New Years Meme 2019
And now, as my remaining long-time reader has been waiting for, it's the end-of-2019 edition of that New Year's meme that I have been filling out every year for longer than I can prove (some posts having disappeared in the Purge of Aught-ten). Over the years, I've added one or two prompts to the original question set, and I've deleted others for which I could never, ever think of an answer. This year, there were no changes to the questions from the 2018 version -- and, in a few cases, no substantive changes to my answers!
Ready to wrap up a year?
1. What did you do in 2019 that you'd never done before?
I feel compelled to say, "became a Grandma" -- despite my technically having *done* nothing to achieve the status -- because it was not only the best new thing about my life in 2019, but the best thing, period.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Let's see ... I always resolve to lose weight, and this year I did the opposite, so "no" to that one.
I also continually resolve to de-clutter my house, and I can report that thanks to the efforts of Number Two Son (who was still living with me for the first two-thirds of the year), I continued progressing toward toward that goal. At the urging of Two & spouse, I rented a second dumpster in the Spring (the first one was in the summer of 2018, right before they moved in) and filled it with more long-overdue discards (including a lot of basement junk). But we've a way to go yet, and now that they've moved out, I've got no one to nag me.
On the fine arts front, I didn't quite reach my annual goal of a dozen live performances (I managed eleven, though), but for a change I did see a lot of non-musical plays, and they were all wonderful. Here's my complete list of concerts & theatre for 2019:
January Aaron Sorkin's To Kill a Mockingbird (w/ Jeff Daniels) on B'way
The Lifespan of a Fact (w/ Daniel Radcliffe & Bobby Cannavale) on B'way
The Book of Mormon on B'wayMarch Paula Vogel's Indecent at Center Stage in Baltimore
Henry IV, Pt. 1 at Chesapeake Shakespeare in BaltimoreApril Henry IV, Pt. 2 at Chesapeake Shakespeare in BaltimoreMay Randy Rainbow live in concert at the Warner Theatre in D.C.June The Four Freshmen at Rams Head On Stage in AnnapolisJuly Love's Labour's Lost at Chesapeake Shakespeare in BaltimoreAugust What the Constitution Means to Me on B'wayOctober Proof at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore
My other resolutions were about eating healthier (not identical with the weight-loss pledge, but connected; and, as suggested above, a fail this year), not worrying about money (it's good thing I decided that "not worrying about" -- rather than "saving" -- was the goal, since I had a *lot* of unexpected expenses! But I did okay at this), and getting better at timing my assignments at my various schools so as not to develop "gargantuan grading backlogs" (a complete and utter bomb, tying with "weight-loss" as my *worst-ever* failed resolution).
So, thanks to the deep house-cleaning and all the plays, I guess I would claim a C- average for resolution-keeping. Not amazing, but it could have been worse, right? And, yes, I am re-upping the weight-loss, de-cluttering, live performances, and grading resolutions for 2020, because they are all still part of who I want to be. I will *not* resolve not to worry about money, however, because this is the year that the boy starts college *and* I lose my child support. I will probably do nothing *but* worry about money, and I forgive myself in advance.
3. Did anyone close to you get married?
No
4. Did anyone close to you get divorced?
No, thankfully
5. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. My daughter-in-law gave birth to my first grandchild ... but perhaps I've mentioned that already?
6. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. Two friends died in 2019. Both were former work colleagues (one from my Bible College days, and one from the church where I currently play the organ), and neither was "old enough to die," if you know what I mean. I guess more of this will happen as I go on; I'm not far from 60, and most of my friends are in that vicinity (of course, I may be the one to die, and my friends the ones doing the mourning).
7. What countries did you visit?
No place outside the USA. Just wished I could. (My usual answer, alas.)
8. What would you like to have in 2020 that you lacked in 2019?
Success in meeting those resolutions I failed at (health & weight loss, grading-related time management). Possibly a date? And maybe a certain Sherlockian invitation that hasn't yet come my way (some friends got theirs).
9. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I'm gonna say it was keeping my patience when my son and his wife were clearly losing theirs with me (during our months under the same roof). Thankfully, nothing was said on either side that could be the source of future hard feelings, and we are all pals now.
