Let's do a late year in review meme.
This is a hodgepodge of different people's variations on this meme, now, so I'm not even sure where 100% of the questions are sourced at this point. 2015 was most likely actually the worst year of my life, even if there were also some really good things in it.
1. What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before?
– I want to say "moved back in with my parents," but I've actually done that once before for a 3 month period in 2007. Moved back in with my parents with my spouse, though, that's a thing I've never done before!
– Actually finished a degree without some kind of disaster at the end of the program that required flailing and jumping around to fix.
– Been in charge of home care for my end-stage ill parent. (Don't ever want to have to do this again, but since I have two parents ...) This includes managing a shit ton of tubes, handling case management, handling supplies, dealing with TPN, and may as well be a second full-time job.
2. What goals do you have for 2016?
Employment (one I can mostly control). Grad school admission (one I mostly can't). Our own apartment (this is a total toss-up on how much I can control it, but requires the next goal --). Financial stability (not holding my breath, but trying).
3. How did you spend New Year 2015?
In a hospital room at Memorial Sloan Kettering, at my father's bedside. My plans were to be halfway across the country with my best friends, but that clearly didn't work.
4. How will you spend it for 2016?
Since it's already passed: Asleep. I conked out at 11:20 on December 31, because I'd just moved most of my belongings 200 miles from my apartment to my parents' house and B and I just fell asleep next to each other. There was no midnight kiss, but there may have been an 11pm one? We forgot to celebrate, because we spent January 1 dealing with cleaning out the old apartment (which was also 400+ miles of driving ...) My mom spent it, uh, in a hospital room at Memorial Sloan Kettering at my father's bedside, though.
5. How much traveling did you do in 2015?
Ha. None. With dad so ill I was obliged not to leave the state. I am truly chafing to get out of here and see my friends, because I don't really have any in state. We'll see if/when that ever happens again.
6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
A healthy dad, but this will never happen. Seeing more friends than I did last year, though I did at least get to see BFF because she came to see us. Maybe a passport because then I can visit![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kalmialatifolia & her lady friend. A job that pays more than $4.15 an hour. A home that really feels like home.
7. What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
I'm coming up with a total blank, so I guess none of them really did. Oh, wait: September 13th. The GRE. (164 verbal, 147 quantitative, 6 analytical writing.)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finishing my degree in health psychology & cognitive neuroscience, I would say.
9. What was your biggest learning experience?
I'm truly not sure on that either? This year was traumatic and has a lot of big blanks, though it wasn't quite as traumatic as the last quarter of 2014 (you'll note I didn't even do one of these in 2014).
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I never say anything besides "let's just leave this one at yes and not elaborate," since my chronic illness often results in dumb injuries. I should outright remove this question since the answer's always the same, I suppose ...
11. What was the best thing you got, bought, pilfered, or stole?
Still not sure of the difference between pilfered and stole! Also really not sure of the answer. I ... may have ... yes, I actually think I got the computer I'm typing this on in June of 2015, with the money my grandmother left me when she died (I can't remember what day that was, though ...)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My dad's sister. She overcame a lot and stepped up to the plate big time for my mom and me.
13. What's your most embarrassing moment of 2015?
I know there was one, a catastrophically bad one, but my brain has blocked out the worst and left me with a bunch of secondary cringe-worthy embarrassments that I think no one else involved even remembers. Best not to rehash!
14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills, food, fuel for the cars, train tickets back and forth from my parents' and the hospital. The remainder was spent on cheap ebooks, and that's now covering where all of my money went.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Shannon visiting. Getting out of upstate for good (even though the moving experience itself was absolutely terrible, being free is good even if it means no privacy).
16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
Coleman Hell's "Fortress" because we played it a lot in the car? No real association besides presence.
17. Did you start any new hobbies?
Wish I'd had the time. I guess I did more coloring ...
