2022 YEAR IN REVIEW, GENERAL QUESTIONS
1/1/23 07:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kateNote from 2012: I've never done one of these before. I'm not a huge reflection type person, normally, but as I get older I find I would like to have this record for... I dunno. Myself, people who might be interested, my family. Whatever.
Note from 2013: I'm not fond of a lot of this meme. I'm terrible at reflection so I'm not sure I'll actually switch out a lot of these questions, but hopefully I will, a few at a time, until I come up with a better set for the yearly review.
Note from 2014: I almost didn't do this one this year, I really hate it. If anyone has suggestions for a better one, link in the comments?
Note from 2015: Here we go again. Still hate some of the questions, not much changes from year to year in a fair number of these categories.
Note from 2021: LOLLLLL so much has changed since 2015 it's going to be interesting finally! I probably won't remember that much from the last 6 years, my memory has gone to shit. But I'll try!
Note from 2022: Welp, back to my "don't think much has changed but I guess I'll do this anyway?" sort of feels.
1. What did you do in 2022 that you'd never done before? I went to a chamber music salon in someone's house. It was a blast and I got to meet two of the clarinetists from the MSO. Pretty awesome.
2.Did you keep your New Year's resolution and will you make more for next year? What goals do you have for 2023? Write every day. Get back into my spiritual stuff, it's been so long. Hopefully eat more veg. <-------- My answer from last year stands.
3. How did you spend New Year last year? Pretty sure, like every year, we spent it on the couch. <-------- And it stands again!
4. How will you spend it this year? Definitely spent it on the couch. We watched Fringe (we're nearly done with our rewatch and Leverage is up next!) and toasted with sparkling grape juice.
5. How much traveling did you do in 2022? Work stuff (which is just a 90 minute drive, no more than driving home) and one trip to visit the inlaws in VA that went so poorly we are not likely to attempt it again in many years.
6. What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022? I'd really love to get my writing inspiration back. But also some way to balance my hobbies and creative pursuits so I can do all of them and not have them be at the expense of the other ones.
7. What date from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory and why? My memory for dates is not good, tbh, and I will remember, likely, the whole Elon Musk/twitter thing happened in 2022 but… there's no real guarantee of that.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Definitely that huge, daily cold read. I'm really proud of that. <---------- Lol, hilariously this is still accurate. Next year I'll have a work milestone to put here, but this year, that's it.
9. What was your biggest learning experience? Think I'm still working on this. I did well on daily writing until April, and then things shifted, somehow, and I just… stopped. I think it was a convergence of things, my main supporter became… nominally unavailable around then and hasn't been back, and I started working really hard on music instead, which sapped both physical and creative energy, and work just hasn't let up with the difficulty, so. I'm still working on balance, but it's going to take a lot of adjustments and I hope I can do it by myself. It turns out I am not really a solitary creature, even in writing. I just need… someone. I write better when I have that person.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Uh. I feel like yes, but I can't actually remember? I didn't have any sick days from work, but I work from home, so I probably wouldn't. My wife got surgery on her ear, but that was a fix, not an injury. Maybe not.
11. What was the best thing you got, bought, pilfered, or stole?Fucking ALIEN TAPE. We put it on the back door and it sealed up the draft and we've saved an incredible amount in heating. I still can't fucking believe I didn't realize what a draft there was until it was -9 for three days straight. Okay, yes, Alien Tape was fantastic, but the best thing I bought this year was an A clarinet for only $150 and it has beautiful sound, I love it so much, and look forward to playing things on it that I haven't been able to play in a long time.
12.Whose behavior merited celebration? What's your proudest achievement of 2022? Dude, that question is literally the same as #8. I'm striking this whole fucking question for next year.
13.Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? What's your most embarrassing moment of 2022? Oh, I had one, I think? I don't remember it though. I try not to hold on to that kind of stuff. This is also a terrible question. Why would I want to remember that?
14. Where did most of your money go? Mortgage, then food, probably. My wife is on a meal program and I eat whatever is around the house, so a lot of cold cereal and oatmeal.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My fall concert was pretty amazing. Sadly, even though I did actually try to tell people about it (normally I do not do this), no one came. So. Yeah, that was a bit disappointing.
16. What song will always remind you of 2022? I don't listen to music and I've never really related to it this way. Also, as I mention above, terrible with dates, so gonna probably just delete this question going forward.
17. Did you start any new hobbies? No, music, writing, podfic, and Mandarin are more than enough fucking hobbies.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Writing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Work. (This will likely always be work.)
