End of the Year Quiz 2017
Time for my annual tradition of updating my long-abandoned livejournal! I've been thinking about doing this for a couple days but I've been so busy! I tried on NYE but then my laptop wanted to do a million updates and I didn't have time to wait for that to finish, and then I tried New Year's Day but by the time I got settled in I needed to paint a beard on my face and host a livestream, so yeah here we are.
You can find my previous year-end surveys here: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.
1. What did you do in 2017 that you'd never done before?
well let's jump right in with the obvious: ya girl is a homeowner now helllll yeah! also I voluntarily took on a roommate and had a full-time job that didn't involve answering the phones! uh.. wrote explicit sex scenes in fanfiction? replaced light fixtures, started an herb garden, bought a mattress and washer and dryer... so much stuff!
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
last year I resolved to get back on Habitica, pick up an exercise routine again, and refuse to ever drive more than 9 miles over the speed limit and uhhh I did the speed limit one! I had also unofficially resolved to not buy potato chips at the grocery store unless it was a Do Us A Flavor competition and that lasted about three months. this year.... hm. I'd like to cut myself down to one box of mac and cheese a week (or none), to make more meals from scratch on the weekends and budget them through the week, and to walk on the greenway at least once a week maybe? when it gets warmer? by the time I do this thing next year I want to be able to do the whole greenway loop! GOALS.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
no but I adopted a new gerbil named Johnny Roquefort!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
I can't think of anyone
5. What countries did you visit?
ya girl went back to Paris in March!!!! with a layover in Lisbon where I cried over a fnac and threw up at the stench of the grossest bathroom stall I've ever stepped into. Also a 12 hour layover in Brooklyn so I fled the airport and hung with my beloved Kelley!!!! Uhhh yeah Paris man, I'm sure I'll talk about that crazy week somewhere else in this quiz. It's not a country but I think this is also the year we went to Kunkletown? Yeah yeah in like April or something my mom's side of the family we rented this creaky old log cabin with like eight bedrooms in a tiny mountain town in Pennsylvania, it was #iconic lol
6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?
last year I said a house and to pay off my car and I GOT A CONDO!!!! but there's still $1800 left on the car, but I plan to pay that with my tax return or bonus in the spring. So for 2018 I'm going to hopefully be able to replace the sliding glass doors on my condo and maybe the HVAC, fingers crossed! I wouldn't mind trying to DIY myself a fake black sparkle granite countertop too for the kitchen and bathrooms
7. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
um... dates don't really etch very well for me, maybe January 15th cause I started my new job? I think the concert at the Cigale was like March 23rd or something... OH DUH November 1st the day I got the keys to my condo OBVIOUSLY!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
condo y'all, this is gonna get repetitive
9. What was your biggest failure?
wow I'm having a hard time answering this cause I'm so damn smug about the condo these days. I started house hunting in June and didn't finally have an offer accepted until October and I got the keys November 1st so it was a goooood chunk of my year. There were some other places that I REALLY wanted that felt like failures when I didn't get them but ultimately this one was the best one for me so I'm glad in hindsight I didn't get the other places! Maybe letting most of the plants in my herb garden die? haha idk, usually I can answer this one. Maybe talking so much shit at work that I forgot how to hold a conversation that wasn't me complaining about stuff, probably that
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
nothing serious enough that I can remember it?
