New Year's Meme 2014
Hi-dee-ho, readers! Looks like it's time for my annual year in review. As usual, I'll follow the meme that I used for years at the old blog, hoping that this edition will turn out to be interesting, for a change. (Hint: don't hold your breath!)
1. What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before?
Wow, this is a tough one. I suppose I could go all Philosophy Teacher on you and point out that, technically, every single thing I did in 2014 was something I'd never done before. But we all know that the intent of the question is to highlight new *types* of experiences (plus, nobody loves a pedant), so how about this True Confession: in 2014, for the first time ever (though I suppose one could argue that a lifetime of laziness, procrastination, and clutter had been building toward it), I kept my Christmas decorations up for an entire calendar year.
That's right: 2013's tree had been assembled in a corner of a room we don't use much (thus making it the perfect spot for something as useless as a Christmas tree, right?), and, well, I really intended to get to it (not to mention the supporting decorations, all of which were confined to that same, little-used room) sometime in January, but no one else cared enough to help me . . . and suddenly it was July . . .
Yeah, I know: that was pathetic, and I'm surprised I admitted it. But, hey, in this house we are *always* tardy tree-taker-downers (end of February, usually), no doubt because we are also always tardy tree-putter-uppers (we generally do it on Christmas Eve, despite not having any connection-by-heritage to any culture whose actual custom that is). All I did in '14 was carry things to their logical conclusion.
In an attempt to mitigate the patheticness of it all, I had the boys move the still-decorated tree (it's not gigantic) from its out-of-the-way spot to a new one in the living room (a place where we actually spend time) this Christmas Eve. And I have already started un-decorating it, boxing up the now-over-familiar decorations as a token of my intention to be more on top of everything in 2015.
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Hahahahahaha . . . Oh, I'm sorry; am I really supposed to answer this one? No. Without reviewing them, I can tell you they all had to do with weight-loss and organizing my stuff/life. I achieved neither.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one in my immediate circle of family and friends died in 2014, but some loss did touch my life. A tenor in my church choir passed away at the very beginning of 2014, right on the heels of one of the basses dying at the very end of 2013. This made for a very sobering start to the year.
And, not two months ago, an online friend -- someone I'd never met in person, but to whom I had been quite close back when we were active on the same literature forum circa 2000 -- died after a short stay in hospital. He was only in his 40s, but as he had been plagued with serious health issues for his entire life, I suppose one shouldn't have been shocked. Nevertheless, it felt sudden, and my sadness was deepened by the fact that we'd only been sporadically in touch in recent years. My friend A. had a lively mind, a resilient spirit, and a wicked sense of humor: I really do feel the world's a poorer place without him.
5. What countries did you visit?
None outside the US, though I sure hankered to go to the UK when the Museum of London opened its Sherlock Holmes exhibit. *sigh* I did get a lovely couple of days in Nashville in June, though, and then five days in NYC in July, so it would be churlish to complain about trips not taken.
6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
Besides a trip to the UK, you mean? I'll take success with weight loss and personal organization.
7. What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
As is almost always the case, I can't name a specific date, though of course there are specific events (all of which had to have happened on specific dates) that I'm certain I'll recall in years to come. My mind just doesn't work the way this question needs it to do, so I promise to reword (or omit) it next year.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I was the "Gasogene" (i.e., head honcho) of the local Sherlockian society which is my only unqualified source of fun -- nay, joy -- these days, and I think I did a pretty well at it. The role mostly involved running the monthly meetings, both behind the scenes (getting a speaker, collecting RSVPs, etc.) and in real time (as Master of Ceremonies & discussion leader). Oh, and 2014 was the group's 25th anniversary year, so I also had the privilege of presiding over the celebration in October. If others' supportive comments throughout the year can be taken as any indication of the truth, then at least some of the group members were having as much fun as I was. (And if they weren't, then they faked it very well!) I surrender the post in January, and I fully expect to have to hold back a tear or two.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I gained a lot of weight.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
There was no physical item, but I can name a couple of stratospherically awesome aesthetic experiences that I paid for. In January I saw Sirs Ian McKellin & Patrick Stewart in Waiting for Godot on B'way, and I can honestly say that (1) it was the best theatrical experience of my life, and (2) such a superlative doesn't begin to do it justice. It was out-of-this-world amazing and uplifting -- and yes, I *did* say "uplifting," and I *was* talking about Godot. In terms of the wording of this question, I'd say that the very expensive ticket would have been cheap at twice the price.
