2015 End of Year Meme
1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?
Spent a week in a psych hospital, which is one thing that I never, ever plan to do again because fuck, I still have nightmares. On the lighter side, I got to go to Tucson Bead Fair, and spend Valentine's Day with someone I love very much, and signed a new lease with everyone I was moving in with when we moved in instead of just moving in later.
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Two of them yes or sort of, two of them not really, one of them almost entirely but with one really flagrant breach in May. Oh well.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, but unfortunately she lost her son less than a month later. Rest in peace, babby.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Well, yes. My friend's son, and my old boss's daughter, and my friend's grandfather (and my dad's dog). Just a lot of loving and loved people lost this year.
5. What countries did you visit?
None this year. Probably none next year either, since I continue to be poor.
6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
Hilariously, last year I wrote that I wanted my sanity back.
Um, this year, I want my friends and family to be happy. I want my best beloved to live with me. I want a better-paying library job. I want people to stop dying. Here's hoping that any of it happens.
7. What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 31th, 2015, and we're not talking about why.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I survived this holiday season relatively intact. Considering that it included a move right before Thanksgiving and spackling a ceiling thirty minutes after a seven-hour road trip, I'm calling that a hell of a win.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Failed totally to work on any writing for publication.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Well, yeah, I was hospitalized. Fortunately that seems to have abated considerably.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A plane ticket home for me and my cat.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My parents, my friends, everyone who stuck with me and by me through my hospitalization and the events leading up to it. My girlfriend, my best friend, my sisters-in-soul for other reasons. The class act that is Seanan McGuire. Management at my current job.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Pretty much every politician's except Bernie Sanders, let's just go with that.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Books and travel funds. Woooorth it.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
STAR WARS, NOTHING BUT STAR WARS. GIMME THOSE STAR WARS, DON'T LET THEM END.
16. What song will always remind you of 2014?
After All, by Dar Williams.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, surprisingly.
ii. thinner or fatter? Actually about the same. I'm maintaining my weight. Proud of myself.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer, but again, not by much and mostly because I have some astonishingly amazing friends.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Cleaning and writing things for publication. That's... honestly really it. Oh, and sleeping, except for that solid month on the med that gave me hypersomnia because Dr. Asshole didn't listen to me.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Hurting myself, being a bitch to myself, not managing my self-care as well as I could have.
I almost wish I'd spent less time in California, but I'm not sure that it would have actually changed anything, and I did really like Palm Springs. Nah, apart from the whole thing in May I think I'm fine with what I did.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I was with my dad and stepfamily in San Francisco again. Bonus: this year I got to see usakeh! It was so wonderful to see her and sit down and talk with her again.
21. How will you be spending New Year’s?
At my old boss's New Year's Party/tribute to their daughter, which is going to be awkward but she deserves the support, and I'd like to remember the daughter.
22. Did you fall in love in 2014?
Nope. Stayed in love, though! HI BEST BELOVED SOOOOOOOON.
23. How many one-night stands?
Still not my thing, still none. Unless we're talking with fandoms.
24. What was were your favorite TV program(s)?
I actually didn't watch a whole lot of TV this year, but Leverage and Hawaii 5-0 are the ones that come to mind. Oh, and Spartacus still.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No, not really. There were a lot of people TO hate but I pretty much already hated all of them.
26. What was the best book you read?
So many, but yes. Saga is fucking awesome, thanks for the rec, usakeh! The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Castle Hangnail and Harriet the Invincible, thank you so much Ursula Vernon. Men Explain Things To Me is a great collection of essays. The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which is objectively not that great but I adored it. Karen Memory is fucking amazing. Krik? Krak! and actually anything by Edwidge Danticat is gonna be fantastic. Many books.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Bottom of the River, by Delta Rae. I'm pretty sure finch is responsible for that, in which case, thanks, my friend, thank you SO MUCH, this song is amazing.
28. What did you want and get?
Books, a home, safety. And the ability to get married!
29. What did you want and not get?
...honestly not a lot. Maybe a better-paying job, maybe medical insurance, but I kind of have both and to be honest, I'm very happy. I think things went well for me personally.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
STAR WARS, NOTHING BUT STAR WARS, GIMME THAT STAR WARS, DON'T LET IT END.
31. What did you do on your birthday?
Mostly I was suuuuuuuper depressed so let's just wander on past this question.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less depression and anxiety. Still can't improve on this.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
"Clothes should be clean." That's really it.
34. What kept you sane?
Desperately needed medical care, at least after the first half of the year.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Carrie Fisher is my new personal goddess.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Syrian refugees, particularly the reason they're running to safety and American politicians being incredible douchecanoes about it. Also, being able to get married now.
37. Who did you miss?
My parents, my best beloved, my brother. Seen them all again recently, though, and Imma get my Best Beloved soooooooon.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I genuinely cannot remember if I met anyone particularly new this year, so if I met you this year, it was you. <333
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015:
I am not a burden.
More verbosely: My parents love me, and they do not see meeting my financial and medical needs as a burden, but as part of their job as parents. It is okay for me to ask for and to accept their help. They will never see me as a burden. They love me.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
'Cause when you live in a world
Well, it gets in to who you thought you'd be
And now I laugh at how the world changed me
I think life chose me after all
- After All, Dar Williams
Now fuck you very much, 2015! Please let the door hit you on the way out.
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