It appears that the last time I did this Sundry questionnaire was for the year 2010 and although I SWEAR I've done it for other years WHO KNOWS. It could have been a WHOLE DIFFERENT BLOG. In any case, here it is for 2012.
1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
Besides the Blathering (which somehow feels like it could populate MOST of the answers on this list), not much. On a somewhat down note, the only thing that comes to mind was the emergency landing on Oahu when I expected to arrive on Maui/ complete with fire trucks and screeching brakes and people screaming. Hey, did you know I HATE FLYING unless I do it REALLY REGULARLY? It had been months since I'd been on a plane at that point. Bonus: I still ended up in HAWAII. So. I guess it was FINE.
On an UP note (because I can't just leave a stupid DOWN note, whether or not it resulted in Hawaii), I completed a Whole 30! Yay, me!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I'm not GOOD at resolutions and I really want to be. So, I'm going to make some this year, both personally and professionally. And I'm giving myself another week or two to get those written down because it's going to take at least a little bit of crowd-sourcing and one nice lovely, new pen and some crisp, thick paper.
As far as last year... I didn't make any so I didn't NOT keep them. NEUTRAL. SWITZERLAND.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Many, many friends had tiny little nuggets who are VERY CUTE and many of my Pocket Friends had babies who I would like to meet (and settle for Instagram photos of). A bit more closely, my sister had her third baby in October- a sweet little girl who is pretty darn adorable. (Some interesting background: my sister has two boys and was told the second boy was going to be a girl until a very late ultrasound revealed the inaccuracy of the FIRST ultrasound. We kind of didn't think she'd have another, but she did and it's the girl that she already had A LOT of pink for. Which is awesome. My sister is the type of person who informed my brother in law just before Christmas that the 9-wk-old needed a jewelry box. I'm delighted for her.)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
I received a text at work one afternoon that my very first boss had passed away. I point out that I received it via TEXT and while I was AT WORK because I think it's kind of a strange way to tell someone that someone has passed when THE PERSON RECEIVING THE INFORMATION is not expecting the news at all. It was an absolute shock and I had tears down my cheeks before I even remembered I was at work.
She was an amazing woman who was vibrant and a real community presence who loved the CRAP out of her kids (I was a Day Camp Leader, she had none of her own so she took on the entire city's worth of little ones). I can only hope that I am able to remember her spirit by passing on that love, concern, attention to others in her honor.
5. What countries did you visit?
Hm. No countries this year! In fact, this might have been the slowest year of travel I've had in ages. I went to Hawaii in March and New Orleans in November.
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
A clearer definition of my current relationship. A business that's at least a small bit more than it is right now. Some growth on my career goals (and clarity on what those are).
7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Oct 13th and the surrounding weeks when one of my very best friends got married. It was wonderful to have her in town (from Tokyo) and get to help her and just be with her and her family and share some of her friends and make them my new friends.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Work. Which I feel good about, because who doesn't WANT to be able to say that they're good at their job and that they really love it (which I do)? It's also a growth area for me because I know that I need to be able to more clearly define my career path and I also need to figure out how to be better about working AND living. (To clarify, I mean my full-time job here, not my photography business. For THAT, working IS living.)
9. What was your biggest failure?
I want to be calmer, I want to be fitter, I want to be more me. All the time. It's less of a failure and more of an ongoing quest.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I continue to have pretty rotten immune system that invites every bug to take up residence, but nothing major. Yay!
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Anything Blathering related. Getting to meet my favorite internet people was so amazing and so rewarding.
12. Where did most of your money go?
Just bills. I'd like for more to go to travel and champagne, however.
