2014: the year in review
It's been a long year, hasn't it?
2014: the year in review
1. What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?
I made four and kept one. This was not a great year for success at resolutions.
Yes, I intend to make some for 2015. That post will be up later - probably after I get back to Colorado.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. I lost a good friend from childhood and two people that I worked with. Several other people that I am acquainted with lost people as well. This was a horrific year for death and loss.
Celebrity-wise, this year saw the passing of far, far too many, but two in particular had impact on my life: Robin Williams and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
5. What countries did you visit?
Northern Ireland.
6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
Getting through the madness that was home renovation.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not meeting my goals with regard to personal fitness.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing in particular worth mentioning here.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
In terms of the most important, home repair: foundation repair, new siding, and framing work.
In terms of the most enjoyable, travel: Belfast, Maine, Boston, and Washington DC.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I am sure there must be several, but what comes first to mind are the community of friends who gathered in Maine for a joyous wedding celebration.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Several members of police departments around the US. SCOTUS.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Home repair.
15. What did you get really, really excited about?
The wedding in Maine. Travel to Belfast. Submitting my first grant proposal - and the surprise mini-party my office threw me to celebrate same. Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2014?
i. happier or sadder? Sadder.
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same. I think. I hope.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer.
iv. older or wiser? Both, I hope.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Socializing. Writing. Running. Hiking in the mountains. Skiing. Mindfulness practice and meditation.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating. Spending time with the "black dog visiting."
20. How will you be spending New Year's Eve?
Watching movies with my dad while my mom sleeps in the next room.
21. Did you fall in love in 2014?
No. Although I did have a brief period of surprise infatuation.
22. What was the best concert you attended?
I'm not actually sure. Nothing stands out as memorable, anyway.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Of new TV shows (either completely new or new to me), my favorites were Outlander, Orange is the New Black, Scandal, and True Detective.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I try not to hate people. It is a tenet of my personal belief system.
25. What was the best book you read?
For fiction: the Glamourist History series, by Mary Robinette Kowal.
For nonfiction: Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nothing in particular this year. Maybe how much I actually like Taylor Swift.
27. What did you want and get?
An international trip. A house that did not, in fact, fall apart.
28. What did you want and not get?
A more active social life.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Seriously, did anyone have any doubt of this?
Other movies released in 2014 that I enjoyed include: Guardians of the Galaxy, Big Hero Six, Sharknado 2: The Second One, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 1), Snowpiercer, Veronica Mars, Divergent, Oculus, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Maleficient, and Ghostbusters (the 30th Anniversary Release). I did not see the latest Hobbit, and have not yet seen the Annie remake or Selma, although I intend to.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I don't remember. I was one year older than last year.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My house NOT making a determined effort to fall apart. (At least it failed.)
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
Still business casual at work, otherwise casual comfortable with jeans and boots.
33. What kept you sane?
This year I'm crediting video games.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Sticking with my definition of "fancy" as meaning "admire and wish to know," there were a few: Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Emma Watson, and Jennifer Lawrence were among them.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Women's health; criminal justice.
36. Who did you miss?
Too many people to name.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
1) JW, for reasons of necessity. [/cryptic]
2) John Darnielle.
3) John Scalzi.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.
You do you.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Midnight plus 1 minute, April 4th, 2014, when Captain America: The Winter Soldier began to play on the theater screen.
This entry was originally posted at http://silveraspen.dreamwidth.org/321317.html and mirrored to LJ. Please comment where you wish! (There are
comments currently posted at Dreamwidth.)
2014: the year in review
1. What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?
- Visited Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- Visited Maine.
- Had a scientific manuscript published with me as first author.
- Submitted my first grant proposal as principal investigator.
- Bought not 1, but 2 video game consoles (Wii and PS3), plus several games for them.
I made four and kept one. This was not a great year for success at resolutions.
Yes, I intend to make some for 2015. That post will be up later - probably after I get back to Colorado.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. I lost a good friend from childhood and two people that I worked with. Several other people that I am acquainted with lost people as well. This was a horrific year for death and loss.
