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Dec. 29th, 2013 02:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
altarflame1. What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?
-trained/challenged myself in a running program
-worked out in a gym
-attended a university
-applied for a passport
-started monitoring my credit, and taking real steps to improve it
-really tackled the very worst, super triggering terrible stuff, in therapy
-read one of my stories for/had it featured by someone else (and Twenty Troubled Ladies is also now part of one professor's ENC1101 curriculum at Miami Dade College, how nuts is THAT)
-broke glass on purpose - several times
-seriously considered and talked about polyamory
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My resolutions were small, but I do think I did fairly well at all three of them - I resolved to drink more water on a regular basis, read to the children much more than I had been, and to get better at taking compliments. I still catch myself stammering or arguing with well meaning people who are trying to be nice to me, but I CATCH MYSELF. I've had to bridge the gap to graciousness by actually explaining to people when I get too awkward that I made this resolution to get better at taking compliments.
I will make more. It's a good tool for me, that's led to some nice lasting changes in recent years. There will be specific writing goals, and straight As, on the list, though beyond that I'm not sure yet.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. My mother got diagnosed with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). She is still smoking a couple of packs of cigarettes per day.
5. What countries did you visit?
No other countries...I took Aaron to a dance convention in Orlando in May (I think?), and I went with Grant to Maryland in the summer, and Boston in the fall.
6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
Local friends I see regularly.
7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory?
I'm not good at dates, but the market in Silver Spring, and the Becca Rosenthal memorial concert, those were really great occasions. Annie's derby bouts, too.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don't know. Maybe getting through a few weeks of C25K and making some real progress before I started flaring, maybe doing really well in 5 classes during the short summer term. Elise's birthday (science lab table and Seaquarium trip) and Thanksgiving (SO much good food, SO many peope I really love) were both fabulous successes this year.
Also huge success - summer. Ananda did a big 3 day derby event up the road with Grant, and Girl Scout leadership training, and 3 weeks of GS camp. Aaron had a big recital and then 5 fulltime weeks of dance intensives. Isaac, Jake and Elise had 4 weeks of GMYS (symphony) camp, and Elise also did 3 weeks of GS camp. They were just all doing really great structured stuff that I felt good about, at the same time I was rocking all those classes.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I think it was not seeking help or being proactive about managing whatever is wrong with me better. I suffered in silence, half-assing my classes this fall and struggling to do anything, for way too long. It might have made a huge difference in my grades and our last couple of months as a family if I'd went to the freaking doctor about 2 months before I did.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. I'm suffering some kind of thing that we're still trying to figure out. So far the list of symptoms is a high sed rate and positive c-reactive protein, B-12 and folic acid deficiency, extreme exhaustion, intermittently painful joints, periodic fevers, and terrible brain fog. I start seeing a new rheumatologist January 13.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Naot shoes. Orthopedic (purple!) mary janes, basically. They made it possible for me to traipse all over my 342 acre campus.
Also Nexxus split end repair shampoo and conditioner!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My children's amazing dentist. She loves them all and remembers so many details about each of them. She lets Elise hold the little spit sucker and/or rinsing tubes and "help" while she works on the other kids. She listens to and engages them. And she's always telling us some awesome story about when she was scuba diving or when she was in India.
And Neil Gaiman! First he retweeted and tumblr reblogged stuff about meeting Ananda, which absolutely THRILLED her like I've rarely seen her thrilled...then he made us this video, which I think actually made it up to her that she wasn't there with us :D I think she will feel special for the rest of her life because of these things.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Steve Bateman, the mayor where I live, who was arrested for fraud and still got to run for the following term FROM PRISON.
And someone else I don't feel like I can call out publicly. YET o_O
14. Where did most of your money go?
I feel like every little bit of it went to Annie's derby trips, replacement gear, symphony tuition, dental extractions and braces. I also feel like it all went to Isaac's school in the form of supplies, uniforms, fundraisers, charity drives, field trips, cheerleading tuition, bake sale contributions, performance tickets... The truth is I spend it all at the grocery store.
16. What song will always remind you of 2013?
"The Killing Type" - and "In My Mind" - and "St Kilda to Fitzroy" ...in that order.
17. Compared to this time last year, you are:
Thinner or fatter: Ever so slightly thinner
Richer or poorer: Somewhat significantly richer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Hanging out with friends.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sitting in the stopped, idling car like a jackass. I mean damn.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Here at home :) My mother in law, her husband, and our nieces (who live with them) are staying at our house all week.
21. What was your favorite month of 2013?
Hmm...I don't know. Late summer and early fall were the healthiest and most adventurous times, though.
22. Did you fall in love in 2013?
I fell in love with thai food. And bubble tea.
23. How many one-night stands?
Why is this question even on the meme? (that's a no)
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Louie on FX. Louis CK - there are not words for how I love him.
