2012 Wrap-Up

This is a meme I've done in past years, looking back on the year that is just ended and how it all went.

1. Was 2012 a good year for you?
On the whole, I guess yes.
 
2. What was your favorite moment(s) of the year?
Making clam dip with Brianna.  My relationship with her has changed this year and is so much better now.  She still doesn't want to hug me, but she will play with me and sit next to me while I read to her.

3. What was your least favorite moment(s) of the year?
All of the deaths of all of our friends.  13 as of today

4. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
Started working in the book store, which became my favorite thing to do. 

5. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I stopped making resolutions a long time ago.

6. Where were you when 2012 began?
For the past several years we have gone to a small party attended by members of the former Davis Comic Opera Company. It's low key. We have home made soup, home made bread, fabulous desserts, great conversation, and are home in bed by 12:30 a.m. because we're all getting so old.

7. Who were you with?
About a dozen (or less) people from the former Davis Comic Opera Company.

8. Where will you be when 2012 ends?
Back at the same party.

9. Who will you be with when 2012 ends?
With all the same DCOC people, probably our best friends in Davis.

10. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year.

11. Did you lose anybody close to you in 2012?

January
  Concetta Jorgensen
  Mike Kelley
February
  Fred Rynders
April
  John Kahl
  Will Connolly
  Jim Hutchinson
July
  Peter Shack
August
  Barbara Erickson
September
  Gene Andreucetti
  Kat LoJacono
October
  Pat Peck
December
  Lindi Press (who died today)

12. Who did you miss?
All the same people I missed last year:  Paul, David, Gilbert, Peggy

13. Who was the best new person you met in 2012?
Kitch and his wife Joyce, who were on our European cruise.

14. What was your favorite month of 2012?
Don't think I had "a" favorite month.

15. Did you travel outside of the US in 2012?
We took our cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam

16. How many different states did you travel to in 2012?
Massachusetts (Boston) and I think that's about it.

17. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
A Congress willing to work together to accomplish things for the American people.  That would be a refreshing novelty.

18. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 22, the date that the world didn't end.

19. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Making it  to the end of the year.

20. What was your biggest failure?
The same one it always is...inability to stick with a healthy diet.

21. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really

22. What was the best thing you bought?
The best "thing" I got in 2012 would be a toss-up between my smart phone and the iPad, but Walt bought both of those.  The best thing I spent my own money on was the support for all the Compassion kids, especially the package of stuff I was able to send to Fred with someone who was going to the Philippines.

23. Whose behavior merited celebration?
We cheered Jeri's musical arrangement for Paragon Park, cheered Tom & Laurel's marathon run and have thoroughly enjoyed all of Ned's video work...he's definitely a professional.

24. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Congress.  Hands down.

25. Where did most of your money go?
About 1/3 of my income each month (from theater reviews and Social Security) goes to the Compassion kids.

26. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Lamplighters 60th anniversary Gala, where I got to see people I hadn't seen in a long time and watched wonderful video retrospectives.  A beautiful day.  (Also the Giants winning the World Series was pretty exciting too)

27. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2012?
Almost none.  Most of it on the cruise, where I usually had wine with dinner and once in awhile had a cocktail before dinner.

28. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2012?
Only prescribed ones.

29. Did you treat somebody badly in 2012?
I hope not.

30. Did somebody treat you badly in 2012?
Yes.

32. What do you wish you'd done more of in 2012?
I'm sad that we live so far from Santa Barbara.  I would love to spend more time with the girls, especially now that Bri's school has events we would have liked to attend.

33. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating the wrong things.

35. What was your favorite TV program(s)?
NCIS, Criminal Minds, Homeland, Scandal

36. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Can't think of any songs that will remind me of 2012

37. How many stage shows did you see in 2012?
52 that I reviewed, and a few others that I didn't

38. Did you have a favorite stage show in 2012?
Sure!  Paragon Park, the show we went to Boston to see because Jeri had done the orchestrations.

39. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Don't think I made a musical discovery.

40. What was the best book you read?
"Book of Illusions" by Paul Auster

41. What was your favorite film of this year?
That's easy.  We only saw 2, one yesterday and one the day before and of those two, I preferred Lincoln.

42. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
My mother took me out to lunch, Walt took me out to dinner.  I was 69 and will be 70 in 2 months.

43. What did you want and get?
I wanted an iPad but didn't have a clue that Walt would get one for me...but he did! I never even hinted.

44. What did you want and not get?
World Peace

45. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To have all the people in Question #12 back in my life.

46. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
About the same as every year.  Careless casual, with emphasis on sweat pants and Birkinstocks.

47. What kept you sane?
Writing this journal, reading, and NCIS marathons.

48. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I'm not really into "fancying" public figures, but just to pick two out of the air, it would be Mark Harmon for a male and maybe Rachel Maddow for a woman.

49. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
Life can change in a minute, when you least expect it.

50. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
From Princess Ida ...

           The world is but a broken toy,
           Its pleasure hollow – false its joy –
            Unreal its loveliest hue,
             Alas!
            Its pains alone are true,
             Alas!
            Its pains alone are true.

(feeling particularly morose today, on receiving the news of Lindi's death and Bob's latest report)