Yearly Meme, Year 8
Year 1: 2004
Year 2: 2005
Year 3: 2006
Year 4: 2007
Year 5: 2008
Year 6: 2009
Year 7: 2010
This year: 2011
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Signed up for, paid for, and completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program. Bought a house. Became a vegetarian. Visited the Grand Canyon. Got knocked up.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't really have resolutions this year--as years go, it was a year about maintaining where I was at and making some progress towards goals. Which I did. I don't plan to make resolutions for 2012, since about halfway through the year my bundle of joy will likely be derailing any such things. What I want for 2012 is to be really healthy, both physically and emotionally, so that I can be a good mom and a good all-around person. I think that's pretty do-able.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Amy and Tom had Lena! Joanna gave birth too, but it wasn't her baby--she was a gestational surrogate. Lots and lots of other people gave birth, though, including Sarah and Jim, Bobbi and Jon, Jess, Tara and Art, April, and probably a lot more that I'm forgetting. Next year's scheduled births include Sarah and Mike's child, Leilani's son, and my own child.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no. I'm very grateful that my answer to this question has been "no" for several years running now.
5. What countries did you visit?
No new countries this year. We spent most of our time in the fair nation of Homeownership.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Extremely optimistic and probably conflicting answers: A healthy baby! More time to write! A new job! A steady yoga teaching gig and a freelance editing business!
I'm incredibly amused by last year's answer: More time to write and more out of town guests. I'd also like to have a yoga teacher certification, a house, a mortgage, and maybe a healthily growing fetus, but we'll see if this is the year for any of those things. Oh, and these boots, in like four different colors.
I didn't get the writing time or the boots, and only some of the houseguests, but on the things I was might happen, check, check, check, and check. Ha!
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February: The second-best AWP conference I've ever attended.
mid-March: First weekend of teacher training.
May: Snow at the Grand Canyon, and Meg and Nick's wedding.
June 27: We bought the house.
September: Meg and Nick's wedding, part 2.
October 1-3: Cape May.
October 30: Holy crap, there are two lines on that stick I just peed on. Let me pee on another one...
Thanksgiving: My parents' reaction to the news.
December: Last teaching training weekend.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting through teacher training, and doing it in a dedicated way that I was proud of. Maintaining a regular blog that has helped people in their lives was a part of that. Navigating the challenges of owning a home is up there too.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I am honestly, shockingly, proud of myself this year. I made mistakes just like anybody, but I think I was able to handle most of them in a thoughtful way and learn from them.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not even much morning sickness.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A house, I suppose. All the stuff at IKEA to go in the house is pretty excellent, particularly the new bookshelves we bought and built last week. These bookshelves are hawttt!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
For once? Mine. I rocked teacher training, and I'm really happy with the new level of calmness and zen I'm starting to bring to my life. Other people who really impressed me include my teacher Nicole, my yoga friend Nancy, my mom (for actually not telling anyone about the pregnancy when we asked her not to!), and of course F, just for being F.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My mom told me about some jerk who was driving in front of her on his cell phone the other day, who refused to go when the light turned green because he was busy talking on the phone. That was pretty appalling. Otherwise, everyone close to me was pretty fantastic.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The house. Writing a five-figure check is pretty scary. But we're still socking away savings every month, which is nice. A startling percentage of our money probably goes to Home Depot.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Yoga and teaching yoga. Writing a book review and having it published. Visiting the Grand Canyon and getting snowed on. Shopping for a house, and buying a house. Chopping down the overgrown vegetation in our yard (it was incredibly satisfying). Playing the new Zelda game. The little trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood on Halloween. Christmas vacation.
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
There are a whole bunch of songs we heard on 88.5 that remind me of this year, but I never know the names or the bands. A consequence of actually listening to the radio!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier, in the sense of being more peaceful on top of all the happiness I was already feeling last year.
b) thinner or fatter? Well, fatter, by a good probably 8 pounds at this point. But the midwife tells me that's a good thing.
c) richer or poorer? Richer in that we own real estate now; poorer in that we no longer have $50K in ready cash. Richer in all the things that matter most, though.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
No regrets this year.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
No regrets this year.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
On Christmas eve, we made gingerbread and lasagna in the morning (F had accidentally bought cucumbers instead of zucchini and had to make an emergency store run). We drove up to Doylestown to have lunch with Ambry, Gerry, David, Uncle Jim, and F's parents. Then we went to my parents' house for dinner. Afterwards, we met up with F's parents and Uncle Jim back at our house and I pretty much passed out. On Christmas day, my parents drove down and we all relaxed, opened gifts, and shared a delicious meal together.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
This answer is always the same now: I fall in love more and more every day.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I just love Doctor Who. I miss it so much now that we've seen all the current episodes. We also got cable in the new house, so we're loving cooking shows like Chopped (where the contestants get four random ingredients and have 30 minutes to cook a meal). I also continue to love Community.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
There were a lot of really great books this year. The best was probably the Upanishads, with a possible tie with Karma-Yoga. In fiction, I really loved the second Kushiel trilogy and the newest Guy Gavriel Kay book, but overall I really made my reading count this year: I only read 86 books, which is my all-time low since 2005, but since I had less time to read for fun, I only read books I really wanted to read and really enjoyed. My 2011 book list is all pretty much excellent stuff.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I got a big kick out of Watermelon Slim and SuperChikan. I also really loved Beirut.