This last season of True Blood was amazing, too. Easily the best out of the last few.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
The (resigned? I think?) CEO of Dade Medical College. But that's more about him as an entity and what it means for my town, and less about anything truly personal...
26. What was the best book you read?
Probably "The Night Circus," by Erin Morgenstern. I also really liked, "The Ocean at The End of The Lane" by Neil Gaiman and "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
AMANDA PALMER, and the Dresden Dolls
28. What did you want and get?
An iPhone 5, and it's superior camera.
29. What did you want and not get?
Robby down for Thanksgiving.
A Christmas Eve celebration.
Finished illustrations.
A spot in the Miami Book Fair.
Energy, many days.
For this stupid abdominal surgery I need to just be done and over with.
Mostly, honestly, to just connect with people more IRL.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Maybe this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Hhh2rQXl8 and moreso because I saw it at a live screening. Hollywood style, it was a three way tie between Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and World War Z.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
OOOooooh it was so epic, Grant and I both turned 32 and we went to Boston for 5 days just the two of us. We hung out and stayed with Nancy, ate at delicious restaurants, went to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
emeraldrabbit's house and passed an afternoon with her little family, met idiolecto for coffee, spent the night in a ridiculously posh penthouse suite... I was starting to feel bad, during the trip, but it hadn't really hit a crescendo yet. It was lovely.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If Anne Rice had continued replying to my emails. I feel very left hanging, even though it makes sense that she gets overwhelmed with correspondence and I don't think it's personal.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
ASOS Curve
34. What kept you sane?
I'm not sure I was always sane, this year.
Huge crying jags and "getting it all out," in a rush of words, usually helped, though. Usually to Grant, sometimes to Kristin, more rarely Jess or my sister. I've had some really helpful counseling strides. Going and interacting with people in classes has been helpful, too.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Mmm...I really don't. I like looking at Helena Bonham Carter and Kat Dennings and when Chris Hemmsworth is dressed up as Thor but not in character that's a really weird and specific hotness? I mostly "fancy" bloggers and indie authors and fictional characters.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The second inauguration. The Trayvon Martin case. Anonymous Vs Steubenville. And Monsanto's continuing infliltration of positions of power :/
37. Who did you miss?
People I haven't met yet! And, my Aunt Michelle.
38. Who were the best new people you met?
Michael Pope. Isaac's cheerleading coach. Mark Cotton!
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013:
How important it is to be prolific, and how significantly small bits of productivity can add up.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/amandapalmer/inmymind.html
-trained/challenged myself in a running program
-worked out in a gym
-attended a university
-applied for a passport
-started monitoring my credit, and taking real steps to improve it
-really tackled the very worst, super triggering terrible stuff, in therapy
-read one of my stories for/had it featured by someone else (and Twenty Troubled Ladies is also now part of one professor's ENC1101 curriculum at Miami Dade College, how nuts is THAT)
-broke glass on purpose - several times
-seriously considered and talked about polyamory
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My resolutions were small, but I do think I did fairly well at all three of them - I resolved to drink more water on a regular basis, read to the children much more than I had been, and to get better at taking compliments. I still catch myself stammering or arguing with well meaning people who are trying to be nice to me, but I CATCH MYSELF. I've had to bridge the gap to graciousness by actually explaining to people when I get too awkward that I made this resolution to get better at taking compliments.
I will make more. It's a good tool for me, that's led to some nice lasting changes in recent years. There will be specific writing goals, and straight As, on the list, though beyond that I'm not sure yet.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. My mother got diagnosed with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). She is still smoking a couple of packs of cigarettes per day.
5. What countries did you visit?
No other countries...I took Aaron to a dance convention in Orlando in May (I think?), and I went with Grant to Maryland in the summer, and Boston in the fall.
6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
Local friends I see regularly.
7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory?
I'm not good at dates, but the market in Silver Spring, and the Becca Rosenthal memorial concert, those were really great occasions. Annie's derby bouts, too.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don't know. Maybe getting through a few weeks of C25K and making some real progress before I started flaring, maybe doing really well in 5 classes during the short summer term. Elise's birthday (science lab table and Seaquarium trip) and Thanksgiving (SO much good food, SO many peope I really love) were both fabulous successes this year.
Also huge success - summer. Ananda did a big 3 day derby event up the road with Grant, and Girl Scout leadership training, and 3 weeks of GS camp. Aaron had a big recital and then 5 fulltime weeks of dance intensives. Isaac, Jake and Elise had 4 weeks of GMYS (symphony) camp, and Elise also did 3 weeks of GS camp. They were just all doing really great structured stuff that I felt good about, at the same time I was rocking all those classes.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I think it was not seeking help or being proactive about managing whatever is wrong with me better. I suffered in silence, half-assing my classes this fall and struggling to do anything, for way too long. It might have made a huge difference in my grades and our last couple of months as a family if I'd went to the freaking doctor about 2 months before I did.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. I'm suffering some kind of thing that we're still trying to figure out. So far the list of symptoms is a high sed rate and positive c-reactive protein, B-12 and folic acid deficiency, extreme exhaustion, intermittently painful joints, periodic fevers, and terrible brain fog. I start seeing a new rheumatologist January 13.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Naot shoes. Orthopedic (purple!) mary janes, basically. They made it possible for me to traipse all over my 342 acre campus.