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Anything I enjoyed. What a boring answer.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Panic attacks. Also a truly boring answer.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
I don't celebrate it as a holiday (I'm Jewish) but I do know what date it is. The answer to this is exactly the same as it would have been last year: at my dad's bedside at Memorial Sloan Kettering! Last year he got admitted on December 24th, this year it was December 22nd, but other than that, basically an identical experience (and even an identical reason).
21. Did you fall in love or stay in love in 2015?
Stayed in love. :) We had some hard times, but we're still together. Still here.
22. Discover any new restaurants?
Probably, but I'm utterly blanking. So much of this year is a big "everything was overwhelming and terrible" kind of blank. 2016 needs to be clearer, at the very least. It might help if I used my DW more again!
23. What were you watching on TV in 2015?
Almost exclusively Law & Order (and SVU) reruns, because it was comforting. So we watched a lot of TV but not much current TV, and also re-watched season 2 of Elementary. I intend to catch up eventually. Also picked up Jessica Jones toward the end there, because that's my bb Krysten Ritter and I liked the comics. I actually like the show more, sacrilege.
23. Any TV you've given up on?
Nothing new, I don't think. Quit a lot of shows a couple years ago.
24. Movie experiences of 2015 you'd like to remember?
The Martian for Mom's birthday was an event, especially as we were in the VIP theatre!
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
God, I have no idea. Seriously. This is terrible. I'm constantly listening to music, but I can never remember when I picked things up. I usually do better than this, though. I'm seeing just how terribly stressful 2015 was realizing how much I can't remember.
26. Any books to talk about?
Dang, y'all, the Dragon Blood series. I love them. (I beta read #7, but when I read the first four I'd never even spoken to the author!)
27. New games?
I actually don't think so? I'm trying to get into an X-Men RP that BFF is in, but she's not been able to help me with chargen recently, so -- no, and no new traditional game-games, either. I am a backer of Home Free, though, and am looking forward to that!
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
I'm going to go with The Martian just because I haven't seen Concussion yet; I'm betting they'll tie. Those were the only films I saw that came out this year.
29. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hate this question, don't care, can't think of a good replacement question.
30. What did you want and not get?
Dad to get better, though I knew he wouldn't.
31. What political issue stirred you the most?
I try not to talk about politics at all. I have them, I just don't want to discuss them. I'll leave it at "it was related to a mental health bill."
32. Any new fashion items for you?
Um ... I have more Vera Bradley bags than I had last year.
33. Food memories of 2015?
It does actually say 'food' and not 'fond'! I'd never tried the Italian place near my parents' ziti bolongese before this year and now it's my favorite thing ever.
34. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Twenty-seven. After having mom visit for her birthday while my aunt was covering Dad care (hers is the day before mine), we all piled into cars and came back down to my parents' house, so I got to spend the day with my parents, my SO and my aunt and uncle. That was pretty nice, even if there were some very stressful parts of that day. It was extremely low-key. It was most likely my last birthday with my dad, so he tried to be up and about for it a little.
35. Who did you miss?
My dad? Is this going to be my answer forever? (All of my loved ones with deceased parents they were even semi-close to: Yes.) Even though he was still here, I missed normal him, I missed healthy him and his typical behaviors. I missed having friends close to me, but I always do. It hurts when everyone is far away.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
I actually met a lot of new people this year, because I formally stumbled into the "inner circle" of author Lindsay Buroker after being a fan for a year+ and adoring all of her work despite not typically being a secondary-world reader. I went from being casual fan to beta reader for a couple of her books in 6 months; now I finally get the whole 'senpai noticed me' thing! So I met her, and she's the only one I've met face to face -- but the rest of that "inner circle" are now very good friends to me, too. Talking to one person on Twitter netted me, like, ten new friends.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.
Essentially that a lot of things that I thought mattered a lot really don't, and I can just let other people's drama roll right off me. If it isn't fun for me anymore and it isn't a necessity, stop doing it.
38. Where do you want to be next year at this time?
Home. Wherever that is. Because I don't know anymore, but I hope to by then.
