2016 in review
Back in 2011/12, 
firecat combined a couple of different end-of-the-year survey thingies so lots of the numbers are repeated, and I think that's kind of fun, so I did it then, and I'm doing it now, with the years changed. I intend for this to become a daily journal again in 2017, so this is where I'm starting.
1. Was 2016 a good year for you?
Some things were good, but in general, no. Not very.
1. Will you be looking for a new job in 2017?
I am looking for a new job, yes, but not too energetically.
1. What did you do in 2016 that you'd never done before?
Sang karaoke.
2. Will you be looking for a new relationship?
Nope. I'm happy with the status quo.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't do resolutions. I tweak my life choices as time goes on, trying to steer toward more happiness and fulfillment, but I find that for me, resolutions set me up for failure, and I prefer to set myself up for joy.
3. What was your favourite moment of the year?
The first time the kid called me her mom.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A work friend; wouldn't exactly call her close.
4. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
Finding out the presidential election results? Having my oldest friend laugh at my grief over them? Being grilled in front of the whole office by a co-worker who wanted me to "give Trump a chance"? Having my mother mock me for not voting for Trump, then decide not to vote for the second time in her long life so that she wouldn't upset me? So many candidates.
4. What will you do differently in 2017?
I will volunteer my time with organizations fighting fascism, racism, and poverty.
6. What are your plans for 2017?
Continue eliminating my debt; get in a position to stop leaving home to work for money; be a support to my family.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but we had some close calls.
5. What countries did you visit?
I stayed in the US all year.
6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in most of 2016?
Energy.
6. What will you not be doing in '17?
Spending money on anything that's not on my list of "needs." (http://www.andthenwesaved.com)
7. Any trips planned?
Visits to the Bay Area every couplefew months. Last one was last week, just to see
stonebender. Next one is March 28-30, so if you're up for getting together, hit me up.
7. What date from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
November 8th/9th. The aforementioned election.
8. Wedding plans?
My brother's son is getting married in July, but I'm not likely to go. It will be in Washington state.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
The work I did on LGBTQIA Safe Zone (I didn't name it) stuff at work.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not doing more to affect the outcome of the election.
9. How many weddings did you go to?
None.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I have a couple chronic illnesses and they're in evidence, but I'm doing okay. I also developed an RSI in my ankle that is taking a lonnnnnnnng time to get better.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Honestly, the $20 padded mat I got mom for the bottom of her bathtub. She was unable to use the tub because she can't kneel on hard surfaces; now she thanks me every single time she takes a bath.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The kid, who despite her hatred of school, is pulling a high GPA and finished her first year of college.
13. What happened in '16 that you didn't think would ever happen?
Trump winning. I mean, I am not surprised we are a racist, misognyistic, jingoistic nation. I'm just. Bleah.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Trump and his supporters. I know I'm a broken record. I'm still pretty upset.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Ooh, I have software that can tell me this now. Groceries, utilities, debt repayment.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Hamilton and Lemonade and Waitress.
16. What song will always remind you of 2016?
My brain doesn't work that way.
17. Will you better your relationship with your family?
It's not a specific goal. I'm pretty satisfied with my relationship with my family. (There's some stuff that's not ideal, but it's not something I have a lot of influence over.)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Sadder than at the beginning; happier than on November 9th, but not a ton.
ii. thinner or fatter? A bit thinner.
iii. richer or poorer? I'm making a little more, and have gotten a little out of debt, so richer, I guess, though all my disposable income is going to debt elimination, so we probably look poorer from the outside.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Political activism.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stressing out about family stuff.
20. What lyrics will you remember most from 2016?
I don't know, but I wake up every morning with either a Hamilton earworm or one from Waitress.
20. How will you be spending Christmas and/or New Year's?
We didn't do anything for either holiday. My kid's birthday is around this time, and my mom had a potluck for which she volunteered my potato salad, so I'm doing a lot of cooking.
21. Did you fall in love in 2016?
I stayed in love with the people I was in love with at the beginning of the year.
22. How many one-night stands?
None. Ever, actually.
22. How much did you change from this time last year till now?
Some. I don't know yet how much or what it all means.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Jane the Virgin (thanks,
metaphortunate!)
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Yes, and I don't like it.
25. Which LJ/DW users did you meet IRL for the first time?
None, I don't think.
25. What was the best book you read?
I'm bad at favorites, but one really wonderful one was The Book of Phoenix, by Nnedi Okorafor.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I was late to the Beyonce party, but she won me over this past year.
27. What was your favourite month of 2016?
Bad at favorites, but I had off work for half of December, so that was nice.
27. What did you want and get?
A new boss.
28. What did you want and not get?
Oh, geeze. Anyone but Trump.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
13TH
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 50, and I worked.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To feel I had really done all I could.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?
Almost everything I wear was a gift from my mother, so really, it's whatever my mom buys for me that I like the looks of.
33. What kept you sane?
My general tendency toward sanity. The love of my family. Relative financial security.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I didn't do much of that this year.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Guess!
36. Who did you miss?
stonebender and the rest of my Bay Area family.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Professor Melina Abdullah.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2016.
You can have really strong opinions about something and still keep your mouth shut.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
For now, I'm out at the hideout
Far enough outside of town
You can come
You can stay
If there's something you need
To get away from
(Hideout, Sarah Harmer)
43. What would you like to have in 2017 that you didn't have in 2016?
A thriving freelance business like I had in 2005-8 or so.
