New Year's Meme 2015/2016
I meant to do this weeks ago but, well, vertigo and computers was a really bad combo, so I'm finally getting to my annual New Year's Questionnaire!
☆ What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before?
Worked as a ML for NaNoWriMo, joined a writing critique group, drove up the Oregon Coast.
☆ Did you keep your new years resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Well, I didn't self-pub anything. And Paleo kind of fizzled out after the first half of the year. :\ But I plan on giving both of those another go!
☆ Did anyone close to you give birth?
One of my coworkers had a daughter.
☆ Did anyone close to you die?
It's not 2015 anymore, but my aunt just passed away. :(
☆ What countries did you visit?
I wish I'd gotten out of country again this year!
☆ What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
More time to work on my hobbies, and less overtime at work! A published work!
☆ What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
This year kind of went by in a big blur, so maybe I'll just go with the days in January where I got suuuper stomach flu while I was at my brother's place.
☆ What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably successfully running a NaNoWriMo region.
☆ What was your biggest failure?
Not finishing How to Think Sidways for the third year! Not sticking with Paleo as well as I should have.
☆ Did you suffer illness or injury?
More like extreme exhaustion/continual tiredness.
☆ What was the best thing you bought?
I definitely loved the Integrity Toys convention items I picked up.
☆ Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My coworkers for bearing through being super understaffed for a year and a half.
☆ Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The management at work for leaving us understaffed for over a year. Seriously, it's appalling.
☆ Where did most of your money go?
I'm going to say figures and other toys, but also a couple of nice trips like Anime Expo and Oregon.
☆ What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Binging my way through the first three seasons of Glee. Seriously some of the most addictive and fun television I've ever seen!
☆ What song will always remind you of 2015?
Not sure if one song in particular, but I listened to TONS of remastered Jem and the Holograms music, plus the soundtrack to Monster High: Boo York Boo York.
☆ Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?: unknown. I have some positives in my life like my writing critique group, but I'm really dissatisfied with my job
ii. thinner or fatter?: fatter - too much holiday indulgence, and not enough time spent on Paleo in 2015
iii. richer or poorer?: poorer (way too many toys and books)
☆ What do you wish you'd done more of?
Write more often. Start drawing again. Get to the gym more regularly. Get on a regular sleep pattern.
☆ What do you wish you'd done less of?
Wasting time on the internet. Buying toys.
☆ How did you spend Christmas?
I had off December 25th-30th. It's seriously the most time I've had off around Christmas in years, and it was wonderful. Still, I missed the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, so that was still kind of sad. :[
☆ Did you fall in love in 2015?
I learned a powerful lesson in self-love and learning to not hate yourself.
☆ How many one-night stands?
Haha. NONE.
☆ What was your favorite TV programme?
Well, I did binge my way through three seasons of Glee in a few weeks! But my favorite ongoing program on TV is, as always, Downton Abbey.
☆ Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Donald Trump?
☆ What was the best book you read?
Probably One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva or Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray. Both great YA titles!
☆ What was your greatest musical discovery?
It's not new to me, but I totally fell back in love with the Jem and the Holograms songs.
☆ What did you want and get?
A new Star Wars movie! A Jewel Riders website!
☆ What did you want and not get?
To finally publish something on Amazon.
☆ What was your favorite film of this year?
Inside Out, hands down. But other favorites included the live action Cinderalla and Jupiter Ascending.
☆ What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Got my hair dyed blue, had a nice dinner out, and went to see the Jem & the Holograms movie. Pretty nice for my 30th birthday.
☆ What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Actually publishing something and/or sticking to my Paleo diet.
☆ How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Business casual + jeans?
☆ What kept you sane?
Reading, writing, good shows/movies to watch. Talking to my family on the phone/trips to see them.
☆ Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Carrie Fisher, OMG. I cried a little when I saw her back in character as Princess Leia and laughed at all her crazy antics on the talk shows.
☆ What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay Marriage. I'm so pleased that it finally became legal in all 50 states this year.
☆ Who did you miss?
The family. Being far away from all of them still sucks.
☆ Who was the best new person you met?
Maybe my new coworkers Julie & Olivia? It's nice to have more young pharmacists around.
☆ Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015:
How not being honest with yourself about who you are and what you want in life, and following others' dreams and not your own is so, so damaging.
☆ Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Because we all, we all are shooting stars
I am the light in the dark
For everyone of you there is a song
From outer space above to your hearts
When you hold your head up high
And look up into the night
I'm falling out of the sky!
I'm falling out of the sky!
'Cause we are shooting stars
Light it up, be who you are!
'Cause we are shooting stars
Light it up, be who you are, who you are!
[Gods, I love the Monster High Boo York songs!]
In 2016...
☆ Will you be looking for a new job?
Yes. I just need to clean up my resume and start sending out apps. I'll probably do that after my February trip.
☆ Will you be looking for a new relationship?
Who knows?
☆ New house?
Perhaps. Depends on how long I'll stay in Redding.
☆ What will you do different in 2016?
Hopefully get to the gym on a regular basis and make writing a regular thing!