10. What was your biggest failure?
I've already said it was a tie between weight-loss and time management. Indeed, the latter affected the former, as late-night grading sessions and constant stress triggered over-eating (of some pretty junk-y choices).
11. Did you suffer illness or injury?
An arthritic shoulder gave me a lot of grief in the first half of the year (the pain had started troubling me in late 2018). I was losing range of motion, and I actually had a hard time getting dressed some mornings. But I developed some work-arounds, and the pain seems to have subsided quite a bit in the last few months.
12. What was the best thing you bought?
2019 was the year I finally replaced my ageing "big five" household appliances. We're talking fridge (the old one was gasping & wheezing like a cartoon jalopy), dishwasher (the old one still ran, but didn't clean anything), stove (my least pressing need, but in for a penny ...), and washer & dryer (not originally on the replacement list at all, but we had to move the washer to do work in preparation for installing the new kitchen appliances, and it broke down as soon as we moved it back into place!). Now, had son & spouse not bullied me into acting, I'd have used those old appliances till they all completely died (okay, except for the pointless dishwasher, which I'd abandoned in favor of good, old-fashioned washing by hand); but that doesn't mean I'm not enjoying my new toys! Since most of the pieces they replaced were original to the house and 35 years old, we've skipped several generations ahead in terms of technology and efficiency.
To answer the original question more specifically, I'm gonna say that the best of the purchases was the clothes washer. Efficient, quiet, capacious, and pretty easy to use, it is the biggest improvement on the appliance it replaced. I don't dread laundry day anymore!
13. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Number Two Son, new homeowner and dad, has mellowed at bit (maybe now that he better understands what a juggling act life can be?). This manifests itself in a number of ways, but the one that pleases me most is increased kindness to Three, who'd been a little forgotten during the whirlwind romance that led to the wedding last year, but is now included in many activities with Two & his new family.
14. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Name a Republican.
15. Where did most of your money go?
New appliances -- not just the aforementioned five, but also that heat pump I had to buy at the end of 2018. I didn't purchase any of them outright, but I am forking over some hefty monthly payments under various "no interest if paid in 12/18 months" promotions.
16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Live theatre, esp. non-musical plays (I'd forgotten that art could be very effective and affecting even without tunes!).
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Attending live performances. Dieting. Reading for pleasure.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stress eating. Worrying about work. (Yes, these *are* last year's answers!)
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Chilling at my brother's house. My sister's branch of the family were all away for the holiday, so it was me, brother, our families, and my parents. We ate leftovers, conversed, and napped.
21. How did you bring in the New Year?
Inspecting the insides of my eyelids. Three was invited to Two's place for a next-gen party, so I stayed home alone and went to bed at 10:30 p.m. -- and was quite content. Funny, when I think of all the at-home New Years' Eves I spent in my 30s and 40s imagining it'd be nice to go out somewhere or be invited to a party.
22. Did you fall in love?
I developed a crush on a friend who I thought maybe liked me, too, but it's increasingly looking like it's Platonic on his side. No, I didn't ask him outright, and yes, I DO realize that the only shots you're sure to miss are the ones you don't take, but (1) I am too fragile to court outright rejection, and (2) I am happy enough to have this person as a friend that I don't care to rock the boat.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I took in a whole lot of TV last year, though maybe not as much as in 2018, and the favorite was definitely Gilmore Girls, which Three and I binged together from August to November. I'd resisted it, but the boy wore me down, and I'm glad he did. The Lorelais and their constant cutesy-clever chatter were as equally adorable and infuriating as everyone had said, and I got hooked pretty quickly, cheering for them even in those moments when I had trouble liking them (which was *often*, in the case of the increasingly unfortunately-written Rory).