39. Did you enjoy this year?
Nnnnnot ... really. Most of it was terrifying/awful/tense. There were some good moments. I hope life can only improve.
1. What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before?
– I want to say "moved back in with my parents," but I've actually done that once before for a 3 month period in 2007. Moved back in with my parents with my spouse, though, that's a thing I've never done before!
– Actually finished a degree without some kind of disaster at the end of the program that required flailing and jumping around to fix.
– Been in charge of home care for my end-stage ill parent. (Don't ever want to have to do this again, but since I have two parents ...) This includes managing a shit ton of tubes, handling case management, handling supplies, dealing with TPN, and may as well be a second full-time job.
2. What goals do you have for 2016?
Employment (one I can mostly control). Grad school admission (one I mostly can't). Our own apartment (this is a total toss-up on how much I can control it, but requires the next goal --). Financial stability (not holding my breath, but trying).
3. How did you spend New Year 2015?
In a hospital room at Memorial Sloan Kettering, at my father's bedside. My plans were to be halfway across the country with my best friends, but that clearly didn't work.
4. How will you spend it for 2016?
Since it's already passed: Asleep. I conked out at 11:20 on December 31, because I'd just moved most of my belongings 200 miles from my apartment to my parents' house and B and I just fell asleep next to each other. There was no midnight kiss, but there may have been an 11pm one? We forgot to celebrate, because we spent January 1 dealing with cleaning out the old apartment (which was also 400+ miles of driving ...) My mom spent it, uh, in a hospital room at Memorial Sloan Kettering at my father's bedside, though.
5. How much traveling did you do in 2015?
Ha. None. With dad so ill I was obliged not to leave the state. I am truly chafing to get out of here and see my friends, because I don't really have any in state. We'll see if/when that ever happens again.
6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
A healthy dad, but this will never happen. Seeing more friends than I did last year, though I did at least get to see BFF because she came to see us. Maybe a passport because then I can visit
kalmialatifolia & her lady friend. A job that pays more than $4.15 an hour. A home that really feels like home.7. What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
I'm coming up with a total blank, so I guess none of them really did. Oh, wait: September 13th. The GRE. (164 verbal, 147 quantitative, 6 analytical writing.)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finishing my degree in health psychology & cognitive neuroscience, I would say.
9. What was your biggest learning experience?
I'm truly not sure on that either? This year was traumatic and has a lot of big blanks, though it wasn't quite as traumatic as the last quarter of 2014 (you'll note I didn't even do one of these in 2014).
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I never say anything besides "let's just leave this one at yes and not elaborate," since my chronic illness often results in dumb injuries. I should outright remove this question since the answer's always the same, I suppose ...
11. What was the best thing you got, bought, pilfered, or stole?
Still not sure of the difference between pilfered and stole! Also really not sure of the answer. I ... may have ... yes, I actually think I got the computer I'm typing this on in June of 2015, with the money my grandmother left me when she died (I can't remember what day that was, though ...)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My dad's sister. She overcame a lot and stepped up to the plate big time for my mom and me.
13. What's your most embarrassing moment of 2015?
I know there was one, a catastrophically bad one, but my brain has blocked out the worst and left me with a bunch of secondary cringe-worthy embarrassments that I think no one else involved even remembers. Best not to rehash!
14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills, food, fuel for the cars, train tickets back and forth from my parents' and the hospital. The remainder was spent on cheap ebooks, and that's now covering where all of my money went.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Shannon visiting. Getting out of upstate for good (even though the moving experience itself was absolutely terrible, being free is good even if it means no privacy).
16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
Coleman Hell's "Fortress" because we played it a lot in the car? No real association besides presence.
17. Did you start any new hobbies?
Wish I'd had the time. I guess I did more coloring ...
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Anything I enjoyed. What a boring answer.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Panic attacks. Also a truly boring answer.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
I don't celebrate it as a holiday (I'm Jewish) but I do know what date it is. The answer to this is exactly the same as it would have been last year: at my dad's bedside at Memorial Sloan Kettering! Last year he got admitted on December 24th, this year it was December 22nd, but other than that, basically an identical experience (and even an identical reason).
