Tag Archives: New Year Meme

New Year’s meme for 2015

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Because at this point it’s a tradition: time for another annual recap.

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?
* We got a dog!
* I hosted both girls’ birthday parties at our house, and realized it’s not as daunting a task as I thought it would be.
* I took the girls on a plane trip by myself.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, but I do have a goal this year: to not have a complete meltdown about turning 40 later this month.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Lots of my Twitter friends had babies. No one in my family or immediate circle of friends, though.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thankfully.

5. What countries did you visit?
We never left the U.S., but we took trips all over North Carolina (Charlotte, the beach, etc.), we went to Atlanta for my cousin’s wedding, and we flew to Austin to visit my sister and brother-in-law.

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
My answer last year still applies: Less clutter in my life. The physical clutter is an ongoing process – I’ve been cleaning things out gradually for a while: had a yard sale, gave a lot to Goodwill, etc. I would also like less mental clutter that bogs me down with useless, unproductive thoughts.

7. What dates from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
* March 28th: my cousin Cici’s wedding in Atlanta. It also happened to be my dad’s birthday. After the reception, when everyone was milling around on the porch of this gorgeous antebellum mansion and getting ready to leave, a bunch of us sang happy birthday to my dad. It occurred to me that I didn’t know the last time my dad had all three of his kids with him on his birthday. It was probably sometime in the late 1980s.
* December 28th: we adopted Roxie.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I ran a half-marathon! And I didn’t die!

9. What was your biggest failure?
I haven’t talked about it much, but I had a pretty intense meltdown during the summer, and I was just… not good for a while. Like, I wouldn’t have blamed Chris if he’d broken up with me then, because I was just that difficult to live with. There are friends I’ve had since I was a kid who I’m pretty sure I’ve permanently alienated. I was a bad girlfriend, bad mom, bad friend, bad daughter, etc. I know I don’t have control over my brain chemistry, so that part isn’t really a failure, but it took me way too long to admit I needed help and seek it. I’ve been better the last few months, so you know. Upward and onward and all that.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A lot of basic colds and things, but thankfully we all managed to avoid ER visits in 2015, so we’ll call that a win.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Roxie.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Catie, who has overcome so many of her fears and hang-ups this year, and made tremendous progress on a whole wide range of things. (I mean, Lucy is awesome and I’m not discounting her at all, but there are a lot more struggles at nearly-9 than there are at 4.)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The entire Republican presidential field.

14. Where did most of your money go?
It just occurred to me this is the last year that “daycare” will qualify as one of my answers here, since Lucy starts kindergarten in July. WOOT!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” I think I was more excited about Star Wars than I was about Christmas.

16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
The entire Taylor Swift “1989” album.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Overall sadder, but working my way out of that.
b) thinner or fatter? Same. (I’m not complaining.)
c) richer or poorer? Richer, since I got a raise in October.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I feel like I did a lot this year. I guess organizing my house and keeping paperwork from piling up is something I should have done more.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Same answer as last year: worrying about things that I have no control over.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
I spent Christmas morning with my kids, Chris, and my parents, then shipped the girls off to their dad’s, and Chris and I went back to sleep for a couple of hours. My sister and brother-in-law flew in that afternoon, we picked the girls up from Dave, and went to do family Christmas gifts at my parents’ house. Overall, a very good Christmas.

21. Did you fall in love in 2015?
No, just still in love with the same guy.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
We binge-watched “Justified,” and I thought it was excellent. This was the year Chris finally got me to watch “Game of Thrones,” and I admit that I really love it, although I have to keep my phone handy so I can play Candy Crush during the really violent parts. Also love “The Leftovers,” “Homeland,” and “Agents of SHIELD.”

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nah, try not to waste my energy on hate.

24. What was the best book you read?
Can I just admit that I probably haven’t read an entire book since “The Help”? I’ve given up. I used to love reading, but I don’t have the attention span or free time anymore. Maybe I’ll pick it up again someday.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Whatever is on pop radio.

26. What did you want and get by year’s end?
A dog!

27. What did you want and not get by year’s end?
Lucy regressed to climbing in bed with me & Chris every night, which is one thing I would very much like to have cease in the immediate future.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars.

(Ok, fine: I loved “Inside Out” more than my kids did, “Big Hero 6” was excellent, and Chris and I enjoyed both “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.” But, yeah, Star Wars.)

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 39. I had the kids that night, so we did dinner at my parents’ house, and we had cake. It was nice.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If Bernie Sanders could’ve already been elected president.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
I’ve finally embraced the “leggings with long sweaters” look. It feels like wearing pajamas in public. It’s pretty much the best, I don’t know what took me so long.

32. What kept you sane?
It’s weird that I always hated exercise until a few years ago, and now it’s my favorite part of every day. I feel so much better after I work out, whether it’s running or Barre3 or some Betty Rocker workout or whatever. Endorphins are a real thing.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Last year I said Justin Theroux because of “The Leftovers,” and I stand by that answer.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The apparent resurgence of white supremacy in America. 2015 felt an awful lot like the 1960s.

35. Who did you miss?
There are a few friends who live far away who I really wish I could’ve seen this year.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
This feels unfair to try to single someone out. There are too many people I like.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.
That I need to suck up my pride and ask for help sometimes.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I feel like I may have used this one before, but who cares:

“Both feet on the floor,
two hands on the wheel,
may the wind take your troubles away.”

Happy new year, everyone!