24. What was the best book you read?
Good question. I mostly read student papers, online fanfiction, and frivolous Sherlockian pastiches, and I'm not sure I want to assign "best of" honors to any of it. I should add a resolution to make better choices in 2020.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Not sure I made any brand-new musical discoveries this year, but it was nice to rediscover the Four Freshmen. My sister arranged a family outing to hear the current incarnation of the group, and it took me right back to adolescence -- not, I hasten to add, because I go back as far as the FF's heyday, but because my mom had one of their old albums (on cassette!!), and there was a period during the '70s when which we (choral singers/harmony lovers all) listened to it a fair amount. Anyhow, the current Freshmen really make a case for legacy groups.
26. What was your favorite film of the year?
At the very end of 2019, I squeezed in a viewing of Little Women, which I loved. It was as much a movie about Alcott's novel as it was an adaptation of the text, and I enjoyed it more for that. Otherwise, I think most of what I saw was loud super-hero flicks.
27. What was your favorite live performance?
It was definitely the production I saw of Indecent, a brilliant and moving play based on a real-life incident in which a Yiddish theatre troupe was arrested in early 20th-C. New York for performing a play with mature themes. If you ever get a chance to see a professional production of this play (I mean Indecent; I obviously can't vouch for the Yiddish play), take it.
28. What did you want and get?
Time with my grandson. A lot of Sherlockian fun. Continued employment (I even got a little raise from one employer).
29. What did you want and not get?
Career satisfaction. That invitation I mentioned in Question 8 above. World peace.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I did nothing special on the day, but on the night before, my college BFF and I had dinner and went to see Indecent. As implied in Question 27 above, it was a great evening (not to mention the first of three theatre trips this friend and I ended up making together in 2019).
As for my age, let's just say that I pushed higher into my upper 50s.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Love, of course.
Alternatively, winning the lottery (I did buy tickets) or Trump resigning.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2019?
I had none. Seriously. When my body is huge, I am motivated to shroud it rather than adorn it. So, okay ... shrouding?
33. What kept you sane?
There was my usual Colbert, of course, as well as the ghost of President Obama, and (new for 2019!) Luke Danes on Gilmore Girls. I know; the last is a fictional character, but he was clearly designed by Amy Sherman-Palladino as the middle-aged hetero divorcée's dream man (he cooks! he makes you coffee! he supports your dreams! he fixes things around the house!), so I'm not ashamed to have succumbed.
(Seriously, the more I think about Luke, the more I believe that he's your basic wish-fulfillment character. Rugged and common-sense-y, yet capable of banter beyond what's otherwise supposed to be his level of sophistication. Omni-competent when it comes to "manly-man" tasks, yet also a passable dancer. Most importantly, utterly convinced that he's "the lucky one" in the romantic couple. If I'd been Daniel Palladino back when the show was in production, I'd've been doing some serious Luke-inspired introspection!)
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
If by "stirred" you mean "depressed," then climate change ... but also family separation, voter suppression, and Christian racism. Sorry; I can't limit it to just one.
36. Whom did you miss?
President Obama. Number One Son (he visits twice a year, and it's not enough).
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Technically it's not a new person I met, but (like last year's winner) someone who emerged from the ranks of my acquaintance-y associates to become a friend. I'm talking about a Sherlockian pal who gave invaluable help with an event that I naively took on, thinking I knew what I was doing. Said friend has run a lot more events than I have and has been a lifesaver, but has also just turned out to be a fun person to know.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2019.
I was reminded by the deaths of my two friends in Question 6 above, both of them relative contemporaries, that life is short and fragile and a gift to be appreciated.
39. What was your favorite moment of the year?
The birth of my grandson!
40. What was your least favorite moment of the year?
The day after grades were submitted (so there were *two* such moments), when all the grade appeals came flooding into my email inbox. None of my non-teacher friends can believe that this is now the norm in higher ed.
41. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2019 and change something, what would it be?
One moment? I don't think there are any that scream to be singled out. Okay, I had an opportunity to do what might have been some helpful networking back in October, and I dropped the ball. I wouldn't mind another chance, but I'll probably get one in 2020, so I'm not going to cry too hard about it.
42. What are your plans for 2020?
Cut back on expenses. Mentally prepare self for Three's departure for college (and my subsequent empty nest). Start work on a book I have been invited to co-edit. Find out if the crush thing really is a dead end. Keep my resolutions, for a change.
