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mamagotcha) wrote2011-01-01 10:23 am
mamagotcha) wrote2011-01-01 10:23 am
Entry tags:
Year-end Review
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keyne...
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
I did a writer's workshop at Wiscon for the first time. It was scary to put myself out there like that, and there were some issues that came up that obviously have not yet been resolved, but I was proud of myself for doing it.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more next year?
I think I'm past that cycle now; I don't remember making any resolutions and I won't this year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No one particularly close, but a few friends and acquaintances did have hand-knitted silk booties sent to them. I guess I do have a new niece (Bill's sister Laura birthed Katie-Beth almost a year ago), but I've never met her.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thank the stars, not this year. Both my dad and my sister lost their dear canine companions, though, and I don't know how much longer Wiley will be with us. My old braiding partner, Nigel, lost his son to leukemia... while I'd never had the chance to meet Henry, witnessing the journey was incredibly wrenching.
5. What places did you visit?
Davis, CA (Whole Earth Festival), with a quick trip to see my dad and Cordell in Sonoma
Minneapolis and Madison (WisCon)
New York and Boston (for Julia's graduation)
Missouri (drove to Columbia, MO for a wedding and did a KC trip in June, and then again with the boys last week)
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Actually, 2010 was really awesome in that we weren't lacking for much at all. Being a one-income family means that money is always tight, and we had a couple of annoying bank issues that compounded the situation (and have hopefully been sorted out by switching to a new bank), but to be honest, I've had access to everything I've needed, and most of what I've wanted. If I could have one material object granted to me immediately, it would be access to some sort of large bathtub or hot tub that I could fully immerse myself in... I get such an immediate and total relief of most joint pain and stressed muscles from hot water, and showers just don't quite do it.
7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I'm afraid I didn't do much of anything, really. A few knitted object, a couple half-hearted runs at stories. I guess I could consider my focus on learning my way around Chicago and making friends here as a success.
8. Did you suffer illness or injury?
This year marked a pretty intense struggle with psoriasis. I'm now waiting to hear whether my insurance will allow me to have a UV wand at home so I can treat it without steriods.
9. What was the best thing you bought?
I have really been enjoying my new g2 phone for the last month. I feel a little disloyal to my dear old Sidekick, but wow... the whole apps concept has been amazing!
10. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Clayton went through some rough times this year, and he handled it all with grace and dignity, and a healthy dose of black humor. I'm really proud of all of my kids, but this year Clay chose to rise to the occasion. He's a pretty amazing young man, and I think he's got a couple of terrific years ahead of him.
11. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own, on several occasions.
12. Where did most of your money go?
Rent.
13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Helping the local unschoolers get a forum off the ground. I learned a lot about php and moderating discussion boards, and I'm glad I did it, but the project fizzled (curse you, FaceBook!). Otherwise, it's been a fairly low-ebb year for me, passion-wise.
14. What song[s] will always remind you of 2010?
"This is Halloween," the theme from "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Clay and Linc were both in a homeschoolers' stage production of that movie, and I heard that song for MONTHS.
15. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? thinner or fatter? richer or poorer?
I think I'm happier... at least, it feels like I've managed to dampen down the sadness and stress from 2009. I think I'm the same size weight-wise... I've finally found a Nia class close by, but so far it's only once a week, and with holidays and illness, I haven't been in over a month! But in general, I feel like I'm a fairly healthy person. Financially, we are slowly paying down the monster debt we racked up with the foreclosure and move... so while we don't have any more liquid assets to be playing around with on a day-to-day basis, the cloud over our heads is a little less dark.
16. What do you wish you'd done more of?
We hardly juggled at all. I only went to a couple of Nia sessions. I know I feel better when I bike, walk, and move around more, but it's been a monumental effort even to get out the door. We were doing evening walks with Linc before bed pretty often in the summer and fall, but I'm very nervous about ice and don't do it in the winter (although it was actually warm and muggy out yesterday, so we did go out last night!).
17. What do you wish you'd done less of?
FaceBook.
18. How will you be spending New Year's Day?
A friend asked me to spend the night at her house so she and her husband could go out and celebrate their anniversary. They have a big-ass tub, so I plan to knock out the kids as fast as possible and empty their hot-water tank.
19. Did you fall in love in 2010?
I think I had a few mama-crushes, and they've all developed into lovely warm friendships.
20. How many one-night stands?
None this year, but there was an offer or two, which is always nice.
