So Long, Sucker!

Ahhh, 2011.  You are finally at your end.  Mere hours remain to you, and I believe you are already dead in Australia.  AND YOU ARE DEAD TO ME, TOO.  In other words, 2011 sucked rocks, and I can not WAIT for it to be over.

For true, peeps, 2011 has been difficult for me on both a personal and professional level.  Worse, people I love have suffered through truly awful experiences, while all I could do was stand there and watch.  To top it all off, Oprah is off the (non-cable) air.  Who am I going to mock ceaselessly turn to for advice?

However, it is NOT my way to focus on the cup half empty.  No sirree bob, my cup is half full, dammit!  Full of CHAMPAGNE.  AND DIAMONDS.  So let’s look at a few of the things that I did enjoy in 2011, shall we?  And end this shizz on a positive note.

What Did Not Suck In 2011:

1.  The Royal Wedding – I know many Americans are just so over Kate and Wills.  Not me!  I got my booty out of bed at 2:30 and helped my SIL prepare a fancy high tea, which we (me, Ma, SIL, SIL’s bestie) consumed whilst ooooing and ahhhhhing over the clothes, the service, and Kate’s hot brother.  We even wore hats:

2.  The Guthrie’s Costumed Dance Party – Dudes, for a mere $10, you can get your costume on and dance the night away at the gorgeous new Guthrie.  Granted, the drinks are a bit spendy, so sip wisely (or sneak in a flask…).  The best part of this year’s dance?  It coincided with the Rapture!  Taking the super-long elevator to the party was a bit like ascending into costuming heaven.  And keeping with the end-of-the-world theme, we (my Posse and me) wore our best finery:

3.  Our first, REALLY SUPER-SUCCESSFUL event for the Minnesota Society of Costumers – Our fearless president suggested throwing an end-of-the-year bash… which I promptly poo-poo’d as a bad idea.  Fortunately, our president doesn’t pay much attention to my naysaying, and with her dogged determination, we held the best bash ever.  The Steampunk Christmas Carol, Fezziwig’s Party was held December 3, during the only snowstorm we had this winter.  And weather aside, almost every ticket holder showed up, wore a fabulous costume, and had a blast.  See?

4.  Roller Derby, baby!  My buddy, Maven, is a member of the North Star Roller Girls, and if you haven’t attended one of their bouts, you are missing out.  The most expensive ticket taps out at a mere $18, and that’s for track-side seating.  Not that I’m a big spender (well, clearly not), but I still splurged on tract seating for my first bout.  I wanted to be front and center to cheer on Maven – who won MVP!  Just look at how bad-ass she is:

5.  The first of my three BFF’s fortieth birthdays – Larue (best freakin’ friend, president of MNSoC, and all-around awesome person) turned 40 in grand style in 2011.  Her loving husband, El Jefe, planned out different surprises for the 40 days leading up to Larue’s birthday.  All her friends and family members participated, and she never knew what was going to happen next (cue the maniacal laughter).  On her actual day of birth, we kicked it Kardashian-style and spent the day at the spa.  That night, however, we kicked it retirement-home-style by putting together the Most.  Impossible.  Puzzle.  EVER.  Oh, and we almost set the house on fire with her cake:

Alright peeps!  What did YOU love about 2011?