three days in and still rockin

I wasn't going to do a year-ender post (in big part due to the fact that I wrote 489593845938745 New Year's stories at work on Friday)...

but I've changed my mind a little.

2010 was a rough, awesome, incredible, ugly, wonderful year.

I sat thinking about some of the horrible, ridiculous and hard stuff I went through in 2010:

fake people, betrayal, crippling fear, backstabbing, unhappiness, living in an apartment where silence has become the norm, lots of tears, doctors bills, sickness, car crashes, break-ins, broken bones, etc. 

But then I got to thinking about some of the progress I've made:

deciding that I think I need different things from the future, seeing myself as someone who truly loves me does, embracing myself--flaws and all, reuniting with a "lost" friend and making our friendship better than it was before, making new friends and embracing people for who they are, about making my own choices because they're what makes me happy--not because they're what's expected or what would make someone else happy but for ME.

And mostly, I thought about how much love I felt during the year.

Because the friends I've kept are beyond wonderful. 

Because I have a spectacular family. 

Because I have Pat. 

And because that's the thing that probably changed, affected, and MADE my whole year. 

That on January 1, 2010 I was in love with a guy I was sure was going to get sick of me at some point --  and we've fallen more in love each and every day. (I know, schmoopy.)
By January 1, 2011 I can't imagine my life without him.

Because he's the one I've started the last two years with -- and who I want to start all the rest with, as well.

And because I know he feels that same way--and wants me around for the rest of his, as well. 

We had RIDICULOUS amounts of fun on Friday. 

And we had even more fun Saturday.

And this is how Saturday night ended up:

watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations at his buddy's house with him asleep on the banana chair, me asleep on the futon with my head on his shoulder and starting to snore -- and waking up to a forehead kiss. 

I'm so lucky. 

2011--if this is how you're going to be all year ... you and I are gonna be best friends.

Merry New Year, friends! 

xoxo.