13. What did you get really excited about?
In September, I finally got to meet Jennie in person when she came into town. I have lots of things to say about Jennie, all of them marvelous, but mostly I have this: knowing Jennie makes everything else better. She has this ability to amass love in this huge way that just lets you know that she GETS IT and that she wants all the good and important things to come raining down upon your shoulders and that she ALSO wants you to find a really nice pair of shoes. There is nothing too big or too small that she won't wish for for you. I can't think of a more wonderful quality in a friend and I feel incredibly lucky and delighted that I get to keep her. FOREVER. (Not creepy.)
So, not only was I excited to see her in September (and then again in New Orleans), but (to answer the question) she excited me about ME. About being the things I want to be and, specifically, having the business I want to have. Since September, I've become inspired and reinvigorated and EXCITED about growing and it's SUCH a huge, huge gift.
14. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Somebody That I Used To Know (Gotye feat Kimbra)
15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? I'm going to call this flat. I have had an incredibly rich and lucky year in SO many ways. But there are bits that are sadder and so... it's a wash.
– thinner or fatter? Um. FATTER.
– richer or poorer? Poorer.
16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Traveled more. Exercised more. Worked smarter (less). Seen more friends, both quantity and consistency.
17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Less worry and anxiety. Less reading of Yahoo Comments. Less stress bagels.
18. How did you spend Christmas?
On Friday night, I got into a car accident on the way to pick up my mom, sister and nieces for an evening shopping trip. (Thank God it happened before they were in the car.)
On Saturday, I picked up a rental and retrieved them all for that trip and fielded very stressful questions all day long. This was a bad choice. I know that now. I should have stayed at home and had tea and watched Netflix.
On Sunday, full of anxiety I exploded into a ball of frustration that didn't dissipate through Christmas Eve. I tried really hard, but I didn't set myself up well.
I hoped Christmas would pick up after Mass, but then at our celebration my family didn't tell me what time to arrive and started opening gifts without me (I live three minutes away. Literally.) Considering I am the only one without children, that gift opening is the only Christmas I have and it was... hurtful. Unintentional, I'm SURE, but I was holding back tears. (Did I mention the ball of frustration?) I felt better after a bit and it was A GREAT evening with tamales and cheesecake and my aunt and uncle. They live close and we saw them ALL the time as kids, but rarely now as all my cousins have moved away and don't really visit. My uncle brought board games and card games for the bigger kids and we played and it was SO FUN and, whew. CHRISTMAS.
19. What was your favorite TV program?
Parenthood. It's a good thing.
20. What were your favorite books of the year?
I read both too much and too little. I don't have a favorite, but I enjoyed the last 1/8 of Night Circus immensely.
21. What was your favorite music from this year?
Fun.
22. What were your favorite films of the year?
Hm. Nothing super notable, actually. I did get to go see Hunger Games with the girlfriend mentioned above before she moved away and it was SUCH A TREAT and we cried in the theater and didn't bring enough napkins for popcorn grease AND tears and it was a fantastic time.
23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
My family had a little party for me in the afternoon. I went with Kevin for Mexican food in the evening (after trying to secure reservations somewhere yummy unsuccessfully), but it was an emotional relationship time so it was... strange? Not awkward, just not as expected. I was 31.
24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Consistent exercise.
25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Um, is lounge wear a fashion concept? I bought Toms too! And soft scarves.
26. What kept you sane?
Feelings Club. (Thank you, THANK YOU for this, ladies. I know I missed a few due to work (I'm working on getting better at that), but the standing appointment to see you and talk and have a nice dinner has truly, seriously meant so much to me. Let's have more Feelings.)
Alyssa.
Pocket Friends. Especially those who I feel are real, awesome LIFE friends like Miranda (who is close enough to SEE and HANG OUT WITH) and Jess and Susie (well, mostly I just want to kidnap Susie and make her hang out with me all the time. She's totally my speed.) (These ladies join my pocket friends from Feelings Club above, who are TREMENDOUS and LOVELY and I want to see more of. Especially Leah.)
27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
I don't have a good answer for this one. I learned a lot and I'm still mucking through it and I'm grateful for the lessons of the year.