Then in March I took my sister and her significant other to see Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester in concert on my birthday, and we were all enchanted. It can be scary to see one of your super-favorite performers in person, after only having heard recordings: what do you do if the experience is a disappointment? Well, I can't tell you the answer to that, because this one exceeded all expectations, and my expectations were duly high. Sister & her man hadn't known about them before, so I also had the fun of witnessing their discovery of the joys of Max & co. Again, if I'm counting the afternoon among the "things I bought" in 2014, it was a very wise use of resources. I lived off it for weeks!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I guess Number Two Son wins here; at 21, he really seems to have his young life together. He is doing well in college, has made some good friendships, is a faithful helper at his church, excelled at a work internship over the summer, and more. Could he be a little nicer to his mom? Ummm, yes . . . but he is often a fun companion, and he's good to his younger brother.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one's behavior appalled me, so I guess my expectations of the world were more realistic in 2014. The behavior of Republicans in Congress depressed me nearly every day, however.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The biggest line item in my budget was probably the monthly support I gave to my older sons. Number One has been working a lot and didn't need as much in '14 as he did the year before, but Two was a full-time student living in an off-campus apartment, so all the money I would have been paying his college for a dorm room went toward his rent & bills instead.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I've previously threatened to drop this question from the meme because my mind doesn't associate songs and years like that, but this time I am tempted to name the ubiquitous "Let It Go." Yeah, I know Frozen came out in '13. but we all know that the song continued to be huge in '14. And, okay, I parodied it in the Spring at a Sherlockian event, which undoubtedly kept me from getting as tired of it as quickly as everyone else did. (Then I saw Idina Menzel on B'way in the summer. That shouting-for-singing schtick may be hard for an old-school chorister like me to take, but one can't say she doesn't give her all to whatever she does!)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? about the same, which is generally sad, but capable of experiencing joyful moments.
ii. thinner or fatter? fatter -- the continuation of a dangerous trend.
iii. richer or poorer? I always take this question to refer straightforwardly to finances, so I'll say I'm richer in savings than I was a year ago, but poorer in prospects (which is why I'm trying to save).
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleep. Most nights, perhaps with the exception of some summer ones, I was lucky to get five hours.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Paper grading (which was the cause of so many of my late nights). This was a particular problem in the Fall semester, when I accepted at least one course more than I should have done, then *didn't* wisely adjust the amount of writing I required of each student. Since, frankly, students tend to write poorly anyway, and I simply can't fix that in a semester (nor is it my job to do so), the experience was deeply ungratifying for all of us. They basically submitted a lot of plagiarized drivel, and I, in turn, took *forever* to return it to them with duly low grades. For all of our sakes, I need to find some more efficient way to evaluate the philosophical progress of large numbers of indifferent pupils.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
At my brother's with the extended family, where we had a lovely, low-key brunch. Then the boys and I went home so I could nap (hey -- three church services the night before!) while they played the video games Santa brought. Finally, the boys went to their dad's house, and, to avoid eating my heart out, I went to my parents', where I consumed charcuterie and egg nog while watching Anthony Bourdain re-runs till midnight.
21. How will you bring in the New Year?
Quite possibly at my parents' again, with smoked meats and Mr. Bourdain. See, Number One Son will be back in Nashville, while Two has said he might ring in 2015 in his apartment with his roommate and friends. If Three and I stay home alone, there's a good chance we'll feel their absence a little too keenly.
22. With whom did you spend the most time on the phone in 2014?
My mom and the Man. Can we drop this question? The answer will never change.
23. Did you fall in love?
No. That part of me might actually be dead, which I'm thinking is okay.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Modern Family. Two got me hooked on this show over the summer when he bought all the previous seasons on DVD, thus setting up yet another iteration of my usual pattern -- viz., a once- hugely popular show, somehow never watched by me until well into its run, becomes *my* "must-see-TV" just as everyone else has moved on.
