I’m all healed up, for the most part.  The leg didn’t prevent me from getting the job that I wanted (my ultimate goal), it just delayed my start a bit.  I was hoping to do a new years resolution thing while I was stuck at home, but it never happened, and then I figured it wasn’t a good time to write something like that anyway while I was suffering from a major case of cabin fever.  Anyway…I thought it would be more fitting to do a new years thing when, or shortly after, I started my new job.  So here it is…

What did I accomplish in 2009?  A lot!  I fulfilled some goals, fell short on some others.  But, for the most part, I’m pretty pleased.

• I finished my program!!  I did quite well:)  I made the deans list every semester.  I ROCK!!
• I was offered a job from the institution where it was my goal to work.
• The 2009 growing season was great!  I grew a variety of cherry tomato named “Hawaiian” that was so productive that I eventually stopped picking them because I couldn’t keep up.  The plant became HUGE, eventually vining out and taking up a good portion of garden space.

(you don’t even know!  it was crazy!!)

• I spent some quality time with family and friends.  Maybe not as much as I would have liked to, but it was quality none-the-less.
• I didn’t get a single road race in this past year!  I don’t want to make any excuses for that, and simply leave it to falling short of that goal.
• My hops produced some cones!  It wasn’t as much as I would have liked, but it was something.

So what do I hope to accomplish in 2010?  A lot:)

• This one’s pretty lame as I’m close to achieving it anyway, but I have to put it out there.  I hope to get my leg back to 100%, or normal, before the end of the year.  It was a pretty bad break (left tib/fib fracture…the tib broke through my skin).  I had to have surgery.  I made a lot of progress in a short amount of time, and I hope to continue that progress.
• I hope to continue just loving my job and feeling that I’m here to do this.  The first year will feel just like school (I’ve been told), so I will be a sponge and just soak it all in.
• I would like to grow 6 different varieties of tomatoes this year, and would like to try growing beets.  I’m also planning on putting in another hops plant.  Hopefully the sterling will take this time.
• I would like to brew a coconut beer.  I’m thinking it will be a stout, but it might be crazier or more summery as some sort of light, possibly creamy ale.
• I hope to do the Turkey Trot this year, and maybe the North Liberty Fun Run.  Originally I had planned on doing the BIX again this year, but I don’t want to re-hurt my leg.  Maybe I’m being overly cautious, but I’ve never had to deal with an injury like this before.  So, yeah…
• I hope to get my finances back in order.  This one seems easy too, since I’m working again.

So there it is.

It feels weird saying that I’m excited for Spring to be here because I pretty much missed out on the entire Winter season.  I was able to, for once, see the beauty of Winter unfold and wish that I could be out there enjoying it.  Even though I missed out, I’m still excited for Spring, and excited to see what 2010 will bring.

-H