“It’s a new year,” “Bill” commented. “But where are the new posts?”

“Bill” is right.

2009 was a hard year for me. The Yarn Harlot called it the year of change, and she had it right. Mostly, for me, it was the second half that brought more big life events than the past few years combined.

June: Mom dies. I move back to Podunk. Llamaface stays in Portland and starts commuting for visits every two weeks. I become head of household for the Clark Street Zoo and lead caretaker for Nana. We have a memorial at the beach for Mom.

July: Cousin Awesome comes to visit. I continue to learn the depth and breadth of Nana’s particular brand of cray-cray. The boys and I go to the library a lot.

August: I turn 27, my first birthday without Mom. No one makes me cake.

October: Llamaface and I haven’t had a good marriage in a long time, and I realize that we’re both much happier without each other and call the whole thing off. I start the job hunt in earnest. I get H1N1 and have to have Llamaface come down and take care of the boys because I. Can’t. Get. Out. Of. Bed. For. Four. Fucking. Days.

November: I start dating a guy I’ve dubbed Mr. Serious; he’s a writer and a business owner and very nice to spend time with, but I won’t talk about him much here. I get asked to leave my knitting group, much to my confusion and shock; I get over it after 24 hours of moping. The job hunt continues. Boogermonkey turns four and becomes enamored with paper airplanes. I am introduced to the first wine I like, ever.

December: I get hired on by a temp agency, which is a good stopgap and means I don’t have to borrow living expense money from Little Brother, but it’s not full-time and it’s not permanent (duh), so the job hunt continues. I find more wines I like. The ATeam starts going to daycare at a place owned by a longtime friend, and they love it there. The ATeam goes to Llama’s house in Portland for 4.5 days, their first away-from-Mom-for-more-than-one-night trip anywhere. Christmas comes and is quiet; I make a roast that even Nana can’t complain about and my two gifts are Pergo in the bedroom from Fred & Little Brother’s BFF and a handmade journal cover from Mr. Serious. I have an interview to be a marketing copywriter, but I won’t get their decision until sometime in mid-late January.

And now 2010 is here.

1/1/10: Spend the morning with Mr. Serious, get coffee and have wonderful conversation. Spend the afternoon with Reilly, watching the Ducks lose the Rose Bowl, while Boogermonkey plays Lego Indiana Jones and Gurglebutt munches his way through the day and plays with the dogs. Go for my first run/walk combo (wun), with the end goal of 3 miles by 2/28 & 5 by 4/30. I can run 60 seconds before I feel as though my lungs will explode. Knit. Go to bed early.

1/2/10: Quiet day at home (as quiet as it can be with the ATeam running amok). Knit. Major grocery shopping trip (yes, it’s a highlight of my day, what of it?). Watch the Phantom Buzz show at the Axe & Fiddle, while knitting. Head home early because WOW my legs are sore and that one glass of shiraz made me sleepy.

1/3/10: That’s today. No plans, other than another run today, some more knitting, and more time with the kids. I have a whack of errands to run tomorrow, if I don’t get called for a job, but today? Nada. I’ll vacuum. Make peanut butter sandwiches. Post to twitter from my phone.