Year in Review
1. What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?
Visited our nation's capital.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I have no recollection of any resolutions-and I don't plan to make any for this year, either. I tend to just have goals, some vaguer or more long-term than others, and if it takes years to achieve them, that's okay.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
IRL, no. Online, sophia_helix had the most adorable little baby boy :)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thankfully.
5. What countries did you visit?
All my travel was within the US, but I went to Hawaii, which is pretty far-flung.
6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
A boy who's not 22/23. Alternately, a boy who's 22/23 who I can deal with being around for more than two weeks.
7. What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
There are two dates that I'll never forget:
July 13th: Tim Lincecum no-hits the Padres
August 26th: NSYNC reunites at the VMAs (and sets the stage for the rest of my year, fandom-wise)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Feeling, around two years post-promotion, that I'm now reasonably competent at my job-and can actually enjoy it, from time to time. Also, performing existing job while taking over interim hiring duties for our office in the midst of some operational changes.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not redoing my bedroom. Still rocking the bedroom set that I've had since 8th grade, which is nagl.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had two minor respiratory issues at the end of the year which were either allergies or the friendliest, most pleasant colds I've ever experienced. Whatever, any excuse for codeine cough syrup is most welcome.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Plane ticket to Hawaii, probably.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Travel.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
NSYNC! Rediscovering my love for them, and then discovering the amazing, expansive, creative fandom that could still be found online was truly awesome. (By the way, I updated my list of NSYNC Fic Recs earlier today.)
Also, feeling inspired by this fandom to write again was special-it had been a while.
16. What song will always remind you of 2013?
Justin Timberlake: "I Think She Knows (Interlude)"
Click to view17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Happier
Older or wiser? Older
Thinner or fatter? Approx. the same
Richer or poorer? Richer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Running and eating well. I've always led a pretty healthy lifestyle, but there were stretches this year when work was dragging me down and I just couldn't give a fuck. Hence, there were too many nights of grabbing In 'N Out or Wendy's on the way home and curling up on the couch to eat-and then not moving again until it was time to get ready for bed.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I had a handful of uncharacteristically antisocial moments, where I skipped out on plans for no real reason other than that I inexplicably didn't want to go. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but 90% of life is just showing up, as they say, and I've really found that to be true-and therefore feel bad about days where I just couldn't be bothered.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
My family always does the bulk of our celebrating on Christmas Eve. This year, we went out to a steakhouse for dinner (a tradition that my grandfather started and which we continue to this day) and then came home and drank vodka and champagne and opened gifts. Christmas Day, we made our traditional Thanksgiving meal at my mom's house (for various reasons, my mom hasn't hosted Thanksgiving for the past two years, and we were all missing it). While the turkey was roasting, there were mimosas and Cards Against Humanity.
22. Did you fall in love in 2013?
Nope.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I (belatedly, for the most part) got into Breaking Bad, Orange is the New Black, Game of Thrones, and Downton Abbey.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone.
25. What was the best book you read?
I didn't finish a book in 2013 :/ I made incremental progress through Empire of the Summer Moon over the course of a few plane rides.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Discovering how much I could still rock out to NSYNC, even after all these years. JT's solo work is generally not bad either.
27. What did you want and get?
More of a work/life balance (for the most part). Aaaand JT tickets.
28. What did you want and not get?
It would have been nice to have a date for NYE. Beyond that, I'm really fortunate.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I don't even remember most of the movies I saw this year in theaters. I watched a doc called Somm on Netflix yesterday that I loved, about four guys studying for the master sommelier test.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I spent the weekend in San Francisco and watched Tim Lincecum pitch at AT&T Park. Dirty thirty.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
This one is hard to answer.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Old Navy is my new jam.
33. What kept you sane?
Drinks, dinners, and conversations with my little sister. She embarked on the management adventure herself recently, and being a mentor to her helps put my own experiences in perspective.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Vintage Justin Timberlake.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Marriage equality.
36. Who did you miss?
Ryan and Jess. Auston, intermittently, although I'm pretty accustomed to his ex-pat lifestyle at this point.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
thorne_scratch!
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013:
I was lucky, but I was lucky because I worked hard.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I know you like this dirty pop.