11. What was the best thing you bought?
yall. okay OTHER THAN the condo it's either the washer and dryer (no more rationing underwear or febrezing pants) or the mattress (no more sleeping on a plywood board!) the best thing I didn't have to buy was when I cashed in all the kiss-ass points I got working at MetLife and bought a smart TV that picks up NetFlix and youtube and that I can plug a flash drive into with ~*the DVD we don't have*~ and watch it in super high definition and cry
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
this one MOR fan named Vanessa who is an ANGEL and who FOUND THE DVD that I'd been seeking for SEVEN YEARS and shared it with us!!! It changed my LIFE!!!! also my grandparents who as soon as I bought a condo just started throwing money at me, hallelujah and thank you to both of them
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
the first two realtors I had, Rhonda and Jess... rude dummies tried to get me to pay $125K for a condo that comped at $90K and then sassed me when I showed them the comps, and then tried to convince me I wanted a trendy-ass TINY HOME on the FAR SIDE OF TOWN that was 400 square feet and cost $100K for granite countertrops like... what the fuck yo
14. Where did most of your money go?
this is a very materialistic set of answers to this quiz so I've already touched on the house thing, see they accepted my offer at $100K for this place but it appraised at like $94K or something so I had to come up with the rest out of pocket, yoikes! good news is it probably drove up the values for condos in this neighborhood though!
15. What were you really, really, really excited about?
okay I had one of the most transcendent moments of my LIFE in March and this may be a good place to talk about it. I went to Flo's concert at the Cigale right? Obviously I was actively losing my mind the entire time bc I hadn't seen the dude since 2014, but I also managed to swing by a play Diane Dassigny was in and get a little hug from her (she's... so...radiant.....) and I was thinking what a damn shame it was I couldn't find a way to see Mikele while I was there, just to remind him of my existence too ya know? Well I waited out front the Cigale from around 11am or so until the concert which was at 8 I think (yep and it was raining) but I was like second row center standing once I got in there and even though my feet were numb with misery and I was dying of thirst (in a couple ways) and hungry and cold and damp (in a couple ways JK) I was OVER THE MOON and Flo came out and my entire heart melted and life was good, right?? WELL! Halfway through the concert he starts telling his life story in song format and reenacting like, being in Canada and whatnot, and then he starts telling the story of auditioning for MOR... and suddenly MIKELANGELO LOCONTE AND HIS FLUORESCENT YELLOW HAIR COME BOUNDING OUT FROM BACKSTAGE! I lost ALL of my shit! I have NEVER had a reaction like that, a SCREAM came out of my mouth (I wasn't the only one) and I clapped one hand onto my cheek and the other into my hair and just stared at him with ALL OF THE JOY radiating out of my face and body it was SUCH A MOMENT!!!!! After the concert I stood in the pouring rain for a couple hours until Flo came out and we had our little chitchat and I affirmed that he still loves me and I picked on him a little and it was all good and then some of my old stagedoor buddies told me Mikele was in the café next door so I went to ambush him and he clung to my hands and told me this long story about his love for Flo in his bizarre English and kept hugging me and GOD it was the BEST!!!! IT WAS THE BEST!!!! Then he took my phone and sent a smiley from my fb messenger to his for some reason hahahaha ohhh Mikele you bizarre man. Sorry this became an entire Stagedoor Story but it was such a good pure excellent moment you know???
16. What song will always remind you of 2017?
Danser sous la pluie because of standing around in the rain waiting for Flo hahaha, but also (on a more serious note) Party Dress from Fun Home bc that whole "I want I want! I want iiiiIIIIII AM A LESBIAN" is a summary of the past like six months of my life
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder? OBVIOUSLY happier and not just bc condo (that's a big part though) but I was in a lot of shock over the current administration last year and this year I'm just sitting back and waiting for those sweet sweet midterm elections (please next year self tell me that those went well)
b) Bigger or smaller? probably about the same, I'm still not doing great with body positivity but I did get three plaid shirts the other week so that was exciting
c) Richer or poorer? richer believe it or not, cause ya girl went and got herself a roommate! Now said roommate is already two days late paying rent and it's only her second month of needing to do so buuuuut we'll hope she gets her shit together cause I'll feel bad if I have to evict her when she just got her stuff packed up. Nice thing is I actually could afford to live here without her cause the condo doesn't cost that much more than my apartment did, even with HOA, but like... I want her around so I can pay off my student loans faster. And bc I have no use for the second bedroom and bathroom at this stage in my life.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
well I was extremely busy this year so there's not much I could have done more of? I realized in March my French was slipping so I got way back into following French actors and stuff and that helped me get my French skills back up a little in my free time. Next year I hope I finally volunteer to usher with the Blumenthal group so I can see a bunch of free shows!
