On 2012

Cribbed from last year.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before? 

I worked full-time for an entire year as a parent. (I haven't worked full-time for a whole year in over a decade -- since before my children were born.) I enjoyed the work but then two weeks ago my manager, who I greatly respected and from whom I learned a lot, got laid off. That's cast a pall over the whole year.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? 

I wrote last year that I'd made goals for this year, but damn if I can remember even one of them! If I make any for next year, I'll capture it here for reference.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? 

My cousin Kirsten had a baby last year on the day before Christmas; and this fall my cousin Frank's wife had a baby. Frank is enamoured of that baby. It's so funny and amazing.

4. Did anyone close to you die? 

My cousin Corey died of colon cancer. I didn't know him well but his death hit me hard. He was only 21. He died right after Sasha's birthday. I keep thinking of his mother.

5. What countries did you visit? 

Disneyland!

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? 

I'd like more time to play with my kids. It's hard to work full-time and parent and wife (is that a verb? "to wife"?) and manage a household; it's hard to decide what to leave undone. This year I think I parented well, but I would have liked time to just play with my kids, you know?

7. What dates from 2012 remain etched upon your memory, and why? 

Dates don't etch on my memory. I can't focus on details. However I won't easily forget the week I thought I was going to die of breast cancer. (See #10, below.)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? 

I was the business analyst on a six-month-long project to make a Drupal website multilingual and local, where local means that customers see a certain amount of content targeted to their country. The German site came online in October with no errors. That was a pretty cool project.

9. What was your biggest failure? 

In the decade of my 30s, I learned to accept help; in the decade of my 40s, I need to learn to give help. I haven't learned it yet. I'm too ... how to say ... aloof.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

You bet. Two weeks ago I had a hyper-cellular fibroadenoma surgically removed. It was benign and the surgery was nothing to speak of, but recovering from the anesthesia... GAH. It was like they'd sucked a day of my life away.

11. What was the best thing you bought? 

This year my husband threw everything he's got at curing the pain in his legs, which turns out to be bursitis. I personally only bought one thing to help with that, but I supported him as he went to see doctors and physical therapists and chiropractors &c. He's not better yet. But he's getting there.

If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything.

12. Where did most of your money go? 

Most of it went to Bank of America, holders of our mortgage. You're welcome, Bank of America.

13. What did you get really excited about? 

We had some really great days at the mountain this year; but I think I was most excited about my son's flight off Pine Mountain in a paraglider.

14. What song will always remind you of 2012? 

Gangnam Minecraft Style. Ha!

15. Compared to this time last year, are you: 

– happier or sadder? At work, at least, I was much happier. A good manager makes all the difference
– thinner or fatter? The same
– richer or poorer? The same

16. What do you wish you'd done more of? 

Yoga. My body is old enough that yoga makes me feel better than a good night's sleep. Weird, huh?

17. What do you wish you'd done less of? 

Sitting!

18. How did you spend Christmas? 

At my house with my baby sister and her husband and my exuberant nephew and my own children and my husband, and my other sister and her husband and my parents, and my husband's parents, and my husband's sisters and his brother and his brothers-in-law and our more sedate older niece and nephew and our nephew's girlfriend.

And five dogs.

It was awesome.

19. What was your favorite TV program? 

Wild Kratts. I don't watch it myself but Sasha does -- she records each episode and watches it over and over and over and over -- and lord almighty, that girl knows a heck of a lot about animals. The Kratt Brothers rule.

20. What were your favorite books of the year? 

I won't say it's my favorite, but Far From the Tree has really stayed with me. I think about it all the time.

21. What was your favorite music from this year? 

Rose's Pawn Shop. We saw them at McMenamin's with Blake's best friend and his parents, and I tell you, I will not soon forget the sight of my two children rockin' out. They are uninhibited, those children.

22. What were your favorite films of the year? 

I don't watch many movies. I don't know why. I never have.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned forty one and I don't remember what I did, which seems appropriate.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? 

A week's vacation with just my husband. Sigh.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012? 

I bought this dress in turquoise and wore it with these socks (in espresso) and although it was a bit Pippi Longstocking-ish, my oh-so-stylish French co-worker said I could get away with it because of my gray hair.

So you could say my personal fashion concept is youthful athleticism + gray hair.

26. What kept you sane? 

My funny, smart, loving children; and my funny, smart, loving husband; and all my funny, um, extended family. (Hee!)

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012. 

When I thought I might be dying of cancer, I only had one regret. May it continue to be so.