stormkeeper_lovedoris (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stormkeeper_lovedoris) wrote2011-12-19 04:39 pm
stormkeeper_lovedoris) wrote2011-12-19 04:39 pm
Year-end reflection
I do a year-end reflection meme around this time of year. So here is this year’s version.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Got married. Made a serious effort to take public transportation (not all the time, but when I can). Got acupuncture for bad pain in the back, shoulder, and arm. Wrote more fanfics this year than any other (Well, I wrote a higher number of different fics, but it’s possible that in other years I’ve actually written more words within a longer fic.)
A lot more behind the cut!
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Looks like I didn’t make any last year. Should I make some this year? I’m not really feeling goal-oriented or that I have a lot of things that I gotta get done - in other words, life’s pretty good for me now – so I guess I’ll pass.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No
5. What countries did you visit?
We went on a Caribbean cruise in March. I’ll be straight-up honest. I don’t remember which countries our excursions were in! We went on a camel ride (somewhere in Mexico?) and a snorkeling trip. As might be apparent, I’m not much of a traveler; I like the cruises for other reasons. (Comedians! Food! Downtime with spouse! The other travelers! Massage! Dancing and other fun stuff on the ship!)
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
What I really want is more of the same. This was a great year and, like I said, my life is pretty much where I like it now.
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 30 – my wedding!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I‘d say writing a lot and writing well.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I can’t think of one. I failed to save the world but I decided long ago to stop beating myself up for that one and to just do what I can.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. It made for a very weird summer. As you might know, in June I got obsessed with two characters in X-men: First Class. I wrote a ton of fanfic about them. As a result, I think, of all the time on the computer, I got horrible pains in my back, shoulder, and arm. I had some strange nights as a result. I’d often get up around 3:00 am, either lay on the sofa downstairs (so as not to disturb the spouse) and think about fanfic ideas, or go down to the basement and write on the computer. Oddly enough, I wasn’t tired during the day despite not getting enough sleep. Adrenaline maybe? Also, because of the injury I really changed how I worked out. I normally work out in the basement to workout DVDs, but because most of my DVDs have some high impact moves in them. I had to change that. Instead I went to the gym nearly every morning to use the machines there so I could stay low impact. Oh, and our water heater broke sometime during all this, it took a month for us to get it fixed, so that provided another reason to go to the gym: so I could shower.
So yeah, I’d often go to bed at my normal time (9 pm), wake up because of the pain around 3, write or think about fic ideas, get to the gym when it opened at 5, and then shower, have breakfast, and get to work.
My back/shoulder/arm pain gradually faded and I went back to my normal schedule.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Well, I guess it’s not a ‘thing’ but the Olivia cruise in March was awesome.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Maybe my spouse and in-laws. They weren’t going to come to the wedding but they came. (And not only that, but my mother in law paid for the dinner!) And coming out and being out was hard for Doris but this year she’s gotten the hang of it, her parents have adjusted just fine, and she says there’s not really any difference in their relationship now.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one who I interacted with personally. High school bullies in general are appalling.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Home repair/improvement
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Fanfic, my fandom, my pairing
16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Maybe “My Kinda Lover” by Billy Squier, and all the songs I got into because someone made Azazel/Riptide fanvids using them (like "Gorgeous Nightmare" and "If I Had You")
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Happier
ii. thinner or fatter?
About the same
iii. richer or poorer?
About the same
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Hell, I don’t know. I guess 2011 has been a pretty “no regrets” year
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Ditto
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
My family is celebrating on the 21st and 22nd due to work schedules. Then it’s with the in-laws on the 24th, and then a very small dinner with my parents on the 25th.
22. Did you fall in love in 2012?
I stayed in love. I love her more each year
23. How many one-night stands?
Zero
24. What was your favorite TV program?
I’m just not into TV.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No
26. What was the best book you read?
My favorite question!
