Let’s be honest: 2010 was, well, interesting.

There were hurricanes and earthquakes, debates and discussions, rallys in Washington D.C., testimonies to Congress by comedians, sex scandals, shocking deaths and Bristol Palin in the finale of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Weirdness everywhere.

But through that, I’ve learned a few valuable lessons:

A tablet computer can be functional. I was one of the biggest critics of the tablet computer. I never got the point of it. So when Apple unveiled its iPad in January, I didn’t run to the nearest retailer to get one. But there must have been something to it, with more than 3 million units sold in just 80 days in April. So I got one for my boyfriend, figuring he might be one of those 3 million people who’d find a usefulness to it — and I find myself spending more time with it than him. Guess what’s on my Christmas list this year?

Acai is addictive. In February, for the old Metromix Honolulu site, we did an acai bowl challenge, which forced me to sample some of the island’s best acai offerings. Turns out, I really love the stuff and frequent one of our top picks, Jewel or Juice, more often than I’d like to admit.

All you have to do is say you’re sorry. In February — and after a lot of strange stories about what really happened — golf icon Tiger Woods made an emotional apology at a press conference, admitting to cheating on his wife, Elin Nordegren. The Golf Channel predicted Woods might win both the PGA Tour Player and the Comeback Player of the Year awards. Apologies, whether you believe them or not, work.

There is no such thing as a charmed life. My mom used to always point out that everyone has problems, even those who seem to lead perfect lives. And that was never more apparent than in March, when Jesse James made a public apology to his wife, actress and girl-next-door Sandra Bullock, for cheating on her. She had just won an Oscar — her first — for “The Blind Side” and adopted a baby from New Orleans. Seemed like she had it all. Well, she did — including the cheating husband.

You’re never too old. A Snickers commercial that aired during the Super Bowl and featured Betty White revived the career of the “Golden Girl.” In May, White became the oldest host of “Saturday Night Life” at the age of 88. It earned her a 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Not bad.

Nothing lasts forever. After more than 150 years of delivering news to Hawaii residents, The Honolulu Advertiser closed in June, after being sold to Oahu Publications in May and merged with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin to create the newspaper you read today. That same month, incidentally, ABC’s “Lost” aired its final episode. Coincidence?

I actually like wine. It took a trip to Sonoma, Calif. in May to realize, hey, wine isn’t so bad! Turns out I like Riesling, Pinot Noir, anything with bubbles and, of course, moscato d’asti. Who knew?

Professional soccer is totally watchable. I used to always say that soccer was a sport I’d rather play than watch. But after the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa last summer, that all changed. We would get up at 4 a.m. to watch the U.S. team play — and I was hooked. We ended up going to a Premier League soccer game in London later that year, and shelling out the $150 per ticket wasn’t as painful as I had thought.

Don’t give up. In June American tennis pro John Isner defeated France’s Nicholas Mahut in the longest match in history, not just at Wimbledon. The match lasted 11 hours and five minutes and spanned three days. No joke.

Check your beds. Thanks to the recent outbreak of bed bugs across the United States, I’m paranoid about hotel rooms. But I should be paranoid about more than just hotel rooms, as these critters have invaded everything movie theaters to office buildings. I’m getting itchy just thinking about it.

Change can be good. Sure, not all change is good. Think the closing of The Advertiser and Raraya Ramen. (That was devastating.) But sometimes it’s good to shake things up. I got a new dog, Indy, in February; moved to Aina Haina; and finally got a hairbrush. (Thanks, Leilani!) And I’m starting to believe the old adage that when a door closes, a window opens somewhere. That’s what brought me here to Nonstop Honolulu — and let me tell you, the view from this window is mighty nice!

Happy 2011, everyone! Wishing you all the best!

***

To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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