New Year’s Meme for 2012

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Ok, hopefully this one will be less depressing than last year’s. Here goes!

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
Got divorced. It was a bit anti-climactic.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t make any last year, and I doubt I will this year. I mean, sure, lose 20 pounds and win the lottery, right? Same as everyone else in the world. Ho hum.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A whole mess of bloggy friends had babies this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
The dad of the family that lived next door to me when I was little. That one tore me up.

One of my dad’s cousins passed away as well, but he and I weren’t close at all.

5. What countries did you visit?
I can think of exactly 3 trips I took this year. None of them involved leaving the US. Two didn’t even leave the state of North Carolina.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
This was my answer last year…

Stability. Calmness. Serenity. Less drama. Two kids who sleep through the night in their own damn beds. Little things.

Yeah. That. I would still like that, please and thank you.

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
* March 18th – My first “real” date with The Guy.
* October 12th – My divorce was finalized.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I ran 2 miles without stopping. I can’t think of anything else I could file as an “achievement” per se.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I feel like I spent too much of my life zoned out in my own head, rather than interacting with my girls. I need to make a more conscious effort to close the laptop, put down my phone, get down on the floor, and play.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Two trips to the ER, but both for things that were relatively minor. (Thankfully.)

And one stupid injury: back when we went to the beach in August, a wave knocked me down while I was holding Lucy, and something about the way I twisted when I fell (trying to keep her out of the water), I ended up pinching a nerve in my shoulder. It’s one of those things that will get better and then start hurting again for no reason, and it is VERY. ANNOYING. (I’ve already tried acupuncture and it didn’t help. I suppose I should also see a chiropractor.)

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Technically, I didn’t buy it, but I did convince my parents to trade in their 9 year-old desktop for a new PC, and the lack of tech support I have to provide on a daily basis now is FANTASTIC.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Both of my girls have proven to be so resilient and adaptable to new situations, and they just astound me every day with whatever new thing they’ve just learned. Lucy is suddenly speaking in short phrases/sentences (“Get book,” “Want eat,” etc.), and Catie will rattle off some random science fact that I have to google to verify that, in fact, she’s right and I’m basically an idiot.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I can think of a few Facebook friends who would fall in this category. Like those who joked about hiring an assassin after Obama won the election. Thankfully, nobody close to me fits in that category.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Daycare. Rent. Nothing fun. Sadface.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Catie started kindergarten.
Lucy started walking.
I fulfilled a dream from 30 years ago and finally saw Duran Duran in concert.
A few other things I got all spazzy and excited about, but which escape my memory right now.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Oddly enough, probably “Eye of the Tiger,” because Catie became obsessed with it and played it over and over again until I thought I was going to lose my mind.

Also, I know it’s overplayed, but “Home” by Phillip Phillips. I will never forget the first time I heard both of my girls singing the “oooh-oooh-oooh” part from the backseat at the same time. It just made my heart happy.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier. THANK GOD.
b) thinner or fatter? Same.
c) richer or poorer? Same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Same answer as last year: Traveling. Reading books. Doing fun stuff with my girls.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Same answer as last year: Moping. Yelling. Crying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
In the ER. Boo. I want a refund.

21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
Yeah. I did. Hard.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Other than The Daily Show and random stuff like that, I have zero TV shows that I’m into right now. By the time the kids go to sleep, I just want SILENCE, not TV. It’s like my ears are exhausted and I can’t process anymore.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.

24. What was the best book you read?
Most of the books I read fall under the category of “romance/smut,” and I am far too embarrassed to link to any of it. (In my defense, I need to read things that aren’t too plot-heavy, since I have almost zero attention span due to extreme sleep deprivation. So basically, let’s all blame my children for the fact that my reading tastes have deteriorated to crap.)

So instead I’ll say Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I’ve picked up on a whole bunch of new music by listening to other people’s Spotify playlists. I think my favorites so far are either the Civil Wars or Fleet Foxes.

26. What did you want and get by year’s end?
… I have absolutely no idea…

27. What did you want and not get by year’s end?
… And again, no idea…

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I think the only movie I saw in the theater was The Hunger Games, which was good. I really loved Beginners. I finally saw The King’s Speech and loved it.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 36. Greis was here. We went out for dinner, and then I got a sinus infection. Because of course.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If my friends lived closer and I got to see them more often.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
I’m trying SO hard to fight The Frump and to feel cute and stylish. I bought jeans that look good on my butt. I got cuter shoes. I wouldn’t exactly call myself fashionable, but I’m working on it.

32. What kept you sane?
Oh, my friends who let me text them to vent about whatever random stuff that’s driving me crazy. There’s only a couple of y’all. And you rock.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I can’t really think of anyone. I mean, Channing Tatum’s abs are pretty amazing, but I can’t think of anyone else who was particularly drool-worthy.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election was pretty major. Currently, I’d say the whole gun control thing is driving me insane. I’ve had to “hide” a few people on Facebook because I just can’t even deal.

35. Who did you miss?
The last month or so, I’ve missed The Guy. A lot.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
The Guy. No matter how things may have ended up. No doubt, it was him.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
Self-discovery hurts but is generally worth it.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“Now I gotta get a move on
Fit for the sun,
I hear my baby calling my name
and I know she’s the only one.
And if I die in Raleigh,
at least I will die free.”
— “Wagon Wheel,” Old Crow Medicine Show

Happy new year, y’all.