The Yearly Meme, Year 9
Year 1: 2004
Year 2: 2005
Year 3: 2006
Year 4: 2007
Year 5: 2008
Year 6: 2009
Year 7: 2010
Year 8: 2011
This year: 2012
1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
Gave birth! Also, taught yoga professionally, and quit a job.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't have any resolutions, and it was definitely better that way. Although there are some things I'd like to get back to (for example, my monthly charitable donations, or just more yoga and writing time) I'm going to pass on resolutions for this year too.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Um, me. Also, Sarah Friend, Leilani, Erin, Diana, and a lot of other people. A lot.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no.
5. What countries did you visit?
We moved to Parenthood. Things are really different here.
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Honestly, I'm really pretty satisfied with my life right now, and the only things I would like, like more writing time, I'm not very likely to get. So I'll just say, tall brown riding boots, because they are so trendy right now and I can't find a pair.
7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 8 tops the charts.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
No epidural. Finding a new job was also pretty great, but it pales in comparison to pushing a new human into the world. Oh, and I published a book, which would have been the ranking achievement had it happened in any other year.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I failed (and continue to fail) to recognize what an awesome job I did at being pregnant and giving birth. I keep looking back with all these regrets that are totally unnecessary, because I did a great job and I have a healthy amazing kid.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
See above RE giving birth. Thankfully my episiotomy was the worst injury I suffered.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I bought two really great dresses in the past couple months. Really psyched about them both. The baby video monitor is probably the coolest thing we own. Today I bought a shiny silver deer head to hang on the wall.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mine, because I did a great job at giving birth. (We're going to keep emphasizing that.) Fritz's, because he was so incredibly supportive and was by my side for the whole event, and because he is such a truly wonderful dad. I'm amazed by him daily. My mom's, because she stayed by my side too and was right there when the Freyster arrived and it wasn't weird at all.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mine, because I keep bringing myself down, and also mine, because I feel like we should be doing more to help F's parents be involved in Freya's life and I feel terribly about that.
14. Where did most of your money go?
See above RE baby. Also, we're doing some minor shit to the house. Five new windows will be installed in January but we paid half up front. Oh, and IKEA. Jesus, did we spend a lot of money at IKEA. We haven't been back since the baby was born.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Baby!
16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Sweater Weather, by The Neighbourhood, is my new favorite song. But the obvious answer is Gotye's Somebody I Used To Know, which was everywhere this year.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Hard to say. I think I'm happier, because I have this wonderful family now, and I actually like my job, but a year ago I had just finished teacher training and I was in a really good spiritual and emotional place. I'll go with now.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner. OMG breastfeeding.
c) richer or poorer? Richer, due to careful planning and saving, a decent raise when F got promoted last winter, and a slight raise when I changed jobs this fall.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Appreciating things.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about things.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent Christmas at our house. My parents came down for the day. We opened presents with the baby and she really liked all the wrapping paper. We had A Christmas Story on TV on loop so we were watching it all day. We had breakfast for dinner: frittatas and baked french toast. I had a piece of bacon for the first time in over a year and a half and unfortunately it tasted amazing. I had a really bad cold.
21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
This answer is always the same now: I fall in love more and more every day.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Doctor Who. I also can't get enough of Friday Night Lights.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
A lot of rereads this year. I really loved The Night Circus, by Erin Morganstern, but F and I read Moby-Dick aloud to each other and so that has to be the best book.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I found the Al Alberts Summer Sing-A-Long CD in a gift shop in Cape May. That was literally the best musical discovery, because it reminded me so much of my grandma.
27. What did you want and get?
A healthy baby and a new job. Black shoes, a new warm coat, new rain boots. I seriously have no complaints.
28. What did you want and not get?
A new professional work bag, and tall brown riding boots.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I think Away We Go might be my favorite. We watched some good movies, though. The remake of True Grit was really great as well.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 33. I spent a quiet day with my daughter and my husband. My parents came over and we ordered food in, then that night we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. It was a really great day.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Seriously, nothing. It was a great year.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
I wore whatever shit I found that even vaguely fit.
33. What kept you sane?
F, as always. Even more so this year than ever before. Also, my freakin' insane love for my child.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Matt Smith? I don't know. Oh, wait, I know, Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights!
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election, obviously, because so much crap happened that was related to the election. All the women's rights and pro-choice issues were really infuriating. But honestly I tried to avoid everything political, because it just upset me, and I didn't want to be upset around the baby.
36. Who did you miss?
My grandma. A lot. She would love Freyfrey so much.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
My daughter, of course. She's the awesomest little person I know. But for runners-up I'll list my new coworkers, Betsy, Annette, Dawn, Maria, Kate, Zach, Dan, and Patrick.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
If she wasn't breathing, she'd be blue.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
F composed a catchy little ditty called "Everything's Okay Now, Freya" and I had one about how my baby needs a clean bottom so we're going to wipe it off, but probably my favorite was the one F did about how "the wombat's mom goes wom, wom, wom". It was really soothing. None of those were exactly chart-toppers, but they sum up my year pretty well.
