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A year in review survey from somewhere
Jan. 4th, 2019 01:26 pm1. What did you do in 2018 that you'd never done before?
Saw Hamilton. Started taking voice lessons. Used an Alexa.
1.5 What did you do in 2018 that you hadn’t done in a long, long time?
Went to the Milwaukee Public Museum
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions?
I'm not sure I made any. I went back and looked here at my January posts, and this is as close as it got: "I would like to invoke some things for 2018. Particularly I want to be more active physically, and fannishly as well. I want to be more productive with podfic, and to get back into knitting. I want to read more; reading has been sporadic this last year. Some months I've read tons, and other months almost nothing. I'd like to post here more often."
I definitely was more fannishly active, and far more productive with podfic. I made 12 hours of it, nearly twice the output of any previous year. I knit some, but not much, and read about the same amount as last year, still some months with tons of books read and others with only a couple. I didn't get any more physically active. So I guess I'll reiterate the same set of invocations for 2019, with the additional hope for actual writing to continue.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No...well sort of. I just transferred to a team of much younger coworkers, and my boss's wife had a baby. Two other coworkers' wives are pregnant right now.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year, thankfully.
5. What countries/states did you visit?
Wisconsin, to see my parents and take Chris and Tammie to my hometown for the first time ever in our now-16-year relationship. My parents are evangelical Christians, and they don't quite know what to make of our relationship. All this time I've gone by myself or with only Rosa when visiting them, but it went well.
Michigan, for a week in the cabin of time-travel to 1980 (no cell service, no internet...)
Illinois, to see the grand baby and Leah and Robin
6. What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
Stealing this answer from a friend: The epic, fiery, and never-to-be-rebuilt fall of the current administration. Health and wellness for all the people I love.
And this one is mine: a finished fanfic! I haven't been able to write a word for several years, and suddenly on the night of Jan 1 I outlined a whole story in my head. Instead of sleeping, which isn't great, but 2300 words of it have made it to pixels so far and that is fabulous.
7. What date from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 10th. I got to sing a Black Sabbath song to Ozzy Osbourne--oh, and I got married *g*. It was a memorable day.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
12 hours of podfic. Marriage.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Nothing comes to mind.
9.5 What were the biggest risks you took, for better or for worse?
I tried out for a solo in the spring concert. Didn't do well in the audition, didn't get a solo. So I started taking voice lessons...
9.75 What risks did you avoid that you wish you had taken?
Trying out for a solo in the fall concert. But I had spent the previous weekend in the ER with Chris, instead of being able to practice, so I give myself a pass on that one.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just the usual seasonal colds, and a diagnosis of cataracts.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Hamilton tickets
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All my loves.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The people who continue to acclaim the current administration, particularly the ones I have to listen to here at work while they gleefully go off on "that woman" or "those Mexicans" depending on the week.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills. Restaurants, because when Tammie is treading water like she has been for the last couple of years, we don't make dinner at home. I do it when I can, when I have time and when the kitchen is clean, but that's not nearly as often as it should be.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Hamilton. CHARIS. Making podfic.
16. What song/ album will always remind you of 2018?
Eh, maybe one of the ones from the last concert. Light, or What About Love.
17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Housecleaning and decluttering.
18. How did/ will you spend Christmas?
At home with Tammie, Chris and Rosa, opening presents, and then making quilts and listening to audiobooks.
19. How did/ will you spend New Year’s?
Hanging out with new and old Charis friends, making a vision board, playing Cards Against Humanity, and burning some things that need to be let go of or got rid of.
20. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with in 2018?
Sean, by a mile. I talk on the phone to Tammie or Chris every day but usually only for a few minutes. Sean and I spent a lot of morning commutes talking the whole way. Which was mostly the only 'date-ish' time we had together most of the latter part of the year.
21. Did you fall in love in 2018?
No. But I stayed in love with lots of people.
22. How many one night stands?
None. Not my bag.
23. What was your favorite TV show?
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What did you want and get?
To see Hamilton. Bless L-MM for the Ham4Ham lottery, because I could not have afforded it otherwise.
26. What did you want and not get?
Stealing this answer from a friend: The fall of the white supremacist/ capitalist/ hetero-cissexist/ fascist kyriarchy, generally, and this administration in particular.
27. What were your favorite films of this year?
28. What shows/ events did you see this year?
Hamilton. The St Louis symphony with the Indigo Girls.
29. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I turned 50. I don't actually remember what I did on the day, but we went to Wisconsin later that month to see my parents, and they bought us all a very nice meal at a restaurant.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
"Is it clean?"
31. What kept you sane?
Charis. Chris. Tammie. Rose.
32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
Every single action this garbage fire of an administration has taken, but kids in concentration camps is probably the worst.
34. Who did you miss?
Christine and Rob, always. Having them living in Chicago and us in St Louis was always bad enough, but now they're in Europe and I see them less than ever.
35 .Who was the best new person you met?
This season's crop of Charis newbies have been absolutely delightful and made amazing contributions to the community-building aspect of the chorus.