This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth (DW). I welcome comments here or at the original post, where there are currently
comments. If you don't have a DW account, you can post using your LJ name as an OpenID account, or feel free to comment anonymously and I'll unscreen.
firecat combined a couple of different end-of-the-year survey thingies so lots of the numbers are repeated, and I think that's kind of fun, so I did it then, and I'm doing it now, with the years changed. I intend for this to become a daily journal again in 2017, so this is where I'm starting.
1. Was 2016 a good year for you?
Some things were good, but in general, no. Not very.
1. Will you be looking for a new job in 2017?
I am looking for a new job, yes, but not too energetically.
1. What did you do in 2016 that you'd never done before?
Sang karaoke.
2. Will you be looking for a new relationship?
Nope. I'm happy with the status quo.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't do resolutions. I tweak my life choices as time goes on, trying to steer toward more happiness and fulfillment, but I find that for me, resolutions set me up for failure, and I prefer to set myself up for joy.
3. What was your favourite moment of the year?
The first time the kid called me her mom.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A work friend; wouldn't exactly call her close.
4. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
Finding out the presidential election results? Having my oldest friend laugh at my grief over them? Being grilled in front of the whole office by a co-worker who wanted me to "give Trump a chance"? Having my mother mock me for not voting for Trump, then decide not to vote for the second time in her long life so that she wouldn't upset me? So many candidates.
4. What will you do differently in 2017?
I will volunteer my time with organizations fighting fascism, racism, and poverty.
6. What are your plans for 2017?
Continue eliminating my debt; get in a position to stop leaving home to work for money; be a support to my family.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but we had some close calls.
5. What countries did you visit?
I stayed in the US all year.
6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in most of 2016?
Energy.
6. What will you not be doing in '17?
Spending money on anything that's not on my list of "needs." (http://www.andthenwesaved.com)
7. Any trips planned?
Visits to the Bay Area every couplefew months. Last one was last week, just to see
stonebender. Next one is March 28-30, so if you're up for getting together, hit me up.
7. What date from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
November 8th/9th. The aforementioned election.
8. Wedding plans?
My brother's son is getting married in July, but I'm not likely to go. It will be in Washington state.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
The work I did on LGBTQIA Safe Zone (I didn't name it) stuff at work.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not doing more to affect the outcome of the election.
9. How many weddings did you go to?
None.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I have a couple chronic illnesses and they're in evidence, but I'm doing okay. I also developed an RSI in my ankle that is taking a lonnnnnnnng time to get better.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Honestly, the $20 padded mat I got mom for the bottom of her bathtub. She was unable to use the tub because she can't kneel on hard surfaces; now she thanks me every single time she takes a bath.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The kid, who despite her hatred of school, is pulling a high GPA and finished her first year of college.
13. What happened in '16 that you didn't think would ever happen?
Trump winning. I mean, I am not surprised we are a racist, misognyistic, jingoistic nation. I'm just. Bleah.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Trump and his supporters. I know I'm a broken record. I'm still pretty upset.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Ooh, I have software that can tell me this now. Groceries, utilities, debt repayment.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Hamilton and Lemonade and Waitress.
16. What song will always remind you of 2016?
My brain doesn't work that way.
17. Will you better your relationship with your family?
It's not a specific goal. I'm pretty satisfied with my relationship with my family. (There's some stuff that's not ideal, but it's not something I have a lot of influence over.)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Sadder than at the beginning; happier than on November 9th, but not a ton.
ii. thinner or fatter? A bit thinner.
iii. richer or poorer? I'm making a little more, and have gotten a little out of debt, so richer, I guess, though all my disposable income is going to debt elimination, so we probably look poorer from the outside.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Political activism.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stressing out about family stuff.
20. What lyrics will you remember most from 2016?
I don't know, but I wake up every morning with either a Hamilton earworm or one from Waitress.
20. How will you be spending Christmas and/or New Year's?
We didn't do anything for either holiday. My kid's birthday is around this time, and my mom had a potluck for which she volunteered my potato salad, so I'm doing a lot of cooking.
21. Did you fall in love in 2016?
I stayed in love with the people I was in love with at the beginning of the year.
22. How many one-night stands?
None. Ever, actually.
22. How much did you change from this time last year till now?
Some. I don't know yet how much or what it all means.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Jane the Virgin (thanks,
metaphortunate!)
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Yes, and I don't like it.
25. Which LJ/DW users did you meet IRL for the first time?
None, I don't think.
25. What was the best book you read?
I'm bad at favorites, but one really wonderful one was The Book of Phoenix, by Nnedi Okorafor.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I was late to the Beyonce party, but she won me over this past year.
27. What was your favourite month of 2016?
Bad at favorites, but I had off work for half of December, so that was nice.
27. What did you want and get?
A new boss.
28. What did you want and not get?
Oh, geeze. Anyone but Trump.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
13TH
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 50, and I worked.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To feel I had really done all I could.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?
Almost everything I wear was a gift from my mother, so really, it's whatever my mom buys for me that I like the looks of.
33. What kept you sane?
My general tendency toward sanity. The love of my family. Relative financial security.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I didn't do much of that this year.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Guess!
36. Who did you miss?
stonebender and the rest of my Bay Area family.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Professor Melina Abdullah.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2016.
You can have really strong opinions about something and still keep your mouth shut.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
For now, I'm out at the hideout
Far enough outside of town
You can come
You can stay
If there's something you need
To get away from
(Hideout, Sarah Harmer)
43. What would you like to have in 2017 that you didn't have in 2016?
A thriving freelance business like I had in 2005-8 or so.
This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth (DW). I welcome comments here or at the original post, where there are currently
comments. If you don't have a DW account, you can post using your LJ name as an OpenID account, or feel free to comment anonymously and I'll unscreen.