"I've got one text left! This is too much madness to explain in one text!"
I may not have been great at updating LJ, but far be it for me to buck tradition. (We'll ignore the fact that we're already five days into the new year.) Thus, bring on the End of the Year meme!
End of the Year Meme: 2011 Edition
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Got a full-time paying job doing what I love, got my very own IMDB page, saw my name on TV in that familiar Discovery Channel font, became a godmother to the munchkin mentioned in last year's end of year meme, flew in a plane (I know guys; leave me alone on this one)
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't really make resolutions, only vague plans to do more or less of something. Those plans generally taper off by mid-February.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not unless the people I know are really good at keeping secrets.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no. [ETA: When I originally filled out this meme a few days ago, the answer to this was no. I've since learned that I was unfortunately wrong. It was sudden, and honestly, even though I wasn't particularly close to this person, I did work with him for over a year, so I'm still in a little bit of denial about it. I'm just going to leave this answer be for now.]
5. What countries did you visit?
We popped into Canada when we went to Seattle this year. It was sadly uneventful.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More adventures
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
They're not exactly dates, but there are a few events: being asked to be a godmother, PaleyFest panels for Jimmy Fallon and Parks and Rec, the one-two punch of awesomeness that was the Comedy Bang Bang Nativity Pageant and Live Read of The Princess Bride, and the night our TV show premiered in the US
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
The aforementioned job-getting, IMDB page-having, and TV show-making (this includes the ridiculous work hours, endless e-mails, and insane amount of coordinating). Not bad for a job that started off as an unpaid internship. Also, I came up with the idea of making a Shutterfly book of my cousin's sweet letters to her baby/my future goddaughter while pregnant as a Christmas Gift. It. Was. ADORABLE. I pride myself particularly on my present-giving skillz (I'm apparently very Leslie Knope-ian in that regard), and this was definitely one of my shining moments.
9. What was your biggest failure?
There are a few things I'm not proud of, but let's just focus on the positives here.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thankfully, nothing more than the usual colds.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A new Android phone because my BlackBerry was on its last legs, presents for my goddaughter (I want to buy all the things for her)
14. Where did most of your money go?
Honestly, paying the bills I amassed during the time I was unemployed. #realjuice #drinkitup
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The semi-monthly Shit Shows at UCB Theatre (still one of my favorite things ever), the Parks and Rec S4 premiere and 'The Trial of Leslie Knope' (Guys, this show owned me this year.)
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" because that song was everywhere for a while. With good reason, really, but even I got to the point where I changed the station when it came on the radio.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Happier
Older or wiser? Little of both
Thinner or fatter? Same
Richer or poorer? Richer, but not by much
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
My initial answer to this was "Go out and drink," which...I don't even know. I'm hoping for a boozy 2012, apparently. I think what my brain was trying to say was "Go out more and be the twentysomething I'm supposed to be."
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating, dreaming
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
As has become the tradition, I spent Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family (this year's theme: Mardi Gras cuisine and pajamas) for food, loud conversations, highly alcoholic punch that deceptively just tastes like juice, and watching open-mouthed as my niece and nephews open piles upon piles of toys. On Christmas Day, my mom's side of the family came over to our house, and we cooked way too much food for a small number of people.
22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Only of the celebrity and good-TV-storytelling variety
23. How many one-night stands?
None
24. What was your favorite TV program?
This one's getting the bullet point treatment:
Not really.
26. What was the best book you read?
Non-Fiction: Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Fiction: Tie between The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, based purely on both authors' storytelling confidence to go balls-out and kill anyone and everyone
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Adele: I vaguely liked her previously when "Chasing Pavements" came out, but as soon as I saw her perform "Someone Like You" at the Brit Awards, I was completely taken.
28. What did you want and get?
A grown-up job, even if it's doing something as silly as making TV
29. What did you want and not get?
More sleep, less of a dependency on coffee. Both of these things are entirely my fault.
30. What was your favorite film(s) of this year?
Bridesmaids; X-Men: First Class; Conan O'Brien Can't Stop; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2; Attack The Block; 50/50; Crazy, Stupid, Love
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
24; my lovely friends took me out to see Cirque Berzerk
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting more shows on TV...? Now that's just being greedy, though.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Jeans, cardigan and/or blouse, flats or boots. My dream fashion concept is to dress like I walked off the ModCloth site, but I don't exactly have the budget or the Zooey Deschanel-esque tweeness to pull that off.
34. What kept you sane?
My friends; long commutes where I caught up with podcasts or had solo karaoke sessions, not giving a damn how crazy I looked rocking out by myself; TV goodness
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Adam Scott because, good lord, Ben Wyatt, and he's sort of a fantastic actor in everything, even tracing back to the mindblowing realization that he was Griff on Boy Meets World. Also, he's hilarious, as evidenced in the multitude of UCB-related podcasts he popped up on this year. (I will forever recommend the ridiculous and wonderful Parks and Rec-esque ep of the Comedy Bang Bang podcast with Adam Scott, Harris Wittels, and Chelsea Peretti.) Close second: Jon Hamm because he's Jon Effing Hamm. Distant third: Darren Criss until I realized he's too hipster for me to handle.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I can't pretend to have kept up with any political issue this year, so I'll abstain from this one.