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I wish I'd complained conversationally less. I have a really bad compulsion to talk shit as soon as someone's not in a room and I reaaallly gotta get over that. I need to hold conversations with people that aren't me jokingly whining about stuff cause I'm ready to leave negativity behind
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Swung home to my parents' house Friday through Christmas which was Monday! It was nice but my mom's youngest brother and his wife and their bratty seven-year-old were there and it was frankly overwhelming, also on Christmas day no one would LEAVE and I got so stressed by how many people were in the house that around seven I just hugged everyone goodbye and drove back to the safe and quiet (except my chatty roommate haha) of my beautiful condo
21. How many one-night stands?
look I thought I was ace for many many years and it's a product of body insecurity, the patriarchy raising me to believe that finding a man is my purpose on earth and the only True Source of validation, and being confused about what was me being secretly pervy and what was me being attracted to women.... all of which combined means I didn't sleep with anyone this year either but now that I know what's going on with myself I may or may not get up the courage to branch out some next year, we'll see in twelve months ok (but it probably won't be a one-night stand cause I'm not that smooth)
22. Did you fall in love in 2017?
WITH THE 3D DVD and the MOR fandom
23. What was your favourite TV programme?
probably still Star Trek, obviously TOS and DS9 are my faves but Discovery was happening this year and I loved it!
24. How will you see in the New Year?
I really meant to post this before NYE but I was BUSY I was replacing all the light switches and outlets in my condo plus two light fixtures! I was gonna say that I'd planned a lil shindig at the condo and I was very worried about it bc my roommate's friends were coming and my friends were coming and I was afraid there would be awkwardness between the two groups but GOOD NEWS everybody gelled great! I mean there were awkward glances whenever my roommate and her friends acted weird with each other bc they're like all poly and they all sleep with each other all the time and I hadn't mentioned that to my friends bc I'm not gonna go around outing people (and honestly? I think my roommate and her friends just enjoy shocking people? like otherwise she wouldn't CONSTANTLY be telling me weirder and weirder things about kink parties and conventions she goes to like she KNOWS I'm still a little uptight)
25. Do you hate / dislike anyone now that you didn't hate / dislike this time last year?
uh I don't think so? I un-disliked my friends, idk why I was such a grump last year about them, they're flawed and they can be a lil annoying but overall they're good people and fun to be around.
26. What was the best book you read?
well I did get a library card like I mentioned I wanted to last year! but the only book I checked out was this awesome history of Paris which I don't exactly remember the name of but it was thick as all hell and really interesting!
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
probably Starmania? idk exactly why but it really got to me, it's just so ineffable and so odd and unrepentantly miserable, I love it
28. What did you want and get?
I got basically everything I wanted! a dramatic Flo and Mikele reunion complete with them being apparently overjoyed to see me, a huge hug from Diane, THE GODDAMN 3D DVD, this condo that's a seven minute drive from work and right next to the greenway with a view of the woods from my bedroom (featuring SO MANY DEER), a brand new washer and dryer, a mattress, a decent roommate, plaid shirts, decorator/rocker light switches and a USB wall outlet in my bedroom
29. What did you want and not get?
there's a lot of stuff in the condo I'd like to be able to fix but I have time! the sliding glass doors are super drafty and old, all the heat seals are broken in all the windows, the floors in my roommate's room were installed VERY badly and need to be redone probably, the ceilings are all popcorn and have old water stains from before they replaced the roof, the kitchen counters are p much the worst i've ever seen, the HVAC system is from 1983, etc etc, but I don't expect all that to get fixed up front! I have so many projects, I'm all blissed out!
