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that was the year that was - 2012 and 2013
Huh - looks like not only did I not do this meme last year (for what I feel are defensible reasons), I also missed it the two years before that. So 2010 and 2011 are long gone, but herewith is the year-in-review meme for 2012 and 2013.
1. What did you do in 2012|2013 that you'd never done before?
2012: Buried a parent.
2013: Got engaged.
Heads up: the whole list is going to be like that.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
As I've always said: I don't make New Years' resolutions. It's better not to have written evidence of my eventual failure.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No. (2010: my sister-in-law.)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
2012: My father.
2013: No, thank god, and the year has only got twelve hours left, so I think we're probably safe.
5. What countries did you visit?
2012: Canada.
2013: none.
6. What would you like to have in [next year] that you lacked in [current year]?
2013/2012: I was ready for a ring waaay before Himself was. In the non-achievable category, I want my father back, you sonofabitch.
2014/2013: BABIES. It's probably not likely; we're not getting married until May, and not intending to get knocked up immediately, so any baby I actually had in 2014 would probably be dangerously premature.
7. What date from 2012|2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
2012: October 16 was the day my mother said we'd better come home. October 28 was the day I watched my father die. October 30 was the day we buried him. November 10 was his memorial service. ... It's a tie.
2013: December 11 was the day Himself proposed.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
2012: Holding my shit together.
2013: Lining up a new job sufficiently in advance of losing the old one that I didn't have to raid my savings to pay rent.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Both years: Trying to lose weight. No matter what I do, the scale won't budge.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
2012: I don't remember, besides the broken heart.
2013: I had mono again in the spring. Also, I fell down the stairs at my brother's house and had spectacular bruising for upward of three weeks.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
2012: We got my nephew a toy basketball hoop for his birthday and he loved it.
2013: I got Himself a "Don't Panic" hoodie with thumb-holes in the cuffs for Christmas, which may be the best present I've got him yet.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
2012: My father's. (And mine, actually. And my brother's.)
2013: Himself's.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
2012: I am glad to report that I can't remember.
2013: Executive director at my old job.
14. Where did most of your money go?
2012: Rent.
2013: I think a plurality will still have gone to rent, but I've been able to save more since picking up the Catholic singing job and combining households with Himself.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
2012: Putting this rat bastard of a year behind me.
2013: I may have mentioned this sparkly ring? :-)
16. What song will always remind you of 2012|2013?
I'm never any good at this one.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
2012: sadder.
2013: happier.
ii. thinner or fatter?
2012: fatter.
2013: about the same.
iii. richer or poorer?
2012: about the same.
2013: richer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
2012: I don't remember.
2013: Elliptical.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
both years: crying.
20. Howwill you be spending did you spend Christmas?
Quietly, at home, with Himself and his mom and stepdad. He and I made Christmas dinner, including Christmas pudding I made from scratch, and it was all fabulous.
[there's never a number 21. don't know why.]
22. Did you fall in love in 2012|2013?
No. I was already there.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
2012: I don't know. Doctor Who?
2013: Only Connect.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I usually say: I try not to hate people. If I don't like them, they're not worth the energy (and the acid stomach) of hating them. This, of course, has to do with people I know personally. There are public figures who don't please me one bit, but I can't say I hate them because I don't know them or their motivations. I can certainly hate what they do, though, and trust me, I do in many cases.
That said:
2012: No.
2013: I certainly don't feel any charitable feelings toward the above-mentioned executive director of my old job, I tell you what.
26. What was the best book you read?
I haven't done nearly enough book-reading lately to have a good answer to this question.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
2012: Professionalism - the real kind, with money. :-)
2013: hmm.
28. What did you want and get?
2012: A grip.
2013: I may have mentioned this sparkly ring? :-)
29. What did you want and not get?
2012: I want my father back, you sonofabitch.
2013: That may be the answer forever.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
We hardly go to the movies anymore.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
2012: I took a personal day, and it was the best decision I ever made.
2013: So good, in fact, that I did it again. (Only this time I had a raging head cold, so it was sort of a sick day as well.)
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
2012: I want my etc.
2013: Seriously, though: being able to tell my father I'm getting married? Never going to get that back.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012|2013?
both years: Does it fit? Is it clean? Awesome.
34. What kept you sane?
both years: The Gentleman Caller.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
"Fancy" is such an odd word here.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
2012: probably the election, when I was paying attention.
2013: the goddamn sequester.
37. Who did you miss?
If you can't get this one by now you're not actually paying attention. :-}
38. Who was the best new person you met?
2012: the nurse from hospice who came in time to help us on the last night with my dad.
2013: hmm.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012|2013.
Last time I did this meme, the answer was: "Last year, the valuable life lesson was, 'It's not that hard to be a little bit brave.' This year, it is, it's not much harder to be quite brave."
2012: It is almost impossible to be as brave as you need to be - but not entirely. You can do it.
