A Look Back at 2009:

So for those who have known me for years, or for those who have been following me since January, you might remember that I had a Hellish start to 2009. From all of the deaths that I have personally had to deal with, to all of the times I’ve gotten ridiculously sick, to that time that I almost ended up hospitalized, to a handful of other things that just aren’t really worth mentioning anymore… Let’s just say that the first half of this year has by far been the worst I’ve ever had yet.

Fortunately, it was times like these that I was reminded how lucky I really am. It was times like these that I am reminded how lucky I am to have the amazing friends that I do who did an amazing job being there for me and helping to push me back up on my feet when I fell. I had them to remind me that I’ve never been the type of person to just “give up” because things were getting rocky time and time again.

So I pushed forward, no matter what tried to get in my way… and it seemed to pay off in the end. Instead of dwelling on how negative this year might have been, I am here to focus on the positive, no matter how big or how small. So here’s a look into some of the positives of my year:

JANUARY:
- My office officially moves into the new space.
- My favorite author starts following me on Twitter.

FEBRUARY:
- Coraline finally releases in theaters. This is the first movie in a long time that I made it a point to go on opening night and wait in line.
- My friends Steph and Tracy visit L.A.

MARCH:
- Saw the Clark twins in Syracuse, NY.
- Gewirtzman makes sure that I can no longer hear an offer for shots of booze without thinking about how completely wasted he got me in the middle of nowhere, New York.

APRIL:
- Mat Devine makes an indent on my couch for a week.
- The “Don’t Be Upset, Sarah Dope” song is created by Rami Dearest.

MAY:
- Spent an AMAZING week in Hawaii.
- Weekend tour with my boys in Butcher Jones and RIKETS.

JUNE:
- Attend the EA Sports “Fight Night 4″ premiere party with performances by Young Dre and Snoop Dogg… and have the whole “cheah beah” thing completely go over my head, even to this day.

JULY:
- Karri and Ian Northrop have the best wedding ever.
- Comic-Con madness and dinner with one of my favorite comic artists and friends.
- My favorite Devine returns to L.A.

AUGUST:
- Two nights of My Chemical Romance at the Roxy.
- Rami Dearest, Lee Christophers, Pressler, and I try the Orochon Ramen Challenge.
- Vampire Con with G. Met Billy Wirth.
- Go from off/on status to fulltime with the Mouse.
- Disney acquires Marvel.

SEPTEMBER:
- I start getting put on more video game campaigns at work and that inner geek can start working on dying happy.
- Sea Horse Sea Hell Party with the Electrolightz.
- Gaming Breakfast with co-workers and deviantART.
- The Princess & The Frog screening.

OCTOBER:
- Mat can’t stay away from L.A. and I don’t understand why he doesn’t just move here already.
- Studio with the Electrolightz.
- Fly back to Missouri for a few days to visit the folks.
- Also visit old friends on tour.

NOVEMBER:
- G gives me a shoutout on a radio show interview and labels me the “Queen of finding the coolest stuff.”
- Figurative Theater gallery opening with the great Dan Santoni and Chad Michael Ward.
- Two epic Thanksgivings with friends and co-workers.
- Alicia and I pick up new camera equipment and I start giving her some pointers to photography.

DECEMBER:
- Doing three different jobs in the company gets way too overwhelming at times and my amazing team pulls together and helps lighten the load on my shoulders.
- Attend Machinima‘s Inside Gaming Awards.
- Attend Spike TV’s Video Game Awards and got hooked up with killer seats.
- Get my hands on a new deviantART camera bag for all of my new gear.

…This leads to today: Marvel Stockholders OK Disney Deal!

As I said before, Happy New Year to me!

And while I’m at it, Happy New Year to all of you, too! Be safe tonight!