Ready to wrap up a year?
1. What did you do in 2019 that you'd never done before?
I feel compelled to say, "became a Grandma" -- despite my technically having *done* nothing to achieve the status -- because it was not only the best new thing about my life in 2019, but the best thing, period.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Let's see ... I always resolve to lose weight, and this year I did the opposite, so "no" to that one.
I also continually resolve to de-clutter my house, and I can report that thanks to the efforts of Number Two Son (who was still living with me for the first two-thirds of the year), I continued progressing toward toward that goal. At the urging of Two & spouse, I rented a second dumpster in the Spring (the first one was in the summer of 2018, right before they moved in) and filled it with more long-overdue discards (including a lot of basement junk). But we've a way to go yet, and now that they've moved out, I've got no one to nag me.
On the fine arts front, I didn't quite reach my annual goal of a dozen live performances (I managed eleven, though), but for a change I did see a lot of non-musical plays, and they were all wonderful. Here's my complete list of concerts & theatre for 2019:
January Aaron Sorkin's To Kill a Mockingbird (w/ Jeff Daniels) on B'way
The Lifespan of a Fact (w/ Daniel Radcliffe & Bobby Cannavale) on B'way
The Book of Mormon on B'wayMarch Paula Vogel's Indecent at Center Stage in Baltimore
Henry IV, Pt. 1 at Chesapeake Shakespeare in BaltimoreApril Henry IV, Pt. 2 at Chesapeake Shakespeare in BaltimoreMay Randy Rainbow live in concert at the Warner Theatre in D.C.June The Four Freshmen at Rams Head On Stage in AnnapolisJuly Love's Labour's Lost at Chesapeake Shakespeare in BaltimoreAugust What the Constitution Means to Me on B'wayOctober Proof at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore
My other resolutions were about eating healthier (not identical with the weight-loss pledge, but connected; and, as suggested above, a fail this year), not worrying about money (it's good thing I decided that "not worrying about" -- rather than "saving" -- was the goal, since I had a *lot* of unexpected expenses! But I did okay at this), and getting better at timing my assignments at my various schools so as not to develop "gargantuan grading backlogs" (a complete and utter bomb, tying with "weight-loss" as my *worst-ever* failed resolution).
So, thanks to the deep house-cleaning and all the plays, I guess I would claim a C- average for resolution-keeping. Not amazing, but it could have been worse, right? And, yes, I am re-upping the weight-loss, de-cluttering, live performances, and grading resolutions for 2020, because they are all still part of who I want to be. I will *not* resolve not to worry about money, however, because this is the year that the boy starts college *and* I lose my child support. I will probably do nothing *but* worry about money, and I forgive myself in advance.
3. Did anyone close to you get married?
No
4. Did anyone close to you get divorced?
No, thankfully
5. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. My daughter-in-law gave birth to my first grandchild ... but perhaps I've mentioned that already?
6. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. Two friends died in 2019. Both were former work colleagues (one from my Bible College days, and one from the church where I currently play the organ), and neither was "old enough to die," if you know what I mean. I guess more of this will happen as I go on; I'm not far from 60, and most of my friends are in that vicinity (of course, I may be the one to die, and my friends the ones doing the mourning).
7. What countries did you visit?
No place outside the USA. Just wished I could. (My usual answer, alas.)
8. What would you like to have in 2020 that you lacked in 2019?
Success in meeting those resolutions I failed at (health & weight loss, grading-related time management). Possibly a date? And maybe a certain Sherlockian invitation that hasn't yet come my way (some friends got theirs).
9. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I'm gonna say it was keeping my patience when my son and his wife were clearly losing theirs with me (during our months under the same roof). Thankfully, nothing was said on either side that could be the source of future hard feelings, and we are all pals now.
10. What was your biggest failure?
I've already said it was a tie between weight-loss and time management. Indeed, the latter affected the former, as late-night grading sessions and constant stress triggered over-eating (of some pretty junk-y choices).
