2013 year wrap up

• 1:What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
  Consistent exercise plus smoothies.  Sounds ridiculously simple, but it was life changing!
• 2:Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
  I don't remember them all, but the main one was to lose weight and change my health.  And I did!  That will pretty much keep going into next year.
• 3:Did anyone close to you give birth?
  Sure did!  My dear friend J had his first baby (girl) on September 17, and "bester" D had her second baby boy on October 24.  Beautiful children!  My husband also gained a new little cousin on November 26.  And of course, there were plenty of births on Facebook.  ;-) 
• 4:Did anyone close to you die?
  My "person" D lost her beloved MomMom in June, and that really saddened me.  Such a wonderful woman whom I was privileged to know for over 20 years.  I have another good friend who went through quite a bit of loss, and my heart hurts for her.  
• 5:What countries did you visit?
  I have never left the US.  I don't even have a passport yet!
• 6:What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013
  A million dollars.  ;-)
• 7:What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
  April 28 for being our first wedding anniversary (and the day we were introduced to Shake Shack and The Meatball Shop, HA.)
  September 17 and October 24 for the babies
  October 1 for the day everything changed at work
  October 26 for our epic Game of Throne party, November 25 for officially launching my husband's Etsy shop, December 11 for the day we saw/met Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan after Waiting for Godot. 
• There were many more memorable days....but my memory's turning into swiss cheese, and I never remember much about the beginning of the year aside from my husband's birthday and Monster Mania.  
• 8:What was your biggest achievement of the year?
  Losing 41 pounds and changing my eating/exercise lifestyle.  Climbing a more difficult rock wall.  Jogging 2 miles without pausing.  Lots of therapy breakthroughs.
• 9:What was your biggest failure?
  Allowing anxiety to smother me at points.
• 10:Did you suffer illness or injury?
  I had vertigo on NYE and once again in March.  The March episode took me to the ER.  I was diagnosed with benign positional vertigo that will only need to be treated with therapy if it happens again.  Knock wood, it hasn't.
  I also had to go to a sleep doctor to work out night terrors.  I know stress does not medically cause these two things, but it sure as hell exacerbates both!
• 11:What was the best thing you bought?
  My new back tattoo-  "Lady Peaceful" from the Cabaret song Maybe This Time.
  Tickets to the three shows we saw this year:  Jekyll & Hyde (SUCKED, but was so worth it to see the overacting of Connie), Rocky Horror (need I explain?  And Kevin Cahoon!!), and Waiting for Godot (otherwise known as Sirsday).  Meeting Danielle Harris was awesome, as was getting my picture with the Ghostbusters Ecto-1 car and Ernie Hudson.
  I also love every single Pop Figure we accumulated and can't wait to finish off the Lannister family!  My Asics are the best.  Oh, and these jeans from Torrid have really been amazing in the weight loss journey.
• 12:Whose behavior merited celebration?
  My husband and best friends.  All the people in my grandmother's life who take her to appointments and church and drop food off for her...they'll never fully know just how grateful I am for their kindness.  
• 13:Whose behavior made you appalled?
  Not naming names, but two people in my best friends lives make me want to beat the everlovin' crap out of them.  
• 14:Where did most of your money go?
  New HVAC system, water heater, and car.  Otherwise, food, bills....we were even good at cons this year.
• 15:What did you get really, really, really excited about?
  Really really really??  Finding out that Cabaret and Hedwig are coming back to NYC theatre in 2014.  Then I got really really really sad over what this will do to my credit.  I also got really really really excited when my husband illustrated two children's books that are available on Amazon.  :-)
• 16:What song will always remind you of 2013?
  Anything Macklemore
  Everybody (Backstreet's Back)- BSB
  Bad Girls-  M.I.A.