21. What was your favorite TV program?
"Avatar: The Last Airbender."
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
23. Do you like anyone now that you hated this time last year?
I try really hard not to get to a place of hatred... while I'm certainly no Dalai Lama, the more I practice compassion, the more I can hope to forgive myself for my own shortcomings.
24. What was the best book you read?
This year, I worked on reading more (after a struggle with my eyeglass prescription, I've settled on a good pair of bifocals). To that end, I've been a regular patron of our local library. While I don't always finish each book I check out, I do give them a go and have definitely increased my intake of both fiction and nonfiction. I think the best fiction I read was Paolo Bacigalupi's "Windup Girl," with Clay's favorite book, Patrick Rothfuss's "The Name of the Wind" as a second (the fact that I got to meet and hang out with Patrick at WisCon this year probably helped!). In nonfiction, I really enjoyed Richard Wrangham's "Catching Fire," and "The Book of the Dead: Lives of the Justly Famous and the Undeservedly Obscure" by John Mitchinson and John Lloyd (even though I didn't finish either of them).
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
"Everything's Easy," by Girlyman. Every time I hear this song, my eyes well up, I get shivers, and I know it still has more to teach me.
26. What did you want and get?
The g2 (which was also a new GPS), a really nifty set of Christmas lights, lots of beach time, visits with each of my kids and my dad and my sister, to feel more at peace with my body, a local source of hot Italian sausage, a way to do Nia again, blooms on my Christmas cactus, a camera, another year with my good dog.
27. What did you want and not get?
All four of my kids together, a really good stainless steel (not non-stick) sauté pan, a local source of peppered bacon, replies to my hand-written letters, to get a garden in, a long road trip, a visit to Seattle, something knitted for me by me, a part-time job, more wedding braids, a regular singing group, to get all those boxes sorted and emptied, a regular yoga/meditation/writing practice, a hot tub.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
"The Secret of Kells" was pretty awesome. My memory is short... I can't really remember anything else. Did we even see a movie in the theater this year? "Toy Story 3" is all that comes to mind (but it was great).
29. What did you do on your birthday?
I got a trip to WisCon! Bill made me chocolate croissants, too.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Sometimes getting what you want doesn't always mean you'll be happy when you get it... but I still cling to a tiny hope that Bill will suddenly get an offer from a Northern California or Seattle university. Still... this year was very good to us, and I need to stay aware of that fact instead of wishing for other things.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Um. Same as the last three decades: if it's comfortable and keeps me from getting arrested, I'll wear it. I did pick up a Burt's Bees lip balm with a tiny bit of color in it, does that sound like big news?
32. What kept you sane?
My fantastic husband, and his unwavering commitment to keeping Bob (our relationship) healthy and happy.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
It's funny that my daughter picked Stephen Fry, because my immediate thought went to Hugh Laurie (his old comedy partner). I think it was his incredible portrayal of the flawed and fabulous Gregory House, as well as his candid attitude towards his own depression, that did it for me. I'd honestly be quite happy with either, though. (Tim Minchin is right up there, too.)
34. Who did you miss?
I find myself still regularly missingjillcook and tara_doula, as well as a handful of my other KC friends... it takes time to get to that comfortable, let-your-hair-down phase of a friendship, and while I know my Chicago folks will get there, I feel like I finally had a few friends like that in KC and then had to leave them. I didn't get to visit my dear friend Caren this year at all, and I feel bad about that because she donated a kidney to her husband and I wasn't able to be any support to them whatsoever. I didn't get to Seattle, either, so I haven't yet met 's new little guy, or seen Q or Hollie or Heidi or Saska this year at all.
I still miss my mom, too.
35. Who was the best new person you met?
Several of the local unschoolers have gone out of their way to welcome me into the fold: Lori, Linda, Kim, Sandra, Erin... thank you for your kindness and your friendship! Also,elisem had a pretty profound effect on me, as a writer and artist... I stayed with her prior to WisCon, and wish I lived closer so I could see her more often.
36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
It's a lesson I've been working on for a long time, and I still might have to get a few refreshers, but this year I was reminded of the power of "no." I've wanted to add a lot of activities to my life, and I've tried out a bunch of different things, but I've mostly had to set them aside for one reason or another. Being able to trim away things that aren't working for me is hard; I often feel an obligation to something once I start it that can be hard to sever (and it's usually a self-imposed obligation). So it's something I still grapple with.
