Karen and Erik

Last year at about this time, I did a roundup of posts from the year. But since we had the blog issue in the summer and lost 3 months of posts, I can’t quite do that. So instead, I present a quick year in review in the House of Garrett. Please note that this post is being written while we are both on the sofa, in our pajamas and watching Maury.

The Good:

• Bought a house
• Erik made me a desk
• I turned 30 and the world did not end
• Brought home Stanley
• Started The Neatery with my best friends
• Two year anniversary since our wedding guests got to meet Spiderman
• Did the 3-Day

The Bad

• Said goodbye to Holly
• Lost my job

The Ugly

• All of the gross things that Stanley did
• Martha Stewart got my name wrong
• No new episodes of 24 except for the “movie” which does not count because Chloe was not in it
• Devil squirrel
• Erik saw a snake
• Meat panties
• The X-Files movie was seriously an abomination of film

Looking to 2009:

• Erik will turn 30!
• Stanley will complete his obedience training!
• 24 returns!
• I will get a job! Right?

Post your 2008 highlights/2009 resolutions in the comments. Tonight, we are going to celebrate by drinking half a beer and letting the dog get on the bed.

1. I’m just so glad that it’s still possible to watch full videos on TV. MTV now only plays half a video, then cuts to some bullshit ad for the Hills, or My Super Sweet Insecurity Complex.

2. Don’t judge me, but i enjoy that New Kids On The Block/Ne-Yo song.

3. Erik, I see that look you’re giving me for the above comment, and I don’t appreciate it.

4. Did you know that JACK BAUER directed that Lifehouse video? That’s why people die in it. The song still sucks, as does the band.

5. David Cook’s “Light On” song is supposed to be about the underdog winning the girl, but I know what’s up. It’s about wasting electricity. I expect more from an American Idol winner, frankly.

6. I prefer my Rihanna dancing with an umbrella instead of looking like she’s in a rejected nine Inch Nails video.

7. Am I the only one who noticed that the voiceover artist for the new Blackberry commercials is John Krasinski, from The Office? So that when he says “Rhino Frittata, or Emo Pinata”, I imagine him saying it to Pam and I go SQUEE!

8. David Archuletta is still not impressing me at all. Is it because I don’t drink the American Idol Kool-Aid? Maybe when his balls drop, he can make me stop flipping the channel when his song comes on.

9. This countdown is the first time I have seen Weezer’s “Pork and Beans” video. And I know that just blew Pizza’s mind.

10. Am I the only one who does not enjoy Duffy? It’s her voice. It drives me up the freaking wall. It sounds like a rusty hinge that desperately needs oil. Other than that, I enjoy the song “Mercy”, but her voice destroys that for me.

11. Jordin Sparks, “No Air” - this is one of the worst songs I have ever heard. Easily the worst song of this year. Seriously. Am I the only one who thinks that the only good American Idol was Kelly Clarkson? And that is why she is ALL OVER my iPod.

12. Erik, I know you requested that we don’t watch “Rock of Love” this year. And that’s fine. WE don’t have to. But I will Tivo it with a passion! I need something now that I gave up on Top Model.

13. Mr. Music Critic, calling Buckcherry the “Bon Jovi for the New Millenium” is wrong on so many levels. You apologize to bon Jovi right now!

14. BRITNEY! BRITNEY! BRITNEY! BRITNEY! I LOVE YOU! I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE BACK!!!!

15. Seriously, if I ran this countdown, I would play “Womanizer” 40 times. I need this CD SO BAD.

16. Katy Perry, I am SO OVER YOU.

17. I enjoy “If I Were A Boy” by Beyonce. And I know Erik judges me for that.

18. Actually, he judges me for almost every pop song I like. But that’s ok.

19. He doesn’t judge me for loving “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. Which is good, because the song makes me think of Erik, and I smile.

Shouldn’t this be titled “Things I Am Learning While Unemployed”? The original title makes it seem as if I am no longer unemployed and am now reflecting on life’s sweetest lessons. When in fact, I am sitting on the sofa reflecting on what I bought at the grocery store and waiting for the inevitable EUREKA! moment when I realize what I forgot to buy at the store.

Things I Am Learning While Unemployed:

1. Being unemployed makes you wrestle over the proper syntax of your blog post’s title.

2. A growing sense of isolation + lack of job prospects due to the holidays and poor economy + holiday stress = UGH.

3. Sometimes, they are the father on Maury!

4. We need more light in our office. The weather forecast for this week is cloudy with isolated showers, and our office’s windows and two lamps are not cutting it. IT’S LIKE I AM SEWING BLIND.

5. CAPS LOCK IS SOMETIMES FUN.

6. You’d think the shopping center right by our house would be significantly less crowded in the late morning of a weekday. You’d be wrong.

7. I need to start finding ways to get out of the house and interact with people.

8. I have a week to get this entire house in order and finish making gifts before Erik’s family comes to stay with us. I’D GET A LOT MORE DONE IF THE DOG WOULD STOP BARFING UP STICKS.

Please make the proper posting of this comment your TOP PRIORITY. Because if we don’t, he will inundate us with constant spam. And by spam, I mean comments similar to the one below.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Lee
Date: Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 6:55 PM
Subject: Dammit…
To: Karen

POST THIS For me… since IE sucks!!

What the hell - download FireFox? Isn’t that the Clint Eastwood Movie about stealing a super secret RUSSIAN fighter jet? How will that help me see your BLOG better?? - LeeChee AND so I try to Post a message and THIS is what I get, Server Error 500 @ Daytona International server error. ( is this some sick Nascar IT Race?)There is a problem with the resource “you” are looking for, and it cannot be displayed. Freaking Communists!! - LeeChee

Devil Squirrel….

We now know how many of you read the site in Internet Explorer. Because you’re the ones having issues reading the site. Seems that the horrendously long 3 Day post did not fully load for you. So I went back and put most of it under a cut. Please let us know if this helps at all.

Additionally, why are you using Internet Explorer when Firefox is vastly superior and free? Firefox users are also much cooler and ten times more likely to win the lottery.* So go here for the best browser ever and download it right away. Because when I post my recap of our Thanksgiving, or the return of Jack Bauer, you will want read it all. Oh yes, you will.

* I just made that up.