Lori’s Year In Review: 2013
Dec. 18th, 2013 11:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before? Chaired a full convention (Odyssey Con, Dorkstock is just a mini-convention that piggy-backs on Rock Con). Finished the first draft of a novel.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions (NYR), and will you make more for next year? I refer to NYRs as the Infinite Master To Do List, and yes, I made them. See the next blog entry for an accounting of what I’ve achieved in 2013 (it was a lot) and what I hope to achieve in 2014.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? A neighbor
4. Did anyone close to you die? My Auntie Ann (aunt by love); Pa Seitz, a father of several friends from elementary school (a Catholic, he had eight kids), and I camped at their family’s cabin a lot in my childhood.
5. What states or countries did you visit? Minnesota.
6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013? Same as last year: a winning lottery ticket for the jackpot, a better paying job, a finished novel, a human baby, a successful home-based business; not necessarily in that order.
7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 14, 2013: the day I finished the first draft of my first novel. July 15, 2013, when I finally left the Lower Circles of Hell that was DSPS. August 27, 2013, my awesome birthday in Minnesota.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finishing the first draft of my first novel.
9. What was your biggest failure? Not concentrating enough on my home-based business, nor finding a better-paying job, nor finishing my novel (yet), gaining back most of the weight I lost in 2012.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? The Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Clinical Depression will be challenges for the rest of my life, as will the epilepsy. Plus I pulled a muscle in my back in early September.
11. What was the best thing you bought? So far, the generic maps of towers and labyrinths from Scrying Eye Games and Paizo Publishing.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Patton Oswalt and Stephen Colbert, for their respective responses to the Boston Marathon bombings; President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party for finally showing they have a pair and not giving in to the Repugnican’ts temper tantrums just once.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Appalled: The Repugnican’ts who kow-towed to the NRA instead of voting based on the wishes of 92-95% of their constituents. The US Supreme Court (again) for their demolition of the Voter Rights Act. The Repugnican’ts, especially the Tea Party, for holding the government hostage because of Obamacare. Depressed: the management at the Department of Safety and Professional Services and the State of Wisconsin Legislature, Governor, and Capitol Police.
14. Where did most of your money go? Paying off debts, still.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Taking a seven-year-old boy to church festivals, Packers Family Night, Karate lessons, etc.
16. What song will always remind you of 2013? “This is the Moment” (Boyle/Osmond version) by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse, from the musical Jekyll & Hyde by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? About the same. I have moments of each, but now the happier times seem to be outweighing the sad.
b) thinner or fatter? Unfortunately, fatter. I gained back most of the 80# I lost in 2012.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer, of course.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Being creative, working on Delazan Enterprises.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Bitching about the Day Job.
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Eve: With the World’s Greatest In-Laws (mine!); Day: With the World’s Greatest Husband (mine!) and our critters; Boxing Day/my late mother’s birthday: with my siblings and their families (my one holiday concession to my side of the family).
21. With whom did you spend the most time on the phone? the Odyssey ConCom
22. Did you fall in love in 2013? Been in love with the same guy since 1989, and every day I love him more. Many days I truly am surprised that he still puts up with me. He still thinks he got the better end of the marriage deal; I know that I did.
23. How many one-night stands? Because I am monogamous in my marriage, I only have one night stands in my dreams and with the strangest people/fictional characters. See #35 for this year’s details.
24. What was your favorite TV program(s)? Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Castle on ABC, Grimm on NBC, and The Big Bang Theory on CBS. Monday (ESPN) and Thursday (NFL Network) Night Football, too, of course; Warehouse 13 on Sy Fy. Once Upon a Time on ABC and Arrow on CW both are okay. I still love to watch Jeopardy! (syndicated) and Too Cute! on Animal Planet (not to mention their Puppy Bowl alternative to the Super Bowl).
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? See #13.
26. What was the best book you read this year? Hounded by Kevin Hearne, Guest of Honor at Odyssey Con 2013, in fact his entire Iron Druid Chronicles series are excellent.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? More like a re-discovery: Summerfest.
28. What did you want and get? A child to love and take to summer festivals
29. What did you want and not get? See #6.
30. What was your favorite film of this year? Certainly not Iron Man 3, which was not up to par with 1 and 2, but Guy Pearce still is one helluva actor. Thor: the Dark World also was okay, better than the reviews. I guess my favorite movie this year was Doctor Who: Day of the Doctor, which I thought was brilliantly written for the show’s 50th anniversary, with intelligent ways to utilize time travel and actors from previous and future incarnations of The Doctor.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? See my journal entry for the day because it was one of the best birthdays ever thanks to the WGH. I turned 28 for the seventeenth time.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? See #6.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? Because I gained back a lot of the weight I lost, I decided not to make a bunch of new clothes; however, buying some (pants and sweaters) became necessary, so I did that with some of the money from the scholarly index I wrote in September.
