Ring in the New Year! Review the Old Year!

Before any of you decide to wax pedantic,  unnecessarily pointing out that it is already January 6th,  let me say, "Pooh, pooh!"  It is the last day of Christmas,  so a perfectly legitimate time to begin a New Year's post.  Those in the Know™ understand that I am the soul of patience (not to mention propriety), but there are times to remain silent on the inadequacies of others and this is one of them!

My first thought when planning this post was to create a masterpiece of beauty and wit (as usual),  airily and effortlessly touching on the highlights of 2011, and generally presenting a year-end roundup which would educate and delight my many several one or two non-existent followers.  After staring at the blank screen for 20 minutes,  Eventually, I realized that such grandiose plans are just beyond my capabilities  silly, so I have revised my thinking.  I intend to bash out a quick overview of the past year in my usual haphazard  happy fashion and simply get the damn thing over with, finally break through the writer's block and call it a day keep it short and sweet!

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Writing about the year is too hard too boring,  so instead I will post a little photo montage for your viewing pleasure!

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Hmmm,  well it seems we have a slight problem.  I seem to have forgotten to organize and label virtually all  some of the photos from forever last year,  so I am afraid the photo montage will have to wait forever a while.  Oh well, who cares?  Photos and year-end roundups are vastly overrated anyway! I am sure that TITK will heartily agree with me!  The important thing is that I just cough up a few hundred words so I can say I posted on the blog  that I have touched base with my faithful blog friends!

Why bore everyone with well-written and amusing essays when the real question is what happened in 2011?  With this important focus in mind, here is the year 2011 chez Nifty in review - in bullet points:

- January: Rang in the New Year with all hands on deck and possibly a record-breaking party turnout. Wedding preps shifted into mid-gear. Reception venue fell through with spectacular suddenness, but Yours Truly saved the day, as usual. Kiki began her Masters in Journalism.

- February: Scott and twins went to Powderhorn in Michigan to ski and decided it might be a nice annual trip. Yours Truly stayed home to write get a few things done around the house.

- March: Wedding preps shifted into high gear.  One near-disaster after another,  usually caused neatly thwarted by Your Dependable Servant.  All to Hilton Head at various intervals for March Breaks - joined by Deb - hooray!

- April:  Enjoyed an Easter visit with Dennis's parents.  Wedding preps train sped toward grand finale in June.

- May:  Jessie and Jack returned from university. Jack considered transferring out of Chicago. Your Faithful Scribbler kept the wedding train careening wildly from crisis to crisis on track.  Everyone else was useless.

- June:  Numerous friends and family members converged on our home for the Wedding of the Century.  The whole family Your Exhausted Correspondent managed to pull everything off smoothly. Thanks to No thanks to Scott, Kiki, Dennis, Jessie, Rachel and many other dear family and friends the rest of the useless louts around here.

- June:  Retired to Hilton Head for much-deserved (by Your Humble Servant, certainly!) vacation. Joined by our dear friends the Roths.  I never complain, but it was deucedly hot in South Carolina last June! 

- July:  Spent first two weeks in Hilton Head, then returned to Illinois where, as far as I can tell, we did absolutely nothing for about 4 weeks.

- August:  Hilton Head for one brief week again,  then back to school for everyone.  Jack transferred to Miami. Jessie began her senior year at Miami. Edward and Ken back to school as sophomores.

- September:  Jeanne and I went to Hilton Head for our annual R&R sans annoying families.

- October:  Scott took boys to BVI for a sailing weekend while I went back to HH to host the Ya Yas shopping extravaganza.   Very quiet Hallowe'en this year - major downside of children growing up. :(

- November:  Scott and I went back to HH yet again for our 27th anniversary. Jeanne came to stay with the boys. Thanksgiving with a wonderfully full house. Jessie brought her new puppy, Ducky.

This photo has not been posted to raise viewcount.

- December:  Went to Chicago for the annual pre-Christmas shopping/dining event. Then home for a full house at Christmas and yet more visitors (Em, Gail and Deb) for New Years.  New Years Eve party with neighbors and friends not a record-breaker but decent 50-60 guest turnout.

And there you have the year in review!

And there is my blog post!  Thank the stars!  Don't mention it.