2010 was a year of high and low for me, and it actually started at the end of 2009 when my landlord (I was renting at the time) told me I had six months to move out because she was going to sell her house and move into the house I was living in (which was actually her mom’s house). As a side note, I was blessed to have lived there three years, and pictures of that house are here.

Anyway, back to 2010, so the start of the year I was looking for houses to buy in the area. Trying to find a decent house, that was in my price range and that didn’t involve some major remodeling was going to be interesting. I started looking online as well as driving around town to start a list. After getting a realtor and looking at several houses, I found one that seemed perfect for me. Then playing the patience game began. There was two grants I was trying to secure, and one of them didn’t come and didn’t come, and the seller was not going to wait forever, and I was going to buy it, but really wanted the grant that provided me the extra money that allowed me to put down 20%, this along with the help of another grant and my parents. So after a couple of months, I successfully purchased my first home in April!

Also during the first couple of months, I won an iPod nano at an American Idol Launch Party held at John Wood, and I also got to go to my first Quincy High Blue Devil game thanks to two good friends! 🙂

A month later in May, storms came at John Wood. Because of the financial wreck the State of IL is in, we were told that each of the four Service Areas had to decrease staff by 5%. I was really nervous because I just bought me a house and had to stay there for 5 yrs to not pay back the grants, and secondly, me and trying to find jobs takes a while (according to past history). Luckily, I was going to go on a mini vacation for a weekend and see some friends, so I was looking forward to that and not have to deal with stressed about possibly losing my job. After I got back, I was still worried about losing my job, however after some much needed assurance from co-workers in my department and outside my department, I felt a little better about the situation. However D-Day came and went and I still had a job, but my heart went out to those who were let go or volunteered to leave John Wood.

During the summer, I had the chance to go to a STL game three twice. However the first one I didn’t go to because of possible rain in the STL area, and we didn’t want to drive down and sit in the rain, especially when one person in our group, was the first STL game she would have been to at the new stadium. The second time was in July with two friends from work. I was able to get cheap, but decent seats, and we all had a good time. I also had a house-warming party on probably one of the hottest days of the summer and there was about 20-30 people that actually showed up. We decided to move things indoors and compromised on how we did food. For those who wanted to show, but couldn’t or those who didn’t and still would like to see my new place, just let me know or stop by. 🙂 At work, the summer is always the busiest for us, this year I took up the project to implement printing quotas for the students.

The fall brought the students back to college, and I had the opportunity go to one last STL Cardinal game, and the last minute and i took it. I also had the opportunity to play in an outdoor volleyball league with some friends from work. It was fun, and right after that, our church had an indoor league that I along with a friend from work played in. It was also during the fall that I decided to make plans to go back to my alma mater for my 10-yr reunion. I tried to get a group together and go back, but most could not make it. I decided to go anyway, and even though it wasn’t much of a reunion, it was worth it because of two conversations I had: one with a family from OH that their son was thinking about going to college there, and another couple that had a 5-yr old who is on the similar medicine that I am taking for seizures. Those two made the trip worth it. On the way home though, I made up with a good friend from college in Nashville, and did a few things with them.

The year ended with a surprising Christmas. Usually I have a good idea of what I am getting because every year for the last 30 yrs, my parents want a Christmas list from us kids. Being that my fall was busy this year, I never really got around giving them on until really late. Like I said, I usually know what I get by what I put down on the Christmas list until this year when I opened one of the presents and it turned out to be an Xbox 360. To say the least, I was both surprised and shocked! It was a gift from my parents as well as my brother and sister-in-law. Speaking of my brother and sis-in-law, they will be having their first kid in March, so that is going to be fun.

This year was also the first time I’ve been to Starbucks as well as Panera. I told myself i would not go to either place, but i was coerced into Starbucks, and this summer, a friend ask me if i wanted to go out for supper, and i said sure, and was able to finally use my Panera gift card that was given to me by a parent during Upward Basketball. Now, Panera is now a favorite!

To end 2010 here in the Mid-west, only here can you go from 60 degrees and having several tornado watches\warnings to 20-30 degrees by the time midnight rolls through to welcome in 2011.

Thanks to all those who made 2010 a year to remember for me, and thanks to the new people I’ve meet this past year, and may we meet again in 2011!