2020.... A Year in Review
1. What did you do in 2020 that you'd never done before?
Live through a global pandemic, a full state shut down, witness a sitting president be impeached FOR A SECOND TIME, witness life changing protests for BLM - oh and go completely blonde.... and try on wedding dresses lol
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I don't believe in resolutions. You can make change at any point in the year if you truly want to ---- still applies. I don't know why I keep this question in every year haha
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I am quite certain someone did but this year was such a shit show, I can't put my finger on who it was
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Oof. This is a loaded fucking question in the middle of a pandemic. Where do I even start? Lets start at the beginning of the year and just go down the list, shall we?
Dave (although not a current part of my life, he was previously and I was saddened by his passing. I didn't even know he was ill/that ill)
Uncle Ernie
Dadu (my munchkins grandfather)
Uncle Mark (my godfather. This one hurt the most out of everyone. He was murdered during a robbery of his jewelry store)
Freddy
Lisa (this one was also shocking. She's been battling cancer for several years but almost nobody knew just how sick she was. I miss her every day)
Nancy (my cousin, who had also been battling cancer but had been declared in remission - which was almost unheard of with the kind of cancer she had. It was like her body just couldn't take it anymore)
Georgie
Mary Jean
John (Anthony's brother/my brother in law. also super shocking, despite all his health problems. his death was not foreseen by anyone)
5. Did anyone close to you get married or engaged?
Kevin and Noreen's daughter Shannon got married this year. My cousin Laura got married in November (we could not travel to CA due to the pandemic, state restrictions and my job). We *should* have gotten married but, pandemic, and I can't seem to convince Anthony that a JP is the way to go.
6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?
Less stress. More custom orders... I would like to go back to being my own boss by the end of the year. OUR FUCKING WEDDING. lol
7. What dates from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory?
-Vogue Knitting Live at the Marquis. It was everything I dreamed of and more
-Moulin Rouge (Christmas gift from my boss) with Jamie... in what we now know to be covid soup.
-March 13th - Anthony was traveling back from a week in Syracuse, I had a wedding dress appointment.... there were rumors the state was going to fully shut down beginning the 16th. I spent the better part of 4 hours going to like 5 different stores trying to find groceries, water, toilet paper, paper towels, bleach. Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you people and the fucking toilet paper?
-March 29th (which is our engagement anniversary), finding out Uncle Mark had been murdered the day before (on my birthday)
-All the summer gigs with AG3 and the safe zone music jams at Wendy and Laura's
-Thanksgiving with Gene and Jamie
-November 28th, when we got the call from Kim that John had died. Anthony was playing a gig - he was on stage. She called me when he didn't answer. What I didnt know was that everyone else in his family was calling him at the same time and he walked off stage mid song to take the call from his dad.
-Subsequently, the funeral in Syracuse.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not losing my ever loving shit. This year has been a test for everyone, I swear to fuck.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I can't really think of one, honestly. I'm pretty pleased with how I handled myself through everything this year.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thankfully, no. Much better than the 3 years in a row I broke a bone
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Stupid pandemic purchase of a UV lamp, gel polish and powder dips so that I no longer need to spend $65 at the salon every 3 weeks getting my nails done :)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Anthony, maybe. This year has thrown a FUCKING LOT at him. He's never been unemployed, he's never been the one at home.... he's adjusted and started writing and releasing new music, gigging where he can.... he's struggling with the death of his brother but that's not something you can get over in an instant, or in some cases, ever.
Anthony's aunt and uncle, who haven't spoken to either of us in 2 years since the grandma debacle.... they came up to both of us at John's funeral and apologized. Life is truly too short for this shit.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Hmmm interestingly I lost a lot of friends due to the pandemic. I have strong feelings on Covid. I dont discount that it is deadly to some of the population. I dont discount that it should be taken very seriously by everyone. However, I also don't believe we have been given 100% truthful facts about it. I had one friend nix me because I said I refuse to wear a mask outside running or taking a walk when I'm near nobody. I had another "friend" block me when I told her she was shitty for taking pictures of a bunch of maskless minors (you could clearly see their faces), post it to facebook and admonish them for their behavior. I'm also appalled by any one of my "friends" who blindly supported Trump, continually excused his actions and eventually showed their true colors in the racists and bigots they are. Bye felicia - I got NO time for y'all
Also Chicken Marsala's cousin. She wound up being part of the AG3 scene and eventually told people Anthony used to beat her (100% false). It was a fucking shit show.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Yarn? Wegmans. LOL one just opened in Westchester and I FUCKING LOVE WEGMANS
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
-Moulin Rouge - it's been about 10 years since I have seen a broadway show
-Vogue Knitting Live at the Marquis and my favorite indie dyer/friend and I FINALLY meeting in person.... this was back when you were still allowed to hug lol
-Selling the White Lightning..... except two weeks later I got a phone call that it hadn't been registered, had been used in a string of crimes and was totaled.
