2014: Year in Review
1. What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?
Marched in a political protest (against Monsanto).
Put Ananda (14), Aaron (13), and Jake (9) in school.
Had all five of my kids in school at once.
Got a tattoo!
Got allergy tested, with the whole fam.
Saw a dermatologist.
Began a lifestyle of frequent injections.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I had fewer defined resolutions this year, but I did keep them. I want to do more defined ones again, for the coming year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My friend Kathy had an ENORMOUS baby boy :)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. One of my Nana's twin sisters died, and an uncle of Grant's who I'd only met once, and a cousin had a grandmother who is not my grandmother die, and my mother in law's best friend's husband died - it danced around the periphery of my life a little too often, but didn't get too close.
5. What countries did you visit?
ALMOST France, blast it all. Still planning that.
6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
A bachelors degree.
Additional finished writing.
More than anything, health and energy - and I did have those for a lot of 2014. But I really felt it, when I lacked them.
7. What dates from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory?
The call, on Halloween night, that my mother in law had been rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. She's STILL sick, though out of the hospital now :/
Thanksgiving with my Mom AND Dad, and my brother and his girlfriend being here, and Laura AND FRANK coming over - just a major and unusual confluence of my family.
Meeting Anne Rice! Meeting Caitlin Doughty! Both a lot of fun, both with Annie in tow.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Hmmmm.... getting Ananda and Aaron auditioned into and settled at this great school they're at now seems really huge. Also the feeling of achievement that they've both been more than academically prepared to enter 8th and 9th grade honors classes is affirming as all hell. The first day of (their) school, when all five of them felt so happy and into it at the end of the day, also felt pretty great.
Wading through each of my kids' emotional struggles with them feels like it was the hardest thing I put effort into. Especially Isaac's anxiety attacks and Aaron's depression. Definitely bringing Elise back home.
I did also lose over 30 pounds and buy multiple pairs of pants with fucking buttons and zippers.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Fall semester at FIU. I really FEEL like I failed by continuing to cough for months/having my hernia bulge out as much as it did before I lost the 30 pounds :/ And getting triggered as all hell by repetitive doctors' visits. All that shit, my big ball of 2014 failure.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. Stupid sickness we all got in September turned into 3 months of terrible coughing and exhaustion. I was still pernicious-anemia-sick in January, but then felt pretty good until this started.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
It was really fun watching Annie just giddy after she got her newest skates, showing off on Lincoln Road.
REALLY fun doing this tea party birthday with Elise, at an English tearoom we reserved, she was beside herself.
A meal at The Fish House, with Grant and Isaac.
I also liked getting Ipsy bags in the mail.
New phone's camera quality makes me really happy.
Love this tattoo every day.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
A few of my kids' teachers, that I frequently appreciate.
Grant; I wish I could give him an award on a stage somewhere, with a speech.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
This is a hard question to ever answer honestly. Some things I have been saddened by this year, in sharply escalating order, include people leading with offers of friendship and then trying to sell me things; facebook friends acting overtly racist; and a flasher who thought it was appropriate to approach kids.
14. Where did most of your money go?
BJ's trips
Our electric bills (over $500 per month for the 6 hotter months)
Transportation (gas/tolls/car payment/insurance/maintenance)...We had to replace the van's whole computer system in the summer which was just ridiculous...
There is a neverending stream of one time expenses - this year that was mainly things like getting the kids all their school uniforms and supplies, and having our AC coils cleaned and septic tank pumped.
16. What song will always remind you of 2014?
"Ya Hey," by Vampire Weekend.
17. Compared to this time last year, you are:
Thinner or fatter: thinner
Richer or poorer: mmmm....we have a little bit more money, but also more debt/expenses because of septic tank troubles and van troubles
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
My botany class!
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
COUGHING.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
It was good - lowkey at home, which was a relief honestly. This is the first year I was really able to not feel sad about Christmas Eve, since my Nana's strokes, so that was nice :)
21. What was your favorite month of 2014?
I don't really have one. I liked getting a lot more energy after my shots started kicking in, and I've liked the cooler months.
