2020 To Do List Review

It's January 18th, can you tell I've been dreading this?  I've spent a lot of time in the last 2 plus weeks processing all the bullshit that was 2020 and this feels like the last step.  Let's close this book, shall we? 

 1. Leave the country at least once.  - Dammit.  Our Paris/Amsterdam trip was a dream trip.  We had direct flights, it was super inexpensive when we booked it.  I mourn that we may never get that lucky again.  I'm so sad we didn't get to go.  

2. Run the Chicago Marathon and beat my time from 2009.  Canceled. STUPID.  But it was helpful because I'm not sure I want to run 26 miles again.  Will have to think on it more. 

3. Take Owen on another mother/son trip. We never did this.  I hate that the window we had to travel was really March-May when it just wasn't possible but that was when it was most flexible for us in terms of virtual work and school.  

4. Keep working on strength and yoga classes (goal is 4X of each per week)  I did really well with this until I didn't.  The renovation really threw me off. 

5. Do at least one major house project to get it over with! Likely O's bathroom.  WELL! ONE THAT WE JUST CRUSHED.  We did Owen's bathroom, the entire kitchen, the powder room, the laundry room and a complete overhaul of the attic.  A full gut job.  Not to mention the millions of other little things we took care of. 

6. Date night once a month in Houston.  Another one we just lost track of in the chaos. 

7. Figure out better sleep habits with the Whoop.  I almost quit wearing it so many times this year.  It was the one thing I stayed committed to, even if I didn't do any of the things I need to for real success. 

8. Get back to 2017 fighting weight and eating habits.  Beyond epic fail.  The only time I've ever been heavier was the day I gave birth. 

9. Start budgeting every month with discipline. HAAA BUDGET? We blew that baby with All Restaurant Fall but no kitchen is a pretty good excuse. 

10.  Astros away game in Atlanta.  No fans were allowed but we did get to go to Atlanta. 

11. Go somewhere completely new.  OOOH I DID THIS! We did an awesome West Texas trip for Thanksgiving.  Big Bend, Terlingua, Marfa, Alpine, Ft. Davis. 

12.  Galleria staycation at Christmas and summer at the Marquis.  We wound up doing a night in Galveston before going back to work/school and a night at Memorial City for my birthday, I call it a win, we just adapted to the circumstances. 

13.  Do something creative, even if it's just one of those drunk painting places. Not really a great option this year. 

14. Take Owen to College Station.  We were scheduled to go in April.  Cancelled. 

15. Meet Pelo peeps at HRI and hopefully meet Jess Sims or Matt Wilpers!  DOOOONNNNNNEEEEE CHECK CHECK AND CHECK! NAILED IT! 

16. Continue to learn to be a better listener, you know, talk less, smile more.  Nope. 

17.  Let's try this again.  3/4 fruits or veggies with every meal.  Nope. 

18. Do something really fun for my birthday since it's A) on a Saturday and B) the big 3-9!  We did the best we could.  Enjoyed a haircut and color, an awesome brunch with Erin, a great dinner at Killen's and a fantastic suite at a hotel.  It was pretty darn alright for a covid birthday. 

19.  Reorganize things I can change at work.  I completed my three huge projects and we got 2 awards and a really big accreditation the district had never gotten before so I'd say this was a big success.  Docusign and covid solved a lot of my other issues for me :) 

20. Figure out my new retirement savings situation.  Crushed this.  We started an account with TD Ameritrade and faithfully put money in it.  My original Roth that I can't use anymore is just killing it right now so I feel pretty alright about the things I'm doing toward retirement. 

Phew, I guess all things considered, that wasn't all that bad! 

21 things for 2021

2020 felt like this thing that was happening to me, my overarching theme for 2021 is to be more intentional about everything I do.  And then to commit to all of the things that I'm being intentional about.  I want to feel good about turning 40 in December and entering the next decade of my life.  Here goes nothing: 

1. Choose restaurants with intention, rather than "I'm tired. I'm hungry. Let's go for burgers and beer."

2. Complete at least one session with Stronger U and my coach.  (along with this comes macro tracking and being more mindful about the things I'm eating and drinking)

3. Lose 30 lbs by my 40th birthday. (12/5/21)

4. Go somewhere new.  This is going to be challenging but I'm going to make it happen. 

5. Go to a new National Park. 

6. Get my vaccination card!  Technically this all occurred in 2020 but I want that card of sweet, sweet beauty as proof. 

7. Remodel our master bathroom. 

8. Go on a trip for my birthday.  I want to go to Germany but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. 

9. Master our sourdough starter! 

10. Run a half marathon before my birthday. 

11. Figure out how to compost. 

12. Grow a garden. 

13. Keep my houseplants alive. 

14. Figure out my next step in my career.  Goal is to not be in my same position by next January, however that happens. 

15. Do another cooking class, even if that has to be virtual. 

16. Take an iPhone photography class. 

17. Hike a mountain. 

18. Get my CEOP and RSTBS certifications. 

Goals that are a hold over from 2020 - Let's try this again! 

