(no subject)
I'm doing a modified version of the year-end meme that's going around. For me, 2013 is forever going to be known as the year my father passed away, no matter what else happened then - and at least one very, very good thing did happen. I've removed any questions where the answer would, inevitably, be something related to that - I'm keeping this lighthearted as possible. I'm going to put the complete list of questions at the end for anyone who wants to do the meme.
2:Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make them. Resolutions inevitably get broken.
5:What countries did you visit?
Germany! Oh, and Canada, but I go there every year.
6:What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
Time. There is never enough of it.
8:What was your biggest achievement of the year?
FInding out that I'm a lot stronger than I thought I was.
9:What was your biggest failure?
. . . the Christmas Eve booze rampage.
10:Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had a car accident in March. I was waiting to make a left turn into the parking lot of the park where I go walking when I was rear-ended by a truck driven by a guy who was texting while driving. I had two huge black eyes for weeks afterward. Also, I broke a tooth from grinding my teeth in my sleep, which was a shock, because my teeth have always been tough as nails.
11:What was the best thing you bought?
Beautiful Deformity, my crocheted GazettE plushies (made by one_short_fuse, who is still taking commissions) and my iPhone 5. (Seriously, it's a real upgrade from the 4 that I had for the last few years).
12:Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The people who offered me support during the worst times. Seriously, guys, you're the best.
13:Whose behaviour made you appalled?
The My Little Pony fandom during Twiligate - the wank explosion that ensued when the series' central character, Twilight Sparkle, was given wings and the status of Princess. The levels of hysteria, ragequitting and fans at each other's throats exceeded even what I saw in animanga fandoms (and I was in the original Fullmetal Alchemist fandom at its height!) - especially since it all turned out to be over nothing more than a design change and a power upgrade. (You know, the same thing Sailor Moon used to do with Usagi every season.) I ended up avoiding the fandom's main site, Equestria Daily, for months afterward.
14:Where did most of your money go?
My Germany trip, with other generous cash donations to CDJapan and WeLoveFine.com.
15:What did you get really, really, really excited about?
THE GAZETTE LIVE. Seriously, if anything came close to redeeming this horror of a year, it was that. It was like being a kid on Christmas all over again - anticipating it for months, and finally, the big day arrived.
16:What song will always remind you of 2013?
Just about anything from Beautiful Deformity.
18:What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing. Even though I completed 40 stories, I feel I could have done more if I had more time - but again, there's never enough of it.
19:What do you wish you’d done less of?
Needless worrying. Worrying my head off is a habit I'm still trying to break myself of.
20:How did you spend Christmas?
Oh, dear God. Christmas Eve was a fiasco. My brother's girlfriend decided to make spiked, spiced hot cider, it was too spiced for me to gauge just how spiked, and I got more drunk-sick than I think I've ever been in my life (and, yes, I did the whole partypartyparty thing when I was younger). I basically spent the night groaning in agony with my head in a bucket. Fortunately, by the time Christmas Day rolled around the worst I had was a moderate headache, but it took days after that before I stopped having random bouts of queasiness.
21:Did you fall in love in 2013?
Does a massive crush on a certain fangirl-ruining bastard count?
22:What was your favourite TV program?
Well, see, there's this thing about small horses . . .
23:Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Yes - those Duck Dynasty bastards. I thought they were just a goofy novelty until I heard what that guy said about gays and blacks. I've heard right-wingers make appalling statements before, but that was horrid even by those standards.
24:What was the best book you read?
I really don't read novels that much anymore - I mainly read fanfiction.
25:What was your greatest musical discovery?
SCREW. I'd only had them on my "like" list before - and then, I started actually watching their videos. Can you say instant obsession?
26:What did you want and get?
The iPhone upgrade.
27:What did you want and not get?
The Build-A-Bear Fluttershy for Christmas, despite heavy hints dropped to the family. Well, I certainly have no complaints about the heavy-duty cast-iron pot I got from my brother and the Bluetooth printer I got from my mother.
28:What was your favourite film of this year?
Didn't really get a chance to get out to the movies, though I'm hoping to see Frozen on the big screen with 3-D before it leaves theaters.
29:What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
The GazettE live!
30:How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Whatever's comfortable. And lots of My Little Pony T-shirts.
31:What kept you sane?