22. Did you fall in love in 2014?
I fell in love with plants *batting my eyelashes*
23. How many one-night stands?
I am taking opinions in the comments on what to permanently change this question to, since I'm tired of seeing myself and everyone I know that does this meme post some variation on "oh come on" every single year.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
First half - Season 2 of Orange is the New Black.
Second half - Bob's Burgers.
In between? MY HERO, LOUIS CK.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
ISIS. I don't know if that counts.
26. What was the best book you read?
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (and Other Lessons from the Crematory), by Caitlin Doughty.
However, I am still slowly savoring Prince Lestat, by Anne Rice, and My Life in France by Julia Child, both in little morsels I allow myself here and there because I don't want either to end.
And I loved the book/original version of Orange is the New Black.
I'm rapidly DEVOURING Amanda Palmer's Art of Asking, since Grant got it for me for Christmas.
It's been a good book year! Grant and I are sharing lots of books these days through him listening to audio versions during his commute and me reading traditionally.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Vampire Weekend.
28. What did you want and get?
To hang out with Jean-Paul and Jess, respectively, in Jacksonville.
To attend various author events.
LOTS of time at Pinecrest Gardens and Fairchild Tropical Gardens.
A credit card increase, and another card (Operation Improve Credit reaching next level).
29. What did you want and not get?
Increased lung capacity.
More hours in each day.
To go to France, in the summer, with FIU.
More local friends, and/or time to actually hang out with them.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"! I loved it, in the theater with Grant and later at home with Ananda and Aaron.
I really liked the 7 of us going to see "Maleficent," too.
And, I do want to see "Into the Woods" and the new "Annie" remake sometime, but haven't yet.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
33 - and I got a tattoo that I'm really happy about :)
I also bought a ton of local seafood to cook at home, for us. Lobster and shrimp.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Two hours of sex twice a day, whenever I was ovulating.
Having house cleaners in regularly would also be good, though.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
Lane Bryant.
Fabulous hair.
Aprons.
34. What kept you sane?
EMDR. And it really did. I can interact with my mother and feel ok for the first time in basically my entire adult life. And, now that I'm through the other side of it, I recognize that ONE month long incident of being triggered in the fall - out of the whole year - is a really huge (PTSD) victory. Most of the year I did not feel like PTSD was more than something I had dealt with in the past.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hmmmmmm. I was eating up the Jolie-Pitt wedding, especially coming after Maleficent as it did.
I thought Chris Pratt was as endearing and Chris Rock was as wise as most other people did.
I discovered Ezra Koenig's twitter and love it.
I would support Elizabeth Warren for president.
I follow Nikki Sixx and Macaulay Culkin on Instagram, and Kimya Dawson on tumblr.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The midterm elections, and then the lack of indictment in the death of Eric Garner.
37. Who did you miss?
KRISTIN (we sometimes send hundreds of texts back and forth in a single day, and I manage to hang out with her kids when they're down and her mom when she's at derby...) Gah, why did Kristin have to move away?
38. Who were the best new people you met?
Jake and Christy are pretty cool, though our schedules are usually incompatible.
Some of the people in my classes were good, one of whom now lives on as a mutual tumblr friend.
I have some hope for getting together with someone who came out of the woodwork in a comment thread here to tell me we'd met at a PATH event.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014:
The school day is not as long as I thought it would be.
Having kids in school is at least as much effort as having them homeschooled is. I am definitely going back to my previous college methodology (online and around Grant's work schedule, rather than with the assumption that they will not have teacher work days or get sick or need a volunteer, or WHATEVER).
I am severely allergic to dust and can't expect to feel very good if I live the way I typically have (with seldom washed curtains and bed canopy, and too much fabric, yarn and so forth everywhere, I mean....with every out of sight surface neglected...you know).
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Oh, you saint
America don't love you
So I could never love you
In spite of everything
In the dark of this place
There's the glow of your face
There's the dust on the screen
Of this broken machine
And I can't help but feel
That I've made some mistake
But I let it go
2013
2012
2011
2009
Marched in a political protest (against Monsanto).
