Auf wiedersehen, 2012!

I took some time this weekend to reflect on this year that's almost over. Compared to the few that came before, it was pretty sedate. We didn't move house, not once, across the world or the country or the street. We didn't make any huge life-altering decisions. We worked, and traveled, and lived our lives as they are. I think we had a good year.

Some highlights:

I survived Don Giovanni, Sweeney Todd, Le nozze di Figaro, L'elisir d'amore, Don Giovanni again (in which I had my first Met directing credit), and Maria Stuarda (assuming all goes as planned tonight).

I took a cruise with Legs McGee. Cruises might not be my thing, but I'll happily travel with Legs again, anytime, anywhere.

I crossed off 3 Bossy List items: #12,  #9, and #56.

I started taking my health more seriously. I visited doctors and dentists. I took up running again, and ran my first 5K race. I finished the Whole 30. I dabbled in Paleo and felt the best (and lightest) I've felt in years. Then I fell off the wagon. I think I'd like to climb back on in 2013. Who's with me?

I spent a glorious 2 months in Europe with CM—1 month at idyllic Glyndebourne, and 1 month traveling around and hearing lots of opera. I crossed off 3 more countries toward my goal of eating a meal in every European country.

I vowed to make the most of my free time in New York, and started the Sundays in New York feature. It worked—I fell in love with the city again.

We added a new member to our family: the adorable Bossy Kitten! She stole our hearts, and even the Bossy Cat is getting used to her.

I spent 183 days with CM, and 115 days at home. I'd like to break some records next year.


Tonight I'll have my last opening night of the year, and then say goodbye to 2012 in style on the Met's Grand Tier. I'm wishing you all a wonderful night. See you next year.

Adios, 2011
Tschüss, 2010
Addio, 2009
Adieu, 2008

Adios, 2011!

Oh, 2011, I wasn't sure that 2010 could be topped, and then you came along. This was a big year, Texas big. Big decisions, big changes, big milestones, big rewards. I'm reflecting on the extraordinary last 12 months of my life, and I'm feeling lucky and grateful to be spending this last day of the year with my CameraMan, the Bossy Folks, and my adorable Bossy Cat here in our home sweet Houston. What a year it has been.


I opened and closed Le Comte Ory, Madame Butterfly, Don Giovanni, and Rodelinda. I can be seen for slightly longer than 5 seconds in an Associated Press video.

I started a 365 project…again. Then I ended it long before the year was up…again.

We settled in to our life in Vienna and found time to travel in Europe: to Florence, to Paris, to the Austrian countryside.  We locked love padlocks in Florence and in Paris. We figured out our travel style.

I continued my Home on the Road feature with Elise Sandell and Katharine Goeldner. Then I forgot about it. Perhaps it's time for a revival, no?

I became an aunt to our beautiful niece Josee, which did absolutely nothing to temper the baby kraziness.

I did some wedding planning.

I crossed off exactly ONE item on my Bossy List: #44. Ack!*

Best day of the year/my entire life: we got married. While we made merry with our friends and family, and then without them on our honeymoon, I posted about happy marriages I know.

We moved back to Houston after almost exactly a year in Vienna. We immediately began the Great Acquisition of 2011 (not to be confused with the Great Purge of 2010) and haven't let up since.

I spent 200 days with CM—a big improvement on last year's 165.

I got busy and stopped blogging entirely. I'm thinking about changing that.


If the past two years are any indication, it would be presumptuous on my part to make too many plans for 2012. Anything can happen, and no day is too ordinary to bring life-changing news. I'm staying open to possibilities.

Happy New Year, y'all.


Tschüß, 2010!
Addio, 2009
Adieu, 2008

*UPDATE: CM has pointed out that actually, I should have crossed off #64 quite a while ago, round about the 9th of July, in fact. Need I say more about that?

Tschüß, 2010!

My New Year's Eve mood is leaning more toward nostalgic than celebratory. I'm actually feeling a bit sad to let go of this glorious year. It sounds absurdly hyperbolic to say that 2010 has been the best year of my life, so let's just say that 2011 has some big shoes to fill.


