2022: A Year In Review

 2022: A Year In Review

1. What did you do in 2022 that you’d never done before?  I'm not that adventurous, so the only new things I can think of is I finally got to ride Seven Dwarves Mine Train at the Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy Rewind at Epcot, Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios, and check out Pandora at Animal Kingdom. Sorry, I'm boring.
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?
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Define close. No one in my immediate circle had a baby, but my second cousin Jackson became the father of baby Bellamy in May.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Sadly, yes. My step-aunt Sharon passed away at the end of July. She was 75 years old.
5. What countries did you visit? Does the World Showcase at Epcot count?
6. What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022?  Organization. Physical energy. Significant weight loss. Less aches and pains.
7. What date from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory? The Disney trip from June 9-16. June 24- the horrible day when Roe v. Wade was overturned. November 9- Election Day. September 8- Queen Elizabeth died.
8. What was your biggest accomplishment? Honestly? I don't think I accomplished much this year. After the last 2 years of being in fight or flight mode, just getting out of bed and living day by day was an accomplishment in my eyes.
9. What was your biggest failure? Continuing to gain weight. Giving in to depression, self-doubt, anxiety, and other negative feelings. Wasting time.
10. Did you suffer any illness or injury? No major illnesses, thank God. Injuries, on the other hand, oof. I've been suffering from pain along the side of my left thumb that worsens when I make certain hand movements. And then there is my right elbow. Somedays the pain makes it difficult to even pick things up. I'm a hot mess.
11. What was the best thing you bought? The Disney trip. A new laptop.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? 
13. Whose behavior made you appalled? Donald Trump. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Lauren Boebert. Matt Gaetz. Republicans in general. James Corden. Will Smith. Andrew Tate. The Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade
14. Where did most of your money go? The gas tank. Groceries. Amazon.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The Disney trip in June with my mom. We were supposed to go in 2020 but you know why that didn't pan out.
16. What song will always remind you of 2022?  "As It Was" by Harry Styles. "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush. "Master of Puppets" by Metallica. "Unholy" by Sam Smith and Kim Petras. "Made You Look" by Meghan Trainor. "Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift. "World's Smallest Violin" by AJR. "About Damn Time" by Lizzo. "Music For A Sushi Restaurant" by Harry Styles
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: i. happier or sadder? sadder /ii. thinner or fatter? fatter /iii. richer or poorer? richer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Saved money. Controlled my eating. Exercised. Had more patience.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Sleep. Overeat. Compare myself to others. Waste time on social media.
20. Did you fall in love in 2022? No. Apparently, I have nothing to offer the opposite sex.
21. How many one night stands? Yuck. None.
22. What was your favorite TV program? Stranger Things. Wednesday. Ghosts. Young Sheldon. Call Me Kat. Welcome to Flatch. Yellowjackets. Shining Vale. Resident Alien. Reservation Dogs. Ozark. Bob's Burgers. The Righteous Gemstones.  Only Murders In The Building. Physical. Bad Sisters. The Gordita Chronicles. Derry Girls. The Bear. What We Do In The Shadows.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate at this time last year? Hate is a strong word, but check out #13. There are more than a few people on that list who I strongly dislike.
24. What was the best book that you read? Verity by Colleen Hoover. Miracle Creek by Angie Kim. Watching You by Lisa Jewell. One by One by Ruth Ware. Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? I'm late to the party, but Lizzo and Harry Styles. They're so much fun!
26. What did you want and get? The Disney trip. A laptop.
27. What did you want and not get? A lottery win. The St.Louis Blues making it past the second round in the Stanley Cup playoffs. A new car (not ready to deal with monthly payments again)
28. What was your favorite film of this year? Coda. Everything Everywhere All At Once. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Don't Worry Darling. The Northman. Thor: Love and Thunder. A Christmas Story Christmas.
29. What did you do on your birthday? It was Super Bowl Sunday, so I just hung at home and watched the game. Had Mom's homemade pizza and birthday cake.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more  satisfying? A longer summer break. Going back to school on August 1 (or earlier) is just sick and wrong.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2022? Comfy and casual.
32. What kept you sane? My mother. My best friends (Kelly, Jen, and Kristina). Chocolate. Monthly game nights at Julie's and Sabrina's. Daily naps.
33. What celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Joseph Quinn. He's young enough to be my son, but I just like looking at him. He's adorable.
34. What political issue stirred you the most? Women's rights. Health care reform. Quality medical care should be a basic human RIGHT, not a PRIVILEGE!
35. Who do you miss? There are a lot of people who I love and miss, but none more than my Nonna.
36. Who was the best new person you met? Shannon Sailer and Maura Smith, our two new DC teachers.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022. "Get busy watering your own grass as not to notice whether it's greener elsewhere".
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
    “My tea's gone cold, I'm wondering why I got out of bed at all. The morning rain clouds up my window/ And I can't see at all. And even if I could, it'd all be gray. But your picture on my wall/ It reminds me that it's not so bad/ it's not so bad.

Brain Droppings, Part Four

Bits and pieces of randomness...