OK, 2011... bring it ON!
keyne...1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
I did a writer's workshop at Wiscon for the first time. It was scary to put myself out there like that, and there were some issues that came up that obviously have not yet been resolved, but I was proud of myself for doing it.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more next year?
I think I'm past that cycle now; I don't remember making any resolutions and I won't this year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No one particularly close, but a few friends and acquaintances did have hand-knitted silk booties sent to them. I guess I do have a new niece (Bill's sister Laura birthed Katie-Beth almost a year ago), but I've never met her.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thank the stars, not this year. Both my dad and my sister lost their dear canine companions, though, and I don't know how much longer Wiley will be with us. My old braiding partner, Nigel, lost his son to leukemia... while I'd never had the chance to meet Henry, witnessing the journey was incredibly wrenching.
5. What places did you visit?
Davis, CA (Whole Earth Festival), with a quick trip to see my dad and Cordell in Sonoma
Minneapolis and Madison (WisCon)
New York and Boston (for Julia's graduation)
Missouri (drove to Columbia, MO for a wedding and did a KC trip in June, and then again with the boys last week)
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Actually, 2010 was really awesome in that we weren't lacking for much at all. Being a one-income family means that money is always tight, and we had a couple of annoying bank issues that compounded the situation (and have hopefully been sorted out by switching to a new bank), but to be honest, I've had access to everything I've needed, and most of what I've wanted. If I could have one material object granted to me immediately, it would be access to some sort of large bathtub or hot tub that I could fully immerse myself in... I get such an immediate and total relief of most joint pain and stressed muscles from hot water, and showers just don't quite do it.
7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I'm afraid I didn't do much of anything, really. A few knitted object, a couple half-hearted runs at stories. I guess I could consider my focus on learning my way around Chicago and making friends here as a success.
8. Did you suffer illness or injury?
This year marked a pretty intense struggle with psoriasis. I'm now waiting to hear whether my insurance will allow me to have a UV wand at home so I can treat it without steriods.
9. What was the best thing you bought?
I have really been enjoying my new g2 phone for the last month. I feel a little disloyal to my dear old Sidekick, but wow... the whole apps concept has been amazing!
10. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Clayton went through some rough times this year, and he handled it all with grace and dignity, and a healthy dose of black humor. I'm really proud of all of my kids, but this year Clay chose to rise to the occasion. He's a pretty amazing young man, and I think he's got a couple of terrific years ahead of him.
11. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own, on several occasions.
12. Where did most of your money go?
Rent.
13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Helping the local unschoolers get a forum off the ground. I learned a lot about php and moderating discussion boards, and I'm glad I did it, but the project fizzled (curse you, FaceBook!). Otherwise, it's been a fairly low-ebb year for me, passion-wise.
14. What song[s] will always remind you of 2010?
"This is Halloween," the theme from "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Clay and Linc were both in a homeschoolers' stage production of that movie, and I heard that song for MONTHS.
15. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? thinner or fatter? richer or poorer?
I think I'm happier... at least, it feels like I've managed to dampen down the sadness and stress from 2009. I think I'm the same size weight-wise... I've finally found a Nia class close by, but so far it's only once a week, and with holidays and illness, I haven't been in over a month! But in general, I feel like I'm a fairly healthy person. Financially, we are slowly paying down the monster debt we racked up with the foreclosure and move... so while we don't have any more liquid assets to be playing around with on a day-to-day basis, the cloud over our heads is a little less dark.
16. What do you wish you'd done more of?
We hardly juggled at all. I only went to a couple of Nia sessions. I know I feel better when I bike, walk, and move around more, but it's been a monumental effort even to get out the door. We were doing evening walks with Linc before bed pretty often in the summer and fall, but I'm very nervous about ice and don't do it in the winter (although it was actually warm and muggy out yesterday, so we did go out last night!).
17. What do you wish you'd done less of?
FaceBook.
18. How will you be spending New Year's Day?
A friend asked me to spend the night at her house so she and her husband could go out and celebrate their anniversary. They have a big-ass tub, so I plan to knock out the kids as fast as possible and empty their hot-water tank.
19. Did you fall in love in 2010?
I think I had a few mama-crushes, and they've all developed into lovely warm friendships.
20. How many one-night stands?
None this year, but there was an offer or two, which is always nice.
21. What was your favorite TV program?
"Avatar: The Last Airbender."