Year 2: 2005
Year 3: 2006
Year 4: 2007
Year 5: 2008
Year 6: 2009
Year 7: 2010
Year 8: 2011
This year: 2012
1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
Gave birth! Also, taught yoga professionally, and quit a job.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't have any resolutions, and it was definitely better that way. Although there are some things I'd like to get back to (for example, my monthly charitable donations, or just more yoga and writing time) I'm going to pass on resolutions for this year too.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Um, me. Also, Sarah Friend, Leilani, Erin, Diana, and a lot of other people. A lot.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no.
5. What countries did you visit?
We moved to Parenthood. Things are really different here.
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Honestly, I'm really pretty satisfied with my life right now, and the only things I would like, like more writing time, I'm not very likely to get. So I'll just say, tall brown riding boots, because they are so trendy right now and I can't find a pair.
7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 8 tops the charts.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
No epidural. Finding a new job was also pretty great, but it pales in comparison to pushing a new human into the world. Oh, and I published a book, which would have been the ranking achievement had it happened in any other year.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I failed (and continue to fail) to recognize what an awesome job I did at being pregnant and giving birth. I keep looking back with all these regrets that are totally unnecessary, because I did a great job and I have a healthy amazing kid.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
See above RE giving birth. Thankfully my episiotomy was the worst injury I suffered.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I bought two really great dresses in the past couple months. Really psyched about them both. The baby video monitor is probably the coolest thing we own. Today I bought a shiny silver deer head to hang on the wall.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mine, because I did a great job at giving birth. (We're going to keep emphasizing that.) Fritz's, because he was so incredibly supportive and was by my side for the whole event, and because he is such a truly wonderful dad. I'm amazed by him daily. My mom's, because she stayed by my side too and was right there when the Freyster arrived and it wasn't weird at all.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mine, because I keep bringing myself down, and also mine, because I feel like we should be doing more to help F's parents be involved in Freya's life and I feel terribly about that.
14. Where did most of your money go?
See above RE baby. Also, we're doing some minor shit to the house. Five new windows will be installed in January but we paid half up front. Oh, and IKEA. Jesus, did we spend a lot of money at IKEA. We haven't been back since the baby was born.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Baby!
16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Sweater Weather, by The Neighbourhood, is my new favorite song. But the obvious answer is Gotye's Somebody I Used To Know, which was everywhere this year.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Hard to say. I think I'm happier, because I have this wonderful family now, and I actually like my job, but a year ago I had just finished teacher training and I was in a really good spiritual and emotional place. I'll go with now.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner. OMG breastfeeding.
c) richer or poorer? Richer, due to careful planning and saving, a decent raise when F got promoted last winter, and a slight raise when I changed jobs this fall.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Appreciating things.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about things.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent Christmas at our house. My parents came down for the day. We opened presents with the baby and she really liked all the wrapping paper. We had A Christmas Story on TV on loop so we were watching it all day. We had breakfast for dinner: frittatas and baked french toast. I had a piece of bacon for the first time in over a year and a half and unfortunately it tasted amazing. I had a really bad cold.
21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
This answer is always the same now: I fall in love more and more every day.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Doctor Who. I also can't get enough of Friday Night Lights.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
A lot of rereads this year. I really loved The Night Circus, by Erin Morganstern, but F and I read Moby-Dick aloud to each other and so that has to be the best book.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I found the Al Alberts Summer Sing-A-Long CD in a gift shop in Cape May. That was literally the best musical discovery, because it reminded me so much of my grandma.
27. What did you want and get?
A healthy baby and a new job. Black shoes, a new warm coat, new rain boots. I seriously have no complaints.
28. What did you want and not get?
A new professional work bag, and tall brown riding boots.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I think Away We Go might be my favorite. We watched some good movies, though. The remake of True Grit was really great as well.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 33. I spent a quiet day with my daughter and my husband. My parents came over and we ordered food in, then that night we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. It was a really great day.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Seriously, nothing. It was a great year.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
I wore whatever shit I found that even vaguely fit.
33. What kept you sane?
F, as always. Even more so this year than ever before. Also, my freakin' insane love for my child.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Matt Smith? I don't know. Oh, wait, I know, Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights!
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election, obviously, because so much crap happened that was related to the election. All the women's rights and pro-choice issues were really infuriating. But honestly I tried to avoid everything political, because it just upset me, and I didn't want to be upset around the baby.
36. Who did you miss?
My grandma. A lot. She would love Freyfrey so much.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
My daughter, of course. She's the awesomest little person I know. But for runners-up I'll list my new coworkers, Betsy, Annette, Dawn, Maria, Kate, Zach, Dan, and Patrick.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
If she wasn't breathing, she'd be blue.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
F composed a catchy little ditty called "Everything's Okay Now, Freya" and I had one about how my baby needs a clean bottom so we're going to wipe it off, but probably my favorite was the one F did about how "the wombat's mom goes wom, wom, wom". It was really soothing. None of those were exactly chart-toppers, but they sum up my year pretty well.