Fiction:
- The Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier (I began the series prior to 2011, but read four of the five of them this year so I’ll just count the whole series). By the way, the books in the series (in order) are: Daughter of the Forest, Son of the Shadows, Child of the Prophesy, Heir to Sevenwaters, and Seer of Sevenwaters
- Daughters of Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt
- Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
- How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
(Number of favorite fictional books this year that take place in modern times = 0)
Non-Fiction:
- Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
- She Looks Just Like You by Amie Klempnauer Miller
- For Us, Surrender is Out of the Question by Mac McClelland
- Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman
- The New Good Life by John Robbins
- A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
- Don’t Play In the Sun by Marita Golden
- Orange is the New Black by Piper Kernan
- Is It Utopia Yet: An Insider’s View of Twin Oaks Community in Its 26th Year by Kat Kinkade
- Annapurna A Woman’s Place by Arlene Blum
- The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard
- There Is No Me Without You: One Woman’s Odyssey to Rescue her Country’s Children by Melissa Fay Greene
- Wisdom From a Rainforest by Stuart A Schlegel
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
None, and I’m open to suggestions
28. What did you want and get?
A beautiful wedding with our families and most of our closest friends there.
29. What did you want and not get?
See comments above. This was a pretty good year, no major “wants” are coming to mind.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
X-men: First Class
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
(Do I need to say again that it was a no-regrets kinda year?)
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Um….try to buy as much from resale or from companies that make their clothing ethically, like Fair Indigo. Try to avoid department stores as they get their clothes from sweatshops.
34. What kept you sane?
My partner, my friends, exercise, LJ, reading, good food, fanfic, my good coworkers, my cat, my mom, Netflix, vacation, board games, improv theater
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Alex Gonzalez. Yum.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Bullying
37. Who did you miss?
No one?
38. Who was the best new person you met?
No one. Sheesh, sorry my answers aren’t that interesting. Maybe my life isn’t that interesting.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
I can’t think of any but I will write about a few other odd or interesting things this year. One, I stopped taking birth control in January. I kept fearing that the horrible pains would return but they haven’t. Am I living on borrowed time or could the endo be gone for good? Two, sometime this year I stopped cooking. Used to cook on the weekends, but now Doris does that. We both agree she’s the better cook. So I’ve hardly cracked a cookbook at all, and I don’t miss it that much though I would’ve thought I would. Oh, and finally it’s very cool to live not far from public transportation – makes me feel less dependent on my car, more free, more environmentally-friendly. I get a charge each time I take the el, I’m serious.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Got married. Made a serious effort to take public transportation (not all the time, but when I can). Got acupuncture for bad pain in the back, shoulder, and arm. Wrote more fanfics this year than any other (Well, I wrote a higher number of different fics, but it’s possible that in other years I’ve actually written more words within a longer fic.)
A lot more behind the cut!
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Looks like I didn’t make any last year. Should I make some this year? I’m not really feeling goal-oriented or that I have a lot of things that I gotta get done - in other words, life’s pretty good for me now – so I guess I’ll pass.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No
5. What countries did you visit?
We went on a Caribbean cruise in March. I’ll be straight-up honest. I don’t remember which countries our excursions were in! We went on a camel ride (somewhere in Mexico?) and a snorkeling trip. As might be apparent, I’m not much of a traveler; I like the cruises for other reasons. (Comedians! Food! Downtime with spouse! The other travelers! Massage! Dancing and other fun stuff on the ship!)
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
What I really want is more of the same. This was a great year and, like I said, my life is pretty much where I like it now.
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 30 – my wedding!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I‘d say writing a lot and writing well.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I can’t think of one. I failed to save the world but I decided long ago to stop beating myself up for that one and to just do what I can.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. It made for a very weird summer. As you might know, in June I got obsessed with two characters in X-men: First Class. I wrote a ton of fanfic about them. As a result, I think, of all the time on the computer, I got horrible pains in my back, shoulder, and arm. I had some strange nights as a result. I’d often get up around 3:00 am, either lay on the sofa downstairs (so as not to disturb the spouse) and think about fanfic ideas, or go down to the basement and write on the computer. Oddly enough, I wasn’t tired during the day despite not getting enough sleep. Adrenaline maybe? Also, because of the injury I really changed how I worked out. I normally work out in the basement to workout DVDs, but because most of my DVDs have some high impact moves in them. I had to change that. Instead I went to the gym nearly every morning to use the machines there so I could stay low impact. Oh, and our water heater broke sometime during all this, it took a month for us to get it fixed, so that provided another reason to go to the gym: so I could shower.
