last minute work), the occasional avalanche of deadlines, and just the general disadvantages of my chosen profession – I actually enjoy my job. It took one information session for a “brand name” MBA program to help me realize that I do not hate my job enough to make me want to scrounge up and or borrow roughly 8 million pesos to get an MBA degree out west. It just isn’t the right time for me – maybe I’ll reconsider the possibility in 2 years.

• Sideline – Just because I said I didn’t hate my job, doesn’t mean I am willing to throw myself into it 100%. i’m just not that kind of person. Sorry. While I can’t bake and sell cookies for additional income (still no kitchen :S) people have been paying me to design invitations for their birthday parties, baptisms etc… It’s fun work, although it is a little stressful when the job requires more than design work. Printing and assembling 30 invitations can take its toll on ones fingers :s (i need minions)

Health

• Record number of Sick Leaves – between food poisoning, migraines, fevers, and major infections (took about 3 rounds of really bad ass antibiotics this year) – I think I racked up a week and a half of sick days. 2009 was just a horrible year health-wise.

• PMS - This was the first time I experienced murderous levels of PMS. There were just day I felt like pushing people out of windows and setting houses on fire. Yes, THAT bad. I guess I really need to exercise regularly. (not much of that was accomplished this year)

Money

• Spending – I set aside 2k every month to be spent on some form of recreation. Every month I went somewhere or did something – even if it was just eat out with friends or go to some bit of Manila I’d never seen before. Throughout the year that money was spent on Photography Classes (I finally learned how to use my dslr properly), make-up (since I’ve learned how to put it on), books (record number of books), concert tickets, eating out (primary activity with friends) and trips.

• Saving – By mid 2009, I had a long list of things to save up for – trip to Europe, trip to New York, camera stuff, laptop etc… I will probably still be saving up for some of these things by the time 2011 comes around.

Entertainment & Travel

• Concerts – I put my 2k a month “recreation allowance” to good use. I saw Fallout Boy, John Legend and Lady Gaga this year. I got tickets to the Eraserheads concert (as Din sid “we were destined to see the last half of that concert”). The Eheads final concert was nothing short of magical. I have that awesome memory of standing beneath a confetti filled sky while the band took their bow as the final chords of “Huling El Bimbo” played. The John Legend concert was a fangirl screamfest. There is just really something about John Legend (who doesnt even do shows shirtless) that makes girls go nuts! (and it’s not just the piano. You should see this guy walk in to an arena. It’s just *eeeejohnlegendiloveyouu!*)

• Trips – Pagbilao, Lucban, Cagbalete, Cebu & Bohol with the bench. I passed on Bangkok, Singapore and Boracay (fiscal responsibility). I spent a lot more time with my college friends this year – somewhat making up for the 4 year absence from most trips. I guess the upside of being in your mid and late 20s is that you’re all earning enough to engage in some serious R&R.

Funny thing though. In 2009, I stopped reading my daily horoscope.