37. Who do you miss?
I have a former best friend with whom I and the rest of our friends had a falling out a couple of years ago. The anger has since tapered off, and now the remaining friends and just sort of sad about it, especially now that we'll be planning a friend's wedding soon.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
My co-workers and boss are pretty damn awesome.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
At the risk of sounding corny, when you're at your lowest and most depressed, real friends will be there to pick you up. (It didn't occur to me until after I typed it that I inadvertently quoted Alias.) Also, sometimes, your friends know you far better than you know yourself.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I hold on to worry so tight
It's safe in here right next to my heart
Who now shouts at the top of her voice,
"Let me go, let me out, this is not my choice"
And I always felt it before
That the world was filled with much more
Than the drowning soul I learned to be
I just need the rain to remind me
2011 was an insane year. I didn't actually realize it until I did this meme and was forced to lay out the year in Q&A form. To be clear, I meant "insane" in both the good and bad way. There were more bleak moments than I indicated, but I felt it better to steer away from the specifics of the negatives here. It's not the best idea to dwell on the bad. Onwards and upwards and all that.
I'm also working on a "TV Shows/Movies/Stuff in Media That Took Over My Brain In 2011" post, which will essentially be 1,000 words on how much I love Parks and Rec and everything Jimmy Fallon chooses to be. In the meantime, it was my co-worker's birthday today. There was an extended birthday lunch, a plate of homemade brownies, and a 50-yard race between the birthday boy and our boss. My job is ridiculous sometimes, and I love it.
End of the Year Meme: 2011 Edition
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Got a full-time paying job doing what I love, got my very own IMDB page, saw my name on TV in that familiar Discovery Channel font, became a godmother to the munchkin mentioned in last year's end of year meme, flew in a plane (I know guys; leave me alone on this one)
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't really make resolutions, only vague plans to do more or less of something. Those plans generally taper off by mid-February.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not unless the people I know are really good at keeping secrets.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no. [ETA: When I originally filled out this meme a few days ago, the answer to this was no. I've since learned that I was unfortunately wrong. It was sudden, and honestly, even though I wasn't particularly close to this person, I did work with him for over a year, so I'm still in a little bit of denial about it. I'm just going to leave this answer be for now.]
5. What countries did you visit?
We popped into Canada when we went to Seattle this year. It was sadly uneventful.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More adventures
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
They're not exactly dates, but there are a few events: being asked to be a godmother, PaleyFest panels for Jimmy Fallon and Parks and Rec, the one-two punch of awesomeness that was the Comedy Bang Bang Nativity Pageant and Live Read of The Princess Bride, and the night our TV show premiered in the US
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
The aforementioned job-getting, IMDB page-having, and TV show-making (this includes the ridiculous work hours, endless e-mails, and insane amount of coordinating). Not bad for a job that started off as an unpaid internship. Also, I came up with the idea of making a Shutterfly book of my cousin's sweet letters to her baby/my future goddaughter while pregnant as a Christmas Gift. It. Was. ADORABLE. I pride myself particularly on my present-giving skillz (I'm apparently very Leslie Knope-ian in that regard), and this was definitely one of my shining moments.
9. What was your biggest failure?
There are a few things I'm not proud of, but let's just focus on the positives here.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thankfully, nothing more than the usual colds.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A new Android phone because my BlackBerry was on its last legs, presents for my goddaughter (I want to buy all the things for her)
14. Where did most of your money go?
Honestly, paying the bills I amassed during the time I was unemployed. #realjuice #drinkitup
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The semi-monthly Shit Shows at UCB Theatre (still one of my favorite things ever), the Parks and Rec S4 premiere and 'The Trial of Leslie Knope' (Guys, this show owned me this year.)
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" because that song was everywhere for a while. With good reason, really, but even I got to the point where I changed the station when it came on the radio.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Happier
Older or wiser? Little of both
Thinner or fatter? Same
Richer or poorer? Richer, but not by much
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
My initial answer to this was "Go out and drink," which...I don't even know. I'm hoping for a boozy 2012, apparently. I think what my brain was trying to say was "Go out more and be the twentysomething I'm supposed to be."
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating, dreaming
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
As has become the tradition, I spent Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family (this year's theme: Mardi Gras cuisine and pajamas) for food, loud conversations, highly alcoholic punch that deceptively just tastes like juice, and watching open-mouthed as my niece and nephews open piles upon piles of toys. On Christmas Day, my mom's side of the family came over to our house, and we cooked way too much food for a small number of people.
22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Only of the celebrity and good-TV-storytelling variety
23. How many one-night stands?
None
24. What was your favorite TV program?
This one's getting the bullet point treatment:
- Parks and Recreation: Capslock cannot sufficiently express how fantastic/wonderful/amazing/brilliant this show is. While cynical and sarcastic humor is the sitcom norm these days, there is something to be said for a comedy that acknowledges everyone's inherent ridiculousness but celebrates their quirks instead of mocks them (with the exception of Jerry, but he's the worst, so it's fine).