Fandom. Tumblr, fanfiction and other fans were an enormous comfort to me when I needed it most.
32:Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
It actually went back and forth considering what was going on at the moment - the pendulum swung Shou's way during Alice Nine's run of singles at the beginning of the year and back to Kai afterward, and there was a brief Ruki flurry after Munich (because you haven't seen that man until you've seen him in three dimensions). But the entire summer was dominated by a certain mike-licking, underwear-modeling, PV-blow-job-receiving, fangirl-ruining bastard. So, yes, I'd have to award Byou the Man of the Year honors here.
33:What political issue stirred you the most?
Marriage equality. It was a truly beautiful thing to see state after state give the thumbs-up to gay marriage (even if my own state's thumb had to be forcefully wrenched upward by the State Supreme Court).
36:Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
From the translation of Alice Nine's Daybreak:
We stand in the space between our circumstances and our ideals, the dice have already been thrown. Our lives on the edge
On make-or-break Dayz, if you’re struggling, there is also a meaning to getting hurt, right?
Until the dream from which you don’t wake up by any means, I will once again sketch what is erased
I tore and threw away the map and looked up at the sky, Daybreak
Even though there are no certainties, regardless of the past until yesterday
Because even your burdens will become your wings, I think so, and make the night seem brighter
LaLa, Breaking up fake days, Tonight
The complete question list:
1:What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
2:Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
3:Did anyone close to you give birth?
4:Did anyone close to you die?
5:What countries did you visit?
6:What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013
>7:What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
8:What was your biggest achievement of the year?
9:What was your biggest failure?
10:Did you suffer illness or injury?
11:What was the best thing you bought?
12:Whose behaviour merited celebration?
13:Whose behaviour made you appalled?
14:Where did most of your money go?
15:What did you get really, really, really excited about?
16:What song will always remind you of 2013?
17:Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
18:What do you wish you’d done more of?
19:What do you wish you’d done less of?
20:How did you spend Christmas?
21:Did you fall in love in 2013?
22:What was your favourite TV program?
23:Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
24:What was the best book you read?
25:What was your greatest musical discovery?
26:What did you want and get?
27:What did you want and not get?
28:What was your favourite film of this year?
29:What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
30:How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
31:What kept you sane?
32:Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
33:What political issue stirred you the most?
34:Who did you miss?
35:Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
36:Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
2:Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make them. Resolutions inevitably get broken.
5:What countries did you visit?
Germany! Oh, and Canada, but I go there every year.
6:What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
Time. There is never enough of it.
8:What was your biggest achievement of the year?
FInding out that I'm a lot stronger than I thought I was.
9:What was your biggest failure?
. . . the Christmas Eve booze rampage.
10:Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had a car accident in March. I was waiting to make a left turn into the parking lot of the park where I go walking when I was rear-ended by a truck driven by a guy who was texting while driving. I had two huge black eyes for weeks afterward. Also, I broke a tooth from grinding my teeth in my sleep, which was a shock, because my teeth have always been tough as nails.
11:What was the best thing you bought?
Beautiful Deformity, my crocheted GazettE plushies (made by one_short_fuse, who is still taking commissions) and my iPhone 5. (Seriously, it's a real upgrade from the 4 that I had for the last few years).
12:Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The people who offered me support during the worst times. Seriously, guys, you're the best.
13:Whose behaviour made you appalled?
The My Little Pony fandom during Twiligate - the wank explosion that ensued when the series' central character, Twilight Sparkle, was given wings and the status of Princess. The levels of hysteria, ragequitting and fans at each other's throats exceeded even what I saw in animanga fandoms (and I was in the original Fullmetal Alchemist fandom at its height!) - especially since it all turned out to be over nothing more than a design change and a power upgrade. (You know, the same thing Sailor Moon used to do with Usagi every season.) I ended up avoiding the fandom's main site, Equestria Daily, for months afterward.
14:Where did most of your money go?
My Germany trip, with other generous cash donations to CDJapan and WeLoveFine.com.
15:What did you get really, really, really excited about?
THE GAZETTE LIVE. Seriously, if anything came close to redeeming this horror of a year, it was that. It was like being a kid on Christmas all over again - anticipating it for months, and finally, the big day arrived.
16:What song will always remind you of 2013?
Just about anything from Beautiful Deformity.