Celebrity-wise, this year saw the passing of far, far too many, but two in particular had impact on my life: Robin Williams and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
5. What countries did you visit?
Northern Ireland.
6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
- At least one submission of original fiction to a publisher for consideration.
- An improved social life.
- January 7th, the day my friend Curt died.
- April 4th, the day The Winter Soldier finally hit American theaters.
Getting through the madness that was home renovation.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not meeting my goals with regard to personal fitness.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing in particular worth mentioning here.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
In terms of the most important, home repair: foundation repair, new siding, and framing work.
In terms of the most enjoyable, travel: Belfast, Maine, Boston, and Washington DC.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I am sure there must be several, but what comes first to mind are the community of friends who gathered in Maine for a joyous wedding celebration.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Several members of police departments around the US. SCOTUS.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Home repair.
15. What did you get really, really excited about?
The wedding in Maine. Travel to Belfast. Submitting my first grant proposal - and the surprise mini-party my office threw me to celebrate same. Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2014?
- The Winter Soldier soundtrack
- "Try" - Colbie Caillat
- "Try" - Pink
- "Hanging Tree" - Jennifer Lawrence
- "Counting Stars" - OneRepublic (yes, this was in 2013 too)
- "Hey You" - Pink Floyd
- "This Year" - The Mountain Goats
- "Let it Go" - Idina Menzel
- "Blank Space" - Taylor Swift
- "In Paradisum" - Maurice Duruflé
i. happier or sadder? Sadder.
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same. I think. I hope.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer.
iv. older or wiser? Both, I hope.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Socializing. Writing. Running. Hiking in the mountains. Skiing. Mindfulness practice and meditation.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating. Spending time with the "black dog visiting."
20. How will you be spending New Year's Eve?
Watching movies with my dad while my mom sleeps in the next room.
21. Did you fall in love in 2014?
No. Although I did have a brief period of surprise infatuation.
22. What was the best concert you attended?
I'm not actually sure. Nothing stands out as memorable, anyway.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Of new TV shows (either completely new or new to me), my favorites were Outlander, Orange is the New Black, Scandal, and True Detective.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I try not to hate people. It is a tenet of my personal belief system.
25. What was the best book you read?
For fiction: the Glamourist History series, by Mary Robinette Kowal.
For nonfiction: Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nothing in particular this year. Maybe how much I actually like Taylor Swift.
27. What did you want and get?
An international trip. A house that did not, in fact, fall apart.
28. What did you want and not get?
A more active social life.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Seriously, did anyone have any doubt of this?
Other movies released in 2014 that I enjoyed include: Guardians of the Galaxy, Big Hero Six, Sharknado 2: The Second One, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 1), Snowpiercer, Veronica Mars, Divergent, Oculus, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Maleficient, and Ghostbusters (the 30th Anniversary Release). I did not see the latest Hobbit, and have not yet seen the Annie remake or Selma, although I intend to.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I don't remember. I was one year older than last year.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My house NOT making a determined effort to fall apart. (At least it failed.)
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
Still business casual at work, otherwise casual comfortable with jeans and boots.
33. What kept you sane?
This year I'm crediting video games.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Sticking with my definition of "fancy" as meaning "admire and wish to know," there were a few: Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Emma Watson, and Jennifer Lawrence were among them.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Women's health; criminal justice.
36. Who did you miss?
Too many people to name.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
1) JW, for reasons of necessity. [/cryptic]
2) John Darnielle.
3) John Scalzi.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.
You do you.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
- "I am going to make it through this year / If it kills me." -- The Mountain Goats, "This Year"
- "Just because it burns / Doesn't mean you're gonna die" -- Pink, "Try"
- "You don't have to try so hard / You don't have to bend until you break" -- Colbie Caillat, "Try"
- "In paradisum deducant te angeli...." -- Durufle's Requiem
Midnight plus 1 minute, April 4th, 2014, when Captain America: The Winter Soldier began to play on the theater screen.
This entry was originally posted at http://silveraspen.dreamwidth.org/321317.html and mirrored to LJ. Please comment where you wish! (There are
comments currently posted at Dreamwidth.)