So yeah, I’d often go to bed at my normal time (9 pm), wake up because of the pain around 3, write or think about fic ideas, get to the gym when it opened at 5, and then shower, have breakfast, and get to work.
My back/shoulder/arm pain gradually faded and I went back to my normal schedule.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Well, I guess it’s not a ‘thing’ but the Olivia cruise in March was awesome.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Maybe my spouse and in-laws. They weren’t going to come to the wedding but they came. (And not only that, but my mother in law paid for the dinner!) And coming out and being out was hard for Doris but this year she’s gotten the hang of it, her parents have adjusted just fine, and she says there’s not really any difference in their relationship now.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one who I interacted with personally. High school bullies in general are appalling.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Home repair/improvement
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Fanfic, my fandom, my pairing
16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Maybe “My Kinda Lover” by Billy Squier, and all the songs I got into because someone made Azazel/Riptide fanvids using them (like "Gorgeous Nightmare" and "If I Had You")
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Happier
ii. thinner or fatter?
About the same
iii. richer or poorer?
About the same
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Hell, I don’t know. I guess 2011 has been a pretty “no regrets” year
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Ditto
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
My family is celebrating on the 21st and 22nd due to work schedules. Then it’s with the in-laws on the 24th, and then a very small dinner with my parents on the 25th.
22. Did you fall in love in 2012?
I stayed in love. I love her more each year
23. How many one-night stands?
Zero
24. What was your favorite TV program?
I’m just not into TV.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No
26. What was the best book you read?
My favorite question!
Fiction:
- The Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier (I began the series prior to 2011, but read four of the five of them this year so I’ll just count the whole series). By the way, the books in the series (in order) are: Daughter of the Forest, Son of the Shadows, Child of the Prophesy, Heir to Sevenwaters, and Seer of Sevenwaters
- Daughters of Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt
- Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
- How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
(Number of favorite fictional books this year that take place in modern times = 0)
Non-Fiction:
- Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
- She Looks Just Like You by Amie Klempnauer Miller
- For Us, Surrender is Out of the Question by Mac McClelland
- Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman
- The New Good Life by John Robbins
- A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
- Don’t Play In the Sun by Marita Golden
- Orange is the New Black by Piper Kernan
- Is It Utopia Yet: An Insider’s View of Twin Oaks Community in Its 26th Year by Kat Kinkade
- Annapurna A Woman’s Place by Arlene Blum
- The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard
- There Is No Me Without You: One Woman’s Odyssey to Rescue her Country’s Children by Melissa Fay Greene
- Wisdom From a Rainforest by Stuart A Schlegel
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
None, and I’m open to suggestions
28. What did you want and get?
A beautiful wedding with our families and most of our closest friends there.
29. What did you want and not get?
See comments above. This was a pretty good year, no major “wants” are coming to mind.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
X-men: First Class
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
(Do I need to say again that it was a no-regrets kinda year?)
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Um….try to buy as much from resale or from companies that make their clothing ethically, like Fair Indigo. Try to avoid department stores as they get their clothes from sweatshops.
34. What kept you sane?
My partner, my friends, exercise, LJ, reading, good food, fanfic, my good coworkers, my cat, my mom, Netflix, vacation, board games, improv theater
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Alex Gonzalez. Yum.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Bullying
37. Who did you miss?
No one?
38. Who was the best new person you met?
No one. Sheesh, sorry my answers aren’t that interesting. Maybe my life isn’t that interesting.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
I can’t think of any but I will write about a few other odd or interesting things this year. One, I stopped taking birth control in January. I kept fearing that the horrible pains would return but they haven’t. Am I living on borrowed time or could the endo be gone for good? Two, sometime this year I stopped cooking. Used to cook on the weekends, but now Doris does that. We both agree she’s the better cook. So I’ve hardly cracked a cookbook at all, and I don’t miss it that much though I would’ve thought I would. Oh, and finally it’s very cool to live not far from public transportation – makes me feel less dependent on my car, more free, more environmentally-friendly. I get a charge each time I take the el, I’m serious.
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^^^^^Made me laugh out loud. I am glad you had a good year. Hope it ends just as good and next year is better.
p.s. Mind if I swipe this?
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And glad I made you LOL. :)
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I bet you answers are more interesting than mine will be *lol*
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