Yearly Survey!
Of course I thought I did this survey every year, but absolutely can not find a copy of it since 2011. That’s crazy! It's gotta be in here somewhere but I've run out of digging time. I guess last year was pretty hectic because we were about to move and I was spending three weeks in Delaware, but still! I can’t believe that I might've forgotten two years in a row!
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
I rode my bike more than I ever have in my life, which isn’t totally new, obviously. But this was the first year of my life that I rode my bike to replace all transportation, which IS a new thing for me. It was life changing, for sure, and I don’t think I”ll ever look back.
I emceed Rick’s wedding! That was fun!
I moved to the Bay Area, which means that I have now lived in every part of the country where I ever dreamed of living. That’s cool.
I rode my bike up a mountain while pulling a chariot. It was definitely type two fun, but is one of my favorite memories of the year.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I resolved last year to make our family into a crazy East Bay bicycling family, which I totally did. I probably resolved to build community here, too, which I have also done a pretty bang up job of.
I resolve every year to work on my physical issues - really get healthy in spite of my structural craziness. AND I did pretty well up until August with an amazing amount of yoga practicing/bicycling. I found a private teacher who was willing to trade with me. And then August hit and I weaned… and the year sort of fell off the deep end for me. I got super depressed and stopped practicing yoga almost altogether. That wasn’t good, but it was pretty unavoidable. Luckily, I continued to bike everywhere.
I did start to see a bunch of doctors to figure my foot out. I had surgery last Friday and am laid up like crazy town in pain city. I have high hopes that I will be more mobile in 2014! I have a few other resolutions up my sleeve too, as always.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. Ryan and Lia had fresh sweet babies in Seattle. My bff Kathy had her baby girl, Georgia! Lots of other friends in NYC also gave birth. I don’t know any new babies in the bay area, but am expecting a few this year and am ridiculously excited about that! Babies babies everywhere!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Aunt Doris died this year. She was always an inspiration to me. I’ll never forget her example of feminism and social grace. She was a hairdresser, a spitfire, and had the most hilarious cackle I’ve ever heard. When I last saw her, at the end of last year, I knew it was the last time I would sit next to her. She was so lost in her body at that point. She just smiled her lovely smile. I whispered in her ear that she was beautiful and she got a little tear in her eye. I’ll never forget that.
5. What countries did you visit?
No travels outside of the country this year. It’s been a while since that’s happened, which is super sad. I did go east three times this year. That was awesome!
6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
You guys, I have an abundance of riches. I honestly don’t know what more I could ask for. I suppose I might like a bit more career definition in the new year, but I might not want that, really. I mean, I’m doing pretty well with our little website and the kitchen salon. It’s not exactly ambitious work, but it’s very sustaining for our family.
WAIT, I could also ask for more toe mobility. Because I would really like all this pain I am enduring after this surgery to amount to something. I would like to be able to hike for more than 2 miles. I would like to be able to do stupid stuff like walk to the grocery store - which is only a mile away - without absolutely having to take out my bike.
7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 18th - The day we left Seattle
April - Harry and Alice’s wedding
August 17th - Rick and Emma’s wedding
May - The party we threw for Niko’s birthday was just lovely, as was the party I threw with April for Buster’s birthday!
Thanksgiving - It was SO SO good this year. Truly. I’m proud of myself for pulling that one off.
Also great days to remember: So many wonderful people came to visit us in our new home this year. Rick. Joe and Vanessa. April. Katie came several times. Kathy and Patrick. Cameos from Alice and Harry on separate occasions. Jimmy James. We had so much fun warming up this adorable house of ours! We also had some truly fantastic times out in Napa and Sonoma. This california living is pretty stunning stuff.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
ROCKING THIS MOVE. Making some seriously awesome new friends in the East Bay, where we literally knew NO ONE before moving into this house. Finding an amazing preschool for Niko. TEACHING NIKO HOW TO BE A SERIOUS BIKE RIDER. Making the house look pretty darn cute. Communicating with my father.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Oh, I don’t know. I had some minor embarrassments that I don’t care to write about. Sometimes I feel intellectually disconnected these days because I am not testing my wits as much with my work life, which is no fun to think about. But generally, I feel pretty solid right now.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got the flu. That sucked. And I’ve had two colds this season that were pretty rough. Weaning was the kicker for me this year. It brought some very very dark days. My toe got a lot worse after Harry and Alice’s wedding, because dancing is awesome! Hopefully that’s fixedish now.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
All the bikes. Totally worth the money! Plane tickets back east were also totally worth the expense.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I have so many graceful friends. Kathy and Patrick’s baby has had some pretty crazy health complications this year and they have handled every step of crazy new parenthood coupled with surgeries for their little with so much love and such step up responsibility. And the two weddings we attended this year were obviously very big ones for us, coupled with magical celebrations. Niko was pretty well celebrated with his bike riding, too. That might seem small potatoes to many of you reading, but seriously teaching him how to ride a bike and seeing him commit so hard has been one of my biggest joys, ever.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Congress. The NSA. Anyone who gunned down anyone else. Luckily, no one in my personal life has made me feel either appalled or depressed.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Settling into this house. Buying bikes. Paying off the car!!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder? Very much happier. I feel so established in my marriage and parenthood this year. It’s really a magical feeling.