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
23. Do you like anyone now that you hated this time last year?
I try really hard not to get to a place of hatred... while I'm certainly no Dalai Lama, the more I practice compassion, the more I can hope to forgive myself for my own shortcomings.
24. What was the best book you read?
This year, I worked on reading more (after a struggle with my eyeglass prescription, I've settled on a good pair of bifocals). To that end, I've been a regular patron of our local library. While I don't always finish each book I check out, I do give them a go and have definitely increased my intake of both fiction and nonfiction. I think the best fiction I read was Paolo Bacigalupi's "Windup Girl," with Clay's favorite book, Patrick Rothfuss's "The Name of the Wind" as a second (the fact that I got to meet and hang out with Patrick at WisCon this year probably helped!). In nonfiction, I really enjoyed Richard Wrangham's "Catching Fire," and "The Book of the Dead: Lives of the Justly Famous and the Undeservedly Obscure" by John Mitchinson and John Lloyd (even though I didn't finish either of them).
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
"Everything's Easy," by Girlyman. Every time I hear this song, my eyes well up, I get shivers, and I know it still has more to teach me.
26. What did you want and get?
The g2 (which was also a new GPS), a really nifty set of Christmas lights, lots of beach time, visits with each of my kids and my dad and my sister, to feel more at peace with my body, a local source of hot Italian sausage, a way to do Nia again, blooms on my Christmas cactus, a camera, another year with my good dog.
27. What did you want and not get?
All four of my kids together, a really good stainless steel (not non-stick) sauté pan, a local source of peppered bacon, replies to my hand-written letters, to get a garden in, a long road trip, a visit to Seattle, something knitted for me by me, a part-time job, more wedding braids, a regular singing group, to get all those boxes sorted and emptied, a regular yoga/meditation/writing practice, a hot tub.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
"The Secret of Kells" was pretty awesome. My memory is short... I can't really remember anything else. Did we even see a movie in the theater this year? "Toy Story 3" is all that comes to mind (but it was great).
29. What did you do on your birthday?
I got a trip to WisCon! Bill made me chocolate croissants, too.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Sometimes getting what you want doesn't always mean you'll be happy when you get it... but I still cling to a tiny hope that Bill will suddenly get an offer from a Northern California or Seattle university. Still... this year was very good to us, and I need to stay aware of that fact instead of wishing for other things.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Um. Same as the last three decades: if it's comfortable and keeps me from getting arrested, I'll wear it. I did pick up a Burt's Bees lip balm with a tiny bit of color in it, does that sound like big news?
32. What kept you sane?
My fantastic husband, and his unwavering commitment to keeping Bob (our relationship) healthy and happy.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
It's funny that my daughter picked Stephen Fry, because my immediate thought went to Hugh Laurie (his old comedy partner). I think it was his incredible portrayal of the flawed and fabulous Gregory House, as well as his candid attitude towards his own depression, that did it for me. I'd honestly be quite happy with either, though. (Tim Minchin is right up there, too.)
34. Who did you miss?
I find myself still regularly missing
jillcook and tara_doula, as well as a handful of my other KC friends... it takes time to get to that comfortable, let-your-hair-down phase of a friendship, and while I know my Chicago folks will get there, I feel like I finally had a few friends like that in KC and then had to leave them. I didn't get to visit my dear friend Caren this year at all, and I feel bad about that because she donated a kidney to her husband and I wasn't able to be any support to them whatsoever. I didn't get to Seattle, either, so I haven't yet met 's new little guy, or seen Q or Hollie or Heidi or Saska this year at all. I still miss my mom, too.
35. Who was the best new person you met?
Several of the local unschoolers have gone out of their way to welcome me into the fold: Lori, Linda, Kim, Sandra, Erin... thank you for your kindness and your friendship! Also,
elisem had a pretty profound effect on me, as a writer and artist... I stayed with her prior to WisCon, and wish I lived closer so I could see her more often.36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
It's a lesson I've been working on for a long time, and I still might have to get a few refreshers, but this year I was reminded of the power of "no." I've wanted to add a lot of activities to my life, and I've tried out a bunch of different things, but I've mostly had to set them aside for one reason or another. Being able to trim away things that aren't working for me is hard; I often feel an obligation to something once I start it that can be hard to sever (and it's usually a self-imposed obligation). So it's something I still grapple with.
OK, 2011... bring it ON!
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I adore that Girlyman song.
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