18:What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing. Even though I completed 40 stories, I feel I could have done more if I had more time - but again, there's never enough of it.
19:What do you wish you’d done less of?
Needless worrying. Worrying my head off is a habit I'm still trying to break myself of.
20:How did you spend Christmas?
Oh, dear God. Christmas Eve was a fiasco. My brother's girlfriend decided to make spiked, spiced hot cider, it was too spiced for me to gauge just how spiked, and I got more drunk-sick than I think I've ever been in my life (and, yes, I did the whole partypartyparty thing when I was younger). I basically spent the night groaning in agony with my head in a bucket. Fortunately, by the time Christmas Day rolled around the worst I had was a moderate headache, but it took days after that before I stopped having random bouts of queasiness.
21:Did you fall in love in 2013?
Does a massive crush on a certain fangirl-ruining bastard count?
22:What was your favourite TV program?
Well, see, there's this thing about small horses . . .
23:Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Yes - those Duck Dynasty bastards. I thought they were just a goofy novelty until I heard what that guy said about gays and blacks. I've heard right-wingers make appalling statements before, but that was horrid even by those standards.
24:What was the best book you read?
I really don't read novels that much anymore - I mainly read fanfiction.
25:What was your greatest musical discovery?
SCREW. I'd only had them on my "like" list before - and then, I started actually watching their videos. Can you say instant obsession?
26:What did you want and get?
The iPhone upgrade.
27:What did you want and not get?
The Build-A-Bear Fluttershy for Christmas, despite heavy hints dropped to the family. Well, I certainly have no complaints about the heavy-duty cast-iron pot I got from my brother and the Bluetooth printer I got from my mother.
28:What was your favourite film of this year?
Didn't really get a chance to get out to the movies, though I'm hoping to see Frozen on the big screen with 3-D before it leaves theaters.
29:What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
The GazettE live!
30:How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Whatever's comfortable. And lots of My Little Pony T-shirts.
31:What kept you sane?
Fandom. Tumblr, fanfiction and other fans were an enormous comfort to me when I needed it most.
32:Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
It actually went back and forth considering what was going on at the moment - the pendulum swung Shou's way during Alice Nine's run of singles at the beginning of the year and back to Kai afterward, and there was a brief Ruki flurry after Munich (because you haven't seen that man until you've seen him in three dimensions). But the entire summer was dominated by a certain mike-licking, underwear-modeling, PV-blow-job-receiving, fangirl-ruining bastard. So, yes, I'd have to award Byou the Man of the Year honors here.
33:What political issue stirred you the most?
Marriage equality. It was a truly beautiful thing to see state after state give the thumbs-up to gay marriage (even if my own state's thumb had to be forcefully wrenched upward by the State Supreme Court).
36:Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
From the translation of Alice Nine's Daybreak:
We stand in the space between our circumstances and our ideals, the dice have already been thrown. Our lives on the edge
On make-or-break Dayz, if you’re struggling, there is also a meaning to getting hurt, right?
Until the dream from which you don’t wake up by any means, I will once again sketch what is erased
I tore and threw away the map and looked up at the sky, Daybreak
Even though there are no certainties, regardless of the past until yesterday
Because even your burdens will become your wings, I think so, and make the night seem brighter
LaLa, Breaking up fake days, Tonight
The complete question list:
1:What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
2:Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
3:Did anyone close to you give birth?
4:Did anyone close to you die?
5:What countries did you visit?
6:What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013
>7:What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
8:What was your biggest achievement of the year?
9:What was your biggest failure?
10:Did you suffer illness or injury?
11:What was the best thing you bought?
12:Whose behaviour merited celebration?
13:Whose behaviour made you appalled?
14:Where did most of your money go?
15:What did you get really, really, really excited about?
16:What song will always remind you of 2013?
17:Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
18:What do you wish you’d done more of?
19:What do you wish you’d done less of?
20:How did you spend Christmas?
21:Did you fall in love in 2013?
22:What was your favourite TV program?
23:Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
24:What was the best book you read?
25:What was your greatest musical discovery?
26:What did you want and get?
27:What did you want and not get?
28:What was your favourite film of this year?
29:What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
30:How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
31:What kept you sane?
32:Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
33:What political issue stirred you the most?
34:Who did you miss?
35:Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
36:Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.