-Rosie O'Donnell being my tiktok friend lol it seems silly but it was a big deal
-Oh yeah, I joined tiktok in quarantine HAHAHAHA
16. What song/album will always remind you of 2020?
Point of Know Return - Kansas
Hold the Line - Toto
Sheila C - Benny Mardones
Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
Fancy - Reba McEntire
Savage (that tik tok song lol)
WAP - Cardi B
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
happier!
ii. fatter or thinner?
probably about the same
iii. richer or poorer?
Richer - everything being closed and having nowhere to go most of the year will do that to a person LMAO
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
relax. It's apparently not my strong point LOL
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worry about things and people who don't matter at all. --- THIS! Say it again and louder for the people in the cheap seats. Nothing and nobody lives rent free in my head ANY MORE.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We were home. The pandemic was getting bad around the holidays up in Syracuse and we had just been there two weeks prior for John's funeral. We just stayed here and cooked up a lot of food.
21. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?
We were at the Windmill for a small gig of Anthony's until about 9pm and we were home, showered and in jammies watching the ball drop from the couch :)
22. Did you fall in love in 2020?
Eh. He's aiight
23. How many one night stands in this last year?
None
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Grey's
How to Get Away with Murder
A Million Little Things
This is Us
Fosse
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Chicken Marsala's cousin. Bok bok bitch.
26. What was the best book you read?
Ask Again, Yes
Becoming - Michelle Obama
Fosse
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nobody new, sadly
28. What did you want and get?
Unsure. This was kind of a lost year but at the same time, everything happened
29. What did you want and not get?
A real vacation, but ya know, pandemic
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Da 5 Bloods
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 37. And we did nothing because, pandemic, and everything was closed lol We watched outbreak though. Because I have a twisted sense of humor
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More free time and less stress. I really need to work on prioritizing that for myself this year
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
Literally whatever. There was nowhere to go and nobody to impress. I think for 3 months I wore sweatpants and leggings to work lol
34. What/who kept you sane?
JAMIE!
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you like the most?
Claudia Conway. Child telling it like it IS and spilling all the tea on her mom
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Trump's SECOND IMPEACHMENT.
Biden/Harris winning the election
Black Lives Matter
The Murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor
37. Who did you miss?
Lisa. I wish I had known she was so sick.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Veronica
. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2020
Nothing matters until black lives matter (I already knew this though)
40. Quote [a] song lyric[s] that sums up your year?
"The revolution will not be televised"
Live through a global pandemic, a full state shut down, witness a sitting president be impeached FOR A SECOND TIME, witness life changing protests for BLM - oh and go completely blonde.... and try on wedding dresses lol
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I don't believe in resolutions. You can make change at any point in the year if you truly want to ---- still applies. I don't know why I keep this question in every year haha
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I am quite certain someone did but this year was such a shit show, I can't put my finger on who it was
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Oof. This is a loaded fucking question in the middle of a pandemic. Where do I even start? Lets start at the beginning of the year and just go down the list, shall we?
Dave (although not a current part of my life, he was previously and I was saddened by his passing. I didn't even know he was ill/that ill)
Uncle Ernie
Dadu (my munchkins grandfather)
Uncle Mark (my godfather. This one hurt the most out of everyone. He was murdered during a robbery of his jewelry store)
Freddy
Lisa (this one was also shocking. She's been battling cancer for several years but almost nobody knew just how sick she was. I miss her every day)
Nancy (my cousin, who had also been battling cancer but had been declared in remission - which was almost unheard of with the kind of cancer she had. It was like her body just couldn't take it anymore)
Georgie
Mary Jean
John (Anthony's brother/my brother in law. also super shocking, despite all his health problems. his death was not foreseen by anyone)
5. Did anyone close to you get married or engaged?
Kevin and Noreen's daughter Shannon got married this year. My cousin Laura got married in November (we could not travel to CA due to the pandemic, state restrictions and my job). We *should* have gotten married but, pandemic, and I can't seem to convince Anthony that a JP is the way to go.
6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?
Less stress. More custom orders... I would like to go back to being my own boss by the end of the year. OUR FUCKING WEDDING. lol
7. What dates from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory?
-Vogue Knitting Live at the Marquis. It was everything I dreamed of and more
-Moulin Rouge (Christmas gift from my boss) with Jamie... in what we now know to be covid soup.
-March 13th - Anthony was traveling back from a week in Syracuse, I had a wedding dress appointment.... there were rumors the state was going to fully shut down beginning the 16th. I spent the better part of 4 hours going to like 5 different stores trying to find groceries, water, toilet paper, paper towels, bleach. Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you people and the fucking toilet paper?