Put Ananda (14), Aaron (13), and Jake (9) in school.
Had all five of my kids in school at once.
Got a tattoo!
Got allergy tested, with the whole fam.
Saw a dermatologist.
Began a lifestyle of frequent injections.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I had fewer defined resolutions this year, but I did keep them. I want to do more defined ones again, for the coming year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My friend Kathy had an ENORMOUS baby boy :)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. One of my Nana's twin sisters died, and an uncle of Grant's who I'd only met once, and a cousin had a grandmother who is not my grandmother die, and my mother in law's best friend's husband died - it danced around the periphery of my life a little too often, but didn't get too close.
5. What countries did you visit?
ALMOST France, blast it all. Still planning that.
6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
A bachelors degree.
Additional finished writing.
More than anything, health and energy - and I did have those for a lot of 2014. But I really felt it, when I lacked them.
7. What dates from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory?
The call, on Halloween night, that my mother in law had been rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. She's STILL sick, though out of the hospital now :/
Thanksgiving with my Mom AND Dad, and my brother and his girlfriend being here, and Laura AND FRANK coming over - just a major and unusual confluence of my family.
Meeting Anne Rice! Meeting Caitlin Doughty! Both a lot of fun, both with Annie in tow.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Hmmmm.... getting Ananda and Aaron auditioned into and settled at this great school they're at now seems really huge. Also the feeling of achievement that they've both been more than academically prepared to enter 8th and 9th grade honors classes is affirming as all hell. The first day of (their) school, when all five of them felt so happy and into it at the end of the day, also felt pretty great.
Wading through each of my kids' emotional struggles with them feels like it was the hardest thing I put effort into. Especially Isaac's anxiety attacks and Aaron's depression. Definitely bringing Elise back home.
I did also lose over 30 pounds and buy multiple pairs of pants with fucking buttons and zippers.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Fall semester at FIU. I really FEEL like I failed by continuing to cough for months/having my hernia bulge out as much as it did before I lost the 30 pounds :/ And getting triggered as all hell by repetitive doctors' visits. All that shit, my big ball of 2014 failure.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. Stupid sickness we all got in September turned into 3 months of terrible coughing and exhaustion. I was still pernicious-anemia-sick in January, but then felt pretty good until this started.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
It was really fun watching Annie just giddy after she got her newest skates, showing off on Lincoln Road.
REALLY fun doing this tea party birthday with Elise, at an English tearoom we reserved, she was beside herself.
A meal at The Fish House, with Grant and Isaac.
I also liked getting Ipsy bags in the mail.
New phone's camera quality makes me really happy.
Love this tattoo every day.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
A few of my kids' teachers, that I frequently appreciate.
Grant; I wish I could give him an award on a stage somewhere, with a speech.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
This is a hard question to ever answer honestly. Some things I have been saddened by this year, in sharply escalating order, include people leading with offers of friendship and then trying to sell me things; facebook friends acting overtly racist; and a flasher who thought it was appropriate to approach kids.
14. Where did most of your money go?
BJ's trips
Our electric bills (over $500 per month for the 6 hotter months)
Transportation (gas/tolls/car payment/insurance/maintenance)...We had to replace the van's whole computer system in the summer which was just ridiculous...
There is a neverending stream of one time expenses - this year that was mainly things like getting the kids all their school uniforms and supplies, and having our AC coils cleaned and septic tank pumped.
16. What song will always remind you of 2014?
"Ya Hey," by Vampire Weekend.
17. Compared to this time last year, you are:
Thinner or fatter: thinner
Richer or poorer: mmmm....we have a little bit more money, but also more debt/expenses because of septic tank troubles and van troubles
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
My botany class!
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
COUGHING.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
It was good - lowkey at home, which was a relief honestly. This is the first year I was really able to not feel sad about Christmas Eve, since my Nana's strokes, so that was nice :)
21. What was your favorite month of 2014?
I don't really have one. I liked getting a lot more energy after my shots started kicking in, and I've liked the cooler months.