11. Did you suffer illness or injury?
An arthritic shoulder gave me a lot of grief in the first half of the year (the pain had started troubling me in late 2018). I was losing range of motion, and I actually had a hard time getting dressed some mornings. But I developed some work-arounds, and the pain seems to have subsided quite a bit in the last few months.
12. What was the best thing you bought?
2019 was the year I finally replaced my ageing "big five" household appliances. We're talking fridge (the old one was gasping & wheezing like a cartoon jalopy), dishwasher (the old one still ran, but didn't clean anything), stove (my least pressing need, but in for a penny ...), and washer & dryer (not originally on the replacement list at all, but we had to move the washer to do work in preparation for installing the new kitchen appliances, and it broke down as soon as we moved it back into place!). Now, had son & spouse not bullied me into acting, I'd have used those old appliances till they all completely died (okay, except for the pointless dishwasher, which I'd abandoned in favor of good, old-fashioned washing by hand); but that doesn't mean I'm not enjoying my new toys! Since most of the pieces they replaced were original to the house and 35 years old, we've skipped several generations ahead in terms of technology and efficiency.
To answer the original question more specifically, I'm gonna say that the best of the purchases was the clothes washer. Efficient, quiet, capacious, and pretty easy to use, it is the biggest improvement on the appliance it replaced. I don't dread laundry day anymore!
13. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Number Two Son, new homeowner and dad, has mellowed at bit (maybe now that he better understands what a juggling act life can be?). This manifests itself in a number of ways, but the one that pleases me most is increased kindness to Three, who'd been a little forgotten during the whirlwind romance that led to the wedding last year, but is now included in many activities with Two & his new family.
14. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Name a Republican.
15. Where did most of your money go?
New appliances -- not just the aforementioned five, but also that heat pump I had to buy at the end of 2018. I didn't purchase any of them outright, but I am forking over some hefty monthly payments under various "no interest if paid in 12/18 months" promotions.
16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Live theatre, esp. non-musical plays (I'd forgotten that art could be very effective and affecting even without tunes!).
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
- happier or sadder? About the same. I mean, on the one hand, Trump. On the other, grandson.
- thinner or fatter? Fatter.
- richer or poorer? A little poorer, with a giant dip in my financial status looming just over the horizon.
Attending live performances. Dieting. Reading for pleasure.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stress eating. Worrying about work. (Yes, these *are* last year's answers!)
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Chilling at my brother's house. My sister's branch of the family were all away for the holiday, so it was me, brother, our families, and my parents. We ate leftovers, conversed, and napped.
21. How did you bring in the New Year?
Inspecting the insides of my eyelids. Three was invited to Two's place for a next-gen party, so I stayed home alone and went to bed at 10:30 p.m. -- and was quite content. Funny, when I think of all the at-home New Years' Eves I spent in my 30s and 40s imagining it'd be nice to go out somewhere or be invited to a party.
22. Did you fall in love?
I developed a crush on a friend who I thought maybe liked me, too, but it's increasingly looking like it's Platonic on his side. No, I didn't ask him outright, and yes, I DO realize that the only shots you're sure to miss are the ones you don't take, but (1) I am too fragile to court outright rejection, and (2) I am happy enough to have this person as a friend that I don't care to rock the boat.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I took in a whole lot of TV last year, though maybe not as much as in 2018, and the favorite was definitely Gilmore Girls, which Three and I binged together from August to November. I'd resisted it, but the boy wore me down, and I'm glad he did. The Lorelais and their constant cutesy-clever chatter were as equally adorable and infuriating as everyone had said, and I got hooked pretty quickly, cheering for them even in those moments when I had trouble liking them (which was *often*, in the case of the increasingly unfortunately-written Rory).
24. What was the best book you read?
Good question. I mostly read student papers, online fanfiction, and frivolous Sherlockian pastiches, and I'm not sure I want to assign "best of" honors to any of it. I should add a resolution to make better choices in 2020.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Not sure I made any brand-new musical discoveries this year, but it was nice to rediscover the Four Freshmen. My sister arranged a family outing to hear the current incarnation of the group, and it took me right back to adolescence -- not, I hasten to add, because I go back as far as the FF's heyday, but because my mom had one of their old albums (on cassette!!), and there was a period during the '70s when which we (choral singers/harmony lovers all) listened to it a fair amount. Anyhow, the current Freshmen really make a case for legacy groups.
