As I worked my way into the final couple of weeks of the year, I just sat back and rested on my laurels, pleased with what I had done through the year, happy that I’ve gathered some great experiences, met some interesting people, and created a nostalgic time capsule of memories that I can always return to should I wish to reminisce. But once I crossed over into the new year – in this case 2011 – I thought to myself “holy crap! I’ve got to do this all over again!” The truth is that I thought that I could wind down on the adventures after 2009, so as I entered 2010, I didn’t make any promises. I didn’t set out to raise the bar…but I did.
But clearly, I’m not ready to stop. As 2010 was a few months away from winding down, I was grabbing at any extra experience that would assist me in catapulting over 2009. Any more trips I could squeeze in? Any more celebrities I could meet? Any additional old friends I could meet up with?
On the other hand, I was already thinking ahead about 2011 and thinking about how I might top 2010, even as I was in the process of raising its bar. (It’s such a vicious, double-edged sword). I was planning trips and thinking of potential reunions and visualizing the next generation that will be entering my life about four months from now.
I know that the day may come when this all may end. When my tired bones just don’t want to get out and embrace the world anymore. When I’m just as happy to watch TV, take a walk, and read the newspaper to see what excitement other people are having. But that time is not now. For now, I’m going to keep plugging along, peeking over the bar of the previous year and figuring out how to get over it, contemplating ways to end the year with it slightly higher once again.
However, having said that, I didn’t really feel like starting the year out with excitement. I was off work on Friday the 31st (which may have been a first), and it was nice to relax after the busy weekend we had had over Christmas. There’s always a tendency to convince yourself that you need to be out to celebrate the New Year, but this year, I was just as happy to sit home with the cats, watch some movies (especially fun ones like Billy Madison, Johnny Dangerously, and When Harry Met Sally), and say happy New Year to friends via Facebook. Call it melancholy, call it getting old, call it just not really caring. But I wasn’t sad and I wasn’t depressed to just catch five or six minutes of Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve as the ball dropped and poor post-stroke Dick struggled to extend his greetings, as I sipped one sole glass of white wine and had some Chick-fil-A.
New Years Day was as equally uneventful. Typically, my Mom’s family gathers on this day, but tradition had to once again be altered to gather on January 2, as both Diana and my Mom had a University of Dayton basketball game to attend. I did get a burst of New Years energy and did some treadmill walking and housecleaning as a token gesture to 2011, before I beginning my new regimen on the 3rd. Then I watched the epic Barry Lyndon and lots and lots of Twin Peaks.
As I said, the official family gathering was on Sunday the 2nd at 3pm. I spent the morning watching Dog Day Afternoon and Jaws, and went grocery shopping with Ashleigh, where I picked up the crab cheese ball for the party. Ashleigh decided that she was ‘tired’ and didn’t feel like going along, although she was out and about by the time I got home. I was the first one to arrive at Diana & Tom’s house, and spent some time looking through her old photo albums.
As the crowds started rolling in, I quickly realized that I had left my memory card out of my camera. No wanting to begin the new year without pictures, I ran up and bought one at Staples – which I will then give Ash to use in her new camera. New Years Day food at my family is always amazing, and this year was no exception. We had traditional pork and sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut balls (a new specialty from Bev), oriental salad, some sort of delicious seven-layer bacon salad, vegetable lasagna, cheese and sausage dip, guacamole, and plenty of other delectible snacks and desserts. It was a nice way to end the eating frenzy of 2010 that had lured me into putting on well over 20 pounds by the end of the year.
This would be a good place to talk about resolutions, but I’m not going to. The proof, my friends, is only in the pudding (or lack of pudding gut).
Bev and grandsons Andrew and Charley
Cathy keeps Moera’s attention diverted from the dinner table
Bob has different ideas as to what constitutes ‘carrot cake’
After we ate, Mom, Diana, Bev, Karen, Brittney, Darlene, and I played a game called Apples To Apples. Bob Robinson joined us for the second game. Debby, Dan, and Natalie worked downstairs on making (and distributing) invitations to Debby’s baby shower. Others just hung back and watched football or socialized. It was another great gathering of the Murphy clan.
In attendance were: Grandpa Murphy, Diana & Tom, Cathy, Debby, Dan & Natalie and Tori, Mom & Bob, me, Bev & Ed and Charley, Karen & Joe and Andrew, Abby, and Allie, Jim & Jan and Nikki and Eric, Darlene & Bob, Brittney & Doug (and their dog Moera, named after Christian Moerlein). Overall, it was a decent gathering for what tends to be one of the lesser attended holidays.
Darlene, Karen, Diana, and Bev deeply engrossed in a game of Apples to Apples. Andrew and Allie are thinking more about the organ.
Taking a rest against Debby’s baby belly
Overview of a living room – featuring Jan, Jim, and Ed
Erin and Nikki steal away to some downstairs football viewing
Andrew and Abbey are a bit odd about posing for pictures. First they wouldn’t, then Abbey wanted to show me how she would be willing to pose, as long as I didn’t take the picture. But this is what I ended up with…and it’s cute.
Dan, Natalie, and Cathy work on invitations to Debby’s baby shower
Tori delivers the invitations
I gave Andrew the camera and charged him with taking a picture of Ed. Oddly enough, this is what he came up with.
Brittney and I toast the New Year with our Dixie cups of champagne
Before I left, I made sure to get the traditional New Years sibling photo, now celebrating its fifth anniversary (it began in 2007). We added Grandpa to one of the photos, and then for the first time, I took the opportunity to jump in the cast shot…er, photo.
Diana, Jim, Darlene, Mom, and Bev
Grandpa joins the picture
They asked if I was going to do my famous ‘point’, but it was easier to do my ‘presenting…’ pose
On the way home, I stopped by Heidi’s house so that we could have our official weigh-in for our January weight-loss competition. I’ll announce the results at the end of the month. But I’ll win. It was also fun to see Jayne and Madeline play with some of their Christmas toys, and to commandeer the remote-control race-car myself.
Heidi steps on the scale, mentally preparing to lose our bet
Jayne sits and spins
Madeline leans and drools
Hopefully, the family fun that we had at this event is a harbinger of the good times to come of 2011.
2011 will continue…
Look at me! A fat celebrity! Yes, you probably will win, but I need all the motivation I can get! And Madeline would be horrified to know that you said she drools…I’ll keep that little caption to myself.
Heidi
January 6th, 2011