2011 in Review

End of the Year Meme!

  1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before? 
Walked 16 km in one day. Screwed up my courage and got approved for a mortgage. Skyped with Kevin McKidd.

  2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions? 
Didn't make any.

  3. What will your New Year's resolutions be for next year? 
Not making any.

  4. Did anyone close to you give birth? 
Not very close - a coworker and a casual friend did.

  5. Did anyone close to you die? No, thank goodness.

  6. What countries did you visit?
 America! I went to California for the first time.

  7. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? My own home!

  8. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? 
October 13 - found out I have ovarian cysts and that my health needs further investigating. And then I Skyped with Kevin McKidd later the same day. Kevin freakin' McKidd.

 October 15 - I walked into a pet store intending to get a new cat toy or two, and walked out with a kitten, a bag of kitty litter, a bag of kitten food, canned kittten food, and a couple of cat toys.

 And yes, I think the two days are related - I decided "fuck this worrying, I`m getting a kitten!"

  9. What was your biggest achievement of the year? 
Starting the home ownership process.

  10. What was your biggest failure?
Not speaking up sooner about how much I hated how my work environment had changed.

  11. Did you suffer illness or injury? 
I started 2011 recovering from cervical disk replacement surgery, so it got better from there. I did have a bout of cellulitis and my blood pressure got out of control, but with new medication, my blood pressure has stabilized.

  12. What was the best thing you bought?
Hermione. In non-feline matters, I'd say my desktop computer.

  15. Where did most of your money go? 
Besides rent, credit card debt reduction.

  16. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
 Going to San Francisco and meeting three women I've known online for years. The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, meeting William Shatner, Felicia Day, and lots of other cool people.

  17. What song will always remind you of 2011?
 "Fireworks" by Katy Perry. Because baby, I am a firework.

  18. Compared to this time last year, are you: ii. thinner or fatter?
 Thinner.

  iii. richer or poorer?
 Richer.

  19. What do you wish you'd done more of? 
Knitting - I owe a friend a scarf that he wanted to give his wife for this Christmas. I'm almost done ...

  20. What do you wish you'd done less of?
 Wasting time on my iPad.

  21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
 My sister.

  22. Did you fall in love in 2011? 
Not with a human.

  23. How many one-night stands?
0.

  24. What was your favourite TV program?
Ooooh, tough. Grey's Anatomy and Glee have been uneven and are no longer must-see TV. I'd say The Big Bang Theory has been the most consistently enjoyable show.

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

  26. What was the best book you read?
 The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure.

  27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
Lately I've rediscovered The Doobie Brothers and discovered Straight No Chaser. Seeing SNC in concert this March.

  28. What did you want and get? 
A HDTV. I bided my time, watched the flyers, and got a good deal.

  29. What did you want and not get?
Dressy boots that fit my calves.

  30. What were your favourite films of this year?
 I didn't go to a movie theatre this year. Tangled is my favourite new film.

  31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
 I started the day at my sister's house, then I came home via the bus. I was (and am) 45.

  32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
 Fantastic sex.

  33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
 Concealing.

  34. What kept you sane? 
Pain relievers.

  35. Which celebrity/public figure did you like the most? Least?
 I liked Kevin McKidd the most - he raised a lot of money for Save the Children by going online and engaging his fanbase. He used Twitter, Twitpics, and chats to interact with viewers and did a lot of good.

Least - Kim Kardashian. I don't watch any of her shows, I never clicked on any stories of her "dream wedding", and I think she's a load of crap and I want her to go away. That's why I installed the "Dash-Out (Kardashian Blocker)" extension for Chrome.

  36. What political issue stirred you the most? 
The federal election on May 2 was very important. I was thrilled by how the NDP became the official opposition for the first time, and heartbroken when Jack Layton died on August 22 after leading the NDP to new heights.

  37. Whom did you miss? 
My Bonnie kitty.

  38. Who was the best new person you met?
 I'm going to say Vee. She's a copywriter at work and loads of fun. Her actual name is Verity but she prefers Vee. She brought her friend to the Christmas party and we all danced a lot together.

  39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
 It's okay to speak up about being miserable about something.

  40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
  "I'm beautiful in my own way, Because God makes no mistakes."