b) Fatter or Thinner? Maybe 5 lbs thinner and a few inches smaller, thanks to bike riding.
c) Richer or poorer? About the same, but this time with our every single debt paid off!!! That feels so good. No credit card debt. No car debt. No mortgage. It won’t be this way forever, so I’m going to enjoy this for now.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I could have stuck to my yoga practice through the bone crushing depression I had from weaning.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Smoking pot. There! I said it. It’s not the worst recreational habit in the world, and I am by no means a crazy stoner, but I do turn to it sometimes when I really shouldn’t need to.
I also wish I had been more patient with Niko when he was deep in his 3yo crazy, but I’m only human and that kid is so so stubborn! Luckily, things have gotten so much better on that front in recent months.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
We went to the OC! It was really fun this year. I”m super glad we brought the bikes. Niko had an incredible time with his cousin and it was really fun to watch them bond. Plus, I feel closer and closer to my sister in law every time we hang out.
21. How many one-night stands?
12! And they were during dreams I had while ovulating. ;)
22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
With the East Bay, I guess!
23. What was your favourite TV programme?
Easily Orange is the New Black. Honorable mention for House of Cards, Doctor Who, and Game of Thrones.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Oh I dunno. I guess Lorde? I’m excited about that kid. She symbolises a paradigm shift in pop music that I have been waiting on for a while now. I also really enjoyed listening to Daft Punk, over and over, while having dance parties with preschoolers. Good times.
28. What did you want and get?
Sunshine!!!!! Happiness. A bike. Botox. A good preschool. All the heirloom beans I could eat.
29. What did you want and not get?
Obnoxiously, I have gotten everything I have ever wanted in life. Pinch me?
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
No idea. Did I even watch a movie this year? Not really.
31. What did you do on your birthday?
I had such a lovely few days! The day of my birthday a girlfriend came over with her son, who is Niko aged. We had a lovely dinner and they sang to me! A few weeks later my man took me to Chez Panisse, which was really amazing. Also notable: Buster and I went on a little bike tour for my birthday/ our 5th anniversary. We packed a picnic lunch and drank the most amazing bottle of wine that was left over from our honeymoon trip to Italy. That was a banner day.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I honestly can’t think of anything. Maybe a trip overseas?
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
My fashion definitely shifted this year. If I can’t bike in it, I won’t wear it. This resulted in a completely new silhouette, which was fun.
34. What kept you sane?
Biking. Katie. Buster.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
God there are a lot of questions in this survey. I fancied Lorde. I fancied Jennifer Lawerence. I fancied Beyonce. No surprises here!
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Congress can suck it.
37. Who did you miss?
So very many people. Sometimes I get so sad about all the clients I left in Seattle. Those relationships become super important to me and those clients were hard to leave behind. I definitely feel a void in my life these days as far as my work with people is concerned. And of course, having moved around so much, I just keep piling up the people I have fallen in love with and then left. I feel very fortunate to have social media around to keep me in touch, but sometimes that feels overwhelming and a little empty compared to actually touching and conversing, obviously. I love and miss so very many people. So very many.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
My new mom friends! Nicole, Erica, Ahnika, Monica, and Brasa. They are all great ladies. I am also still smitten with our landlords, Johannes and Eileen. Sharon and Ian were by far my most notable forever friends additions. I've of course known about them for a million years, and had met them once before... but hanging out with them here made me immediately comfortable and I'm SO so glad we're buds.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
This is hard to put words to, but somehow in 2013 Buster and I have learned how to be better partners to each other. Our communication has really clicked. This could be in great part because we aren’t really stressed about much at this point in our lives, but I think it goes deeper. I think that we have somehow worked our way through the 7 year itch and come up stronger than ever. I’ve learned how to breathe more. I’ve learned how to not take everything so seriously. I’ve learned how to be more patient with the whole family, and maybe more patient with myself too. I feel superconnected to my family these days, and that’s really good.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
White teethed teens are out.