36. Who did you reconnect with this year?
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.
Saw Hamilton. Started taking voice lessons. Used an Alexa.
1.5 What did you do in 2018 that you hadn’t done in a long, long time?
Went to the Milwaukee Public Museum
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions?
I'm not sure I made any. I went back and looked here at my January posts, and this is as close as it got: "I would like to invoke some things for 2018. Particularly I want to be more active physically, and fannishly as well. I want to be more productive with podfic, and to get back into knitting. I want to read more; reading has been sporadic this last year. Some months I've read tons, and other months almost nothing. I'd like to post here more often."
I definitely was more fannishly active, and far more productive with podfic. I made 12 hours of it, nearly twice the output of any previous year. I knit some, but not much, and read about the same amount as last year, still some months with tons of books read and others with only a couple. I didn't get any more physically active. So I guess I'll reiterate the same set of invocations for 2019, with the additional hope for actual writing to continue.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No...well sort of. I just transferred to a team of much younger coworkers, and my boss's wife had a baby. Two other coworkers' wives are pregnant right now.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year, thankfully.
5. What countries/states did you visit?
Wisconsin, to see my parents and take Chris and Tammie to my hometown for the first time ever in our now-16-year relationship. My parents are evangelical Christians, and they don't quite know what to make of our relationship. All this time I've gone by myself or with only Rosa when visiting them, but it went well.
Michigan, for a week in the cabin of time-travel to 1980 (no cell service, no internet...)
Illinois, to see the grand baby and Leah and Robin
6. What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
Stealing this answer from a friend: The epic, fiery, and never-to-be-rebuilt fall of the current administration. Health and wellness for all the people I love.
And this one is mine: a finished fanfic! I haven't been able to write a word for several years, and suddenly on the night of Jan 1 I outlined a whole story in my head. Instead of sleeping, which isn't great, but 2300 words of it have made it to pixels so far and that is fabulous.
7. What date from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 10th. I got to sing a Black Sabbath song to Ozzy Osbourne--oh, and I got married *g*. It was a memorable day.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
12 hours of podfic. Marriage.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Nothing comes to mind.
9.5 What were the biggest risks you took, for better or for worse?
I tried out for a solo in the spring concert. Didn't do well in the audition, didn't get a solo. So I started taking voice lessons...
9.75 What risks did you avoid that you wish you had taken?
Trying out for a solo in the fall concert. But I had spent the previous weekend in the ER with Chris, instead of being able to practice, so I give myself a pass on that one.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just the usual seasonal colds, and a diagnosis of cataracts.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Hamilton tickets
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All my loves.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The people who continue to acclaim the current administration, particularly the ones I have to listen to here at work while they gleefully go off on "that woman" or "those Mexicans" depending on the week.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills. Restaurants, because when Tammie is treading water like she has been for the last couple of years, we don't make dinner at home. I do it when I can, when I have time and when the kitchen is clean, but that's not nearly as often as it should be.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Hamilton. CHARIS. Making podfic.
16. What song/ album will always remind you of 2018?
Eh, maybe one of the ones from the last concert. Light, or What About Love.
17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Housecleaning and decluttering.
18. How did/ will you spend Christmas?
At home with Tammie, Chris and Rosa, opening presents, and then making quilts and listening to audiobooks.
19. How did/ will you spend New Year’s?
Hanging out with new and old Charis friends, making a vision board, playing Cards Against Humanity, and burning some things that need to be let go of or got rid of.
20. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with in 2018?
Sean, by a mile. I talk on the phone to Tammie or Chris every day but usually only for a few minutes. Sean and I spent a lot of morning commutes talking the whole way. Which was mostly the only 'date-ish' time we had together most of the latter part of the year.
21. Did you fall in love in 2018?
No. But I stayed in love with lots of people.
22. How many one night stands?
None. Not my bag.
23. What was your favorite TV show?
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What did you want and get?
To see Hamilton. Bless L-MM for the Ham4Ham lottery, because I could not have afforded it otherwise.
26. What did you want and not get?
Stealing this answer from a friend: The fall of the white supremacist/ capitalist/ hetero-cissexist/ fascist kyriarchy, generally, and this administration in particular.
27. What were your favorite films of this year?
28. What shows/ events did you see this year?
Hamilton. The St Louis symphony with the Indigo Girls.
29. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I turned 50. I don't actually remember what I did on the day, but we went to Wisconsin later that month to see my parents, and they bought us all a very nice meal at a restaurant.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
"Is it clean?"
31. What kept you sane?
Charis. Chris. Tammie. Rose.
32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
Every single action this garbage fire of an administration has taken, but kids in concentration camps is probably the worst.
34. Who did you miss?
Christine and Rob, always. Having them living in Chicago and us in St Louis was always bad enough, but now they're in Europe and I see them less than ever.
35 .Who was the best new person you met?
This season's crop of Charis newbies have been absolutely delightful and made amazing contributions to the community-building aspect of the chorus.
36. Who did you reconnect with this year?
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.