20. How did you spend Christmas? With family and friends at my mom's. (This will also likely always be the answer to this question.)
21. Did you fall in love in 2022? Not with anyone new. Still in love with my wife and my fandom. :)
22.How many one-night stands? Discover any new restaurants? Not this year. Tried to cut back on eating out and did reasonably well.
23.What was your favorite TV program? What were you watching on TV in 2022? I watched Luoyang with Jelly early in the year, that was fun. Other than that, mostly rewatches of things, new seasons of GBBO and other cooking/baking competition shows, and, just starting over Thanksgiving, I really enjoyed The Peripheral.
24.Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Any TV you've given up on? Haven't really watched anything serially in a while, so no? I haven't watched a lot of new TV period.
25.What was the best book you read? Movie experiences of 2022 you'd like to remember? Only movie I remember watching in recent history is Glass Onion/Knives Out 2, and it was. A movie. I had almost no thoughts and feelings about it, but those I did were likely just lustful thoughts about Janelle Monae.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? I started playing with an orchestra. It's a mess, and I don't know if it will survive because it just was so poorly organized and communicated, but I hope it will, because it meant I bought an A clarinet, which I have not had in YEARS. So that was genius. And also reminds me to go change my answer to #11.
27.What did you want and get? Any books to talk about? Nope.
28.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? New games? I have a stupid parking lot game on my phone that I play more than is healthy. I still play Stardew Valley. It's not new, but for family gatherings, we play Jackbox a lot, and it is definitely a good time.
29.What was your favorite film of this year? Fandoms you entered/left? Fannish activities you started/ended? Still in The Untamed/MDZS and related BJYX. Not a lot likely to change there, I think. I love these idiots so much.
30.Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Talk about your 'ships. Still WangXian, still BJYX.
31.What did you want and not get? Any headlines you remember? Russia invades Ukraine. The Endurance was found. Roe v. Wade overturned. The Queen is dead. Elon Musk tanks twitter. (I need help with that every year because my memory does not really extend to things like that.)
32. What political issue stirred you the most? Capitalism run amok/the rise of the union. Women's health rights/downfall of Roe v. Wade.
33.How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2022? Any new fashion items for you? Not this year. I don't think I bought anything new in 2022.
34.What kept you sane? Food memories of 2022? A lovely birthday dinner at Eldr+Ryme.
35. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 52 and the above-mentioned dinner. Also, I started my 65 chapter massive daily cold read for the year. It was an excellent day.
36.WhoWhat did you miss? Writing, post-April.
37. Who was the best new person you met? Uh. I've met lots of people, but no one really stands out to me this year. Most of my interactions are with people I've known for a while. My social circle tends to contract when work is hard.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022. Eating more vegetables will actually keep you from craving sugar. I hate that it works like that for me, but it does work like that.
39.Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Where do you want to be next year at this time? With my wife, friends, and family, in a fandom I enjoy, and in good health. <------- Yeah, still true. I'd also like to be getting my promotion and big bonus and thus looking seriously at buying a house. <-------- Sadly, still true. <----------- The first bit is still true, but I got that promotion, we got our house, and then I got a new job, another promotion, and now am starting on another new job! <-------- Back to the original. I would like to be with my wife, friends, and family, in a fandom I enjoy and in good health. All true right now, and I'd love to keep on keepin' on.
40. Did you enjoy this year? For the first time, I'm going to say no. There was way too much garbage and nowhere near enough good. Fuck 2015, and let's ring in 2016. <--------- Gonna agree here. 2020 and 2021 were fucking garbage. 2022, please to not suck kthxbai. <--------- No. Too much work, not enough writing, missing friends and family a lot… it wasn't great. Plus so much fucking bullshit happening around the world, I cannot even deal with what a nightmare things are politically. Please, 2023, let's get going on the equity and acceptance agendas here and stop with the outrageous nonsense that's happening. Fuck dictators and the outrageous rich.
Note from 2013: I'm not fond of a lot of this meme. I'm terrible at reflection so I'm not sure I'll actually switch out a lot of these questions, but hopefully I will, a few at a time, until I come up with a better set for the yearly review.
Note from 2014: I almost didn't do this one this year, I really hate it. If anyone has suggestions for a better one, link in the comments?
Note from 2015: Here we go again. Still hate some of the questions, not much changes from year to year in a fair number of these categories.