34. What kept you sane? What is this “sanity” that you talk about? Although the WGH, the critters, my Best Friend Betsy RN MSN, the AoD, and especially the psychotropics do help. My psychotropic meds were adjusted this year for a very private reason, then upped because of the horrid Day Job. However, after I moved to DNR, my sanity did improve, even the WGH said so.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Even though I typically fancy fictional characters (Chris Hemsworth as Thor is a frequent deposit in my spank bank), I also have strange but erotic dreams involving Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory. I still drool over Clay Matthews III, B.J. Raji, Johnny Jolly, and A. J. Hawk of the Green Bay Packers. This year, the NFL has run a “What’s your football fantasy?” promotion, and I really couldn’t tell them that my football fantasy involves the Green Bay Packers defense and a very private hotel suite. ;) After the WGH gave me all six Star Wars movies on Blu-Ray for my birthday, Luke Skywalker, too (not necessarily Mark Hamill because he’s married, though I had a huge crush on Hamill when I was a kid).
36. What political issue stirred you the most? Protecting voter rights so we can restore the American Dream for the Middle Class.
37. Whom did you miss? My Grandma Lord
38. Who was the best new person you met? Mr. Cueball, my newest boss; and Cathy, the Secretary at my new department DNR.
1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before? Chaired a full convention (Odyssey Con, Dorkstock is just a mini-convention that piggy-backs on Rock Con). Finished the first draft of a novel.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions (NYR), and will you make more for next year? I refer to NYRs as the Infinite Master To Do List, and yes, I made them. See the next blog entry for an accounting of what I’ve achieved in 2013 (it was a lot) and what I hope to achieve in 2014.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? A neighbor
4. Did anyone close to you die? My Auntie Ann (aunt by love); Pa Seitz, a father of several friends from elementary school (a Catholic, he had eight kids), and I camped at their family’s cabin a lot in my childhood.
5. What states or countries did you visit? Minnesota.
6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013? Same as last year: a winning lottery ticket for the jackpot, a better paying job, a finished novel, a human baby, a successful home-based business; not necessarily in that order.
7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 14, 2013: the day I finished the first draft of my first novel. July 15, 2013, when I finally left the Lower Circles of Hell that was DSPS. August 27, 2013, my awesome birthday in Minnesota.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finishing the first draft of my first novel.
9. What was your biggest failure? Not concentrating enough on my home-based business, nor finding a better-paying job, nor finishing my novel (yet), gaining back most of the weight I lost in 2012.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? The Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Clinical Depression will be challenges for the rest of my life, as will the epilepsy. Plus I pulled a muscle in my back in early September.
11. What was the best thing you bought? So far, the generic maps of towers and labyrinths from Scrying Eye Games and Paizo Publishing.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Patton Oswalt and Stephen Colbert, for their respective responses to the Boston Marathon bombings; President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party for finally showing they have a pair and not giving in to the Repugnican’ts temper tantrums just once.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Appalled: The Repugnican’ts who kow-towed to the NRA instead of voting based on the wishes of 92-95% of their constituents. The US Supreme Court (again) for their demolition of the Voter Rights Act. The Repugnican’ts, especially the Tea Party, for holding the government hostage because of Obamacare. Depressed: the management at the Department of Safety and Professional Services and the State of Wisconsin Legislature, Governor, and Capitol Police.
14. Where did most of your money go? Paying off debts, still.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Taking a seven-year-old boy to church festivals, Packers Family Night, Karate lessons, etc.
16. What song will always remind you of 2013? “This is the Moment” (Boyle/Osmond version) by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse, from the musical Jekyll & Hyde by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? About the same. I have moments of each, but now the happier times seem to be outweighing the sad.
b) thinner or fatter? Unfortunately, fatter. I gained back most of the 80# I lost in 2012.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer, of course.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Being creative, working on Delazan Enterprises.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Bitching about the Day Job.
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Eve: With the World’s Greatest In-Laws (mine!); Day: With the World’s Greatest Husband (mine!) and our critters; Boxing Day/my late mother’s birthday: with my siblings and their families (my one holiday concession to my side of the family).
21. With whom did you spend the most time on the phone? the Odyssey ConCom
22. Did you fall in love in 2013? Been in love with the same guy since 1989, and every day I love him more. Many days I truly am surprised that he still puts up with me. He still thinks he got the better end of the marriage deal; I know that I did.
23. How many one-night stands? Because I am monogamous in my marriage, I only have one night stands in my dreams and with the strangest people/fictional characters. See #35 for this year’s details.