1. My new kittens, Emmet (top) and Gideon (bottom) have been with me since August 7, which was a few weeks earlier than I expected. The friend who I adopted them from had contacted me to let me know that their mama had stopped nursing them, and since they were eating kitten food and using the litter box like champs, it was okay with her if I wanted to take them home. I‘ll admit I was a little scared because they were only 6 weeks old (and so tiny!), but my fear was unfounded-it took all of one day for them to become acclimated to their new environment. Now that we're three weeks in, the boys have had their first visit with the vet and have received their first set of vaccinations. Emmet weighs in at 2 lbs. 5 oz and Gideon is one ounce lighter, which surprises me because he looks bigger. I just love watching them play together, especially their wrestling matches😆. It's crazy how much energy kittens have! It's been 16 years since I last had a kitten, so I had forgotten.
2. My youngest niece, Jolene, turned 3 years old on Sunday, August 23rd. The large family party that my sister originally had planned was scaled down considerably due to the fact that the birthday girl came down with hand, foot, and mouth disease a few days prior to the celebration. My brother and sister-in-law opted out of attending because they were spending most of the following week babysitting their 7 month old granddaughter and didn't want to put her at risk. I'm not in contact with any children (more on that below), so I went to the party and enjoyed watching her open her presents and eat her cake. It doesn't seem possible that she's 3 already. Time is going by too damn fast.
3. I went back to work the week of August 17th, and to say that the start of the 2020-21 school year has been a shit show would be an understatement. The original plan of the district where I'm employed had the students attending in person on an A/B schedule with alternating Fridays, meaning some students would be in school Monday, Wednesday, and every other Friday with the rest of the kids going Tuesday, Thursday, and every other Friday. Then, a week before school started, the school board decided that regular division students would be all virtual, while the students in special education and programs such as ESL and ELL would be attending in person on the aforementioned A/B schedule. Then, four days after that, that plan was scrapped and ALL students were virtual/remote learning. Oy vey! I understand the need to keep students and staff safe, but what the people in charge don't understand is that the severe and profound population does not have success with online learning. At all. They need their therapies and one-on-one instruction that involves communication devices and other adapted equipment, so it has been a challenge for me and my fellow teachers to come up with meaningful lessons that can be conducted at home. I really feel for our parents right now, especially the parents who have full time jobs and now have the added stress of helping their child complete their school work. I hope the return to in person learning comes sooner rather than later. Taking accurate data and meeting IEP goals is a nightmare when you’re not physically working with your students.
4. I'm thrilled with the addition of Sen. Kamala Harris to the Democratic ticket. I can't wait to see her smoke Mike Pence in the Vice Presidential debate. It will be glorious.
5. The St. Louis Blues are no longer the defending Stanley Cup champions. They lost all 4 of their round robin games, dropping from the top seed in the Western Conference down to the fourth. Their first round opponent, the Vancouver Canucks, won the series 4 games to 2. What’s weird is that I’m not even that upset about it. Whoever wins the Cup this year won’t be able to celebrate with a parade or a rally with their fans. Where’s the fun in that? Playoff hockey in August/September is just wrong.

Sunday Stealing: Live Journal 5000 Questions

Play along here.

1.Who is the hottest celebrity you can think of? Tom Hiddleston. I discovered him 8 years ago when he played Loki in Marvel's The Avengers and I've been obsessed with him ever since. He's not classically handsome like George Clooney or Paul Newman, but there's just something about him that I find irresistible. He's highly intelligent, interesting in interviews, gracious to his fans, and has a smile that just lights up a room. Watch some of his interviews on You Tube and you too will fall in love with him.
2. Do you ever get so nervous that you can't even think? Think? No. Speak? A thousand times yes.
3. Do you sing when there is no music? All the damn time lol. Just ask my poor co-workers. They're subjected to the earworms that are going through my head on a daily basis.
4. Who was the best political leader in history and why? Abraham Lincoln. Why? He governed over a country torn apart by a civil war and did it with grace, great intelligence, and dignity.
5. If you could dance with anyone in the world right now, who would it be and what song would you dance to? I'd love to dance a polka with my Great Grandpa von Boeckmann. That man loved his polka music! I miss him so much.
6. Finish this sentence your own way. There are two types of people in the world... Those who love cats, and those who are wrong.
7. What have you saved since elementary school? I have a few report cards somewhere.
8. Have you ever won an award? The only one I can think of right now is the award I won in 8th grade for speed reading. Wish I still had that skill.
9. Do you feel more connected to the sun or the moon? The moon.
10. Do flaws make people interesting to you? Yes. Who wants to hang around someone who thinks they're perfect?
11. Who is your favorite historical figure? Abraham Lincoln. Teddy Roosevelt. Queen Elizabeth I.  Princess Diana. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.
12. White bread or wheat bread? I don't normally eat bread, but if I had to choose? Wheat.
13. Do you usually do things fast or right? Right. I'm a perfectionist and will work at something until it's right, no matter how long it takes.
14. Are you or have you ever been in a band? No.
15. Here are 4 statements about me. Only one of them is true. Which one is it?
a. I love country music.
b. I hate eggs and would rather starve then eat one.
c. I'm a huge fan of the Chicago Blackhawks.
d. I can drive a stick shift.
16. Would you wear a thong bathing suit in public? I would not subject others to that horror.
17. Have you thought of death today? Not until reading this question.
18. What is your favorite breakfast? Hardee's cinnamon and raisin biscuits, or biscuits and gravy.
19. Are you the life of the party? Hell no! I'm usually the first one to leave.
20. If you hit an animal with your car, would you get out to try and make sure it was okay? Depends on the animal. I wouldn't get out if I hit a bear. Or a skunk.
21. When do you get your most peaceful and satisfying sleep? When that happens, I'll let you know.
22. What thought gets you out of bed in the morning? The thought of food and getting to eat. Sad but true.
23.What are you a member of? My work union and the local farm bureau (only because it's a requirement of my car insurance company).
24. Name one place you refuse to ever go. The Middle East.
25. When (and if) people (or animals) go to heaven, do they become angels? Animals, I'd like to think yes. People, not so sure.