Note from 2021: LOLLLLL so much has changed since 2015 it's going to be interesting finally! I probably won't remember that much from the last 6 years, my memory has gone to shit. But I'll try!
Note from 2022: Welp, back to my "don't think much has changed but I guess I'll do this anyway?" sort of feels.
1. What did you do in 2022 that you'd never done before? I went to a chamber music salon in someone's house. It was a blast and I got to meet two of the clarinetists from the MSO. Pretty awesome.
2.
3. How did you spend New Year last year? Pretty sure, like every year, we spent it on the couch. <-------- And it stands again!
4. How will you spend it this year? Definitely spent it on the couch. We watched Fringe (we're nearly done with our rewatch and Leverage is up next!) and toasted with sparkling grape juice.
5. How much traveling did you do in 2022? Work stuff (which is just a 90 minute drive, no more than driving home) and one trip to visit the inlaws in VA that went so poorly we are not likely to attempt it again in many years.
6. What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022? I'd really love to get my writing inspiration back. But also some way to balance my hobbies and creative pursuits so I can do all of them and not have them be at the expense of the other ones.
7. What date from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory and why? My memory for dates is not good, tbh, and I will remember, likely, the whole Elon Musk/twitter thing happened in 2022 but… there's no real guarantee of that.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Definitely that huge, daily cold read. I'm really proud of that. <---------- Lol, hilariously this is still accurate. Next year I'll have a work milestone to put here, but this year, that's it.
9. What was your biggest learning experience? Think I'm still working on this. I did well on daily writing until April, and then things shifted, somehow, and I just… stopped. I think it was a convergence of things, my main supporter became… nominally unavailable around then and hasn't been back, and I started working really hard on music instead, which sapped both physical and creative energy, and work just hasn't let up with the difficulty, so. I'm still working on balance, but it's going to take a lot of adjustments and I hope I can do it by myself. It turns out I am not really a solitary creature, even in writing. I just need… someone. I write better when I have that person.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Uh. I feel like yes, but I can't actually remember? I didn't have any sick days from work, but I work from home, so I probably wouldn't. My wife got surgery on her ear, but that was a fix, not an injury. Maybe not.
11. What was the best thing you got, bought, pilfered, or stole?
12.
13.
14. Where did most of your money go? Mortgage, then food, probably. My wife is on a meal program and I eat whatever is around the house, so a lot of cold cereal and oatmeal.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My fall concert was pretty amazing. Sadly, even though I did actually try to tell people about it (normally I do not do this), no one came. So. Yeah, that was a bit disappointing.
16. What song will always remind you of 2022? I don't listen to music and I've never really related to it this way. Also, as I mention above, terrible with dates, so gonna probably just delete this question going forward.
17. Did you start any new hobbies? No, music, writing, podfic, and Mandarin are more than enough fucking hobbies.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Writing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Work. (This will likely always be work.)
20. How did you spend Christmas? With family and friends at my mom's. (This will also likely always be the answer to this question.)
21. Did you fall in love in 2022? Not with anyone new. Still in love with my wife and my fandom. :)
22.
23.
24.
25.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? I started playing with an orchestra. It's a mess, and I don't know if it will survive because it just was so poorly organized and communicated, but I hope it will, because it meant I bought an A clarinet, which I have not had in YEARS. So that was genius. And also reminds me to go change my answer to #11.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32. What political issue stirred you the most? Capitalism run amok/the rise of the union. Women's health rights/downfall of Roe v. Wade.
33.
34.
35. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 52 and the above-mentioned dinner. Also, I started my 65 chapter massive daily cold read for the year. It was an excellent day.
36.
37. Who was the best new person you met? Uh. I've met lots of people, but no one really stands out to me this year. Most of my interactions are with people I've known for a while. My social circle tends to contract when work is hard.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022. Eating more vegetables will actually keep you from craving sugar. I hate that it works like that for me, but it does work like that.
39.
40. Did you enjoy this year? For the first time, I'm going to say no. There was way too much garbage and nowhere near enough good. Fuck 2015, and let's ring in 2016. <--------- Gonna agree here. 2020 and 2021 were fucking garbage. 2022, please to not suck kthxbai. <--------- No. Too much work, not enough writing, missing friends and family a lot… it wasn't great. Plus so much fucking bullshit happening around the world, I cannot even deal with what a nightmare things are politically. Please, 2023, let's get going on the equity and acceptance agendas here and stop with the outrageous nonsense that's happening. Fuck dictators and the outrageous rich.
For easy organization later:
