Another Year End Meme I Stole From Kizz

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
Moved to Norman, Oklahoma, successfully planned and completed a cousin-family-vacation.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t make any resolutions really, and I don’t have a Life List like so many people that I know. But I usually start the year out with a refreshed outlook on health after a season of gluttony. This year my goal is to learn about my camera and use it, really USE IT! I want to become self sufficient on my blog and become a more self assured bike rider.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! PseudoSis 2 Maegen gave us Jeter Ryan, the O’Donoghues gave us RubeyJo, Tecla gave us Townsend and Stephanie at work gave us Jackson. Many more this year with several more already en route for 2014!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. We lost Mark’s brother in law Bobby and my stepmother Desta and sweet KikiMama. Fucking Cancer.

5. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
More time with my friends. My tribe. My people that know my heart. 2013 gave us glimpses, but my life was a center of change and those relationships took a hit. I want to reconnect with those that I love.

6. What countries did you visit?
I stayed in the US but traveled to New Mexico, Colorado, Texas and Arkansas. Looking forward to NYC with my Whores to see Hedwig this year, more time in Colorado in our trailer.

7. What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 5th, 2013 we brought Listen To Your Mother to Oklahoma for the first time, and raised well over $3000.00 in cash and diapers for Infant Crisis Services. May 20th, when tornados decimated the majority of my work district. July 6th, Ryan and Mandrea’s wedding, and November 16th, Maggie (PseudoSis 3) and Chris’ wedding that I was honored to officiate. October 15th, on which I officially passed my comps for school and drove to El Reno and hugged Audra on her birthday.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Graduating with my Masters in 20th and 21st Century Studies in Literature. Producing the first LTYM Show in Oklahoma. Celebrating one year with Mark. Becoming an Internet Minister and officiating two weddings.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not keeping in touch and spending enough quality time with my friends.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I fell a couple of times but no serious injury, normal allergies/sinus muck that took me out a few weeks but again, nothing life altering.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A hand-crafted teardrop travel trailer.

 

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Every Girl Scout from across the globe that sent a note of kindness to our girls in Oklahoma after the storms. Every state that passed marriage equality.Every person that volunteered some time out of their life to help another. Every person that gave help and service, without condition.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Every person that believes what they see online without researching and developing a thought on their own. Every person that LIKES one of those pages on FB that in reality, is being sold for commercial value. Our governor.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills, Food, Taxes, Recreation.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Cousinpalooza, Four Corners Festival and Pagosa Springs, moving to Norman.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
I’ll have to come back to this one. . .

 

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?  Happier
ii. thinner or fatter?  Fatter
iii. richer or poorer?  Tiny bit richer perhaps as I sold my house and paid off most of my debt.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Time with friends and family, performing ( I miss the stage) Traveling, riding my bike, being active physically.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying about things that really don’t matter, getting caught up in passive aggressive behavior, emotional eating and drinking.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent Christmas with both of our families this year. We went to Arkansas for the days before, and came home and served a meal for 13 people in Mark’s family that evening in our house. I’m in a cave-time mode right now. I have no desire to leave the house. I just want to be quite, watch tv, and nap until the new year.

21. There was no #21. I don’t know why there was no 21.
I copied this directly from Kizz’s blog. If she has no 21, then I have no 21.
22. Did you fall in love in 2013?
Over and over again with this man. It’s so sappy and gross, I know. But every time he gave up an entire weekend to produce a show for the community, or helped me bring in the groceries, or napped with one of my, our… his cats, my heart told me that this was the right place, the right man, the right relationship.

23. How many one-night stands?
Zero.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I didn’t do my normal TV intake this year. Just so much change. I did keep up with How I Met Your Mother. MichaelCoffman and I continued our love of watching tv together and ingested Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No hate. Life is too short.
26. What was the best book you read?
I’m just now starting to read for fun and pleasure again. I’ve got several on my list. First up is my first Neil Gaimen that Kizz sent to me, Ocean at the End of the Lane. I plan to start reading it today.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I loved John Fullbright, saw him several times this year, The Greencards, Sara Jarosz, The Giving Tree Band, Josh Ritter (who I haven’t seen yet) makes me really happy.

28. What did you want and get?
The opportunity to direct/produce Listen To Your Mother, a new job, a trailer, satellite radio, curtains for my office, a buyer for my house, a healthy year. Everything I wanted.

 

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Haven’t seen many of these either. Totally off my game. I saw several animated films with my nephew, and I can report that Frozen was delightful.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 43. I celebrated with a fabulous dinner with Audra and Joe and Mark, then some porch time at our house. It was the first time they had come down, the first time to the house. It was special.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Already knowing how to do my job. The learning curve was/is steep but I’m getting there. More time with friends.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Salon/Student+professional executive=mishmash with a side of soft pants.

34. What kept you sane?
My sister and stolen moments with her.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Of course my answer should be George Clooney. But this year really it was Kate Middleton. I love her.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Wendy Davis, the ridiculous war on reproductive rights, the education system and how our state superintendent has disgraced it, in my home state.

37. Who did you miss?
Trisha. Audra, Becky & Scott, Dion, Elizabeth, all friends out of state.

38. Who was the best new person you met? 

Reyne and my entire new work family.

39. Tell us a valuable lesson you learned in 2013: 

I learned that some relationships are finite. That there is an  expiration or an end-date…and learning to be ok with that.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

It would have to be from our song The Quiet Life, by Kasey Chambers and her *then/current? husband Shane Nicholson.  Mark and I sing this together. I want to record it sometime this next year along with a few others we’re learning. I’m posting the whole video because I love it so.

It’s been a crazy crazy crazy change-filled year full of joy and pain and surprises. I can’t wait to see what 2014 brings.