Highlights from the life of LMB in 2010:

I survived Tosca, Hamlet, Tosca again, Life is a Dream, Madame Butterfly, and La Fanciulla del West (hope I'm not jinxing anything—we've got 9 days left of this one). I was in a video on the New York Times website. For about 5 seconds, but still.

CameraMan got the most exciting email ever.

We got rid of most of our belongings in The Great Purge of 2010, first because we wanted to, and then because we had to.

We solidified incredible friendships and made a rich life in Houston. Then we moved. To another continent.

I started the Home on the Road feature. Then I neglected it. More to come in 2011, I promise.

We got engaged. It's a good story.

I crossed NINE items off my Bossy List: #67, #30, #42, #99, #21, #86, #84, #51, and #15. Thinking about topping that next year.

I spent a total of 165 days in the same city as CM. Definitely will be topping THAT next year.

I continued to write here, sometimes regularly, sometimes not. I even wrote several things that didn't make me cringe upon rereading them, including this, this, this, and this.


2011, you're going to have to work hard to top 2010, but I've got a good feeling about you.

Happy New Year, y'all.


Addio, 2009
Adieu, 2008

Addio, 2009

As always, the end of the year has snuck up on me. The whole idea of 2010 is absurd—it sounds like something out of a bad sci-fi flick: a boomy male voice saying "In the year 2010...the world has become a very different place." And yet, here we are, another year gone by, another decade passed (Somebody, somewhere (Hi, Mom) is dying to correct me and tell me that the next decade doesn't start until 2011. I KNOW). 2009 was a big year for me, as I tried to find my footing as an honest-to-goodness freelancer and attempted to decide, as ever, what I want to do with my life. I'm going to tentatively say that it was a good year. A lot happened, that's for sure.

A few highlights from the past year in the life of LMB:

I started a 365 photography project. 10 months later, I ended it.

I survived La Sonnambula, Brief Encounter, La Cenerentola, Faust, and Katya Kabanova. I made company debuts in 3 new places, including The Met.

I moved into a new apartment with CameraMan in February and bought the couch of our dreams. I was actually resident in the apartment for a total of 3 months.

I held a newborn baby for the first time. Then I held another one.

I lived in New York City, Chicago, and rural upstate New York. I contemplated moving to 2 of the 3. I went back to Houston instead.

I turned 28. It didn't make me feel older or wiser.

I saw some famous people and was star-struck. I sat next to this guy. I sang "Happy birthday" to this one and got kissed on both cheeks by him. I saw 2 of the 4 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (one of whom read poetry out loud) and a never-nude at a Brooklyn bar and took a blurry picture of this guy in a midtown bar with an unmarked door.

I crossed off #96, #17, #1, and #72 on my list. I'll do better next year.

Do your worst, 2010.

Adieu, 2008

It seems impossible that 2008 is already coming to a close. It's been a big year in the life of Little Ms. Bossy, but it's gone by in a flash. 2009 is going to be an exciting year, I can already tell: debuts at at least 2 companies, a world premiere, finally moving my stuff out of storage, paying off my credit card debt, the Obamas moving into the White House, and lots of other excitement I haven't even imagined yet, I'm sure. But first, I'm taking a little time to be self-indulgent and re-reading all my posts from 2008. Here's what happened to me this year:

I learned how to run. Then I forgot how again.

I worked up the courage to write about my divorce.

I found out that I like video games. Probably too much.

I attempted to blog every day for a month. Twice.

I traveled. To Chicago. To California. To the Rodeo (at least it felt like traveling). A road trip through New Orleans to Wolf Trap. To Oregon. To Shenandoah National Park. To Central City, Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Back to California. And finally, to Vegas!

I survived Magic Flute, La Bohème, The Refuge, and Beatrice & Benedict. Also a 4-month long stretch of unemployment.

I made a couple big purchases. I bought an amazing new camera and learned to use it. Then I bought a beautiful new computer.

I made my Ultimate To-Do List and crossed off 9 out of 100. I started The Peer Pressure List as a weekly feature.

I survived a hurricane.

I celebrated my 27th birthday in style.

I helped elect Barack Obama. Then I got political, sort of.

2008, you pretty much rocked, but the time has come to say goodbye.

Bring it on, 2009.