2013: It gets (marginally) easier.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'm never any good at this one either.
1. What did you do in 2012|2013 that you'd never done before?
2012: Buried a parent.
2013: Got engaged.
Heads up: the whole list is going to be like that.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
As I've always said: I don't make New Years' resolutions. It's better not to have written evidence of my eventual failure.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No. (2010: my sister-in-law.)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
2012: My father.
2013: No, thank god, and the year has only got twelve hours left, so I think we're probably safe.
5. What countries did you visit?
2012: Canada.
2013: none.
6. What would you like to have in [next year] that you lacked in [current year]?
2013/2012: I was ready for a ring waaay before Himself was. In the non-achievable category, I want my father back, you sonofabitch.
2014/2013: BABIES. It's probably not likely; we're not getting married until May, and not intending to get knocked up immediately, so any baby I actually had in 2014 would probably be dangerously premature.
7. What date from 2012|2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
2012: October 16 was the day my mother said we'd better come home. October 28 was the day I watched my father die. October 30 was the day we buried him. November 10 was his memorial service. ... It's a tie.
2013: December 11 was the day Himself proposed.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
2012: Holding my shit together.
2013: Lining up a new job sufficiently in advance of losing the old one that I didn't have to raid my savings to pay rent.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Both years: Trying to lose weight. No matter what I do, the scale won't budge.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
2012: I don't remember, besides the broken heart.
2013: I had mono again in the spring. Also, I fell down the stairs at my brother's house and had spectacular bruising for upward of three weeks.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
2012: We got my nephew a toy basketball hoop for his birthday and he loved it.
2013: I got Himself a "Don't Panic" hoodie with thumb-holes in the cuffs for Christmas, which may be the best present I've got him yet.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
2012: My father's. (And mine, actually. And my brother's.)
2013: Himself's.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
2012: I am glad to report that I can't remember.
2013: Executive director at my old job.
14. Where did most of your money go?
2012: Rent.
2013: I think a plurality will still have gone to rent, but I've been able to save more since picking up the Catholic singing job and combining households with Himself.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
2012: Putting this rat bastard of a year behind me.
2013: I may have mentioned this sparkly ring? :-)
16. What song will always remind you of 2012|2013?
I'm never any good at this one.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
2012: sadder.
2013: happier.
ii. thinner or fatter?
2012: fatter.
2013: about the same.
iii. richer or poorer?
2012: about the same.
2013: richer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
2012: I don't remember.
2013: Elliptical.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
both years: crying.
20. How
Quietly, at home, with Himself and his mom and stepdad. He and I made Christmas dinner, including Christmas pudding I made from scratch, and it was all fabulous.
[there's never a number 21. don't know why.]
22. Did you fall in love in 2012|2013?
No. I was already there.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
2012: I don't know. Doctor Who?
2013: Only Connect.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I usually say: I try not to hate people. If I don't like them, they're not worth the energy (and the acid stomach) of hating them. This, of course, has to do with people I know personally. There are public figures who don't please me one bit, but I can't say I hate them because I don't know them or their motivations. I can certainly hate what they do, though, and trust me, I do in many cases.
That said:
2012: No.
2013: I certainly don't feel any charitable feelings toward the above-mentioned executive director of my old job, I tell you what.
26. What was the best book you read?
I haven't done nearly enough book-reading lately to have a good answer to this question.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
2012: Professionalism - the real kind, with money. :-)
2013: hmm.
28. What did you want and get?
2012: A grip.
2013: I may have mentioned this sparkly ring? :-)
29. What did you want and not get?
2012: I want my father back, you sonofabitch.
2013: That may be the answer forever.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
We hardly go to the movies anymore.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
2012: I took a personal day, and it was the best decision I ever made.
2013: So good, in fact, that I did it again. (Only this time I had a raging head cold, so it was sort of a sick day as well.)
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
2012: I want my etc.
2013: Seriously, though: being able to tell my father I'm getting married? Never going to get that back.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012|2013?
both years: Does it fit? Is it clean? Awesome.
34. What kept you sane?
both years: The Gentleman Caller.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
"Fancy" is such an odd word here.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
2012: probably the election, when I was paying attention.
2013: the goddamn sequester.
37. Who did you miss?
If you can't get this one by now you're not actually paying attention. :-}
38. Who was the best new person you met?
2012: the nurse from hospice who came in time to help us on the last night with my dad.
2013: hmm.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012|2013.
Last time I did this meme, the answer was: "Last year, the valuable life lesson was, 'It's not that hard to be a little bit brave.' This year, it is, it's not much harder to be quite brave."
2012: It is almost impossible to be as brave as you need to be - but not entirely. You can do it.
2013: It gets (marginally) easier.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'm never any good at this one either.
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Yeah. Mom, I got married this year. I wore your earrings, but it would have been so much better to have had you there with me. (Mom: died in 2000.)