Lori’s Year In Review: 2016

When I started blogging in 2004, someone posted this meme. I’ve answered the same questions for over ten years now, and I like to keep up the tradition.


1. What did you do in 2016 that you’d never done before?
Completed a Dungeon & Dragons 3.5 ed. campaign as the Dungeon Mistress
Sold a car (2000 Ford Taurus I inherited from my late Mother)


2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions (NYR), and will you make more for next year?
I refer to NYRs as the Infinite Master To Do List, and yes, I made them. See the next blog entry for an accounting of what I’ve achieved in 2016, and what I hope to achieve in 2017.


3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, unless you count fictional characters.


4. Did anyone close to you die?
After I did the 2015 YIR meme, my husband’s last grandparent died (my Mother-in-Law’s Mother) the day after Christmas, and Grandma Fleming was one of many in my husband’s family who made me feel welcomed and very loved.


Although he wasn’t close to me personally, I think anyone on the planet who heard his music was affected by David Bowie. My personal favorite song was “Changes” because a quote from that song was used at the beginning of my favorite 80s teen film The Breakfast Club.


In June, my dear friend Elle Janet Plato committed suicide. She told me the year prior that she was transsexual, and knowing Janet’s wicked sense of humor, I didn’t know whether or not she was teasing me. Nor did it matter to me what her birth gender was vs. what her true gender was. After her death, I found out she was born male (named Larry) physically and underwent surgery. I still miss her.


5. What states or countries did you visit?
Illinois to visit the zoo that was the Ikea (which I learned this year is pronounced “ee-kay-ah”) warehouse store on a Sunday. Thank the Gods they are opening a store in Wisconsin sometime in the future. This time we actually bought something: a hutch for the kitchen and an entertainment center for the master bedroom. We’ve even put the hutch together and are using it.


6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016?
The list is growing longer:
-More money: either a better paying job or (preferably) a winning lottery ticket for a big jackpot
-a better governor and legislature, which hopefully will occur in 2018 now that the courts are saying no to gerrymandering because one can prove how bad it is


7. What dates from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 13, 2016: Celebrating 25 wonderful years of marriage to the World’s Greatest Husband.


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
2106 was another year where my biggest achievements were surviving it and helping the World’s Greatest Husband survive, too.


9. What was your biggest failure?
Not having the Mithril Party I wanted for our silver anniversary.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
In February, I caught a cold from the husband, who caught it from our son. The depression and anxiety has been rampant in Castle Curley, mainly affecting King Brian, but I’ve had my bouts, too. Especially in early November IYKWIM.


11. What was the best thing you bought?
I bought several items to help organize our house, and anything that I actually put into use (such as the kitchen hutch) is a good thing.


12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Samantha Bee, Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and James Corden for their responses to the Orlando nightclub shooting.


Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton for their “When they go low, we go high.” responses to The Donald.


13. Whose behavior made you:
  Appalled? Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, and unfortunately from Wisconsin (District 1), for his cowardly response to the Firearm Safety Legislation Sit-in and his part in the 2016 presidential campaign.
  Depressed? Every single person who fired a gun and killed or injured people with it for whatever stupid reason
  Appalled and Depressed? Everyone who voted for The Donald for president, or who voted for anyone but Hillary Clinton, because now we’re going to have two-four years of a lot of damage to undo after that moron and the other repugnican’ts get out of office.


14. Where did most of your money go?
Paying bills (medical, water bill for leaky toilet, furnace repair, etc.), buying needed items like a new microwave (when I broke the old one) and a dehumidifier for the basement, and items to organize our house.


15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our Mithril (Silver) Anniversary. I was hoping for a big party, but we settled for a very nice steak dinner.


16. What song will always remind you of 2016?
“Bruises” by Train


17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
  a) happier or sadder? Sadder
  b) thinner or fatter? Fatter
  c) richer or poorer? Poorer, and thanks to the elections, not going to be making more money anytime soon.


18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing my novel series.


19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Losing the lottery; playing games on my tablets.


20. How will you be spending Christmas?
 Eve: With Prince Mekhi and the World’s Greatest Husband, then with the World’s Greatest In-Laws (mine!);
 Day: With the World’s Greatest Husband (mine!) and our critters; We may go see a movie, but if we do, it won’t be Rogue One.
 26th/my late mother’s birthday: Once again my brother Tom is on the ball about asking our siblings to get together in the Dells. Fran wants to go somewhere other than Moosejaw, and I agree. I only ask that we go somewhere that serves alcohol because it’s an evening with my siblings and their families. KnowwhatImean? Interestingly enough, they picked Monk’s, which I’ve been to locally and know that they serve copious amounts of alcohol.


