2012: A Year In Review

1.  What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before? Rode Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It may not sound like a major achievement to you, but for a coaster phobe like me, it was a pretty big step out of my comfort zone. I also made my first visit to the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was amazing!
2. Did you keep your New Years' Resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn't make any resolutions at this time last year. I knew I wouldn't keep them, so why bother? Same for this year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My friend Kristina and her husband David welcomed baby Gavin on February 9.
4. Did anyone close to you die? No, thank God.
5. What countries did you visit? Do the countries at EPCOT count? ;)
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? Organization. Physical energy. Financial stability. Significant weight loss. Less credit card debt. NHL hockey.
7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory? April 4 (the murder mystery dinner at Jen's). June 15-23 (the family trip to Disney). November 6 (Presidential election).
8. What was your biggest accomplishment? Learning basic sign language. I've attended a few bi-monthly classes at Sterling Middle School, and I'm also learning sign from the PBS program, Signing Time!
9. What was your biggest failure? Giving in to depression, self-doubt, anxiety, and other negative feelings. Wasting time.
10. Did you suffer any illness or injury? Other than my constant battle with anemia, there was nothing major. I was pretty healthy this year.
11. What was the best thing you bought? My 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. I love it!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? The Occupy protestors all over the country (viva the 99%!). Anyone involved in the effort to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. The Navy Seals who brought down Osama bin Laden. President Obama.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled? James Holmes; Adam Lanza; Rep. Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin; Richard "God Intended Children Conceived by Rape" Mourdock;  certain members of Congress who are more concerned with destroying the President than with the welfare of their constituents.
14. Where did most of your money go? The gas tank.Credit card bills. Groceries.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The Disney trip in June. The St.Louis Blues Stanley Cup playoff run in April and May.
16. What song will always remind you of 2012? "Gangnam Style" by PSY; "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers. "Too Close" by Alex Clare. "Whistle" by Flo Rida. "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen. "The One Thing" by One Direction.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: i. happier or sadder? neither /ii. thinner or fatter? thinner (by a few pounds) /iii. richer or poorer? poorer ( due to having a car payment again).
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Saved money. Controlled my eating. Exercised. Stood up for myself.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Let my feelings get hurt. Sleep. Worry excessively. Overeat. Analyze other peoples' words or actions. Jump to conclusions.
20. Did you fall in love in 2012? Yeah, right. Apparently, I have nothing to offer the opposite sex.
21. How many one night stands? Gross.
22. What was your favorite TV program? Duck Dynasty. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. True Blood. American Horror Story. The Walking Dead. The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Dr. Who.  Real Time With Bill Maher. Moonshiners. Finding Bigfoot.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate at this time last year? Hate is a strong word, so let's just say that there are certain people in my life right now whom I'm not pleased with... and leave it at that.
24. What was the best book that you read? The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson; Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot and Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly; Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs; and Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Foster the People. I can't get enough of "Pumped Up Kicks".
26. What did you want and get? See #11. Also, an Obama victory in November.
27. What did you want and not get? A Powerball win. The St.Louis Blues making it past the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. A decent Chicago Cubs team. A 2012-13 NHL season. A ticket to see Paul McCartney perform at the Scottrade Center in St.Louis.
28. What was your favorite film of this year? The Avengers; The Hobbit; Magic Mike; The Hunger Games; Brave; and The Dark Knight Rises.
29. What did you do on your birthday? I had the day off work (thanks, Abraham Lincoln!), so my best friend Kelly and her husband Mark treated me to a matinee of The Woman In Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? See #27.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012? Comfy and casual.
32. What kept you sane? My mother. My best friends (Kelly, Larry, and Jen). Chocolate. Caffeine. Blues hockey (at least for the first half of the year). Books. Movies.
33. What celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Tom Hiddleston and Richard Armitage. Damn these sexy British men!
34. What political issue stirred you the most? The Presidential election, closely followed by health care reform. Quality medical care should be a basic human RIGHT, not a PRIVILEGE!
35. Who do you miss? My grandfathers. Uncle Jerald. Andy. Michael.
36. Who was the best new person you met? Ashley. She had me at "I LOVE the Beatles!" :)
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012. People change and things go wrong, but always remember, life goes on.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:I am what I am
    And what I am needs no excuses
    I deal my own deck
    Sometimes the ace, sometimes the deuces