☆ New Years resolution?
To continue my writing. I want to work my way through Holly Lisle's "How to Think Sideways" and self-publish at least one thing per quarter by year's end.
☆ What will you not be doing in 2016?
Hopefully buying as many toys. I'm feeling something close to total burnout in that corner.
☆ Any trips planned?
I've got a roadtrip in the works for my childhood BFF's 30th birthday, but beyond that nothing. Hopeuflly I can get down to Anime Expo too.
☆ Wedding plans?
I'm going to be a groomsman in a friend's wedding in May.
☆ What's on your calendar?
Publishing something (probably a flash fiction collection) by the end of the first quarter.
☆ What can't you wait for?
To take a few weeks off! XD
☆ What would you like to see happen different?
See my family and friends more often. Get out more in Redding. Publish.
☆ What about yourself will you be changing?
Hopefully my weight. (Restarting Paleo in February!)
☆ What happened in '15 that you didn't think would ever happen?
Me actually being a ML for NaNoWriMo. A sequel to Return of the Jedi coming out.
☆ Will you be nicer to the people you care about?
Hopefully. I never try to be mean. :]
☆ Will you dress differently this year than you did in '15?
Hopefully I'll dress better. Losing more weight = new clothing racks opening up.
☆ Will you start or quit drinking?
Drinking has never really been my thing.
☆ Will you better your relationship with your family?
I hope so. I hope for more honesty between us.
☆ Will you do charity work?
That would be nice.
☆ Will you go to bars?
Unlikely.
☆ Will you be nice to people you don't know?
I'm pretty much ridiculously friendly to people at work. Killing em with kindness.
☆ Do you expect '16 to be a good year for you?
I definitely hope so!
☆ How much did you change from this time last year til now?
OMG weight gain. Time to dial back the cookies. XD
☆ Do you plan on having a child?
No, I just plan on spoiling my friends' kids.
☆ Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now?
I had better be. If we aren't then I'm epic fail at friendships.
☆ Major lifestyle changes?
Perhaps? Moving out of Redding could hopefully constitute one of those...
☆ Will you be moving?
Let's hope so! (For my sanity, lol!)
☆ What will you make sure doesn't happen in '16 that happened in '15?
Allowing my hard-won dietary changes to slip away again.
☆ What are your New Years Eve plans?
I work New Year's eve and day.
☆ Will you have someone to kiss at midnight?
Yeah no.
☆ One wish for '16?
That I can channel some of the energy that I have put into consumptive hobbies into more productive/creative endeavors. I took some good steps toward that in '15, but it needs to ramp up. :)
☆ What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before?
Worked as a ML for NaNoWriMo, joined a writing critique group, drove up the Oregon Coast.
☆ Did you keep your new years resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Well, I didn't self-pub anything. And Paleo kind of fizzled out after the first half of the year. :\ But I plan on giving both of those another go!
☆ Did anyone close to you give birth?
One of my coworkers had a daughter.
☆ Did anyone close to you die?
It's not 2015 anymore, but my aunt just passed away. :(
☆ What countries did you visit?
I wish I'd gotten out of country again this year!
☆ What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
More time to work on my hobbies, and less overtime at work! A published work!
☆ What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
This year kind of went by in a big blur, so maybe I'll just go with the days in January where I got suuuper stomach flu while I was at my brother's place.
☆ What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably successfully running a NaNoWriMo region.
☆ What was your biggest failure?
Not finishing How to Think Sidways for the third year! Not sticking with Paleo as well as I should have.
☆ Did you suffer illness or injury?
More like extreme exhaustion/continual tiredness.
☆ What was the best thing you bought?
I definitely loved the Integrity Toys convention items I picked up.
☆ Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My coworkers for bearing through being super understaffed for a year and a half.
☆ Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The management at work for leaving us understaffed for over a year. Seriously, it's appalling.
☆ Where did most of your money go?
I'm going to say figures and other toys, but also a couple of nice trips like Anime Expo and Oregon.
☆ What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Binging my way through the first three seasons of Glee. Seriously some of the most addictive and fun television I've ever seen!
☆ What song will always remind you of 2015?
Not sure if one song in particular, but I listened to TONS of remastered Jem and the Holograms music, plus the soundtrack to Monster High: Boo York Boo York.
☆ Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?: unknown. I have some positives in my life like my writing critique group, but I'm really dissatisfied with my job
ii. thinner or fatter?: fatter - too much holiday indulgence, and not enough time spent on Paleo in 2015
iii. richer or poorer?: poorer (way too many toys and books)
☆ What do you wish you'd done more of?
Write more often. Start drawing again. Get to the gym more regularly. Get on a regular sleep pattern.
☆ What do you wish you'd done less of?
Wasting time on the internet. Buying toys.
☆ How did you spend Christmas?
I had off December 25th-30th. It's seriously the most time I've had off around Christmas in years, and it was wonderful. Still, I missed the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, so that was still kind of sad. :[
☆ Did you fall in love in 2015?
