Lori’s Year In Review: 2015

When I started blogging in 2004, someone posted this meme. I’ve answered the same questions for over ten years now, and I like to keep up the tradition.

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?
Said no to volunteering for something.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions (NYR), and will you make more for next year?
I refer to NYRs as the Infinite Master To Do List, and yes, I made them. See the next blog entry for an accounting of what I’ve achieved in 2015, and what I hope to achieve in 2016.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Surprisingly, no. Nor has anyone announced a pregnancy.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Uncle Bill, one of my mother’s five brothers, succumbed to cancer. When Brian and I were on our honeymoon at Great America, we ran into Uncle Bill and his wife, Aunt Kay (they live in Illinois, but we try not to hold that against them).

5. What states or countries did you visit?
Illinois to visit the zoo that was the Ikea warehouse store on a Sunday afternoon. Minnesota for a friend’s 50th birthday party.

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
More money; a better governor and legislature; a better paying job.

7. What dates from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Monday, July 13, 2015, my 24th wedding anniversary with the World’s Greatest Husband. We made each other cry with memories of our wedding day. Then at Parthenon on State Street, we had fun watching our son-by-love Prince Mekhi eat his first gyro ever.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Wrapping up some volunteer work I did for a convention, then resigning from its ConCom and Executive Board.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not finishing Hirapis I, Draft III

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Clinical Depression will be challenges for the rest of my life, as will the epilepsy and hypertension. I pulled a muscle in my back in May and November, and I really need to strengthen my core so that my back muscles don’t do that anymore.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
So far, a new thin wallet from American Science and Surplus in Milwaukee and the R2D2 flare dress and the Twin Suns of Tatooine shift dress from Think Geek. Plus a new (used) Grand Caravan.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Bernie Sanders, Russ Feingold, and Alan Grayson: all announcing their candidacies for 2016, and I hope they all win.

13. Whose behavior made you:
Appalled? The State of Wisconsin Legislature for trampling over worker and voter rights, and the Wanker for signing it into law. (Right to work (for less); dismantling the Government Accountability Board, etc.)
Depressed? Same, but for writing my job out of the budget (for the second time in my 22+ state civil service career).

14. Where did most of your money go?
I don’t know; the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation keeps lousy records.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
At the moment, I cannot think of anything. Not even Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (I am cautiously optimistic about Disney films.) Isn’t that sad?

16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
After the Super Bowl commercials came out, Brian confused the 2014 Bud commercial “Puppy Love” song “Let Her Go” by Passenger with “Let it Go”, the Oscar-winning song from Disney’s Frozen. Knowing that the Academy Award for Best Original Song cannot go to a cover, I googled both songs and finally listened to the Idina Menzel video. I was hooked. Since then, I also purchased Frozen on Blu-Ray.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
  a) happier or sadder? I have moments of both. As I’m typing this in December, I feel sadder.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter, unfortunately. I’m now up to 4X.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer due to no significant raise despite a higher cost of living.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing Draft III of Hirapis I.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Hating my job

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
 Eve: With Prince Mekhi, then (hopefully) the World’s Greatest In-Laws (mine!);
Day: With the World’s Greatest Husband (mine!) and our critters; Brian and I also will go see The Force Awakens at the local cinema.
Boxing Day/my late mother’s birthday: with my siblings and their families (my one holiday concession to my side of the family) because my brother Tom actually got his arse in gear to plan it (I refuse to do so).

21. With whom did you spend the most time on the phone?
Brian: the Great Love of my Life.

22. Did you fall in love in 2015?
Been in love with the same guy since 1989, and every day I love him more. Many days I truly am surprised that he still puts up with me. He still thinks he got the better end of the marriage deal; I know that I did. Seriously, that is one of the “fiercest arguments” in our marriage. ;}

23. How many one-night stands?
Because I am monogamous in my marriage, I only have one night stands in my dreams and with the strangest people/fictional characters. See #35 for this year’s details.

24. What are your favorite TV program(s)?
The Big Bang Theory which keeps getting better and better. I also have a soft spot for TV shows based on Marvel and DC comics.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Is there anyone on the planet with half-a-brain who doesn’t hate Donald Trump?

26. What was the best book you read this year?
I finally read The Hunger Games trilogy, and it was very, very good.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Imagine Dragons sophomore album Smoke + Mirrors is beautiful.

28. What did you want and get?
More Munchkin paraphernalia, a couple of great dresses and other fun sundries from Think Geek.com

29. What did you want and not get?
A better job, or at least a decent raise (ain’t gonna happen in this administration). A winning lottery ticket for the jackpot.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
So far, probably The Hunger Games film series, though I’ve yet to see the final segment. The movies were impressively close to the books. Again, I have yet to see SW VII, and I thought Avengers: Age of Ultron was pretty good. Unfortunately with Joss Whedon at the helm, I spent the movie wondering which major character was going to die.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Brian was afraid that he couldn’t top my birthday Packer game in 2014, and I honestly told him he didn’t have to. I do not expect something special for my birthday, Mother’s Day, etc. every year. Every few years, or at least once a decade for something special, and I’m ecstatic. Quite frankly, unless the Packers play at Lambeau Field on my birthday again, the WGH doesn’t have to do anything extraordinary for my birthday until I turn fifty.
See my journal entry for the day. I turned 28 for the nineteenth time.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A finished novel, but that’s my own fault.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
I stopped wearing the color scheme day of the week that I did in years prior. Now I have enough clothes that I don’t have to wear the same five outfits every week. I also bought a couple of dresses from Think Geek’s Star Wars line. I need to buy some palazzo pants or have some made by my seamstress/sister-in-law Donna.

34. What kept you sane?
What is this “sanity” that you talk about? Although the WGH, the critters, Prince Mekhi, my Best Friend Betsy RN MSN, and especially the psychotropics do help.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Many people have their “List of Three”: the three celebrities your spouse would have to be okay with if you ever got the chance. My list is actually three and two: three single men: Clay Matthews, III, J. J. Watt (yes, both defensive gridiron football players), and Liam Neeson; and two married celebrities: Mark Hamill and Chris Hemsworth. Yeah, like I have a chance with any of them.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Any legislation that provides electoral reform in the United States.

37. Whom did you miss?
My parents, my Auntie Clare, my late cats.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Dana D.: an HR person at DNR who held my hand and soothed my nerves when I was given my at-risk-for-layoff notice.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015:
Being there for someone is not as difficult as it sounds, and the rewards are worth far more than the challenge. You may feel like it’s hard or impossible to comfort someone who is going through depression or frustration or whatever; You may feel like your words are meaningless tripe; however, just the fact that you are there makes an universe of a difference in that person’s life.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
 It’s funny how some distance
 Makes everything seem small
 And the fears that once controlled me
 Can’t get to me at all
 It’s time to see what I can do
 To test the limits and break through
 No right, no wrong, no rules for me
 I’m free!
“Let It Go” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez from the Disney movie Frozen

—–
First Blog Titles Month by Month 2015:
January: New Blog, New Goals
February: Prince Mekhi
March: Holidays at Castle Curley…
April: Due to being busy at both the Day Job and Odyssey Con, I wrote no journal entries in April 2015.
May: Finally Two Stores That Get Me as a Female Shopper
June: Party Planning
July: 24 Years Ago
August: Fricking Fabulous
September: Riddle me this…
October: Good News: I’m Average!
November: Thanksgiving was Damn Near Perfect
December: Rubbing Nina’s Bentley…

Blessed Be,
-Lori

“This year has just been overwhelming depression with showers of kitten.” – R. K. Milholland
“…and puppy.” – Lori