2016 Review
Oh hey there LJ! I figured I should actually write something here about this year before it officially ends 'cause I'll be out of town this weekend and will otherwise most likely forget but also feel like I should 'cause 2016 was a pretty big year for me. While I know most folks are complaining about how awful 2016 was...it was actually a really good year for me? ^.^; Feel a little guilty there but it's true. I mean yes a lot of horrible things happened this year to the world as a whole but honestly who's to say next year is actually going to be any better? I don't have my hopes up high. But anyways...
This year started off pretty horrible. Hancock went bankrupt and decided to completely close down permanently. It was rough. Yeah I've had some horrible times working there but also a lot of good memories and it was really really hard saying farewell to the store and to my co-workers. Despite it all, we had developed a little bit of a family-like atmosphere with our group and so many tears were shed from the day Denise and I had to break the news to everyone to the very last day when we turned in our keys. It was also saying goodbye to my favorite store. Even working there couldn't ruin that. JoAnn's is just NOT the same. Though I will say it was pretty nice being able to basically not have to worry anymore about what customers might say about you at the end because pffft can't fire me if we're closing! 'Cause dude did we get A LOT of nasty customers there. A lot of really wonderful ones but also a lot of truly nasty people. I don't know what happened in their lives to make them that way but ugh. I'm just glad I no longer have to deal with them.
So yeah, while losing my job really sucked, especially since I had at the time started considering that maybe I could just stick to this job and commissions to make a living...it did force myself to get out of there. At first it was truly rough. I went out with the thought that I'd be unemployed maybe a month or two at most and well...turned it out was harder to find work than I thought. But I was determined NOT to go back to retail and stuck to that and in the end I was rewarded with a fantastic job! Its front desk at a wonderful organization that helps folks with disabilities in group homes. I love it. I love my co-workers. And it turned out to be surprisingly LGBT friendly. I recently discovered several of my co-workers are also gay and nobody is bothered with it. I also get benefits and vacation time and the work is so much less stressful! The only downside is that I did gain a bit of weight due to not being on my feet as much but I've been walking outside on my breaks and such to try to combat that.
The other big event of the year for me? Well I am now in a healthy relationship. Started dating Rae in August and so far things are pretty great! It started out long-distance but by a strange amazing turn of events, she ended up moving to Rockville due to a good friend of her having a vacancy in their house and also got a job through them. She also just escaped retail so we're both transitioning from retail to front desk together which is also nice. But yes, I don't think I've ever been happier! ...even if I have gained a few pounds. Haha!
I also got to see the Takarazuka OG version of Chicago in NYC and I'm still in a daze about that. Can't believe that actually even happened! I wrote my report on here not too long ago so won't go into details with it but ahhh still can't believe I got a photo with Wao and Komu and got an autograph from Mizu! *_* And the show was soooo soooooooo good~! Ahhh I wish there was some type of recording just so I could share the experience with everyone but sadly I knew going in that there wouldn't be, considering what show they were doing and all. And on a smaller note, I also saw the X-Japan Documentary this year and omg that was amazing too! Like I always thought waaaay back in the day that they really needed a film of some sort because their story is just so tragic and amazing and needs to be told to everyone. I heard it got really good reviews too! Can't wait til its out on DVD so I can ram it down everyone's throats. XD
Commission wise...I kinda didn't do so well this year. I thought with being unemployed I'd have TONS of time to work on stuff and so took on a bunch of projects with this thought in mind...only to have the hardest time focusing, somehow not having any time at all, and just kept being behind time and time again. I did finish 3 commissions this year. But I have 2 that are still in-progress and I'm ashamed to admit that they were both started like early summer. I've barely made a dent in one and the other I've been scrambling to get finished these last few weeks in hopes I get it out early enough to still have time for my stuff for Katsucon. @_@ My own stuff this year went pretty well at least. I did a lot more than last year but a lot of them were pretty simple. Got a bit consumed with Owari no Seraph. XD Like...5 costumes in just one year. Plus did some silly variations with them that I don't count as actual costumes (one wasn't even my costume) but technically I did cosplay like 8 total there. Which is crazy for me! Never done that many for just one series...ever. And I did it all in one year? XD Though my big project was end-game Mikleo from Tales of Zestiria and while not entirely happy with it, I'm still proud of it and I won 3rd place in my division at Otakon. Its also the only thing I entered this year lol though I don't think I'll be entering more than once a year if even that these days cause it takes me that long just to finsih ONE costume worth entering.
