Dear Tina,
I am a big fan of reflection. I love looking back at a time in my life and considering where I started, where I ended up and the choices I made in between. I find it to be a healthy combination of sentiment and narcissism. Tying this idea into yesterday’s post, I think it is good food for the soul to remind yourself that life isn’t always about what you can do better in the future; it’s about appreciating what you’ve accomplished in the past. Every year is marked with a new friendship, a new job, a new favorite song, and all of these moments and opportunities have shaped what you hope to accomplish in the future. Even 2009–the year I resent like a bad brow wax–if it weren’t for that time in my life, I wouldn’t have gotten my tush in gear for 2010. At least, 75% of 2010. All months ending in -ber were pretty weak.
To make my point a visual one, I give you The Year of Cath: A Story in Pictures.
January
Well I started Dear Tina. What more do you want?
I like to think of this as my online blog persona. Artist unknown (because I didn’t research it).
February
For the first time in my life, I saw every single film nominated for an Oscar in the categories of Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress. For someone who likes to think she’s a movie aficionado but whose personal film library includes Can’t Hardly Wait and Orange County, this was an impressive feat.
You’re lucky I wasn’t a particular fan of yours to begins with Peter Jackson. Otherwise I would hold this travesty against you personally.
March
I took time off work for vacation for the second time in almost three years at the same job. The first time, I took half a day so I don’t know if that counts. My mom, sister, and I went to our Aunt and Uncle’s condo in Long Boat Key, Florida. I wore a blazer on the beach. Not in an editorial way. In a 50 degree temperature way. I took a picture of my sister taking this picture:
Which resulted in this…
And I did this…
April
I officially announced my departure from babysitting. Come Mid-June, I would no longer be spending time with beautiful, smiling faces like this one.
Are you paying attention? This is a picture of my sister. All pictures of the children I sat for are unpublished out of respect for their privacy and safety. You don’t get that kind of special treatment with a lazy eye.
May
Er. Nothing of note. I guess. May was kind of like Purgatory. In the middle. But not in a negative way. A one door closing, another opening kind of thing. Would it be overdramatic to use this as a visual?
June
I got my wisdom teeth removed. Already seen on Dear Tina, but worth the reprint.
July
I turned 24. I don’t have any pictures documented from that evening. But it was like if you took this dress:
And mixed it with this behavior:
I’m kind of a renaissance woman.
August
I moved out of my parents’ home and into my own apartment. You know what doesn’t fit in a twin bed? Me.
September
[To be read with a thick Southern–think Savannah–accent] I met a man! Oh Tina I met a man!
The rumors are true. There are no documented photos of the two of us so here is a visual that I think best describes our relationship.
“It’s ok honey,” he tells me. “Our pants will dry.”
October
I finally made it to the homeland! In October my mom, sister, and I took a hop, skip, and a step across the pond to visit my brother in Ireland. This was one of the first pictures I took.
Which inspired this Halloween costume.
November
I completed my reign as Casting Associate for a feature film coming this year to a theater near you! Cross your fingers!
Look how obedient I’ve become.
December
I spent the weekend before Christmas at a cabin in Wisconsin with my six best girlfriends from college. The trip was most successful in our ability to gauge how much wine we would need. Note: this does not include the 8 bottles of white on the porch.
And a failure in our ability to gauge how much baked ziti we would need. This was the portion left after the first night’s dinner.
So there you have it. Not too shabby. Or you might even say…not too Shakey.
Ugh. Only half of you get that.
30 Rock Quote of the Day:
Liz: I always forget you used to be poor.
Jack: Thank you.
Dear Tina 