27. What did you want and get?
See # 6 above.
28. What did you want and not get?
More writing time and a new job, but hey.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn't even see the Muppets. We saw The Fighter on Netflix and it was pretty great.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 32. Because F was out of town, I went to work, and then my parents and Lauren came down and took me out for dinner. It was a really nice night.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
There is nothing that could make me more satisfied with this year. It was a big, great year.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
I lived in yoga pants. I fell in love with yoga tank tops that have a built-in bra and spaghetti straps (I hate racerback tanks). It's possible my personal fashion concept this year was bralessness, actually.
33. What kept you sane?
Yoga and meditation. And F, but I'm happy that this year I did a good portion of the sanity work myself.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Doctor Who, of course. I also, and this is really silly, totally loved the Sucklord, artist/competitor on the reality show Work of Art: The Next Great Genius.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Lots and lots and lots of office politics this year, both at my office and at F's office. That was unpleasant for both of us. I was also really moved by what happened in Egypt and by the OccupyWallStreet movement.
36. Who did you miss?
Amy and Tom, Mike and Sarah, Lauren and Pierre, Molly. I was sad when Sarah and Jim moved away.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Stacey, who lives up the street from me. I love Stacey. Also, everyone in my yoga training class, particularly Nancy and Sarah and Jul and Nicole and Joe.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
I am here to do my work the best I can, without attachment to the work or its results. (I frequently repeat this to myself, over and over again.) And meditation actually helps.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'll quote the Black-Eyed Peas and all the kids who were singing karaoke outside next door on the front lawn: "I've got a feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good good night!" (The kids next door were singing about how this is going to be a good year, and I liked that sentiment a lot.)
Year 2: 2005
Year 3: 2006
Year 4: 2007
Year 5: 2008
Year 6: 2009
Year 7: 2010
This year: 2011
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Signed up for, paid for, and completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program. Bought a house. Became a vegetarian. Visited the Grand Canyon. Got knocked up.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't really have resolutions this year--as years go, it was a year about maintaining where I was at and making some progress towards goals. Which I did. I don't plan to make resolutions for 2012, since about halfway through the year my bundle of joy will likely be derailing any such things. What I want for 2012 is to be really healthy, both physically and emotionally, so that I can be a good mom and a good all-around person. I think that's pretty do-able.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Amy and Tom had Lena! Joanna gave birth too, but it wasn't her baby--she was a gestational surrogate. Lots and lots of other people gave birth, though, including Sarah and Jim, Bobbi and Jon, Jess, Tara and Art, April, and probably a lot more that I'm forgetting. Next year's scheduled births include Sarah and Mike's child, Leilani's son, and my own child.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no. I'm very grateful that my answer to this question has been "no" for several years running now.
5. What countries did you visit?
No new countries this year. We spent most of our time in the fair nation of Homeownership.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Extremely optimistic and probably conflicting answers: A healthy baby! More time to write! A new job! A steady yoga teaching gig and a freelance editing business!
I'm incredibly amused by last year's answer: More time to write and more out of town guests. I'd also like to have a yoga teacher certification, a house, a mortgage, and maybe a healthily growing fetus, but we'll see if this is the year for any of those things. Oh, and these boots, in like four different colors.
I didn't get the writing time or the boots, and only some of the houseguests, but on the things I was might happen, check, check, check, and check. Ha!
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February: The second-best AWP conference I've ever attended.
mid-March: First weekend of teacher training.
May: Snow at the Grand Canyon, and Meg and Nick's wedding.
June 27: We bought the house.
September: Meg and Nick's wedding, part 2.
October 1-3: Cape May.
October 30: Holy crap, there are two lines on that stick I just peed on. Let me pee on another one...
Thanksgiving: My parents' reaction to the news.