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
I rode my bike more than I ever have in my life, which isn’t totally new, obviously. But this was the first year of my life that I rode my bike to replace all transportation, which IS a new thing for me. It was life changing, for sure, and I don’t think I”ll ever look back.
I emceed Rick’s wedding! That was fun!
I moved to the Bay Area, which means that I have now lived in every part of the country where I ever dreamed of living. That’s cool.
I rode my bike up a mountain while pulling a chariot. It was definitely type two fun, but is one of my favorite memories of the year.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I resolved last year to make our family into a crazy East Bay bicycling family, which I totally did. I probably resolved to build community here, too, which I have also done a pretty bang up job of.
I resolve every year to work on my physical issues - really get healthy in spite of my structural craziness. AND I did pretty well up until August with an amazing amount of yoga practicing/bicycling. I found a private teacher who was willing to trade with me. And then August hit and I weaned… and the year sort of fell off the deep end for me. I got super depressed and stopped practicing yoga almost altogether. That wasn’t good, but it was pretty unavoidable. Luckily, I continued to bike everywhere.
I did start to see a bunch of doctors to figure my foot out. I had surgery last Friday and am laid up like crazy town in pain city. I have high hopes that I will be more mobile in 2014! I have a few other resolutions up my sleeve too, as always.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. Ryan and Lia had fresh sweet babies in Seattle. My bff Kathy had her baby girl, Georgia! Lots of other friends in NYC also gave birth. I don’t know any new babies in the bay area, but am expecting a few this year and am ridiculously excited about that! Babies babies everywhere!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Aunt Doris died this year. She was always an inspiration to me. I’ll never forget her example of feminism and social grace. She was a hairdresser, a spitfire, and had the most hilarious cackle I’ve ever heard. When I last saw her, at the end of last year, I knew it was the last time I would sit next to her. She was so lost in her body at that point. She just smiled her lovely smile. I whispered in her ear that she was beautiful and she got a little tear in her eye. I’ll never forget that.
5. What countries did you visit?
No travels outside of the country this year. It’s been a while since that’s happened, which is super sad. I did go east three times this year. That was awesome!
6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
You guys, I have an abundance of riches. I honestly don’t know what more I could ask for. I suppose I might like a bit more career definition in the new year, but I might not want that, really. I mean, I’m doing pretty well with our little website and the kitchen salon. It’s not exactly ambitious work, but it’s very sustaining for our family.
WAIT, I could also ask for more toe mobility. Because I would really like all this pain I am enduring after this surgery to amount to something. I would like to be able to hike for more than 2 miles. I would like to be able to do stupid stuff like walk to the grocery store - which is only a mile away - without absolutely having to take out my bike.
7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 18th - The day we left Seattle
April - Harry and Alice’s wedding
August 17th - Rick and Emma’s wedding
May - The party we threw for Niko’s birthday was just lovely, as was the party I threw with April for Buster’s birthday!
Thanksgiving - It was SO SO good this year. Truly. I’m proud of myself for pulling that one off.
Also great days to remember: So many wonderful people came to visit us in our new home this year. Rick. Joe and Vanessa. April. Katie came several times. Kathy and Patrick. Cameos from Alice and Harry on separate occasions. Jimmy James. We had so much fun warming up this adorable house of ours! We also had some truly fantastic times out in Napa and Sonoma. This california living is pretty stunning stuff.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
ROCKING THIS MOVE. Making some seriously awesome new friends in the East Bay, where we literally knew NO ONE before moving into this house. Finding an amazing preschool for Niko. TEACHING NIKO HOW TO BE A SERIOUS BIKE RIDER. Making the house look pretty darn cute. Communicating with my father.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Oh, I don’t know. I had some minor embarrassments that I don’t care to write about. Sometimes I feel intellectually disconnected these days because I am not testing my wits as much with my work life, which is no fun to think about. But generally, I feel pretty solid right now.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got the flu. That sucked. And I’ve had two colds this season that were pretty rough. Weaning was the kicker for me this year. It brought some very very dark days. My toe got a lot worse after Harry and Alice’s wedding, because dancing is awesome! Hopefully that’s fixedish now.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
All the bikes. Totally worth the money! Plane tickets back east were also totally worth the expense.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I have so many graceful friends. Kathy and Patrick’s baby has had some pretty crazy health complications this year and they have handled every step of crazy new parenthood coupled with surgeries for their little with so much love and such step up responsibility. And the two weddings we attended this year were obviously very big ones for us, coupled with magical celebrations. Niko was pretty well celebrated with his bike riding, too. That might seem small potatoes to many of you reading, but seriously teaching him how to ride a bike and seeing him commit so hard has been one of my biggest joys, ever.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Congress. The NSA. Anyone who gunned down anyone else. Luckily, no one in my personal life has made me feel either appalled or depressed.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Settling into this house. Buying bikes. Paying off the car!!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder? Very much happier. I feel so established in my marriage and parenthood this year. It’s really a magical feeling.