-March 29th (which is our engagement anniversary), finding out Uncle Mark had been murdered the day before (on my birthday)
-All the summer gigs with AG3 and the safe zone music jams at Wendy and Laura's
-Thanksgiving with Gene and Jamie
-November 28th, when we got the call from Kim that John had died. Anthony was playing a gig - he was on stage. She called me when he didn't answer. What I didnt know was that everyone else in his family was calling him at the same time and he walked off stage mid song to take the call from his dad.
-Subsequently, the funeral in Syracuse.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not losing my ever loving shit. This year has been a test for everyone, I swear to fuck.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I can't really think of one, honestly. I'm pretty pleased with how I handled myself through everything this year.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thankfully, no. Much better than the 3 years in a row I broke a bone
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Stupid pandemic purchase of a UV lamp, gel polish and powder dips so that I no longer need to spend $65 at the salon every 3 weeks getting my nails done :)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Anthony, maybe. This year has thrown a FUCKING LOT at him. He's never been unemployed, he's never been the one at home.... he's adjusted and started writing and releasing new music, gigging where he can.... he's struggling with the death of his brother but that's not something you can get over in an instant, or in some cases, ever.
Anthony's aunt and uncle, who haven't spoken to either of us in 2 years since the grandma debacle.... they came up to both of us at John's funeral and apologized. Life is truly too short for this shit.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Hmmm interestingly I lost a lot of friends due to the pandemic. I have strong feelings on Covid. I dont discount that it is deadly to some of the population. I dont discount that it should be taken very seriously by everyone. However, I also don't believe we have been given 100% truthful facts about it. I had one friend nix me because I said I refuse to wear a mask outside running or taking a walk when I'm near nobody. I had another "friend" block me when I told her she was shitty for taking pictures of a bunch of maskless minors (you could clearly see their faces), post it to facebook and admonish them for their behavior. I'm also appalled by any one of my "friends" who blindly supported Trump, continually excused his actions and eventually showed their true colors in the racists and bigots they are. Bye felicia - I got NO time for y'all
Also Chicken Marsala's cousin. She wound up being part of the AG3 scene and eventually told people Anthony used to beat her (100% false). It was a fucking shit show.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Yarn? Wegmans. LOL one just opened in Westchester and I FUCKING LOVE WEGMANS
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
-Moulin Rouge - it's been about 10 years since I have seen a broadway show
-Vogue Knitting Live at the Marquis and my favorite indie dyer/friend and I FINALLY meeting in person.... this was back when you were still allowed to hug lol
-Selling the White Lightning..... except two weeks later I got a phone call that it hadn't been registered, had been used in a string of crimes and was totaled.
-Rosie O'Donnell being my tiktok friend lol it seems silly but it was a big deal
-Oh yeah, I joined tiktok in quarantine HAHAHAHA
16. What song/album will always remind you of 2020?
Point of Know Return - Kansas
Hold the Line - Toto
Sheila C - Benny Mardones
Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
Fancy - Reba McEntire
Savage (that tik tok song lol)
WAP - Cardi B
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
happier!
ii. fatter or thinner?
probably about the same
iii. richer or poorer?
Richer - everything being closed and having nowhere to go most of the year will do that to a person LMAO
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
relax. It's apparently not my strong point LOL
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worry about things and people who don't matter at all. --- THIS! Say it again and louder for the people in the cheap seats. Nothing and nobody lives rent free in my head ANY MORE.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We were home. The pandemic was getting bad around the holidays up in Syracuse and we had just been there two weeks prior for John's funeral. We just stayed here and cooked up a lot of food.
21. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?
We were at the Windmill for a small gig of Anthony's until about 9pm and we were home, showered and in jammies watching the ball drop from the couch :)
22. Did you fall in love in 2020?
Eh. He's aiight
23. How many one night stands in this last year?
None
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Grey's
How to Get Away with Murder
A Million Little Things
This is Us
Fosse
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Chicken Marsala's cousin. Bok bok bitch.
26. What was the best book you read?
Ask Again, Yes
Becoming - Michelle Obama
Fosse
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nobody new, sadly
28. What did you want and get?
Unsure. This was kind of a lost year but at the same time, everything happened
29. What did you want and not get?
A real vacation, but ya know, pandemic
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Da 5 Bloods
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 37. And we did nothing because, pandemic, and everything was closed lol We watched outbreak though. Because I have a twisted sense of humor
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More free time and less stress. I really need to work on prioritizing that for myself this year
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
Literally whatever. There was nowhere to go and nobody to impress. I think for 3 months I wore sweatpants and leggings to work lol
34. What/who kept you sane?
JAMIE!
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you like the most?
Claudia Conway. Child telling it like it IS and spilling all the tea on her mom
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Trump's SECOND IMPEACHMENT.
Biden/Harris winning the election
Black Lives Matter
The Murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor
37. Who did you miss?
Lisa. I wish I had known she was so sick.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Veronica
. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2020
Nothing matters until black lives matter (I already knew this though)
40. Quote [a] song lyric[s] that sums up your year?
"The revolution will not be televised"