22. Did you fall in love in 2014?
I fell in love with plants *batting my eyelashes*
23. How many one-night stands?
I am taking opinions in the comments on what to permanently change this question to, since I'm tired of seeing myself and everyone I know that does this meme post some variation on "oh come on" every single year.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
First half - Season 2 of Orange is the New Black.
Second half - Bob's Burgers.
In between? MY HERO, LOUIS CK.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
ISIS. I don't know if that counts.
26. What was the best book you read?
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (and Other Lessons from the Crematory), by Caitlin Doughty.
However, I am still slowly savoring Prince Lestat, by Anne Rice, and My Life in France by Julia Child, both in little morsels I allow myself here and there because I don't want either to end.
And I loved the book/original version of Orange is the New Black.
I'm rapidly DEVOURING Amanda Palmer's Art of Asking, since Grant got it for me for Christmas.
It's been a good book year! Grant and I are sharing lots of books these days through him listening to audio versions during his commute and me reading traditionally.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Vampire Weekend.
28. What did you want and get?
To hang out with Jean-Paul and Jess, respectively, in Jacksonville.
To attend various author events.
LOTS of time at Pinecrest Gardens and Fairchild Tropical Gardens.
A credit card increase, and another card (Operation Improve Credit reaching next level).
29. What did you want and not get?
Increased lung capacity.
More hours in each day.
To go to France, in the summer, with FIU.
More local friends, and/or time to actually hang out with them.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"! I loved it, in the theater with Grant and later at home with Ananda and Aaron.
I really liked the 7 of us going to see "Maleficent," too.
And, I do want to see "Into the Woods" and the new "Annie" remake sometime, but haven't yet.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
33 - and I got a tattoo that I'm really happy about :)
I also bought a ton of local seafood to cook at home, for us. Lobster and shrimp.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Two hours of sex twice a day, whenever I was ovulating.
Having house cleaners in regularly would also be good, though.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
Lane Bryant.
Fabulous hair.
Aprons.
34. What kept you sane?
EMDR. And it really did. I can interact with my mother and feel ok for the first time in basically my entire adult life. And, now that I'm through the other side of it, I recognize that ONE month long incident of being triggered in the fall - out of the whole year - is a really huge (PTSD) victory. Most of the year I did not feel like PTSD was more than something I had dealt with in the past.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hmmmmmm. I was eating up the Jolie-Pitt wedding, especially coming after Maleficent as it did.
I thought Chris Pratt was as endearing and Chris Rock was as wise as most other people did.
I discovered Ezra Koenig's twitter and love it.
I would support Elizabeth Warren for president.
I follow Nikki Sixx and Macaulay Culkin on Instagram, and Kimya Dawson on tumblr.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The midterm elections, and then the lack of indictment in the death of Eric Garner.
37. Who did you miss?
KRISTIN (we sometimes send hundreds of texts back and forth in a single day, and I manage to hang out with her kids when they're down and her mom when she's at derby...) Gah, why did Kristin have to move away?
38. Who were the best new people you met?
Jake and Christy are pretty cool, though our schedules are usually incompatible.
Some of the people in my classes were good, one of whom now lives on as a mutual tumblr friend.
I have some hope for getting together with someone who came out of the woodwork in a comment thread here to tell me we'd met at a PATH event.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014:
The school day is not as long as I thought it would be.
Having kids in school is at least as much effort as having them homeschooled is. I am definitely going back to my previous college methodology (online and around Grant's work schedule, rather than with the assumption that they will not have teacher work days or get sick or need a volunteer, or WHATEVER).
I am severely allergic to dust and can't expect to feel very good if I live the way I typically have (with seldom washed curtains and bed canopy, and too much fabric, yarn and so forth everywhere, I mean....with every out of sight surface neglected...you know).
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Oh, you saint
America don't love you
So I could never love you
In spite of everything
In the dark of this place
There's the glow of your face
There's the dust on the screen
Of this broken machine
And I can't help but feel
That I've made some mistake
But I let it go
2013
2012
2011
2009