Among newer TV shows, I've also enjoyed DC Comics' The Flash on the CW network, to which Three and I faithfully tune in each Tuesday; the dysfunction-celebrating Mom, which Three highly disapproves of my liking (but, Allison Janney!); the quickly-canceled Selfie, which I might be the only person in America who liked (at least qualifiedly -- I'd call it a solid premise semi-spoiled by uneven writing but almost saved by John Cho); and Forever, about which I am still undecided (the central conceit -- a murder-solving man who cannot die himself -- is interesting but kinda plagiarized, while star Ioan Gruffudd is likable but too prone to substitute facial mugging for acting. Yay, Judd Hirsch, though).
25. What was the best book you read?
Oh, I don't know. I read a bunch of "Mr. and Mrs. North" mysteries over the summer and enjoyed them, but other than that it was basically all work-related non-fiction. I'm not really feeling like crowning anything "best."
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I didn't make a musical discovery in 2014. How sad is that?
27. What did you want and get?
Sherlockian fun. Good relationships with my sons. Success in school for Two and Three. Continued employment.
28. What did you want and not get?
Weight loss success. A completely de-cluttered house. For Number One Son to be earning at least some of his living as a musician, rather than just as a Nashville waiter whose band practices a lot (may I add that I want this for him? I could certainly handle having a college-educated waiter for a son, as long as he was happy and self-supporting). Romance -- but, as per #23 above, I think I honestly stopped wanting this at some point during the second half of the year, because I barely care about it right now.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
There are still a few days left in 2014, and I intend to see a few movies during them. But my favorite of the the ones I've seen so far would be The Grand Budapest Hotel, which was quirky and evocative and visually arresting and full of fun performances, not to mention F. Murray Abraham's delicious voice-over narration.
As always, though, I have a lot of honorable mentions. Noah was surprisingly thought-provoking. Merchant-Ivory throwback Belle, indie-ish Chef, and Disney-to-the-core Million Dollar Arm, though very different from each other, all represented the "feel-good" genre well. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I also enjoyed a lotta popcorn flicks, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, X-Men: Days Of Future Past, and The LEGO Movie. And cartoons, too, like Mr. Peabody and Sherman and How To Train Your Dragon 2. It was a reasonable year for movies, and I'm only sorry I didn't get out to see more.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
The big day fell on a Sunday, so I began it with two church services. At the last "Amen," though, I high-tailed it to D.C. for the Max Raabe concert (see 11 above). Afterwards, my companions took me out for French food. I turned a whopping 53 years old that day, but with all that other stuff going on, I can't say I minded terribly.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Better personal organization, not just of my stuff, but of my calendar. I mean, I did a lot of good things in 2014, but, because I was so harried, I didn't enjoy as many of them as much as I might have done.
Also, weight loss success.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
Fat clothes.
33. What kept you sane?
I often name a few fellas here, but for 2014 I shall shine the spotlight solely on my beloved Stephen Colbert. Undoubtedly because he ended his Report this year, I was more aware of him than usual. And I cried as I watched his last show -- did you?
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The mid-term elections, which I realize are not an "issue," per se. The results broke my heart -- this gun-loving, environment-despising, science-denying, "other"-disparaging, compassion-deficient culture is really the one I live in?
36. Whom did you miss?
My mother-in-law. I think it's not going to be possible to stay close, though we still love each other, post-divorce. Blood is thicker than water, and she's got to be there for her boy.
Also, my county choral society, which I realize is more of a "what" than a "whom." Alas, I had to quit singing in September, after ten years with the group, because of the demands of work (esp. the church job) and family (I don't want to spend so many evenings away from Number Three, and he's simply not interested in coming to my practices anymore).
37. Who was the best new person you met?
I got to know some church people a little better in 2014, and some Sherlockians, as well. I don't think any of them are people I didn't sort of know in 2013, though.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.
There's never a song that sums up my year, though there are sometimes pieces that reflect my predominant feelings. For instance, I have been liking "Cry Me a River" a lot lately (the old torch song, not the Justin Timberlake song of the same name), maybe because I've reached the stage where I can enjoy the fantasy of rejecting a penitent version of the person who hurt me so badly (or maybe just because it's a cool song). And then there's the aforementioned "Let it Go," which speaks to my occasional desire to cease striving to please everyone else and, instead, go off and dictate my own terms for a change.
