(I'll be posting entries in reverse order for a few days...)

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?

Went to Phoenix. Got a Zipcar membership. DROVE ALONE. Learned some new skills at work. Decided to move at some point.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Here's last year's.
* Got a credit card: check.
* Got a smartphone: check.
* Learn to navigate: Obviously I am finally working on that one.
* Stay employed: check!

Will I make more? Yeah. Get a car, at least. Get used to driving and navigating on the freeway alone. Get to the point where I can get myself places in another town on time.

And optimally, get a new job and move. If I am up to swinging that, this year. If not, next year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No. An uncle of my uncle's died recently and he was a good egg, but I can't say we were close so much.

5. What countries did you visit?

None.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

A car. A new career or at least a new career idea. An adult life. A new adult life.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

January 8: apartment flooding.
August 31: going on a vision quest and deciding to move.
November 18: work drama.
December 11: Zipcar.
December 26-30: Disneyland vacation!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Driving alone without killing myself or other people. After that, getting myself to Arizona 'cause I was having doubts there.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not getting the job I applied for. Actually I don't feel so bad about that one so much as I do the recent driving issues, but that probably isn't so much a "failure" thing. But I'm mostly over it at this point. If I'm supposed to move on, getting that job would have enticed me to stay and been a pay cut, so...okay.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I had hand issues. Gulp.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Hm.... Zipcar membership? Trip to Arizona? That kind of thing.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

The ex-friends who returned briefly, and the one that returned more than that.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Ah...the work drama situation. And finding out that one ex-friend apparently just now kinda hates me for no discernible reason. What the hell?

14. Where did most of your money go?

Same stuff as always: crafts and books. Now trips and driving.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Getting new work at work. Mom having a boyfriend...well, briefly. Going on a trip and BEAD SHOPPING. Driving, though that's had ups and downs.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

"L.A." by Amy McDonald. I made a playlist of songs about Los Angeles this year and discovered that one. I like the uh...ambivalence of it, I suppose. Between dream chasing and not, between "I'm fine alone" and "I want to chase," stuff like that. Orianthi's "Now Or Never," for obvious reasons. Though that might apply more in 2012.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a. happier or sadder

A little happier overall, even if I have been driving stressed lately.

b. thinner or fatter

Probably a little fatter. Eh, whatever, I don't really care. Who wants to exercise a lot in December?

c. richer or poorer?

Probably slightly poorer/the same.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Driving.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Shopping. Sorta. I am just not good at restraint, dammit.

20. How will you be spending/did you spend Christmas?

With Mom at my apartment again.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?

Again, I don't think I am capable of doing this any more.

22. How many one-night stands?

YEAH, RIGHT.

23. What was your favorite TV program?

Parks and Recreation and Community. I am also enjoying Revenge and The Vampire Diaries. Still love Glee, but between my TV now deciding that Fox doesn't exist and Hulu refusing to post them for 8 days, I am forever behind on it and that is kind of buzzkilling a little. But unlike most people, I still like it for what it is.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Eh, not really.

25. What was the best book you read?

Okay, I'll link to every book over 4 stars on the booklog:

Naamah's Curse and Naamah's Blessing, One Salt Sea, Ghost Story, Hope Was Here, Welcome to Bordertown, Deadline, Soulless and Changeless (the entire series is good, though), and Cautionary Tales.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Tons and tons and tons of tacky-ass Christmas music. Tons of songs about Los Angeles. Actually, what I really should give the points to here is Clip Converter so I can find all kinds of stuff that wasn't professionally recorded and easily make it into mp3's. That and Live Binders are my favorite sites on the Internet for sheer usefulness these days.

27. What did you want and get?

Zipcar, to finally go to Arizona, some other stuff here and there. And especially to get to go on an actual vacation trip during my week off from work after Christmas. I've wanted to do that for bloody ever, and Mom sounds like she'd want to make it a tradition. So, woot!

28. What did you want and not get?

More opportunities to drive, especially "more opportunities to drive with someone that is not my mother."

29. What was your favorite film of this year?

Crazy, Stupid Love. Runners up: The Adjustment Bureau, The King's Speech. I saw a whopping 5 movies in theaters this year.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I celebrated an Easter birthday! Turned 33.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Getting more driving done, and getting to do double duty at work on a permanent basis. Oh well. Not under my control.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Tie-dye, or "giant walking color bomb." Same as usual.

33. What kept you sane?

I'm not sane.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Same as usual. I don't think I picked up anyone new...well, I have a certain admiration for Ron Swanson, but not like THAT. I'm not a Tammy.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

Protests.

36. Who did you miss?

My friend group. Elsa.

37. Who was the best new person you met?

I really like the corset instructor, even if I am not likely to see her much or at all after this year. But she's cool.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

I'm not sure how to answer this one. I'm still trying to get used to the life lesson of "Once you make a decision, things will start helping you along that path." And now I'm even less sure of that one any more.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

From the aforementioned "Now Or Never:"

Coz I'll be alright all I need is a sign
It's a long road
But I'm hoping things would just get better
Well I need to find
With everything on the line
I got to make a change
It's now or never

previous entry - next entry
archives - current entry