keeping the old, welcoming the new
1. Was 2012 a good year for you?
Yes. In so many ways, yes.
2. What was your favorite moment of the year?
Getting engaged. Having The How-To Issue take off, even briefly; to be part of the conversation about feminism and the media in a way that was not about me, but about ideas and writing, made me really proud. There are so many others.
3. What was your least favorite moment of the year?
I should have something big, maybe, but right now, I don't. Locking myself out of the apartment and then getting either a stomach bug or food poisoning - all while S. was gone - was not a high point.
4. Where were you when 2012 began?
At the now-closed Veronica People's Club, watching the crowd in wonderment, having shouty conversations with acquaintances and friends.
5. Who were you with?
S. and many others.
6. Where were you when 2012 ended?
Tipsy and watching shitty movies on cable with the love of my life.
7. Who were you with when 2012 ended?
S.
8. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
Moved in with S. Got engaged. Took a full-time retail job. Got interviewed by a non-local publication. Got a tattoo.
9. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make them, last year; so much change happened in 2011 that I was not ready to make promises to myself. This year is different.
10. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes and no! Friends I haven't yet met did.
11. Did anyone close to you die?
No. It still feels like it, but no.
12. Did you travel outside of the US in 2012?
Nope.
13. How many different states did you travel to in 2012?
Just Oregon. Not even New Jersey!
14. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
More focus.
15. What date(s) from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 26 (or 27, depending on how you're counting), when I got engaged.
16. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I ... don't know. I guess The How-To Issue, which is hard to say now because it withered away, but to have more than a hundred women I didn't know writing for a Tumblr because they believed in the same things - and had the same frustrations - that I did, well, that was something.
17. What was your biggest failure?
Not writing.
18. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
See above re: whatever stomach thing hit me right before Christmas. Other than that, my back was a disaster for a few days, but then Q. recommended a book about back pain being all about stress and boy, was it.
19. What was the best thing you bought?
Uh. I was going to buy a new computer, but I haven't done that yet. I almost bought a small online company, but changed my mind.
20. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Friends.
21. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Enemies. Just kidding. Jerkwads and politicians, as ever.
22. Where did most of your money go?
Books, cocktails, clothes, nail polish, a gift I'm so glad I gave.
23. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Didn't I already answer this question several times? I got excited about getting engaged, about seeing some excellent shows, about talking about things, about hanging out with friends. And getting to go to a cocktail hour thing with David Mitchell. And reading some wonderful books, and finally seeing Desaparecidos (still can't spell their name, though), and making new friends, and talking more with acquaintances who then become friends, and so on.
24. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Hrm. Just one? I don't know. But I listened to a lot of Joy Formidable, The National, The Walkmen, Florence and the Machine, Amanda Palmer, and Against Me this year. Among other things.
25. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
I'm just as happy. But maybe a little more, since part of my job is to talk to people about books.
ii. thinner or fatter?
I think a little fatter. It's what we call the happy chub.
iii. richer or poorer?
Poorer.
26. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Wrote: stories, a journal, lists, anything. And kept in touch with friends.
27. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Wasting time on the goddamn interwebs.
28. How did you spend Christmas?
Ordering sushi and watching Rare Exports. Thanks to the stomach thing, I didn't have so much as a glass of wine.
29. Did you fall in love in 2012?
I fell more in love.
30. If yes, with who?
S., always.
31. If yes, do they know?
Yes.
32. Are you still in love with them?
Yes.
33. You regret it?
Never!
34. Did you breakup with anyone in 2012?
No.
35. How many one-night stands?
None!
36. How many people did you sleep with in 2012?
One!
37. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I try not to hate anyone, but, to steal N.'s answer, there are few people with whom I am extremely irritated.
38. Did you make any new friends in 2012?
Yes!
39. Who are your favorite new friends?
All of them, and maybe especially the ones who come to Buffy Night Resurrected.
40. What was your favorite month of 2012?
The entire year was pretty great, but the fall - October through December - particularly grand. I think.
41. Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Of course.
42. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
I failed to do some things, but that's not quite the same.
43. What was the worst lie someone told you in 2012?
I didn't.
44. Did you treat somebody badly in 2012?
There are some people to whom I could be nicer.
45. Did somebody treat you badly in 2012?
Not that immediately comes to mind.
46. What was your proudest moment of 2012?
Didn't I already answer this in a slightly different form?
47. What was your most embarrassing moment of 2012?
I just noticed that a few of these questions formerly said 2008 instead of 2012. That's not embarrassing, but it's funny. I can't remember my most embarrassing moment, probably because I've blocked it out.
48. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Fuck, I wish I had a good answer for this. But it was a year of comfort, not discovery, for me.
49. What did you want and get?
A good year. A new job. An enduring and amazing relationship.
50. What did you want and not get?
A way to work for myself.
51. What was your favorite new film of this year?
Right now, I'd have to split it between Cabin in the Woods, Holy Motors, Zero Dark Thirty and The Avengers. I think.
52. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2012?
Yep.
57. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2012?
Nope.
58. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I worked, then went to the Brooklyn Night Market with S. and AVV, then had delicious cocktails at Dram - and the birthday weekend continued the next day with brunch at Allswell, beers, manicures (for all three of us!), and an impromptu board game night. Good times, turning 37.
59. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being more productive. Being more sure.
60. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Teefury and cute dresses, all with boots.
61. What kept you sane?
It wasn't really an issue.
62. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
LOL. Lee Pace on that fucking elk in The Hobbit, I guess.
63. How much money did you spend in 2012?
Too. Fucking. Much.
64. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
I relearned how it's never too late to change your mind.
65. What are your plans for 2013?
Talking about goals, as I said to a friend this weekend, alway feels presumptuous to me - I know I'm not going to reach most of them. But I do have some plans. Step by step.