40. What was your favorite moment of the year?
I don't know. I was pretty thrilled about being admitted to The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes last month, but I'll confess that the moment was diminished a tad by the fact that I had to receive the honor in absentia. (Perhaps you'll recall my telling you at the time that, after holding all my November Saturdays free for the big meeting, I learned that -- contra recent tradition -- it would be held on a Sunday instead. My Baltimore-area church lets out at 11:30, but getting to NYC by noon would've required a teleporter!)
Okay, how about this for another favorite? At the end of my brief summer visit to Nashville, Number One Son dropped us (me & Three) off at the bus station and then texted a few minutes later, "I miss you guys already." It would not be exaggerating to say that I live for such moments, and that text is still saved on my phone.
41. What was your least favorite moment of the year?
I don't know. I try to shake off the bad moments as quickly as I can, so I'll probably only be able to remember the recent ones. *ponders* Okay, I can think of three, all from December:
Change something *I* did? I guess I'd say "no" to that seventh course I was offered for the Fall semester. I think of it as the "one thing too many" which, combined with the change in my church routine caused by the change of pastors (over which I had no control, of course), made the final four months of the year pretty miserable.
43. What are your plans for 2015?
1. What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before?
Wow, this is a tough one. I suppose I could go all Philosophy Teacher on you and point out that, technically, every single thing I did in 2014 was something I'd never done before. But we all know that the intent of the question is to highlight new *types* of experiences (plus, nobody loves a pedant), so how about this True Confession: in 2014, for the first time ever (though I suppose one could argue that a lifetime of laziness, procrastination, and clutter had been building toward it), I kept my Christmas decorations up for an entire calendar year.
That's right: 2013's tree had been assembled in a corner of a room we don't use much (thus making it the perfect spot for something as useless as a Christmas tree, right?), and, well, I really intended to get to it (not to mention the supporting decorations, all of which were confined to that same, little-used room) sometime in January, but no one else cared enough to help me . . . and suddenly it was July . . .
Yeah, I know: that was pathetic, and I'm surprised I admitted it. But, hey, in this house we are *always* tardy tree-taker-downers (end of February, usually), no doubt because we are also always tardy tree-putter-uppers (we generally do it on Christmas Eve, despite not having any connection-by-heritage to any culture whose actual custom that is). All I did in '14 was carry things to their logical conclusion.
In an attempt to mitigate the patheticness of it all, I had the boys move the still-decorated tree (it's not gigantic) from its out-of-the-way spot to a new one in the living room (a place where we actually spend time) this Christmas Eve. And I have already started un-decorating it, boxing up the now-over-familiar decorations as a token of my intention to be more on top of everything in 2015.
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Hahahahahaha . . . Oh, I'm sorry; am I really supposed to answer this one? No. Without reviewing them, I can tell you they all had to do with weight-loss and organizing my stuff/life. I achieved neither.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one in my immediate circle of family and friends died in 2014, but some loss did touch my life. A tenor in my church choir passed away at the very beginning of 2014, right on the heels of one of the basses dying at the very end of 2013. This made for a very sobering start to the year.
And, not two months ago, an online friend -- someone I'd never met in person, but to whom I had been quite close back when we were active on the same literature forum circa 2000 -- died after a short stay in hospital. He was only in his 40s, but as he had been plagued with serious health issues for his entire life, I suppose one shouldn't have been shocked. Nevertheless, it felt sudden, and my sadness was deepened by the fact that we'd only been sporadically in touch in recent years. My friend A. had a lively mind, a resilient spirit, and a wicked sense of humor: I really do feel the world's a poorer place without him.
5. What countries did you visit?
None outside the US, though I sure hankered to go to the UK when the Museum of London opened its Sherlock Holmes exhibit. *sigh* I did get a lovely couple of days in Nashville in June, though, and then five days in NYC in July, so it would be churlish to complain about trips not taken.
6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
Besides a trip to the UK, you mean? I'll take success with weight loss and personal organization.
