Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
The 2011 Year End Meme

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before? Left the country without Sparky. It was the first time we left him. Another possibility is controlling my mouth under extreme duress; many things went unsaid this year, except in my head or on various blogs.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't do these.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No one in the immediate family had kids. My niece miscarried last week though.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Beast's aunt and his dad died this year. And I think we were at a couple of other funerals too.

5. What countries did you visit? Italy, England, and the U.S.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? No funerals.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? December 30 (last day as a part-time employee), September 26 (FIL's death), August 26 (Sparky moves into his dorm), August 1, (Beast in the hospital), Palm Sunday (in Florence, people with palm branches everywhere), April 23 (Rosellen & Tom's wedding)....

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Not killing anyone, not losing my mind (mostly)....

9. What was your biggest failure? Spending too much time with my laptop and not enough time reading or getting things accomplished that needed doing.

10. What was the best thing you bought? Nook.

11. Whose behavior merited celebration? Sparky's.

12. Whose behavior made you appalled and disgusted? Pick a presidential candidate, any of them. Or Casey Anthony. Or any random K@rd@shi@n*.

13. What song will always remind you of 2011? Party Rock Anthem.

14. What do you wish you’d done more of? Reading.

15. What do you wish you’d done less of? Computer-game playing

16. Did you fall in love in 2011? I think I fell a little bit more in love with my great-nephew this year. His eyes are killer.

17. What was your favorite new TV program? American Pickers (I think that's from this year), or perhaps L&O:SVU in reruns.

18. What was the best book you read? Mockingjay (Collins) is right up there.

19. What one thing would have made your year measurably more satisfying? Standing up for myself.

20. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? Jeans, or whatever fits, since I've given up trying to lose weight to fit in my not-fat clothes.

21. What kept you sane? Work.

22. Who did you miss? Damn, this last week has been hard; I've been missing everyone from FIL to Ellen to my dad and mom (!!) to Nathanael...jeez, I've been weeping almost every day.

23. Who was the best new person you met? Aforementioned great-nephew, Justin.

24. Tell us a valuable lesson you learned in 2011? I can't control, change, or fix anything but myself.

25. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "You think I'd crumble / You think I'd lay down and die / Oh no, not I / I will survive"


*edited 5/15 to block searches on this term --gah