Previous meme from last year here. Posting early because I am not gonna have time later.

1. What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before?
* Went to a con alone. I have sadly made the decision that between EFT class and car repairs, I really shouldn't go again this coming year, wah, but... it was cool that I got to go.
* Won an award.
* Took an auto mechanics class, though I feel like I have forgotten most of it already (bummer).
* Got honorable mention in the state fair. Not to mention completed two difficult color knitting projects and had them come out well.
* Took an EFT/tapping class.
* Did a monologue in public.
* Made a ribbon lei and a real lei.
* Designed a mermaid tail.
* For once, I didn't get on jury duty.
* Finished and worked on insane holiday sweaters.
* Went to Dickens Fair.
* Got purple hair!

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

Last year's were:

(a) Force myself to look for a new job more, even if I don't actually get one,

Tried off and on throughout the year, didn't find much to apply for and never got any interviews. I am giving myself bonus points for applying, at least. So technically, did it.

(b) Look into acquiring more money somehow, either through the first resolution or by doing some sort of side work.

Didn't really do that one.

(c) Seriously, freaking work on my writing more. NaNoWriMo went really well, and I should do more of that.... Write an essay once a month (or edit one) and submit it to group.

I stopped doing this early on after coming to the conclusion that getting a lot of "this is what is wrong with that" feedback that I didn't know how to fix wasn't really helping me figure anything out or feel good. I think I'm just going to read others' works and not submit my own, really. Other than that, I did work on my monologue and liked the NaNo novel I did this year. But overall, I don't give myself credit for doing this one because I didn't write anything specific once a month after oh, February.

(d) Do.... something.... about my whopping case of acedia, depression, "meh," or whatever the hell it is that's going on with me.

Well, I took up EFT/tapping and got my hair dyed and kept going to therapy, but other than that, I don't think this problem is solved. I don't give myself a pass for it.

try not to become a hoarder, or at least clean up or get rid of things far more often. Like weekly.

Nope.

So, one out of five.

My one resolution for the year is that I need to stop spending money. I need to live a smaller life. Stop going to fun things where I will spend money. I really do need to do something about getting more money or drastically changing my living situation, but both of those seem nigh-impossible and it's highly unlikely that I'll get either of those done, so it's a waste of typing to claim I'll do any of that. So I need to shrink down. (Also see get rid of stuff commentary.)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Not this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die? One fellow I know died, but we weren't super close. It is a bummer, though.

5. What countries did you visit? None, as usual.

6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014? More money and a less stressful job where I don't serve the public. Also, a goal and a plan.

7. What dates from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Um.... apparently none of them specifically? Yesterday because of the hair? I think I'll remember the second half of the summer--July through September-- for being pretty active and memorable and full of good things like Hawaii and a gallery show.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Winning awards, having a gallery show, getting through auto mechanics class, managing to go nine months in a row without getting in whopping trouble at work again, going to a con by myself.

9. What was your biggest failure? Spending too much, making dumbass life choices, getting in whopping trouble at work early on in the year. I also can't seem to behave perfectly happy enough at work. I am tired of being complained about. I don't get complained about As Much as I used to be, but there's still nitpicking going on and it makes me hate myself.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I had a minor bout of mini-flu that was trying to give me another permacough, but I am happy to say that after five days of gym workouts, I got that thing to go the hell away.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Nothing really comes to mind specifically just now....I did enjoy shopping in Hawaii overall, but this wasn't a year where I went out and bought anything big, unless we count car repairs. Maybe the trip to the con counts?

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Um.... not sure? Nobody specifically comes to mind.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? People at work, particularly the guy who decided to stalk some of my coworkers for a few weeks. He got over it, thank god, but still.

14. Where did most of your money go? Car repairs and craft fairs.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Going to Hawaii twice in the same 365 days!

16. What song will always remind you of 2014? I seriously can't think of shit to answer to this one right now. Let It Go, I guess? It's everywhere.

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

a) happier or sadder? Sadder. I never answer this one with "happier," do I?

b) thinner or fatter? About the same.

c) richer or poorer? Poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Job hunting.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Whining.

20. How did you spend Christmas? In San Francisco.

21. Did you fall in love in 2014? Nope, and I never will again.

22. How many one-night stands? Yeah, RIGHT. Also, who actually answers this question?

23: What was your favorite TV program? Parks and Recreation.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don't think so.

25. What was the best book you read?

I didn't rank too many books with 5 stars this year, but the ones I did were Magic Breaks, The Wizard and the Witch and The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet.

Coming in right behind at 4.5 stars were The Winter Long, Half-off Ragnarok and The Passion of the Purple Plumeria.

Other books I'd like to plug were Paddle Your Own Canoe, Lock In and Scandals of Classic Hollywood.

New authors discovered this year that stood out (which is to say, I read all of their books in a year) were M.L. Brennan for Generation V, Iron Night and Tainted Blood, and Sarina Bowen for The Year We Fell Down, The Year We Hid Away, The Understatement Of The Year, and Falling From The Sky.

And I need to give a shoutout to this one even though I haven't finished it yet: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I'm not normally into fanfic, but this is pure alternate universe mindblowing shit, you guys. I'm doing chapter by chapter reviews starting here, I've written up 40 chapters, have read to about...chapter 67 or something now, and there's 102 to go on the webpage and he plans on finishing up at 120. Damn. It's hardcore.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Um.... again, nothing is coming to mind right now on this one. I don't really want to answer it with "trashy holiday music," but.... I pretty much agree with Todd in the Shadows that it wasn't a good year for music.

27. What did you want and get? I finished some awesome knitting projects, I had a gallery show, and I went back to Hawaii again!!!! I also got a replacement microwave (for free, hah) and TV and DVD player, the latter two for Christmas.

28. What did you want and not get? A goal, a plan, and a quieter, more lucrative job.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?

In Your Eyes, which I just bought AND is on Netflix now.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 36, and I think I just had a mini-party at the Craft Center again.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A more peaceful and lucrative job.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014? Same as usual. I don't really change styles much. I definitely wanted weirder colored hair....

33. What kept you sane? Alcohol and distraction.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I have stopped fancying anyone and don't think I ever will again. I'm over all of that hormonal boy/girl imaginary crap.

35. What political issue stirred you the most? The g@te that dare not speak its name for if you do, you will be doxxed and stalked, because how dare women exist. It's probably the thing that freaked me out the most all year. Probably followed up by the whole "an entire country can get a movie canceled, except never mind!" thing. We live in a creepy world and if I had the opportunity, I'd hop back in time a few decades and GTFO of here.

36. Who did you miss? Same people as usual.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Angelica, and the folks in my EFT class.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014. The most valuable lesson I learned this year was that I must be Perky and Cheerful At All Times at work, because the complaints roll in if I am not. I am downright nauseatingly perky when dealing with customers, but the sad thing is that they eat it up with a spoon. Or even a shovel. I learned that I can't be myself in this job, because if I'm even slightly less than full wattage (say, it's 8 a.m. and I feel sick), I get complained about.

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

"It's okay because I'm a loser anyway" and "Life is easy if you don't try to make it." --Nele Needs A Holiday, "Loser's Twist.

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