  I Love It-  Icona Pop
  Dancing On My Own- Robyn
  Cannonball- The Breeders
  Wrecking Ball- Miley Cyrus
  Call Me Maybe-  Carly Rae Jepsen
  Applause-  Lady Gaga
  Get Lucky-  Daft Punk
  Bound 2-  Kanye West
• 17:Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
  (A) Happier
  (B) Thinner
  (C) About the same
• 18:What do you wish you’d done more of?
  READ.  A big resolution is to grab a stack of my books and read every single one of them this year.  I bet I have a total of two completely unread bookcases.
  I know it sounds weird, but I wish I watched more TV.  I just don't have the time, and I have the attention span of a gnat anymore.  If it's an hour long show, it HAS to be a short season otherwise I'm going to blow it off.  I'm loving how a lot of shows are midseason blocks and not stretched out all year.  
• 19:What do you wish you’d done less of?
  Sit on my ass.  I started doing that less when fall came around, but that was an awfully long time to be stuck in my Sheldon Cooper spot on the couch.  
• 20:How did you spend Christmas?
  Christmas Eve with his mom's side, picked up my grandmother and had her over for Christmas Day.  Cooked, watched some movies, took her home.  Very simple!
• 21:Did you fall in love in 2013?
  I've been in love since 2008.  :-)
• 22:What was your favorite TV program?
  The Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones, Girls, American Horror Story, How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, New Girl, The Mindy Project, Orange Is the New Black, L&O: SVU.  I enjoy The Goldbergs as well- local shoutouts like whoa!  I'm loving Breaking Bad as well, but I haven't finished yet (shhh).
• 23:Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
  Hate is a really strong word.  I have extreme dislike towards some people, but I feel sad that they choose to behave the way they do.  
• 24:What was the best book you read?
  Loving A Song Of Ice & Fire (Game of Thrones) series, though it's taking me forever to get through them.  I loved The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding (and not just because she's my friend--  musical theatre YA lovers need to snatch this up ASAP).  I've been so immersed in ASOIAF that I completely forget what else I read this year....see, I told you I need to read like a maniac again!
• 25:What was your greatest musical discovery?
  Macklemore was the main "discovery."  I also loved Icona Pop's album and have to admit that Miley Cyrus really does have an excellent pop voice.  I like that song by Lorde as well, she has an interesting sound.  Didn't "discover" too much new stuff this year.  I also liked the Rains of Castamere.  ;-)
• 26:What did you want and get?
  Better health insurance next year.
• 27:What did you want and not get?
  Something else involving my job that I'm not going to share.  But at least I have benefits.  
• 28:What was your favorite film of this year?
  I really think it was This Is the End.  I LOVED that movie.  Much Ado About Nothing was sublime.  I also loved The To-Do List- surprising turn from Aubrey Plaza and an amazing 1993 setting.  I really enjoyed Catching Fire and Mama, and I want to see Don Jon, Spring Breakers, Saving Mr Banks, Frozen, and American Hustle.
• 29:What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
  Reuniting with my mother's best friend in the spring.  I missed her more than words can say.
• 30:How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
  Whatever fits at the moment?  I've been in-between sizes a lot and it's hard.  However, once a nip comes back in the air, I'm always in a skirt, tights, pendant, and boots.  Now that I'm so cold all the time, I've been adding sweaters.
• 31:What kept you sane?
  My husband and friends.  
• 32:Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
  Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, HELLO!!!!  And Adam Driver.  Two vastly different men and actors on HBO that make my pants very happy.  Oh hell, Alexis Denisof made his way back into the picture as well.  Ok fine, James Franco was still in the mix.  Damn his constant Instagram-ing
• 33:What political issue stirred you the most?
  Anything involving women's/reproductive rights, gay marriage, gun control, celebrities running their ignorant mouths, and basic human civil rights.  
• 34:Who did you miss?
  I always miss my mom, but I'm at peace with it.
• 35:Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
  Goes for any year:  "Breathe.  Feel.  Love.  Give.  Free."  (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
• 36:Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
  "If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again."
• (Bonus:  Watch this, and I dare you not to smile.)