2012 In Review

2012 In Review

It's that time again! Looking back on 2012.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
I went tubing on the Skunk River, which was a lot of fun! I also went to a live orchestra performance for the first time. I ran a 5K!

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I probably didn't keep it, because it was probably to lose weight. Depression gets in the way of that. I'm sure I'll make more for next year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My best friend Jasmine brought her son home! That's close enough to giving birth.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Great Aunt Jan died in March. My kitty Miss Demeanor died in April. My dog Mischief died in October.

5. What countries did you visit?
I stayed in the US this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
A feeling of contentment and less stress. On a more mundane note, a patio herb garden.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?
Other than the dates that I lost my pets, Dan and I went on our first date on February 11^th.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Hmm. I guess maybe getting a place in my lab. It wasn't a huge achievement kind of year for me.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't think I had a major fail. I wish I had realized that a PhD track wasn't right for me earlier, but I guess that's it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Depression really sucked in the spring and messed me up. Other than a few minor knee/ankle injuries, nothing serious happened.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Well I got a 3DS for Christmas, but I think the best thing I bought was my second kitty Leo! He was 75 bucks well spent.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Not the US Congress, that's for sure.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Oh. Well, the US Congress.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Hunziker Property Management. Gotta pay the rent.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Meeting Dan! I was giddy with excitement.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
I don't think there really is one.

17. Compared to this time last year, you are:
Happier or sadder: About the same, actually.
Thinner or fatter: Fatter. Argh.
Richer or poorer: Richer for the moment. It's all sitting in savings.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercise. I have trouble getting myself to do it but afterward I feel so much better. I wish I could get over the hump of doing it easier.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stress eating. I feel so guilty afterward. And it doesn't help in the long run.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent Christmas at home with my family. I almost got trapped in Ames but I managed to get home in time. I would have been really pissed off if I hadn't made it.

21. What was your favorite month of 2012?
Oh hell, I don't know. August I guess? I moved to my townhouse so that was cool.

22. Did you fall in love in 2012?
I'm not sure I'd call it love quite yet, but I did meet Dan in February and we've been dating since then. And I'm very happy with him.

23. How many one-night stands?
None. I don't do one-night stands.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Ghost Hunters is still my guilty pleasure, along with Ghost Adventures. I also like Intervention.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.

26. What was the best book you read?
I just finished Treasure Island last week. It was really good! For a classic it's very easy to read and follow and it's just fun. Pirates are always awesome.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don't think I really had one this year. There's some random pop songs I liked but nothing amazing.

28. What did you want and get?
A Playstation 3, another kitty, and a 3DS. And a boyfriend!

29. What did you want and not get?
Confidence about my life path. Still not sure if I'm doing the right thing.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I haven't seen too many films this year in the theater. However, I have watched a lot of Hammer horror this year and those are awesome.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25. Dan and I went to Pine Lake State Park and then tried to find the Wildcat Cave. We never found the cave but we had a lot of fun and I got to spend the whole day with Dan. I also had a box from my parents that I opened.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being done with school. I am so over school. Two years to go...

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Pretty much the same as last year-more fancy than t-shirts, jeans, boots. I have to keep it simple since I work in a lab.

34. What kept you sane?
Spending time with Dan. I seriously would have had a hard time dealing without him.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Robert Downey Jr. Why not?

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I guess that would be the general issue of the Republican Party sucking major ass.

37. Who did you miss?
My parents, my grandparents, and my Michigan friends Jasmine and Eric.

38. Who were the best new people you met?
DAN!!! Easy question.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
I am not cut out for life in academia and would rather work in industry when I graduate. Better to figure that out now than later.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
One day I'm here, I'm on top of the world/And the next it's falling in on me/I can get back on, I can get back on-Far Cry, Rush

Christmas

So that stupid snow storm totally delayed me by a day so I didn't get to leave Ames until December 22. Once I left, everything was fine, but it was incredibly lame to lose a day because Ames can't freaking plow their roads properly. But I got home and it was all okay in the end. I got to spend Christmas with my parents, see my grandparents, and meet my nephew Jebriel for the first time! Christmas morning was with my parents and their kitties. Then on Christmas afternoon we went to my grandparents' house and had dinner. My aunt Dani and my cousin Jessica were able to come too, which was cool. My parents and I went to the Detroit Art Institute to see their special Faberge exhibit. It was really neat to see that stuff up close, including six of the surviving fancy eggs. Then we went to the best used book store ever-John K King bookstore in Detroit. It's four stories and full of used and rare books. I found a first edition Ray Bradbury novel that was signed! And it only cost twenty bucks! I was so excited. That night we went out to eat with Granny and her new boyfriend. He's nice and that was cool, but it is still weird to think of my granny as having a boyfriend. The next day I was able to go see my best friend Jasmine and I met Jebriel for the first time. He wasn't home last year when I came home to visit.
It was a really good visit and I just wish I could have stayed longer. I hated having to leave. I always hate having to leave because I never know when I'll be able to come back. Since this year I don't have to move in the summer, I should be able to come home for a summer vacation. Then it won't be a whole year in between visits.

Snow Storm!

We got a huge snowstorm in Ames last night. It's the first real snow we've probably had in almost two years. Last winter was very mild. This was a storm nightmare! It was thundersnowing at one point. I had never seen thundersnow before. At first I thought a transformer had blown! Officially we got 10 inches of snow, and the wind is so gusty. The wind gusts are actually kind of scary sounding right now. But I still have power and heat so that's good. I'm stuck at home right now, which seems silly since work is three miles away, but my parking lot hasn't been plowed yet. I've been out once to shovel my sidewalk, and later I'll go out and try to dig out my spot and in front of my garage. I have no idea when the snowplows will come. Hopefully they will come soon. I'm supposed to leave for home tomorrow, and I really hope the roads and my lot are plowed so I can get out. I really don't want to be delayed.