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
the 3D DVD duh NEXT QUESTION
31. What did you do on your birthday?
my mom and I went to see this Wuthering Heights ballet and I'm not really into ballet but holy shit it was good??? like in the final scene Heathcliff pulled Kathy's body out of a pile of dirt and did this entire dance with her corpse which sounds really weird but it was so fuckin soulful that I actually cried??? and I usually HATE ballet but daaammmn. Also I just went to work like a normal person I think, and my boss bought a cake.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
immeasurably? gee idk it was a really satisfying year. a different administration probably. impeachment. if that tax bill hadn't just been passed and if net neutrality hadn't been repealed.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?
i haven't bought new clothes in so long... I did just get those three plaid shirts about which I am VERY excited but other than that eh, just whatever's in my closet. my hair is really really long and I kinda stopped wearing lipstick ever since the election last year because I was like "what's the POINT" haha. some days I manage to look REALLY gay and I walk by the cute girl's desk as much as I can those days
34. What kept you sane?
all these exciting PLANS for the condo, also the moraholics?? what a good year for the fandom, from #earringgate to the 3D DVD to the Cigale to the European Musical Marathon Extravaganza to the Bercyversary, then we had that amazing Secret Salieri gift exchange just now?? And the fic! I had such a fun year writing fic, I dragged Divine Libertines out after letting it gather dust since I moved out of NYC and suddenly a ton of people were reading it and leaving feedback and doing art for it??? I was in HEAVEN yall. And then that fic ended and I had the pleasure of stomping on people's hearts with Zum Auge Gottes and making them curious about Starmania.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Diane Dassigny is still top of the list but for some reason this year I fell deeply in love with Anaïs Delva and Tamara Fernando too, and I have this tiny Melissa Mars crush forming ever since she started using the insta story feature and recording videos of her saying cute things in English with that big smile GOD! Actually I blame instagram. Oh hey I probably shouldn't say this in an unlocked post but that one guy from MOR (you know which one haha, the toothbrush-seeker) tried to hit me up when I was in Paris in March! That was validating but it's NEVER gonna happen again as far as I can help it.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I spent a lot of time neck-deep in politics this year like we all did, I marched and I went to rallies. Charlottesville probably sat the heaviest on my heart.
37. Who did you miss?
I miss my college friends like I always do, but in kind of a bittersweet way now rather than in just a bitter way. I also really miss having people like my old pals LLQM and Becky/bob in the MOR fandom!
38. Who was the best new person you met?
ALL THE NEW MOR FANS THIS YEAR!!!! Jo and Vee and Ola and oh god I shouldn't start naming people cause I WILL forget someone and they'll be like "what about me" and I'll feel like a dick. Well that would be true if I ever thought anyone but me was gonna read this lol
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017.
if you buy a house everyone in your family will be so excited they'll start giving you money, also TAKE YOUR FRIENDS' REALTOR RECOMMENDATIONS, also TAP is a good airline even though the layovers are ridiculous, also it's possible to find a place in NC that you'd rather be than Paris
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
oh I kinda already did but yeah "I want I want! I want iiiIIIII AM A LESBIAN" is a good one lol. Also the obvious "si c'était à refaire, j'írais danser sous la pluie"