21. With whom did you spend the most time on the phone?
I guess I could include texts on this one, so that would be Mekhi’s Bio-/Mom #1 Lisa. Early in the year when I drove her to a medical procedure, I referred to myself as “the closest thing she’s ever had to a sister.”


22. Did you fall in love in 2016?
Been in love with the same guy since 1989, and every day I love him more. Many days I truly am surprised that he still puts up with me. He still thinks he got the better end of the marriage deal; I know that I did. Seriously, that is one of the “fiercest arguments” in our marriage. ;} (I usually win when we compare in-laws because I definitely got the better deal there!)


Because of his severe depression and anxiety this year, Brian wondered why I was still with him. I honestly and sincerely reminded him of his being there for me during my tough times (loss of my parents, loss of my job and/or a job from hell, etc.) Plus, I love him so much that being there for him actually isn’t that difficult; I’m not going anywhere, and I will do all I can to help him feel better.


When one of my sisters-in-law was going through a tough time, she offered my brother the option of a divorce, which told me that she didn’t know as much as she thought she did about my brother and our family. We have fun with the good times; and when the hard times hit, as they will do, we build our bunkers around our loved ones and do our best to be there to care for them. That’s just the way our family always has been.


The hard part is knowing I can’t take away his pain or make him laugh as he does for me. One night, I actually made Brian smile when I said that I wished he had a spot on him like the white spot on our black cat Gleep, that we call her “sweetness button.” I said, I would press his “smile button” to make him happy and, well, smile.


23. How many one-night stands?
Because I am monogamous in my marriage, I only have one night stands in my dreams and with the strangest people/fictional characters (such as one of the instructors at my son’s dojo, who in real life is waaaay too skinny (and way too young) for my tastes). See #35 for further details.


24. What are your favorite TV program(s)?
Still love The Big Bang Theory as my current favorite, with the (about as believable but just as fun as a Bond film) Scorpion a close second. Now addicted to virtually all Marvel Cinematic Universe and Arrowverse TV shows. The DVR and the Netflix queue overfloweth, especially with episodes of Doctor Who.


25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Paul Ryan is a good start as he represents almost everything that is reprehensible about the modern Repugnican’t party. Also, every single person who voted for The Donald, and every single person who didn’t vote, or protest voted, and allowed The Donald to become our president-elect.


I no longer hate The Donald because he has done what I wish I could do: put a harsh magnifying glass in a sunbeam and show just how despicable the GOP has become. Now it is frying away after selling its soul to the extremists. I just wish that its demise was established on election day 2016. Now we have to wait another two to four years for it die.


26. What was the best book you read this year?
Staked by Kevin Hearne. It’s the eighth novel in his Iron Druid Chronicles, and I can’t wait for the ninth and final novel, especially because the two Irish wolfhounds are expecting puppies!


27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The World’s Greatest husband keeps expanding my musical repertoire. This year it was the band Train and their album California 37, referring to the highway of the same name.


28. What did you want and get?
Can’t think of anything. 2016 was a bad year all around, and not just for the inhabitants of Castle Curley.


29. What did you want and not get?
More income; Bernie Sanders, or at least Hillary Clinton for president.


30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I have a hard time choosing between Deadpool and Captain America: Civil War. Both based on Marvel Comics, but only the second one is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Deadpool is considered part of the X-Men film series. The former was freaking hilarious, but the latter was extremely good and unexpectedly surprising.


31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Brian was out-of-town with a group of friends from high school. I told him to go because my birthday wasn’t a hallmark one, and we could go out anytime. Plus, I planned on doing a crafts weekend at home. (I didn’t do any.) See my blog entry for the day. I turned 28 for the twentieth time.


32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Impeaching The Donald or The Wanker.


33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?
A colleague asked me if I had lost weight, to which I responded, “Nope, I just bought bigger clothes, but thank you for noticing.”


I also was measured again for a bra-fitting because I’ve gained so much weight. Now I’m a 44-46 DDD. Still need to buy more bras and other undergarments.


34. What kept you sane?
Brian asked me how I keep my spirits up, especially when I helped him deal with his depression and anxiety. I sent him “linkage” e-mails: stuff from I Can Haz Cheezburger and other like sites, to make him smile a little. I said to him, “This is why I’ve downloaded about half the Internet.” Plus, I’ve spent a lifetime dealing with these conditions way before my diagnoses and prognoses, so I have developed a lifetime of coping techniques.


Of course, our puppies and kitties help.