21. Did you fall in love or stay in love in 2015?
Stayed in love. :) We had some hard times, but we're still together. Still here.
22. Discover any new restaurants?
Probably, but I'm utterly blanking. So much of this year is a big "everything was overwhelming and terrible" kind of blank. 2016 needs to be clearer, at the very least. It might help if I used my DW more again!
23. What were you watching on TV in 2015?
Almost exclusively Law & Order (and SVU) reruns, because it was comforting. So we watched a lot of TV but not much current TV, and also re-watched season 2 of Elementary. I intend to catch up eventually. Also picked up Jessica Jones toward the end there, because that's my bb Krysten Ritter and I liked the comics. I actually like the show more, sacrilege.
23. Any TV you've given up on?
Nothing new, I don't think. Quit a lot of shows a couple years ago.
24. Movie experiences of 2015 you'd like to remember?
The Martian for Mom's birthday was an event, especially as we were in the VIP theatre!
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
God, I have no idea. Seriously. This is terrible. I'm constantly listening to music, but I can never remember when I picked things up. I usually do better than this, though. I'm seeing just how terribly stressful 2015 was realizing how much I can't remember.
26. Any books to talk about?
Dang, y'all, the Dragon Blood series. I love them. (I beta read #7, but when I read the first four I'd never even spoken to the author!)
27. New games?
I actually don't think so? I'm trying to get into an X-Men RP that BFF is in, but she's not been able to help me with chargen recently, so -- no, and no new traditional game-games, either. I am a backer of Home Free, though, and am looking forward to that!
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
I'm going to go with The Martian just because I haven't seen Concussion yet; I'm betting they'll tie. Those were the only films I saw that came out this year.
29. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hate this question, don't care, can't think of a good replacement question.
30. What did you want and not get?
Dad to get better, though I knew he wouldn't.
31. What political issue stirred you the most?
I try not to talk about politics at all. I have them, I just don't want to discuss them. I'll leave it at "it was related to a mental health bill."
32. Any new fashion items for you?
Um ... I have more Vera Bradley bags than I had last year.
33. Food memories of 2015?
It does actually say 'food' and not 'fond'! I'd never tried the Italian place near my parents' ziti bolongese before this year and now it's my favorite thing ever.
34. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Twenty-seven. After having mom visit for her birthday while my aunt was covering Dad care (hers is the day before mine), we all piled into cars and came back down to my parents' house, so I got to spend the day with my parents, my SO and my aunt and uncle. That was pretty nice, even if there were some very stressful parts of that day. It was extremely low-key. It was most likely my last birthday with my dad, so he tried to be up and about for it a little.
35. Who did you miss?
My dad? Is this going to be my answer forever? (All of my loved ones with deceased parents they were even semi-close to: Yes.) Even though he was still here, I missed normal him, I missed healthy him and his typical behaviors. I missed having friends close to me, but I always do. It hurts when everyone is far away.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
I actually met a lot of new people this year, because I formally stumbled into the "inner circle" of author Lindsay Buroker after being a fan for a year+ and adoring all of her work despite not typically being a secondary-world reader. I went from being casual fan to beta reader for a couple of her books in 6 months; now I finally get the whole 'senpai noticed me' thing! So I met her, and she's the only one I've met face to face -- but the rest of that "inner circle" are now very good friends to me, too. Talking to one person on Twitter netted me, like, ten new friends.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.
Essentially that a lot of things that I thought mattered a lot really don't, and I can just let other people's drama roll right off me. If it isn't fun for me anymore and it isn't a necessity, stop doing it.
38. Where do you want to be next year at this time?
Home. Wherever that is. Because I don't know anymore, but I hope to by then.
39. Did you enjoy this year?
Nnnnnot ... really. Most of it was terrifying/awful/tense. There were some good moments. I hope life can only improve.
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