Hm I meant for this to be a short quick entry and somehow I started rambling. Oops. So I'll stop there. Probably had other things to talk about this year but I don't remember. Besides I've had like nothing on the brain other than Yuri on Ice for the last few weeks too so that is also consumed me this year. XD
But Happy New Year!
~Lyn
This year started off pretty horrible. Hancock went bankrupt and decided to completely close down permanently. It was rough. Yeah I've had some horrible times working there but also a lot of good memories and it was really really hard saying farewell to the store and to my co-workers. Despite it all, we had developed a little bit of a family-like atmosphere with our group and so many tears were shed from the day Denise and I had to break the news to everyone to the very last day when we turned in our keys. It was also saying goodbye to my favorite store. Even working there couldn't ruin that. JoAnn's is just NOT the same. Though I will say it was pretty nice being able to basically not have to worry anymore about what customers might say about you at the end because pffft can't fire me if we're closing! 'Cause dude did we get A LOT of nasty customers there. A lot of really wonderful ones but also a lot of truly nasty people. I don't know what happened in their lives to make them that way but ugh. I'm just glad I no longer have to deal with them.
So yeah, while losing my job really sucked, especially since I had at the time started considering that maybe I could just stick to this job and commissions to make a living...it did force myself to get out of there. At first it was truly rough. I went out with the thought that I'd be unemployed maybe a month or two at most and well...turned it out was harder to find work than I thought. But I was determined NOT to go back to retail and stuck to that and in the end I was rewarded with a fantastic job! Its front desk at a wonderful organization that helps folks with disabilities in group homes. I love it. I love my co-workers. And it turned out to be surprisingly LGBT friendly. I recently discovered several of my co-workers are also gay and nobody is bothered with it. I also get benefits and vacation time and the work is so much less stressful! The only downside is that I did gain a bit of weight due to not being on my feet as much but I've been walking outside on my breaks and such to try to combat that.
The other big event of the year for me? Well I am now in a healthy relationship. Started dating Rae in August and so far things are pretty great! It started out long-distance but by a strange amazing turn of events, she ended up moving to Rockville due to a good friend of her having a vacancy in their house and also got a job through them. She also just escaped retail so we're both transitioning from retail to front desk together which is also nice. But yes, I don't think I've ever been happier! ...even if I have gained a few pounds. Haha!
I also got to see the Takarazuka OG version of Chicago in NYC and I'm still in a daze about that. Can't believe that actually even happened! I wrote my report on here not too long ago so won't go into details with it but ahhh still can't believe I got a photo with Wao and Komu and got an autograph from Mizu! *_* And the show was soooo soooooooo good~! Ahhh I wish there was some type of recording just so I could share the experience with everyone but sadly I knew going in that there wouldn't be, considering what show they were doing and all. And on a smaller note, I also saw the X-Japan Documentary this year and omg that was amazing too! Like I always thought waaaay back in the day that they really needed a film of some sort because their story is just so tragic and amazing and needs to be told to everyone. I heard it got really good reviews too! Can't wait til its out on DVD so I can ram it down everyone's throats. XD
Commission wise...I kinda didn't do so well this year. I thought with being unemployed I'd have TONS of time to work on stuff and so took on a bunch of projects with this thought in mind...only to have the hardest time focusing, somehow not having any time at all, and just kept being behind time and time again. I did finish 3 commissions this year. But I have 2 that are still in-progress and I'm ashamed to admit that they were both started like early summer. I've barely made a dent in one and the other I've been scrambling to get finished these last few weeks in hopes I get it out early enough to still have time for my stuff for Katsucon. @_@ My own stuff this year went pretty well at least. I did a lot more than last year but a lot of them were pretty simple. Got a bit consumed with Owari no Seraph. XD Like...5 costumes in just one year. Plus did some silly variations with them that I don't count as actual costumes (one wasn't even my costume) but technically I did cosplay like 8 total there. Which is crazy for me! Never done that many for just one series...ever. And I did it all in one year? XD Though my big project was end-game Mikleo from Tales of Zestiria and while not entirely happy with it, I'm still proud of it and I won 3rd place in my division at Otakon. Its also the only thing I entered this year lol though I don't think I'll be entering more than once a year if even that these days cause it takes me that long just to finsih ONE costume worth entering.
Hm I meant for this to be a short quick entry and somehow I started rambling. Oops. So I'll stop there. Probably had other things to talk about this year but I don't remember. Besides I've had like nothing on the brain other than Yuri on Ice for the last few weeks too so that is also consumed me this year. XD
But Happy New Year!
~Lyn