Also Nexxus split end repair shampoo and conditioner!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My children's amazing dentist. She loves them all and remembers so many details about each of them. She lets Elise hold the little spit sucker and/or rinsing tubes and "help" while she works on the other kids. She listens to and engages them. And she's always telling us some awesome story about when she was scuba diving or when she was in India.
And Neil Gaiman! First he retweeted and tumblr reblogged stuff about meeting Ananda, which absolutely THRILLED her like I've rarely seen her thrilled...then he made us this video, which I think actually made it up to her that she wasn't there with us :D I think she will feel special for the rest of her life because of these things.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Steve Bateman, the mayor where I live, who was arrested for fraud and still got to run for the following term FROM PRISON.
And someone else I don't feel like I can call out publicly. YET o_O
14. Where did most of your money go?
I feel like every little bit of it went to Annie's derby trips, replacement gear, symphony tuition, dental extractions and braces. I also feel like it all went to Isaac's school in the form of supplies, uniforms, fundraisers, charity drives, field trips, cheerleading tuition, bake sale contributions, performance tickets... The truth is I spend it all at the grocery store.
16. What song will always remind you of 2013?
"The Killing Type" - and "In My Mind" - and "St Kilda to Fitzroy" ...in that order.
17. Compared to this time last year, you are:
Thinner or fatter: Ever so slightly thinner
Richer or poorer: Somewhat significantly richer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Hanging out with friends.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sitting in the stopped, idling car like a jackass. I mean damn.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Here at home :) My mother in law, her husband, and our nieces (who live with them) are staying at our house all week.
21. What was your favorite month of 2013?
Hmm...I don't know. Late summer and early fall were the healthiest and most adventurous times, though.
22. Did you fall in love in 2013?
I fell in love with thai food. And bubble tea.
23. How many one-night stands?
Why is this question even on the meme? (that's a no)
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Louie on FX. Louis CK - there are not words for how I love him.
This last season of True Blood was amazing, too. Easily the best out of the last few.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
The (resigned? I think?) CEO of Dade Medical College. But that's more about him as an entity and what it means for my town, and less about anything truly personal...
26. What was the best book you read?
Probably "The Night Circus," by Erin Morgenstern. I also really liked, "The Ocean at The End of The Lane" by Neil Gaiman and "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
AMANDA PALMER, and the Dresden Dolls
28. What did you want and get?
An iPhone 5, and it's superior camera.
29. What did you want and not get?
Robby down for Thanksgiving.
A Christmas Eve celebration.
Finished illustrations.
A spot in the Miami Book Fair.
Energy, many days.
For this stupid abdominal surgery I need to just be done and over with.
Mostly, honestly, to just connect with people more IRL.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Maybe this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Hhh2rQXl8 and moreso because I saw it at a live screening. Hollywood style, it was a three way tie between Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and World War Z.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
OOOooooh it was so epic, Grant and I both turned 32 and we went to Boston for 5 days just the two of us. We hung out and stayed with Nancy, ate at delicious restaurants, went to
emeraldrabbit's house and passed an afternoon with her little family, met idiolecto for coffee, spent the night in a ridiculously posh penthouse suite... I was starting to feel bad, during the trip, but it hadn't really hit a crescendo yet. It was lovely.32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If Anne Rice had continued replying to my emails. I feel very left hanging, even though it makes sense that she gets overwhelmed with correspondence and I don't think it's personal.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
ASOS Curve
34. What kept you sane?
I'm not sure I was always sane, this year.
Huge crying jags and "getting it all out," in a rush of words, usually helped, though. Usually to Grant, sometimes to Kristin, more rarely Jess or my sister. I've had some really helpful counseling strides. Going and interacting with people in classes has been helpful, too.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Mmm...I really don't. I like looking at Helena Bonham Carter and Kat Dennings and when Chris Hemmsworth is dressed up as Thor but not in character that's a really weird and specific hotness? I mostly "fancy" bloggers and indie authors and fictional characters.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The second inauguration. The Trayvon Martin case. Anonymous Vs Steubenville. And Monsanto's continuing infliltration of positions of power :/
37. Who did you miss?
People I haven't met yet! And, my Aunt Michelle.
38. Who were the best new people you met?
Michael Pope. Isaac's cheerleading coach. Mark Cotton!
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013:
How important it is to be prolific, and how significantly small bits of productivity can add up.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/amandapalmer/inmymind.html
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