41. What was your favourite moment of the year?
oh I already told it, it was the Mikele part! SURPRISE MIKELE! WHAT A GOOD!!! THING!!!! I was so happy to see his little FACE and there was this fan in the café who was like "excuse yall I came all the way from LYON to see Mikele??" and one of my old stagedoor buddies was nearby and she looked her right in the eye and pointed at me and said "well SHE came all the way from the UNITED STATES" and that woman shut up so fast!!! Also when I was hovering awkwardly in the café not wanted to inconvenience the man and someone said "Mikele? y'a Ehreen!" and his LITTLE FACE LIT UP aahhhHHHHHH!!!! I know I'm going on and on about Mikele when really I spend a lot more time being obsessed with Flo but that particular moment was just so filled with magic and joy!!!! Also Flo is all gross lately lifting weights at the gym and cutting his hair and being sweaty, I miss 2010 soft Flo with the hair and the plaid and the gentle voice... that was the Flo I was obsessed with and YA KNOW WHY? it's cause im GAY and i didnt realize back then
42. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
like the entire house hunt, but probably mostly losing that one place over in Winery, there was this place with a loft and a two-story fireplace and I wanted it with every fiber of my SOUL. Looking back I'm glad I didn't get it bc it was an hour away from work and EVERYTHING needed to be replaced ASAP to make it livable but when my offer on that place didn't get accepted I felt like god himself had betrayed me hahaha
43. Where were you when 2017 began?
apparently I was watching Star Trek in a onesie on my couch
44. Who were you with?
just the gerbils I guess haha
45. Where will you be when 2017 ends?
with a group of my friends and a group of my roommate's friends, on that same couch but less curmudgeonly about it!
46. Who will you be with when 2017 ends?
oh, see above, I scooped myself
47. What was your favourite month of 2017?
maybe December cause everyone was giving me money and I was just in this state of joy over the condo and the washer/dryer and having a mattress again and then I even got my digital piano right there at the end of the month, and I saw LM and then the next night went to the Nutcracker with a friend
48. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2017?
I think I only drank during MOR livestreams, and probably less than a bottle at each of those!
49. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2017?
still no, I could probably delete this question honestly
50. How many people did you sleep with in 2017?
none but not for lack of thinking about it hahaha good morning world the closet was cozy and safe for 27.5 years
51. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
uhh yeahhh so like all those stories about the night I saw Mikele at the café? MY ANGEL DIANE WAS RIGHT THERE AND I WAS SO OVERWHELMED I DIDNT KNOW HOW TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER AND IT PROBABLY SEEMED SO RUDE!!! GOD!!!!
52. What was the worst lie someone told you in 2017?
uhhhhh hmmm.... I can't think of anything. Maybe the homeowners who sold this condo not mentioning the washer and garbage disposal were broken or that the floors were fucked, or hiding that giant weird burn on the counter with a potted plant hahaha
53. Did you treat somebody badly in 2017?
I gave in to my base desire to talk shit about people at work and it sort of unleashed a monster in my annuity colleague and now he's just nasty about people all the time and idk how to make it stop!!! I need to back that train up so we can go back to Positivity Land but also talking shit about people is so powerful... help me obi juan whoever the fuck you are....
54. Did somebody treat you badly in 2017?
I was pretty peeved at realtors Jess and Rhonda but it wasn't anything a call to another realtor couldn't fix, byyyye suckas
56. How much money did you spend in 2017?
well I bought a condo in Charlotte so you do the math haha
57. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2017 and change what?
I wish I'd brought that care package for Mikele to the Cigale or had Vincent bring it so I could have given it to him at the café!!! aaand..... I literally can't think of anything else haha it's obviously been a good year
58. What are your plans for 2018?
Pay off the car in February or March. New sliding glass doors. Hopefully a new HVAC system that I can control with my phone so if I'm at work or on vacation I can turn it way down. And I'm gonna bring back Déconcertant Concerto! And I've already decided on my two closet cosplays for Bercyversary 2018. OH and we're lowkey planning a moraholics Paris meetup in September 2019 for the ten-year anniversary of the show, so here's hoping we can do that!!! And this is even longer-term but if I put half the money my roommate gives me toward my student loan as well as the amount I've been paying into it all along, I could have it paid off in five years! Those are the kinds of plans I make. WAIT OH I would like to go on dates in 2018 and to maybe sign up to be an usher at the Blumenthal theaters AND to be able to walk the whole greenway loop on Saturdays. There, those are my 2018 (and beyond) plans!