7. What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
As is almost always the case, I can't name a specific date, though of course there are specific events (all of which had to have happened on specific dates) that I'm certain I'll recall in years to come. My mind just doesn't work the way this question needs it to do, so I promise to reword (or omit) it next year.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I was the "Gasogene" (i.e., head honcho) of the local Sherlockian society which is my only unqualified source of fun -- nay, joy -- these days, and I think I did a pretty well at it. The role mostly involved running the monthly meetings, both behind the scenes (getting a speaker, collecting RSVPs, etc.) and in real time (as Master of Ceremonies & discussion leader). Oh, and 2014 was the group's 25th anniversary year, so I also had the privilege of presiding over the celebration in October. If others' supportive comments throughout the year can be taken as any indication of the truth, then at least some of the group members were having as much fun as I was. (And if they weren't, then they faked it very well!) I surrender the post in January, and I fully expect to have to hold back a tear or two.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I gained a lot of weight.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
There was no physical item, but I can name a couple of stratospherically awesome aesthetic experiences that I paid for. In January I saw Sirs Ian McKellin & Patrick Stewart in Waiting for Godot on B'way, and I can honestly say that (1) it was the best theatrical experience of my life, and (2) such a superlative doesn't begin to do it justice. It was out-of-this-world amazing and uplifting -- and yes, I *did* say "uplifting," and I *was* talking about Godot. In terms of the wording of this question, I'd say that the very expensive ticket would have been cheap at twice the price.
Then in March I took my sister and her significant other to see Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester in concert on my birthday, and we were all enchanted. It can be scary to see one of your super-favorite performers in person, after only having heard recordings: what do you do if the experience is a disappointment? Well, I can't tell you the answer to that, because this one exceeded all expectations, and my expectations were duly high. Sister & her man hadn't known about them before, so I also had the fun of witnessing their discovery of the joys of Max & co. Again, if I'm counting the afternoon among the "things I bought" in 2014, it was a very wise use of resources. I lived off it for weeks!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I guess Number Two Son wins here; at 21, he really seems to have his young life together. He is doing well in college, has made some good friendships, is a faithful helper at his church, excelled at a work internship over the summer, and more. Could he be a little nicer to his mom? Ummm, yes . . . but he is often a fun companion, and he's good to his younger brother.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one's behavior appalled me, so I guess my expectations of the world were more realistic in 2014. The behavior of Republicans in Congress depressed me nearly every day, however.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The biggest line item in my budget was probably the monthly support I gave to my older sons. Number One has been working a lot and didn't need as much in '14 as he did the year before, but Two was a full-time student living in an off-campus apartment, so all the money I would have been paying his college for a dorm room went toward his rent & bills instead.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- Waiting for Godot (see 11 above),
- Max Raabe in concert (see 11 above), and
- Sherlock Holmes (see 8 above) -- Besides the whole Gasogene experience, there was also the fun of my second BSI Weekend last January; then, in November, I was invited to become a member of The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes. Good times.
I've previously threatened to drop this question from the meme because my mind doesn't associate songs and years like that, but this time I am tempted to name the ubiquitous "Let It Go." Yeah, I know Frozen came out in '13. but we all know that the song continued to be huge in '14. And, okay, I parodied it in the Spring at a Sherlockian event, which undoubtedly kept me from getting as tired of it as quickly as everyone else did. (Then I saw Idina Menzel on B'way in the summer. That shouting-for-singing schtick may be hard for an old-school chorister like me to take, but one can't say she doesn't give her all to whatever she does!)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? about the same, which is generally sad, but capable of experiencing joyful moments.
ii. thinner or fatter? fatter -- the continuation of a dangerous trend.
iii. richer or poorer? I always take this question to refer straightforwardly to finances, so I'll say I'm richer in savings than I was a year ago, but poorer in prospects (which is why I'm trying to save).
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleep. Most nights, perhaps with the exception of some summer ones, I was lucky to get five hours.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Paper grading (which was the cause of so many of my late nights). This was a particular problem in the Fall semester, when I accepted at least one course more than I should have done, then *didn't* wisely adjust the amount of writing I required of each student. Since, frankly, students tend to write poorly anyway, and I simply can't fix that in a semester (nor is it my job to do so), the experience was deeply ungratifying for all of us. They basically submitted a lot of plagiarized drivel, and I, in turn, took *forever* to return it to them with duly low grades. For all of our sakes, I need to find some more efficient way to evaluate the philosophical progress of large numbers of indifferent pupils.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
At my brother's with the extended family, where we had a lovely, low-key brunch. Then the boys and I went home so I could nap (hey -- three church services the night before!) while they played the video games Santa brought. Finally, the boys went to their dad's house, and, to avoid eating my heart out, I went to my parents', where I consumed charcuterie and egg nog while watching Anthony Bourdain re-runs till midnight.
