11 from 2011

Top Eleven Things I learned in 2011:
1. Just because you're really good friends doesn't mean you would make a really good couple.
2. Expectations can ruin just about anything.
3. A couple of glasses of Chianti and shoes that make you feel sexy are a winning combination.
4. Pick you battles.  Compromise, but don't announce that you just did.
5. Love & accept people for all that they are.  Your idea of "perfect" doesn't exist - not even in yourself.
6. A first date that leaves you giddy for days is probably the start of something good.
7. Throw out your to-do list for a while.  All those things will be waiting for you when you get back.  Drink champagne, make a mess of the kitchen, stay up late, sleep in, snuggle, relax... just be.
8. Grief doesn't go away.  It hides under the surface and the right combination will bring it out and you'll be sitting in the locker room at work, unexpectedly crying your eyes out.
9. Dogs are mortal beings.  And losing one sucks.  They truly do become members of the family.
10.  Hearing your parents cry is one of the hardest things in the world.
11. You don't need to win to prove something.  But it sure does help.