b) Fatter or Thinner? Maybe 5 lbs thinner and a few inches smaller, thanks to bike riding.
c) Richer or poorer? About the same, but this time with our every single debt paid off!!! That feels so good. No credit card debt. No car debt. No mortgage. It won’t be this way forever, so I’m going to enjoy this for now.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I could have stuck to my yoga practice through the bone crushing depression I had from weaning.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Smoking pot. There! I said it. It’s not the worst recreational habit in the world, and I am by no means a crazy stoner, but I do turn to it sometimes when I really shouldn’t need to.
I also wish I had been more patient with Niko when he was deep in his 3yo crazy, but I’m only human and that kid is so so stubborn! Luckily, things have gotten so much better on that front in recent months.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
We went to the OC! It was really fun this year. I”m super glad we brought the bikes. Niko had an incredible time with his cousin and it was really fun to watch them bond. Plus, I feel closer and closer to my sister in law every time we hang out.
21. How many one-night stands?
12! And they were during dreams I had while ovulating. ;)
22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
With the East Bay, I guess!
23. What was your favourite TV programme?
Easily Orange is the New Black. Honorable mention for House of Cards, Doctor Who, and Game of Thrones.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Oh I dunno. I guess Lorde? I’m excited about that kid. She symbolises a paradigm shift in pop music that I have been waiting on for a while now. I also really enjoyed listening to Daft Punk, over and over, while having dance parties with preschoolers. Good times.
28. What did you want and get?
Sunshine!!!!! Happiness. A bike. Botox. A good preschool. All the heirloom beans I could eat.
29. What did you want and not get?
Obnoxiously, I have gotten everything I have ever wanted in life. Pinch me?
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
No idea. Did I even watch a movie this year? Not really.
31. What did you do on your birthday?
I had such a lovely few days! The day of my birthday a girlfriend came over with her son, who is Niko aged. We had a lovely dinner and they sang to me! A few weeks later my man took me to Chez Panisse, which was really amazing. Also notable: Buster and I went on a little bike tour for my birthday/ our 5th anniversary. We packed a picnic lunch and drank the most amazing bottle of wine that was left over from our honeymoon trip to Italy. That was a banner day.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I honestly can’t think of anything. Maybe a trip overseas?
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
My fashion definitely shifted this year. If I can’t bike in it, I won’t wear it. This resulted in a completely new silhouette, which was fun.
34. What kept you sane?
Biking. Katie. Buster.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
God there are a lot of questions in this survey. I fancied Lorde. I fancied Jennifer Lawerence. I fancied Beyonce. No surprises here!
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Congress can suck it.
37. Who did you miss?
So very many people. Sometimes I get so sad about all the clients I left in Seattle. Those relationships become super important to me and those clients were hard to leave behind. I definitely feel a void in my life these days as far as my work with people is concerned. And of course, having moved around so much, I just keep piling up the people I have fallen in love with and then left. I feel very fortunate to have social media around to keep me in touch, but sometimes that feels overwhelming and a little empty compared to actually touching and conversing, obviously. I love and miss so very many people. So very many.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
My new mom friends! Nicole, Erica, Ahnika, Monica, and Brasa. They are all great ladies. I am also still smitten with our landlords, Johannes and Eileen. Sharon and Ian were by far my most notable forever friends additions. I've of course known about them for a million years, and had met them once before... but hanging out with them here made me immediately comfortable and I'm SO so glad we're buds.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
This is hard to put words to, but somehow in 2013 Buster and I have learned how to be better partners to each other. Our communication has really clicked. This could be in great part because we aren’t really stressed about much at this point in our lives, but I think it goes deeper. I think that we have somehow worked our way through the 7 year itch and come up stronger than ever. I’ve learned how to breathe more. I’ve learned how to not take everything so seriously. I’ve learned how to be more patient with the whole family, and maybe more patient with myself too. I feel superconnected to my family these days, and that’s really good.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
White teethed teens are out.