21. How will you bring in the New Year?
Quite possibly at my parents' again, with smoked meats and Mr. Bourdain. See, Number One Son will be back in Nashville, while Two has said he might ring in 2015 in his apartment with his roommate and friends. If Three and I stay home alone, there's a good chance we'll feel their absence a little too keenly.
22. With whom did you spend the most time on the phone in 2014?
My mom and the Man. Can we drop this question? The answer will never change.
23. Did you fall in love?
No. That part of me might actually be dead, which I'm thinking is okay.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Modern Family. Two got me hooked on this show over the summer when he bought all the previous seasons on DVD, thus setting up yet another iteration of my usual pattern -- viz., a once- hugely popular show, somehow never watched by me until well into its run, becomes *my* "must-see-TV" just as everyone else has moved on.
Among newer TV shows, I've also enjoyed DC Comics' The Flash on the CW network, to which Three and I faithfully tune in each Tuesday; the dysfunction-celebrating Mom, which Three highly disapproves of my liking (but, Allison Janney!); the quickly-canceled Selfie, which I might be the only person in America who liked (at least qualifiedly -- I'd call it a solid premise semi-spoiled by uneven writing but almost saved by John Cho); and Forever, about which I am still undecided (the central conceit -- a murder-solving man who cannot die himself -- is interesting but kinda plagiarized, while star Ioan Gruffudd is likable but too prone to substitute facial mugging for acting. Yay, Judd Hirsch, though).
25. What was the best book you read?
Oh, I don't know. I read a bunch of "Mr. and Mrs. North" mysteries over the summer and enjoyed them, but other than that it was basically all work-related non-fiction. I'm not really feeling like crowning anything "best."
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I didn't make a musical discovery in 2014. How sad is that?
27. What did you want and get?
Sherlockian fun. Good relationships with my sons. Success in school for Two and Three. Continued employment.
28. What did you want and not get?
Weight loss success. A completely de-cluttered house. For Number One Son to be earning at least some of his living as a musician, rather than just as a Nashville waiter whose band practices a lot (may I add that I want this for him? I could certainly handle having a college-educated waiter for a son, as long as he was happy and self-supporting). Romance -- but, as per #23 above, I think I honestly stopped wanting this at some point during the second half of the year, because I barely care about it right now.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
There are still a few days left in 2014, and I intend to see a few movies during them. But my favorite of the the ones I've seen so far would be The Grand Budapest Hotel, which was quirky and evocative and visually arresting and full of fun performances, not to mention F. Murray Abraham's delicious voice-over narration.
As always, though, I have a lot of honorable mentions. Noah was surprisingly thought-provoking. Merchant-Ivory throwback Belle, indie-ish Chef, and Disney-to-the-core Million Dollar Arm, though very different from each other, all represented the "feel-good" genre well. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I also enjoyed a lotta popcorn flicks, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, X-Men: Days Of Future Past, and The LEGO Movie. And cartoons, too, like Mr. Peabody and Sherman and How To Train Your Dragon 2. It was a reasonable year for movies, and I'm only sorry I didn't get out to see more.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
The big day fell on a Sunday, so I began it with two church services. At the last "Amen," though, I high-tailed it to D.C. for the Max Raabe concert (see 11 above). Afterwards, my companions took me out for French food. I turned a whopping 53 years old that day, but with all that other stuff going on, I can't say I minded terribly.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Better personal organization, not just of my stuff, but of my calendar. I mean, I did a lot of good things in 2014, but, because I was so harried, I didn't enjoy as many of them as much as I might have done.
Also, weight loss success.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
Fat clothes.
33. What kept you sane?
- food (though I know it's wrong to use it the way I do)
- God (but despite church, rather than through it)
- Number Three Son
- Sherlock Holmes fandom
I often name a few fellas here, but for 2014 I shall shine the spotlight solely on my beloved Stephen Colbert. Undoubtedly because he ended his Report this year, I was more aware of him than usual. And I cried as I watched his last show -- did you?