*the true statement is b

Where Can I Get Some?

How To Annoy Me

Ask me to proofread your college scholarship essay and then have the nerve to complain that I'm making much needed changes and correcting your grammar. Don't come to me for help if you're not willing to accept my input.

Earworm Du Jour

I first heard Harry Styles perform "Watermelon Sugar" when he was the guest host on Saturday Night Live last November and thought it was a catchy tune, but then just kind of forgot about it. Nine months later, I heard it again on one of my Sirius XM channels and now can't stop singing or listening to it. I never thought I'd become a stan of ex-One Direction members at the age of 51, but here we are. First it was Niall Horan (LOVE HIM!) and now Harry.

Saturday 9: Who Are You?

Saturday 9: Who Are You? (1977)

Play along here.

1. This song, originally recorded by The Who, was the theme of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which ran from 2000 to 2015. Did you watch it? Were you a fan? No, I can't say that I've ever watched it.
2. When the show premiered, Gil Grissom (William Petersen) was the CSI team's supervisor. Gil's mother was deaf, and so he was fluent in American Sign Language. Can you communicate using ASL? Somewhat. I'm a Special Education teaching assistant and have had numerous students over my 20 year teaching career who've used sign language to communicate. I'm not fluent by any means, but I know enough to convey what I want or need. My ASL vocabulary probably consists of a hundred words or so.
3. His assistant is blood splatter analyst Catherine Willows (Marg Helenberger). Catherine's family moved often, which made it hard for her to get traction in her studies. She finally just dropped out of high school. She later got her GED and even graduated from college. Have you ever considered going back to school? All the time, but I'm stymied by issues such as cost, what to study, and my age. I know people older than me go back to school all the time and graduate with no problem, but I'm so freaking tired all the time. As for not knowing what to study, I was a history major originally, but would I want to waste time and money to complete a degree that will more than likely amount to jack squat? 
4. Though set in Las Vegas, most of CSI was filmed in Santa Clarita, CA. Santa Clarita is also home to Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. Do you enjoy roller coasters? It depends on the coaster. I like tame coasters, such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Expedition Everest, and The Seven Dwarves Mine Train at WDW. I don't like the dark coasters like Space Mountain and Rock 'N Roller Coaster. My enjoyment rests on my ability to see the track and what's coming.
5. The vocalist on the CSI theme, Roger Daltrey of The Who, made a cameo appearance on the show during Season 7. Do you have a favorite Who song? Substitute. Baba O'Reilly. Who Are You? I Can't Explain. Athena. Going Mobile. See Me, Feel Me. You Better You Bet. The Who is one of my all time favorite groups!
6. CSI became a franchise, followed by CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. If we could organize a Saturday 9 field trip, which of these cities would you prefer we visit: Las Vegas, Miami, or New York? New York, since I've never been there and have always wanted to go. I've been to Vegas and wasn't impressed. Miami holds no interest for me.
7. In 2000, the last original Peanuts was published. How many Peanuts characters can you name? Let's see, there's Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Sally, Lucy, Linus, Rerun, Frida, Pigpen, Franklin, Schroeder, Marcy, Peppermint Patty, Spike, Violet, The Redheaded Girl...so 16.
8. Also in 2000, media giant Time Warner merged with America Online, the email provider. It's estimated that 74% of us check our email at least once/day. Are you one of the 74%? Guilty as charged.
9. Random question- Did you more recently cut and paste, or delete? Delete.

My Latest Addiction

Sixteen fruity, fizzy flavors and I have yet to find one I don't like. So far, my favorites are Blueberry Pomegranate and Coconut Pineapple, which is weird because I'm not a big fan of coconut. I love that each bottle is 0 points on WW. It's nice to have something flavorful to break the monotony of plain water.

Wondering

Where have all the hummingbirds gone? I have had two feeders out all summer-one in the front yard and the other in the back- and have not seen anything but wasps feeding on the nectar. Last summer, I saw 2 or 3 hummingbirds on a daily basis. Weird.

My New Bumper Sticker

Subtle, but oh so satisfying. I wonder how many middle fingers will be waved in my direction😂 Then again, most of his supporters are so obtuse that the message will be lost on them.