I learned a powerful lesson in self-love and learning to not hate yourself.
☆ How many one-night stands?
Haha. NONE.
☆ What was your favorite TV programme?
Well, I did binge my way through three seasons of Glee in a few weeks! But my favorite ongoing program on TV is, as always, Downton Abbey.
☆ Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Donald Trump?
☆ What was the best book you read?
Probably One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva or Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray. Both great YA titles!
☆ What was your greatest musical discovery?
It's not new to me, but I totally fell back in love with the Jem and the Holograms songs.
☆ What did you want and get?
A new Star Wars movie! A Jewel Riders website!
☆ What did you want and not get?
To finally publish something on Amazon.
☆ What was your favorite film of this year?
Inside Out, hands down. But other favorites included the live action Cinderalla and Jupiter Ascending.
☆ What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Got my hair dyed blue, had a nice dinner out, and went to see the Jem & the Holograms movie. Pretty nice for my 30th birthday.
☆ What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Actually publishing something and/or sticking to my Paleo diet.
☆ How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Business casual + jeans?
☆ What kept you sane?
Reading, writing, good shows/movies to watch. Talking to my family on the phone/trips to see them.
☆ Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Carrie Fisher, OMG. I cried a little when I saw her back in character as Princess Leia and laughed at all her crazy antics on the talk shows.
☆ What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay Marriage. I'm so pleased that it finally became legal in all 50 states this year.
☆ Who did you miss?
The family. Being far away from all of them still sucks.
☆ Who was the best new person you met?
Maybe my new coworkers Julie & Olivia? It's nice to have more young pharmacists around.
☆ Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015:
How not being honest with yourself about who you are and what you want in life, and following others' dreams and not your own is so, so damaging.
☆ Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Because we all, we all are shooting stars
I am the light in the dark
For everyone of you there is a song
From outer space above to your hearts
When you hold your head up high
And look up into the night
I'm falling out of the sky!
I'm falling out of the sky!
'Cause we are shooting stars
Light it up, be who you are!
'Cause we are shooting stars
Light it up, be who you are, who you are!
[Gods, I love the Monster High Boo York songs!]
In 2016...
☆ Will you be looking for a new job?
Yes. I just need to clean up my resume and start sending out apps. I'll probably do that after my February trip.
☆ Will you be looking for a new relationship?
Who knows?
☆ New house?
Perhaps. Depends on how long I'll stay in Redding.
☆ What will you do different in 2016?
Hopefully get to the gym on a regular basis and make writing a regular thing!
☆ New Years resolution?
To continue my writing. I want to work my way through Holly Lisle's "How to Think Sideways" and self-publish at least one thing per quarter by year's end.
☆ What will you not be doing in 2016?
Hopefully buying as many toys. I'm feeling something close to total burnout in that corner.
☆ Any trips planned?
I've got a roadtrip in the works for my childhood BFF's 30th birthday, but beyond that nothing. Hopeuflly I can get down to Anime Expo too.
☆ Wedding plans?
I'm going to be a groomsman in a friend's wedding in May.
☆ What's on your calendar?
Publishing something (probably a flash fiction collection) by the end of the first quarter.
☆ What can't you wait for?
To take a few weeks off! XD
☆ What would you like to see happen different?
See my family and friends more often. Get out more in Redding. Publish.
☆ What about yourself will you be changing?
Hopefully my weight. (Restarting Paleo in February!)
☆ What happened in '15 that you didn't think would ever happen?
Me actually being a ML for NaNoWriMo. A sequel to Return of the Jedi coming out.
☆ Will you be nicer to the people you care about?
Hopefully. I never try to be mean. :]
☆ Will you dress differently this year than you did in '15?
Hopefully I'll dress better. Losing more weight = new clothing racks opening up.
☆ Will you start or quit drinking?
Drinking has never really been my thing.
☆ Will you better your relationship with your family?
I hope so. I hope for more honesty between us.
☆ Will you do charity work?
That would be nice.
☆ Will you go to bars?
Unlikely.
☆ Will you be nice to people you don't know?
I'm pretty much ridiculously friendly to people at work. Killing em with kindness.
☆ Do you expect '16 to be a good year for you?
I definitely hope so!
☆ How much did you change from this time last year til now?
OMG weight gain. Time to dial back the cookies. XD
☆ Do you plan on having a child?
No, I just plan on spoiling my friends' kids.
☆ Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now?
I had better be. If we aren't then I'm epic fail at friendships.
☆ Major lifestyle changes?
Perhaps? Moving out of Redding could hopefully constitute one of those...
☆ Will you be moving?
Let's hope so! (For my sanity, lol!)
☆ What will you make sure doesn't happen in '16 that happened in '15?
Allowing my hard-won dietary changes to slip away again.
☆ What are your New Years Eve plans?
I work New Year's eve and day.
☆ Will you have someone to kiss at midnight?
Yeah no.
☆ One wish for '16?
That I can channel some of the energy that I have put into consumptive hobbies into more productive/creative endeavors. I took some good steps toward that in '15, but it needs to ramp up. :)