December: Last teaching training weekend.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting through teacher training, and doing it in a dedicated way that I was proud of. Maintaining a regular blog that has helped people in their lives was a part of that. Navigating the challenges of owning a home is up there too.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I am honestly, shockingly, proud of myself this year. I made mistakes just like anybody, but I think I was able to handle most of them in a thoughtful way and learn from them.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not even much morning sickness.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A house, I suppose. All the stuff at IKEA to go in the house is pretty excellent, particularly the new bookshelves we bought and built last week. These bookshelves are hawttt!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
For once? Mine. I rocked teacher training, and I'm really happy with the new level of calmness and zen I'm starting to bring to my life. Other people who really impressed me include my teacher Nicole, my yoga friend Nancy, my mom (for actually not telling anyone about the pregnancy when we asked her not to!), and of course F, just for being F.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My mom told me about some jerk who was driving in front of her on his cell phone the other day, who refused to go when the light turned green because he was busy talking on the phone. That was pretty appalling. Otherwise, everyone close to me was pretty fantastic.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The house. Writing a five-figure check is pretty scary. But we're still socking away savings every month, which is nice. A startling percentage of our money probably goes to Home Depot.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Yoga and teaching yoga. Writing a book review and having it published. Visiting the Grand Canyon and getting snowed on. Shopping for a house, and buying a house. Chopping down the overgrown vegetation in our yard (it was incredibly satisfying). Playing the new Zelda game. The little trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood on Halloween. Christmas vacation.
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
There are a whole bunch of songs we heard on 88.5 that remind me of this year, but I never know the names or the bands. A consequence of actually listening to the radio!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier, in the sense of being more peaceful on top of all the happiness I was already feeling last year.
b) thinner or fatter? Well, fatter, by a good probably 8 pounds at this point. But the midwife tells me that's a good thing.
c) richer or poorer? Richer in that we own real estate now; poorer in that we no longer have $50K in ready cash. Richer in all the things that matter most, though.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
No regrets this year.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
No regrets this year.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
On Christmas eve, we made gingerbread and lasagna in the morning (F had accidentally bought cucumbers instead of zucchini and had to make an emergency store run). We drove up to Doylestown to have lunch with Ambry, Gerry, David, Uncle Jim, and F's parents. Then we went to my parents' house for dinner. Afterwards, we met up with F's parents and Uncle Jim back at our house and I pretty much passed out. On Christmas day, my parents drove down and we all relaxed, opened gifts, and shared a delicious meal together.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
This answer is always the same now: I fall in love more and more every day.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I just love Doctor Who. I miss it so much now that we've seen all the current episodes. We also got cable in the new house, so we're loving cooking shows like Chopped (where the contestants get four random ingredients and have 30 minutes to cook a meal). I also continue to love Community.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
There were a lot of really great books this year. The best was probably the Upanishads, with a possible tie with Karma-Yoga. In fiction, I really loved the second Kushiel trilogy and the newest Guy Gavriel Kay book, but overall I really made my reading count this year: I only read 86 books, which is my all-time low since 2005, but since I had less time to read for fun, I only read books I really wanted to read and really enjoyed. My 2011 book list is all pretty much excellent stuff.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I got a big kick out of Watermelon Slim and SuperChikan. I also really loved Beirut.
27. What did you want and get?
See # 6 above.
28. What did you want and not get?
More writing time and a new job, but hey.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn't even see the Muppets. We saw The Fighter on Netflix and it was pretty great.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 32. Because F was out of town, I went to work, and then my parents and Lauren came down and took me out for dinner. It was a really nice night.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
There is nothing that could make me more satisfied with this year. It was a big, great year.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
I lived in yoga pants. I fell in love with yoga tank tops that have a built-in bra and spaghetti straps (I hate racerback tanks). It's possible my personal fashion concept this year was bralessness, actually.
33. What kept you sane?
Yoga and meditation. And F, but I'm happy that this year I did a good portion of the sanity work myself.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Doctor Who, of course. I also, and this is really silly, totally loved the Sucklord, artist/competitor on the reality show Work of Art: The Next Great Genius.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Lots and lots and lots of office politics this year, both at my office and at F's office. That was unpleasant for both of us. I was also really moved by what happened in Egypt and by the OccupyWallStreet movement.
36. Who did you miss?
Amy and Tom, Mike and Sarah, Lauren and Pierre, Molly. I was sad when Sarah and Jim moved away.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Stacey, who lives up the street from me. I love Stacey. Also, everyone in my yoga training class, particularly Nancy and Sarah and Jul and Nicole and Joe.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
I am here to do my work the best I can, without attachment to the work or its results. (I frequently repeat this to myself, over and over again.) And meditation actually helps.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'll quote the Black-Eyed Peas and all the kids who were singing karaoke outside next door on the front lawn: "I've got a feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good good night!" (The kids next door were singing about how this is going to be a good year, and I liked that sentiment a lot.)