Yes. In so many ways, yes.
2. What was your favorite moment of the year?
Getting engaged. Having The How-To Issue take off, even briefly; to be part of the conversation about feminism and the media in a way that was not about me, but about ideas and writing, made me really proud. There are so many others.
3. What was your least favorite moment of the year?
I should have something big, maybe, but right now, I don't. Locking myself out of the apartment and then getting either a stomach bug or food poisoning - all while S. was gone - was not a high point.
4. Where were you when 2012 began?
At the now-closed Veronica People's Club, watching the crowd in wonderment, having shouty conversations with acquaintances and friends.
5. Who were you with?
S. and many others.
6. Where were you when 2012 ended?
Tipsy and watching shitty movies on cable with the love of my life.
7. Who were you with when 2012 ended?
S.
8. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
Moved in with S. Got engaged. Took a full-time retail job. Got interviewed by a non-local publication. Got a tattoo.
9. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make them, last year; so much change happened in 2011 that I was not ready to make promises to myself. This year is different.
10. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes and no! Friends I haven't yet met did.
11. Did anyone close to you die?
No. It still feels like it, but no.
12. Did you travel outside of the US in 2012?
Nope.
13. How many different states did you travel to in 2012?
Just Oregon. Not even New Jersey!
14. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
More focus.
15. What date(s) from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 26 (or 27, depending on how you're counting), when I got engaged.
16. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I ... don't know. I guess The How-To Issue, which is hard to say now because it withered away, but to have more than a hundred women I didn't know writing for a Tumblr because they believed in the same things - and had the same frustrations - that I did, well, that was something.
17. What was your biggest failure?
Not writing.
18. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
See above re: whatever stomach thing hit me right before Christmas. Other than that, my back was a disaster for a few days, but then Q. recommended a book about back pain being all about stress and boy, was it.
19. What was the best thing you bought?
Uh. I was going to buy a new computer, but I haven't done that yet. I almost bought a small online company, but changed my mind.
20. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Friends.
21. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Enemies. Just kidding. Jerkwads and politicians, as ever.
22. Where did most of your money go?
Books, cocktails, clothes, nail polish, a gift I'm so glad I gave.
23. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Didn't I already answer this question several times? I got excited about getting engaged, about seeing some excellent shows, about talking about things, about hanging out with friends. And getting to go to a cocktail hour thing with David Mitchell. And reading some wonderful books, and finally seeing Desaparecidos (still can't spell their name, though), and making new friends, and talking more with acquaintances who then become friends, and so on.
24. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Hrm. Just one? I don't know. But I listened to a lot of Joy Formidable, The National, The Walkmen, Florence and the Machine, Amanda Palmer, and Against Me this year. Among other things.
25. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
I'm just as happy. But maybe a little more, since part of my job is to talk to people about books.
ii. thinner or fatter?
I think a little fatter. It's what we call the happy chub.
iii. richer or poorer?
Poorer.
26. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Wrote: stories, a journal, lists, anything. And kept in touch with friends.
27. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Wasting time on the goddamn interwebs.
28. How did you spend Christmas?
Ordering sushi and watching Rare Exports. Thanks to the stomach thing, I didn't have so much as a glass of wine.
29. Did you fall in love in 2012?
I fell more in love.
30. If yes, with who?
S., always.
31. If yes, do they know?
Yes.
32. Are you still in love with them?
Yes.
33. You regret it?
Never!
34. Did you breakup with anyone in 2012?
No.
35. How many one-night stands?
None!
36. How many people did you sleep with in 2012?
One!
37. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I try not to hate anyone, but, to steal N.'s answer, there are few people with whom I am extremely irritated.
38. Did you make any new friends in 2012?
Yes!
39. Who are your favorite new friends?
All of them, and maybe especially the ones who come to Buffy Night Resurrected.
40. What was your favorite month of 2012?
The entire year was pretty great, but the fall - October through December - particularly grand. I think.
41. Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Of course.
42. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
I failed to do some things, but that's not quite the same.
43. What was the worst lie someone told you in 2012?
I didn't.
44. Did you treat somebody badly in 2012?
There are some people to whom I could be nicer.
45. Did somebody treat you badly in 2012?
Not that immediately comes to mind.
46. What was your proudest moment of 2012?
Didn't I already answer this in a slightly different form?
47. What was your most embarrassing moment of 2012?
I just noticed that a few of these questions formerly said 2008 instead of 2012. That's not embarrassing, but it's funny. I can't remember my most embarrassing moment, probably because I've blocked it out.
48. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Fuck, I wish I had a good answer for this. But it was a year of comfort, not discovery, for me.
49. What did you want and get?
A good year. A new job. An enduring and amazing relationship.
50. What did you want and not get?
A way to work for myself.
51. What was your favorite new film of this year?
Right now, I'd have to split it between Cabin in the Woods, Holy Motors, Zero Dark Thirty and The Avengers. I think.
52. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2012?
Yep.
57. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2012?
Nope.
58. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I worked, then went to the Brooklyn Night Market with S. and AVV, then had delicious cocktails at Dram - and the birthday weekend continued the next day with brunch at Allswell, beers, manicures (for all three of us!), and an impromptu board game night. Good times, turning 37.
59. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being more productive. Being more sure.
60. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Teefury and cute dresses, all with boots.
61. What kept you sane?
It wasn't really an issue.
62. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
LOL. Lee Pace on that fucking elk in The Hobbit, I guess.
63. How much money did you spend in 2012?
Too. Fucking. Much.
64. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
I relearned how it's never too late to change your mind.
65. What are your plans for 2013?
Talking about goals, as I said to a friend this weekend, alway feels presumptuous to me - I know I'm not going to reach most of them. But I do have some plans. Step by step.