26. What was your favorite film of the year?
At the very end of 2019, I squeezed in a viewing of Little Women, which I loved. It was as much a movie about Alcott's novel as it was an adaptation of the text, and I enjoyed it more for that. Otherwise, I think most of what I saw was loud super-hero flicks.
27. What was your favorite live performance?
It was definitely the production I saw of Indecent, a brilliant and moving play based on a real-life incident in which a Yiddish theatre troupe was arrested in early 20th-C. New York for performing a play with mature themes. If you ever get a chance to see a professional production of this play (I mean Indecent; I obviously can't vouch for the Yiddish play), take it.
28. What did you want and get?
Time with my grandson. A lot of Sherlockian fun. Continued employment (I even got a little raise from one employer).
29. What did you want and not get?
Career satisfaction. That invitation I mentioned in Question 8 above. World peace.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I did nothing special on the day, but on the night before, my college BFF and I had dinner and went to see Indecent. As implied in Question 27 above, it was a great evening (not to mention the first of three theatre trips this friend and I ended up making together in 2019).
As for my age, let's just say that I pushed higher into my upper 50s.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Love, of course.
Alternatively, winning the lottery (I did buy tickets) or Trump resigning.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2019?
I had none. Seriously. When my body is huge, I am motivated to shroud it rather than adorn it. So, okay ... shrouding?
33. What kept you sane?
- My new grandson
- My sons
- Art of all kinds
- My Sherlock Holmes activities
- Pub trivia with Number Three & my brother (we are a pretty good team!)
- Political commentary from Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, and Samantha Bee
There was my usual Colbert, of course, as well as the ghost of President Obama, and (new for 2019!) Luke Danes on Gilmore Girls. I know; the last is a fictional character, but he was clearly designed by Amy Sherman-Palladino as the middle-aged hetero divorcée's dream man (he cooks! he makes you coffee! he supports your dreams! he fixes things around the house!), so I'm not ashamed to have succumbed.
(Seriously, the more I think about Luke, the more I believe that he's your basic wish-fulfillment character. Rugged and common-sense-y, yet capable of banter beyond what's otherwise supposed to be his level of sophistication. Omni-competent when it comes to "manly-man" tasks, yet also a passable dancer. Most importantly, utterly convinced that he's "the lucky one" in the romantic couple. If I'd been Daniel Palladino back when the show was in production, I'd've been doing some serious Luke-inspired introspection!)
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
If by "stirred" you mean "depressed," then climate change ... but also family separation, voter suppression, and Christian racism. Sorry; I can't limit it to just one.
36. Whom did you miss?
President Obama. Number One Son (he visits twice a year, and it's not enough).
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Technically it's not a new person I met, but (like last year's winner) someone who emerged from the ranks of my acquaintance-y associates to become a friend. I'm talking about a Sherlockian pal who gave invaluable help with an event that I naively took on, thinking I knew what I was doing. Said friend has run a lot more events than I have and has been a lifesaver, but has also just turned out to be a fun person to know.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2019.
I was reminded by the deaths of my two friends in Question 6 above, both of them relative contemporaries, that life is short and fragile and a gift to be appreciated.
39. What was your favorite moment of the year?
The birth of my grandson!
40. What was your least favorite moment of the year?
The day after grades were submitted (so there were *two* such moments), when all the grade appeals came flooding into my email inbox. None of my non-teacher friends can believe that this is now the norm in higher ed.
41. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2019 and change something, what would it be?
One moment? I don't think there are any that scream to be singled out. Okay, I had an opportunity to do what might have been some helpful networking back in October, and I dropped the ball. I wouldn't mind another chance, but I'll probably get one in 2020, so I'm not going to cry too hard about it.
42. What are your plans for 2020?
Cut back on expenses. Mentally prepare self for Three's departure for college (and my subsequent empty nest). Start work on a book I have been invited to co-edit. Find out if the crush thing really is a dead end. Keep my resolutions, for a change.