- Community: #sixseasonsandamovie #twelveseasonsandathemepark
- Downton Abbey: While I'm not usually a period piece fan, I mowed through two series and the Christmas Special in about a week. It's so cleverly plotted and impressively balanced given that there are literally two dozen regular characters. And like any compelling show worth its salt, there is at least one star-crossed OTP. I can't wait for the next series! ...Wait, what do you mean it comes back in September 2012?
- New Girl: I'm not even a Zooey Deschanel fan, but I adore this show. Like Parks and Rec, this is a show that celebrates quirkiness, is genuinely hilarious, and leaves you under a pile of warm and fuzzies. Also, Schmidt is one of my favorite new characters of any show this season.
- Top Chef: All-Stars: Top Chef was already at the top of the short list of reality shows I actually watch. Add my penchant for All-Star seasons, and this show was my reality show crack. Plus, they had Jimmy Fallon, Sesame Street, and Target.
- Secret Diary of A Call Girl: The last season began as the sweetest, funniest show that happened to be about a high class prostitue and ended on the most depressing, emotionally raw note I've ever seen of a series finale. Having Adele's "Someone Like You" as the soundtrack definitely did not help (or was it a genius hint as to where these characters will be in the future?). As a whole, the series was compelling and funny, and I did love it, but the end was unnecessarily dark and didn't send the best message about the protagonist's future. (For the polar opposite of the Secret Diary finale, see the indulgent, tearjerky Life Unexpected series finale.) For the record, this is the second time Billie Piper ended a TV role with running mascara and sad music.
Not really.
26. What was the best book you read?
Non-Fiction: Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Fiction: Tie between The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, based purely on both authors' storytelling confidence to go balls-out and kill anyone and everyone
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Adele: I vaguely liked her previously when "Chasing Pavements" came out, but as soon as I saw her perform "Someone Like You" at the Brit Awards, I was completely taken.
28. What did you want and get?
A grown-up job, even if it's doing something as silly as making TV
29. What did you want and not get?
More sleep, less of a dependency on coffee. Both of these things are entirely my fault.
30. What was your favorite film(s) of this year?
Bridesmaids; X-Men: First Class; Conan O'Brien Can't Stop; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2; Attack The Block; 50/50; Crazy, Stupid, Love
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
24; my lovely friends took me out to see Cirque Berzerk
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting more shows on TV...? Now that's just being greedy, though.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Jeans, cardigan and/or blouse, flats or boots. My dream fashion concept is to dress like I walked off the ModCloth site, but I don't exactly have the budget or the Zooey Deschanel-esque tweeness to pull that off.
34. What kept you sane?
My friends; long commutes where I caught up with podcasts or had solo karaoke sessions, not giving a damn how crazy I looked rocking out by myself; TV goodness
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Adam Scott because, good lord, Ben Wyatt, and he's sort of a fantastic actor in everything, even tracing back to the mindblowing realization that he was Griff on Boy Meets World. Also, he's hilarious, as evidenced in the multitude of UCB-related podcasts he popped up on this year. (I will forever recommend the ridiculous and wonderful Parks and Rec-esque ep of the Comedy Bang Bang podcast with Adam Scott, Harris Wittels, and Chelsea Peretti.) Close second: Jon Hamm because he's Jon Effing Hamm. Distant third: Darren Criss until I realized he's too hipster for me to handle.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I can't pretend to have kept up with any political issue this year, so I'll abstain from this one.
37. Who do you miss?
I have a former best friend with whom I and the rest of our friends had a falling out a couple of years ago. The anger has since tapered off, and now the remaining friends and just sort of sad about it, especially now that we'll be planning a friend's wedding soon.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
My co-workers and boss are pretty damn awesome.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
At the risk of sounding corny, when you're at your lowest and most depressed, real friends will be there to pick you up. (It didn't occur to me until after I typed it that I inadvertently quoted Alias.) Also, sometimes, your friends know you far better than you know yourself.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I hold on to worry so tight
It's safe in here right next to my heart
Who now shouts at the top of her voice,
"Let me go, let me out, this is not my choice"
And I always felt it before
That the world was filled with much more
Than the drowning soul I learned to be
I just need the rain to remind me
2011 was an insane year. I didn't actually realize it until I did this meme and was forced to lay out the year in Q&A form. To be clear, I meant "insane" in both the good and bad way. There were more bleak moments than I indicated, but I felt it better to steer away from the specifics of the negatives here. It's not the best idea to dwell on the bad. Onwards and upwards and all that.
I'm also working on a "TV Shows/Movies/Stuff in Media That Took Over My Brain In 2011" post, which will essentially be 1,000 words on how much I love Parks and Rec and everything Jimmy Fallon chooses to be. In the meantime, it was my co-worker's birthday today. There was an extended birthday lunch, a plate of homemade brownies, and a 50-yard race between the birthday boy and our boss. My job is ridiculous sometimes, and I love it.