Nonsequitur Life

I used to fill out this year-end survey every year, but haven’t done it for a few years now. It cropped up again in a few places and I thought instead of banging my head against the wall trying to compose a coherent post, I’d just dump this here and be done with it.

Because I am all about efficiency.

Or laziness.

Or something.

As it turns out, 2011 (which I inevitably type as 2001 about six times before I get it right) was The Year Of The House. In case you didn’t already know that.

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1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
We bought a house with NO MORE ROOMATES. That pretty much sums up my entire year.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I don’t make resolutions. I don’t need an annual holiday to guilt me into making lofty goals that I will never bother completing only to feel greater shame for myself in the end. Because that’s what making resolutions ultimately does to just about everyone who makes them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Peggy had her daughter Avery in January. I didn’t actually meet her until Christmas. But I want to squish her and cuddle her because she is an absolutely adorable little butterball.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Bob’s grandma died and while neither of us was “close” to her, it was still very sad.

5. What countries did you visit?
I finally took Bob to my grandma’s out in farm country. Does that count?

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A king-size bed. Material and probably selfish, yes. But we need a new…BIGGER…bed.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
May 12th…we took possession of our house.
May 15th…we moved into our house.
August 12th…we CLOSED on our house.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don’t know if I really consider it an “achievement” but I went off all my medications in May and I’ve been (arguably) stable since. I don’t know if I consider it an achievement because the jury is still out on the state of my unmedicated brain.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I went off my medications and I gained 45 pounds. I have now gained back all of the weight I lost four+ years ago and appear to keep gaining. Apparently the only thing maintaining my weight for all that time was the handful of pills I swallowed everyday.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I live everyday with chronic illness.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our house, the living room furniture, Star Wars…

12. Where did most of your money go?
The house. Oh ye gods buying a house and moving is so bloody expensive.

13. What did you get really excited about?
Moving into our own place WITH NO MORE ROOMMATES. And having my own kitchen.

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?
This is always an impossible question. I can’t really pick one song that stands out over everything else.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you…
…happier or sadder? Happier. NO MORE ROOMMATES.
…thinner or fatter? Fatter. Oh my god so much fatter.
…richer or poorer? Considering all of the house buying and moving expenses, poorer, but we’re finally rebounding from that.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Organizing my house.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Gaining weight. Holy crap.

18. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve with my family (and Mom’s family). Christmas Day with Bob’s family. The next day with my family again so we could see Hunter who was (sadly) forced to spend both days of Christmas with his mother.

19. What was your favorite TV program?
We started watching Misfits on Hulu. Pretty funny and wildly inappropriate.

20. What were your favorite books of the year?
To my recollection I did not read a single book in its entirety. Not for lack of trying but my attention span will just not allow it.

21. What was your favorite music from this year?
3 Doors Down, Matt Nathanson, and Ingram Hill all released new albums. My iTunes play counts make this glaringly obvious.

22. What were your favorite films of the year?
Bob and I have seen probably five movies in the theater in the four years we’ve been together and we don’t have Netflix. Which apparently makes us a devastating anomaly to be scoffed at by the general public. I liked the latest X-Men movie. But probably mostlly because James McAvoy is pretty.

23. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I turned 32…dang. It was a Saturday, it snowed, we ordered pizza, ate cake, and I did as little as possible.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not gaining 45 pounds.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Lazy. If I don’t leave the house I wear pajama pants and mostly look like I just fell out of bed even though I do actually shower everyday.

26. What kept you sane?
Bob, music, my kitchen, and my quiet house.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Don’t rely on roommates to do their part when you move out of a place. You’re likely to get thrown under a bus.

Buying a house will shave a few years off your life. And don’t get attached to any prospective dwelling until you have the keys in your hand. You’re likely to get your heart broken.

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