35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Still fancy Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. Granted, he’s 36 years older than the first time I had a crush on him, but so am I. ;}


However, in August I had a dream that I was at a gaming convention, and as I was crisscrossing the various secret passage ways of the convention center and its hotels, I came across a skinny-dipping Jack Black. Before he climbed out of the pool, the landline rang and woke me up.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Voter rights, and electing Bernie Sanders and Russ Feingold. :(

37. Whom did you miss?
My late father (“Poppy”), my late Grandmother-in-Law Fleming, Elle Janet Plato (see #4).


38. Who was the best new person you met?
The only person I can think of is my son’s fifth-grade teacher, Ms. Wolter.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2016:
“I’m sure the universe is full of intelligent life. It’s just been too intelligent to come here.” – Arthur C. Clarke


40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
These bruises make for better conversation
Loses the vibe that separates
It’s good to let you in again
You’re not alone in how you’ve been
Everybody loses, everybody loses, everybody loses
We all got bruises, We all got bruises, We all got bruises.
(See #16 above.)


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First Blog Titles Month by Month 2016:
January: Which Blog? I’ve Lost Count
February: What can I do today to achieve my goals?
March: Movies, Geekdom, and Race
April: The Fish is in the Tree…
May: Another Fine Mother’s Day
June: A Preacher Walks into a Grocery Store...
July: The Drunken Smiley Face in the Sky
August: Framily
September: Catching Up: Birthday 2016
October: Corn Maze – Football Nap
November: Meme
December: Lori’s Year In Review: 2016


Blessed Be,
-Lori


“Communication technologies are necessary, but not sufficient, for us humans to get along with each other.” – Arthur C. Clarke

Castle Curley Update

Near the end of 2015, I created a list called the “Castle Curley Home Organization and Improvements List”, hoping that in lieu of improvements that the WGH and I cannot afford, at least organizing the house would make it functional and save us resources of money and time in that we could find what we need instead of having to buy new stuff, we could eat at home rather than going out most nights, and we wouldn’t have to spend our weekends and other days off cleaning house. I hoped that we could have this organization done with minimal costs by the end of the year.


Reality loves to laugh at any plans I make.


While Brian and I move faster than the glacial pace of state government, it’s not by much. We already modified the plans to state that the first floor will be done by the end of the year, with the second floor done in 2017, the (finished) attic in 2018, and the (unfinished, so storage only) basement in 2019.


We really hoped to renovate the house, and I’ve been waiting for the last eleven years since we moved into this 1902 Victorian home to either win the lottery, write a best seller, and/or receive a significant raise at work. At the rate all three of these are going, they are in order of likelihood of happening. If I’d been smart, we would have started this organization project back in 2005; then I could have spent more time working on creativity (novel and crafts, specifically) and Delazan Enterprises, my home business.


We did make an effort on the house organization over the Memorial Day (MD) weekend, despite the fact that we spent almost all of Friday in bed (sleeping, felt wonderful). Mekhi did forge a path from the door to his bed in his bedroom, but not the big cleanout that I hoped he and Brian would do that day. I really can’t complain about the mess in my ten-year-old’s bedroom considering it matches the cleanliness – or lack thereof – of my bedroom at that same age; my adult bedroom isn’t much cleaner.


The biggest project completed MD weekend was the assembly of the hutch we bought at Ikea (pronounced ɪˈkeːˈa) earlier in the year. Actually it’s a secretary with a matching cabinet on top, but it’s far more functional than the pub table and chairs that it replaced in our kitchen. The table was a clutter magnet, and I hate barstool height chairs. Brian and I only snipped at each other a few times in the process, both losing our tempers at least once each. After about four hours (felt like forty), we have a beautiful hutch that I already started organizing with snacks for Mekhi, treats for the critters, and my two favorite cookbooks. The handled baskets that I purchased (and started using in the freezer and refrigerator) help this endeavor, plus providing storage for the unused baskets to get them off the counter.


We didn’t remove the ugly and stained brown carpet from the study MD weekend, but we did go to see Captain America: Civil War for some positive mental health and to keep up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Brian said the movie followed the comic book reasonably well; I loved the unexpected, yet very pleasant surprises the movie’s plot made. Fight scenes (which I usually find very boring) were good, too.


This coming weekend, we have no RPG; just Mekhi’s karate lesson, Janet’s memorial to attend and a few errands to run. The following weekend will be our annual Independence Day Party, so Brian and I will be cleaning and organizing. Wednesday night we hauled our seldom-used treadmill to the curb, and we don’t have anything else super-heavy that needs to be moved from the study before we take out the carpet. A lot of stuff in there will be thrown out.


I also hope we finish organizing the kitchen this weekend. Of the eleven drawers, three will continue their current uses (silverware, linens, and hand-held appliances), and I’ve gone through one of the junk drawers and now store the pot lids in there since our new stove doesn’t have as much storage as the older one. Although, now we have room next to the stove for a small organizer that we’ve purchased and hope to assemble this weekend, in which we plan to store more items that used to be on or in the stove, as well as large utensils that are in a carousel on the counter (that Brian hates because it takes up so much counter space). We also need to set up a drinking fountain for all the critters and a special timed/measured feeding dish for the dogs.