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The mid-term elections, which I realize are not an "issue," per se. The results broke my heart -- this gun-loving, environment-despising, science-denying, "other"-disparaging, compassion-deficient culture is really the one I live in?
36. Whom did you miss?
My mother-in-law. I think it's not going to be possible to stay close, though we still love each other, post-divorce. Blood is thicker than water, and she's got to be there for her boy.
Also, my county choral society, which I realize is more of a "what" than a "whom." Alas, I had to quit singing in September, after ten years with the group, because of the demands of work (esp. the church job) and family (I don't want to spend so many evenings away from Number Three, and he's simply not interested in coming to my practices anymore).
37. Who was the best new person you met?
I got to know some church people a little better in 2014, and some Sherlockians, as well. I don't think any of them are people I didn't sort of know in 2013, though.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.
- Here's one for all the adjunct professors out there: don't ever accept seven courses in the Fall semester. (Indeed, you shouldn't ever agree to teach seven courses in the same semester, period, but it is a particularly poor choice when the semester in question bumps right into Christmas.) Sure, it's flattering to be offered so much work all at once. Sure, the money's appealing. And sure, you may have done it before and "survived." But when you work yourself to the point of sleep on the highway and tears every night, you lose something that's worth more than money or flattery. Plus, no matter how good you think you are, you can't be as good at what you do when you are doing too much of it.
- Also, beware when the person who hired you leaves your place of work. In a whiplash-inducing flash, you can find yourself short of allies-- and that's even if your workplace is a church.
- Finally, and semi-relatedly, a middle-aged woman needs to find a posse of other middle-aged women. No one else really gets it, or cares.
There's never a song that sums up my year, though there are sometimes pieces that reflect my predominant feelings. For instance, I have been liking "Cry Me a River" a lot lately (the old torch song, not the Justin Timberlake song of the same name), maybe because I've reached the stage where I can enjoy the fantasy of rejecting a penitent version of the person who hurt me so badly (or maybe just because it's a cool song). And then there's the aforementioned "Let it Go," which speaks to my occasional desire to cease striving to please everyone else and, instead, go off and dictate my own terms for a change.
40. What was your favorite moment of the year?
I don't know. I was pretty thrilled about being admitted to The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes last month, but I'll confess that the moment was diminished a tad by the fact that I had to receive the honor in absentia. (Perhaps you'll recall my telling you at the time that, after holding all my November Saturdays free for the big meeting, I learned that -- contra recent tradition -- it would be held on a Sunday instead. My Baltimore-area church lets out at 11:30, but getting to NYC by noon would've required a teleporter!)
Okay, how about this for another favorite? At the end of my brief summer visit to Nashville, Number One Son dropped us (me & Three) off at the bus station and then texted a few minutes later, "I miss you guys already." It would not be exaggerating to say that I live for such moments, and that text is still saved on my phone.
41. What was your least favorite moment of the year?
I don't know. I try to shake off the bad moments as quickly as I can, so I'll probably only be able to remember the recent ones. *ponders* Okay, I can think of three, all from December:
- Finding out that the church leaders had advertised for an extra musician without talking to me first was pretty awful.
- Being read the riot act by one of my Business Ethics students, in front of several others, about how long it took me to return a set of papers was also a low moment. That it happened in the same week as the church thing was extra-unfortunate (unless you own stock in Kleenex!).
- Learning, as I did last week, that I'll need a root canal has still got me shaking in my boots. I am a dental-phobe (or whatever the correct term is for a person who practically has to be carried into the dentist's office for anything other than a routine cleaning).
Change something *I* did? I guess I'd say "no" to that seventh course I was offered for the Fall semester. I think of it as the "one thing too many" which, combined with the change in my church routine caused by the change of pastors (over which I had no control, of course), made the final four months of the year pretty miserable.
43. What are your plans for 2015?
- Lose weight by eating smarter & maybe going to the gym a little.
- Spiff up the house by decluttering & returning 100% of the Man's stuff to him.
- Figure out some fresh teaching strategies in an attempt to counteract my ever-increasing irrelevance in the world of young people.
- See an employment counselor to make sure that teaching really *is* the only thing out there for me.
- Read more fiction (and a better class of fiction -- no offense, Mr. & Mrs. North).
- Sleep more.
- Keep having Sherlockian fun, seeing as how it appears to be the only kind available to me!