24. What was your favorite TV program(s)? Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Castle on ABC, Grimm on NBC, and The Big Bang Theory on CBS. Monday (ESPN) and Thursday (NFL Network) Night Football, too, of course; Warehouse 13 on Sy Fy. Once Upon a Time on ABC and Arrow on CW both are okay. I still love to watch Jeopardy! (syndicated) and Too Cute! on Animal Planet (not to mention their Puppy Bowl alternative to the Super Bowl).
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? See #13.
26. What was the best book you read this year? Hounded by Kevin Hearne, Guest of Honor at Odyssey Con 2013, in fact his entire Iron Druid Chronicles series are excellent.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? More like a re-discovery: Summerfest.
28. What did you want and get? A child to love and take to summer festivals
29. What did you want and not get? See #6.
30. What was your favorite film of this year? Certainly not Iron Man 3, which was not up to par with 1 and 2, but Guy Pearce still is one helluva actor. Thor: the Dark World also was okay, better than the reviews. I guess my favorite movie this year was Doctor Who: Day of the Doctor, which I thought was brilliantly written for the show’s 50th anniversary, with intelligent ways to utilize time travel and actors from previous and future incarnations of The Doctor.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? See my journal entry for the day because it was one of the best birthdays ever thanks to the WGH. I turned 28 for the seventeenth time.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? See #6.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? Because I gained back a lot of the weight I lost, I decided not to make a bunch of new clothes; however, buying some (pants and sweaters) became necessary, so I did that with some of the money from the scholarly index I wrote in September.
34. What kept you sane? What is this “sanity” that you talk about? Although the WGH, the critters, my Best Friend Betsy RN MSN, the AoD, and especially the psychotropics do help. My psychotropic meds were adjusted this year for a very private reason, then upped because of the horrid Day Job. However, after I moved to DNR, my sanity did improve, even the WGH said so.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Even though I typically fancy fictional characters (Chris Hemsworth as Thor is a frequent deposit in my spank bank), I also have strange but erotic dreams involving Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory. I still drool over Clay Matthews III, B.J. Raji, Johnny Jolly, and A. J. Hawk of the Green Bay Packers. This year, the NFL has run a “What’s your football fantasy?” promotion, and I really couldn’t tell them that my football fantasy involves the Green Bay Packers defense and a very private hotel suite. ;) After the WGH gave me all six Star Wars movies on Blu-Ray for my birthday, Luke Skywalker, too (not necessarily Mark Hamill because he’s married, though I had a huge crush on Hamill when I was a kid).
36. What political issue stirred you the most? Protecting voter rights so we can restore the American Dream for the Middle Class.
37. Whom did you miss? My Grandma Lord
38. Who was the best new person you met? Mr. Cueball, my newest boss; and Cathy, the Secretary at my new department DNR.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013: When it comes to parenting, I most certainly am not my mother. She was a bully to me. I prefer to find humor in most situations dealing with children, including and especially those in my care.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
This is the moment
This is the day
This is the moment when I know I'm on my way
Every endeavor I have made ever is coming into play
Is here and now today
See #16 above for details.
-----
This is the moment
This is the day
This is the moment when I know I'm on my way
Every endeavor I have made ever is coming into play
Is here and now today
See #16 above for details.
-----
First Blog Titles Month by Month 2013:
January: Thunderstorm on Monday; Rain on Tuesday; Snow on Wednesday
February: The Wit and Wisdom of the World’s Greatest Husband (WGH)
March: Due to being busy at both the Day Job and chairing Odyssey Con, I wrote no journal entries in March 2013.
April: I have a Duck of Doom AND a Duck of Gloom!
May: Maiden - ? - Crone
June: HRH M., Prince of Castle Curley
July: Wednesday, er, July Updates
August: Annual Review
September: Organized Football is Screwing Up Again
October: Curley Con 2013
November: Simplifying the End of 2013 Even More
December: I Hate December Reason #94
Blessed Be,
-Lori
January: Thunderstorm on Monday; Rain on Tuesday; Snow on Wednesday
February: The Wit and Wisdom of the World’s Greatest Husband (WGH)
March: Due to being busy at both the Day Job and chairing Odyssey Con, I wrote no journal entries in March 2013.
April: I have a Duck of Doom AND a Duck of Gloom!
May: Maiden - ? - Crone
June: HRH M., Prince of Castle Curley
July: Wednesday, er, July Updates
August: Annual Review
September: Organized Football is Screwing Up Again
October: Curley Con 2013
November: Simplifying the End of 2013 Even More
December: I Hate December Reason #94
Blessed Be,
-Lori
“I bombed bigger than North Korea.” – me, on my speech at the opening ceremonies of Odyssey Con this year