After living in this house for eleven years, I finally looked into the huge cupboard high up in the half-bath just off the kitchen. Basically it was empty, so now we store for seldom-used items for entertaining (like the football-shaped chip and dip bowl). Some of the “stuff” in the drawers may find their way into that cupboard or into the basement for other long-term storage.


I’ll let you know how what progress we make over the weekend, but understand that our plan for this evening is to go to bed not long after arriving home.


Pog ma thoin!
-Lori


“Every time I make a plan, God laughs at me.” – Jason Isaacs

What can I do today to achieve my goals?

Past Achievements and Fumbles

In 1997, I didn’t like where I was in terms of goals and life achievements, so I returned to college part-time to finish my BA (which I finally completed in 2000), and I started keeping a journal to track my dreams and goals. Every August I have the annual review when I re-read the journals of the past year because August is my birth month and the month in which I started keeping a journal. Every five years I re-read all the journals since the beginning. Obviously this quinquennial won’t occur again until next year (2017).

 

2012 was a banner year for me because it was the 25 year anniversary since I graduated high school, and fifteen years since I started keeping a journal. Of course, the latter is far more important to me than the former. I said my goodbyes to my hideous high school classmates at graduation and haven’t been back since. The funny thing was no one stepped up to plan our 25th reunion, so I’m not the only one who feels that way about my high school. The weekend of my 20th high school reunion, I wrote down the list of three conditions that must be met if I were to consider attending a high school reunion:

1. I weigh 150#, or at least less than 185#.
2. Delazan Enterprises is so successful that I can quit my day job.
3. I have at least one bestselling novel published.

Present Reality

None of these conditions were achieved by 2012, and as I mentioned in the prior paragraph, it didn’t matter due to no reunion. However, as I wrote in my previous blog entry, I still have these same goals, even if they need to be updated for reality’s sake. I was hoping to have this List of Three Priorities completed by my Silver Anniversary, which occurs in this summer:

1. Hirapis
2. DE, crafts especially
3. Weight loss (permanent) – Eating for Life plan (Not a temporary “diet”)

Again, I doubt that these will be achieved between now and our party planned for July 9 (anniversary proper is July 13, but that’s a Wednesday), so I need to do a different take on and have a different attitude about my New Year’s Resolutions/Goals. I already listed my priorities in the previous blog entry; now I have to chop them up into little manageable parts with reasonable deadlines and realistic ideas of outcomes. So here are the short-term goals for my priorities:

Before our Mithril Party (July 9, 2016)

1. Have shared guardianship of Prince Mekhi figured out
2. Lose enough weight that I can wear my Tatooine Sunset dress at the party
3. The current draft of Hirapis completed and under review by my friend in publishing
4. Obviously all the planning and prep work for the party should be done
5. At least the main floor of the house organized

If I don’t have the Hirapis draft done by the party, then I want to have it done by my birthday on August 28, 2016, (yes, I have to be specific about the year). If I do have the draft done, then I want to complete some crafts (especially candles and Christmas crafts) and/or update my personal websites before my birthday. My deadline for having the whole house organized is December 31, 2016.

 

Before I Earn my Red Hat

The next hallmark in my life will be my fiftieth birthday on August 28, 2019. Brian, the World’s Greatest Husband, gets a pass on my birthday (and most holidays, except the Mithril this summer) until I turn fifty because I don’t feel the need for something special every year. That would be exhausting. Unless there’s a Packer preseason game (unlikely on a Wednesday), I want a big party with fondue, flambé, apples, and the local chapter of the Red Hat Society. I’ve met them already, and they’re a hoot!

 

However, before Jack Black and I hit the big 5-0, I want to come close to achieving that list of three in case someone does finally plan a high school reunion (it won’t be me):

1. Weight: I’d like the first number on the scale to be a 1, even if the other two numbers are 99. Or, if the first number is a two, much closer to 200 than 300. At the very least, I don’t want the first number to be a 3.
2. I do not know whether or not my Hirapis series will be bestselling (while it would be nice to have the success of Jo Rowling, I’ll settle for the success of Meg Cabot), I do know that the books won’t be selling at all if I don’t get them written and published. Therefore, I change this goal to be a published author.
3. Delazan Enterprises: with the advent of sites that sell homemade crafts, I don’t have to worry about lugging and selling my wares at craft fairs. No, what I need to do is finally make something to sell. I have a lot of craft supplies at home, and before I buy any more supplies, I need to finish the crafts on my to do list first.

Pog ma thoin!

-Lori

“Creative spirits are truly ageless.” – SARK