Don't look back

Borrowed this meme from Harriet; you can read her take on it here.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
I lined a wool skirt I sewed. That was ground-breaking for me, although certainly not earth-shattering to anyone else.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Not really a resolutions person so this question didn’t/doesn’t really apply.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes – our younger son and daughter-in-law welcomed their second son, third child in June this year. We’d gotten to go to the ultrasound where his gender was revealed and were pretty excited about getting to meet him.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
A woman I knew in high school died after a very lengthy struggle with cancer. I so admired Rona for making the choices that she did – she kept on with treatment, knowing that at best it would only prolong her life. She chose that route because she still had teen-aged sons at home. I’m not sure I could have done what she did. Her Facebook account hasn’t been shut down – it was her birthday recently and seeing the reminder made me sad. 

5. What countries did you visit?
Aside from several trips back and forth to Boston to tend to our condo that was for sale, we also went to Italy, Jamaica and England. Kent and I are now officially considered oddities here in Kansas. We’re the ones who fly off to Europe for a long weekend and we’ll do it again next year, too.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
I’d love to feel as though I have enough time to do everything my job entails. This is the first time in my life where I just don’t know that I will ever catch up and stay caught up.

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

• Last week of Jan/first week of February: we were in Jamaica when I got an email from my best friend who told me my next job had been posted and I'd better apply for it.
• Late April: the job was finally offered with a start date of May 14 . . . but the background check and drug screens weren’t completed for another full week.    
• May 1: found an apartment online, signed the lease with great trepidation (hadn’t yet gotten word about the background check and drug screen).
• May 3 in the afternoon: got the OK on the background check and drug screen. I started packing boxes the next morning. 
• May 9: we loaded up the truck and my car and drove two 12-hour days to Kansas City, getting there late on May 11.
• May 12: Movers unpacked our truck and we started unpacking boxes.
• May 14: First day at the new job. 
• June 15: Boston place went on the market the nano-second arbitration was completed on that blasted condo lawsuit.
• September 7: closed on the sale of our condo!
• November 24: heard from another trustee at the Boston condo that all the same BS has started up again and they are back in arbitration. We are so very happy to be done with all of that drama.
• Mid-November: bought a house in Kansas and we’ll move in there January 15.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting a cross country moved accomplished in five days. I knew I was good at organizing and moving but damn.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Boston wasn’t much of a success for me in terms of my career. I feel a little like I ran away.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Only my stupid lungs deciding that they are both delicate and diva-esque and do not want any particulate matter in them at all. I ended up having two pretty bad acute flare ups in 2012. It’s still keeping me from running which reeks.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Kent and I bought a serger, a huge upgrade over the one I’d bought previously. Although we haven’t yet had time to really get in there and use it, we are both looking forward to doing so in the new house.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? 
I remain so impressed with how both my sons are as husbands. It’s been an unexpected bonus of being a parent—I don’t know why I didn’t anticipate this part of parenting but I didn’t and I’m enjoying it.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Oh definitely mine. I remain a very impatient woman and will be struggling with that flaw for the rest of my life, I fear.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Moving and travel.

15. What did you get really excited about?
Coming back to Kansas City. I’m still awfully nomadic and I’m not sure I’ll ever truly settle down but it feels good to be here.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Ha – Call Me Maybe. What a catchy song!

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

• Happier or sadder? Happier – I’m employed and so is Kent. That’s just full of win.
• Thinner or fatter? Fatter; see above re my stupid lungs. I’m determined to be running again come warmer weather though. 
• Richer or poorer? Richer and not just in money.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Relaxing when I’m home with Kent. He says (and he’s right) that I pretty much have to leave town to relax. I don’t want to live that way.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Getting all worked up about the Ferals, the Nastys and the condo drama.

20. How did you spend Christmas? 
For the actual day, we were at home. We spent this last weekend in Tusla with Kent’s mother.

21. Did you fall in love in 2012? I’m sure this will sound corny but I cannot believe how lucky I am to be married to Kent. So yes, in a way, I keep falling in love with him all the time.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
I don’t really watch TV. We watched some movies on DVD, rewatched SGT: 1 and Stargate Atlantis but other than that, I’ve got nothing.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.

24. What was the best book you read?
Zone One by Colson Whitehead was quite good. Don’t be fooled by the zombie genre because it’s not at all typical for that kind of literature. In fact, it wasn’t zombie enough for my younger son.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Straight No Chaser caught my ear this holiday season, specifically their live version of The 12 Days of Christmas.

26. What did you want and get?
A job. Once the job was clearly not in Boston, I wanted to sell the condo without losing our shirts.

27. What did you want and not get?
Not a thing. I am very grateful.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Well I’d have to watch films to have a favorite.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 
Spent it in Jamaica again. I highly recommend going someplace warm if you live in a cold climate and have a birthday in February. I don’t know if we’ll be going there this year, mostly because we will have just moved into our new place.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Oh maybe if the job offer had come months earlier? Or if I hadn’t had to stop running due to no oxygen? Otherwise, I can’t think of anything.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Fewer separates of high quality and in colors/patterns that all go together and aren’t black.

32. What kept you sane?
Well running would have helped keep me more sane.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
They all seem pretty silly.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The TSA nonsense.

35. Who did you miss?
Once we left Boston, I really missed those friends.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I’ve met a lot of very interesting people through work but honestly we’re still trying to establish good friendship here with people who are not an hour’s drive away.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
I’ve always known that you usually have to ask for what you want. This year I started doing it.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Well I could go with the obvious “Kansas City, Kansas City here I come.” Or “Ch-ch-changes.” But I think I'll go with something from The Wizard of Oz:

You're out of the woods, You're out of the dark, You're out of the night.

Step into the sun, Step into the light.

Keep straight ahead for the most glorious place

On the Face of the Earth or the sky.

Hold onto your breath, Hold onto your heart, Hold onto your hope.

March up to the gate and bid it open.