19. Take Owen on another mother + son trip. 

20. Date night once a month

21. Monthly budget.  I need to follow through with this and work to pay the car off. 

Ok. Let's do this. 

 2020 Year in Review

1. What did you do in 2020 that you'd never done before?
Where do I even start?

Lived through a global pandemic. 

Survived a major home renovation. 

Got an experimental vaccine as part of a pharmaceutical trial. 

Made it through a lot of really dark days where I wasn't even entirely sure I wanted to be alive anymore (that was the worst). 

Switched Owen's school at the literal last second.  That was a painful one. 

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

LOL. This question can suck it. Survival was all that was manageable. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My stepsister had a baby in August, which totally sucked because we totally didn't get to celebrate the way we should have for someone's first baby. 

4. Did anyone close to you die? I'm trying to think back and I think this was maaaaaybe the only negative thing that didn't happen to us but with Covid, it felt like everyone was dying all the time.  Thankfully, in 2020, we only tangentially knew a couple of people who passed away. 

5. What countries did you visit? We were supposed to go to Cozumel 3 days after the world shut down. We also had a Paris/Amsterdam trip booked for November that didn't happen.  2020 CAN SUCK IT. 

6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you didn't have in 2020? NORMAL LIFE BACK. Travel. Big Events. Not having to wear a freaking mask everywhere. My family to be vaccinated. LESS DAMN STRESS. One thing I am getting is not having an egotistical maniac as President anymore!!!!!!! 

7. What dates from 2020 will be etched upon your memory, and why? March 11th.  I've written about it at length here but that is what I will always think of when I think of 2020. 

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year? Not being admitted to a mental hospital. Seriously. 

9. What was your biggest failure? Succumbing to stress all the time.  Drinking too much.  Spending too much money on restaurants.  Not finding a way to feel fulfilled without the things that normally fill my cup. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I got sick (thanks O Bear!) with some sort of stomach bug big time in January.  I had immune response to both of my shots in Sept/October and I got food poisoning in October.  Other than that, I feel like they were all super minor and the fact that none of my household peeps got coronavirus is pretty excellent. 

11. What was the best thing you bought? my new house :) 

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Owen.  He handled the pandemic and the mask wearing better than anyone.  The summer with him was hard but since he went back to school, he's been amazing.  

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? DONALD. J. TRUMP. He is such a child.  I hate him so much.  BYE FELICIA. 

14. Where did most your money go? House. Renovation. Buying Adam a new car. 

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Being done with the house!!! 

16. What song will always remind you of 2020? I can't remember the name of it but it's some song that comes on XM chill and it reminds me of the random days when you'd get in the car during the hard core shutdown and it was apocalyptic with no one else around and every business closed.     

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?

a) way sadder, I don't have words to even describe this.  I have hope for the future but man, I really did not see the bullshit that was 2020 coming.  I'm getting better at getting out of the black hole but I don't have that same innocence that I did at this time last year.  This is going to be the defining moment for our generation, our world war, our depression.  

b) ugh, way fatter. I gained so much weight. 

c) probably richer.  Our house is worth infinitely more now and we started screwing around with the stock market and have done really well.  

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? ordered salads, traveled, saw my family more

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? crying, having sleepless nights, being generally depressed

20. How did you spend Christmas? My in-laws and mom where here in Houston.  We had a great Christmas Eve dinner, opened presents on Christmas morning and then caught a plane to Las Vegas.  Enjoyed Christmas night at Mon Ami Gabi and got to enjoy a beer while watching live music at the Cabaret at Paris... it's the little things, live music was super hard to come by in 2020.  

21. Did you fall in love in 2020? not really

22. What was your favorite TV program? The Crown

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Oh yes, it's not really a story to tell online but oooh boy, yes. 

24. What was the best book you read? I think I read some books? I have no idea. I'm finding this question exhausting. 

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? blah

26. What did you want and get? a Louis (except I can find a way to even be salty about this, ha, I was supposed to get it in Paris)

27. What did you want and not get? travel, for my kid to go back to school last spring

28. What was your favorite film of 2020? HAMILTON!!!! (except we watched it the day we were supposed to be seeing it at the Hobby Center, see ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS WERE CRUSHED BY A VIRUS)

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 39.  Our house was almost done and they were there doing a TON of work to finish it so we stayed at the Westin Memorial City in an amazing suite.  We had dinner at Killen's STQ and I went to bed early.  I did get a haircut (woo!) and enjoyed a really fun brunch with a friend. 

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Having never heard the word coronavirus. 

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2020? Daytime pajamas and nighttime pajamas.  Blurred lines. 

32. What kept you sane? HAAA. NOTHING. I was not sane. 

33. What political issue stirred you the most? This question really sucks for people who've just lived through the actual most ridiculous election cycle.  At least Trump lost, that was my only concern. 

But if you want to assume that BLM and women's rights are political issues, I'd say that stuff stirred me quite a bit, however, I don't believe that either of those are political.  Same with public health.  That is all human rights and human decency stuff. 

34. Who did you miss? Most of my friends and family.  I've come to realize that I completely suck at being a virtual friend. 

35. Who was the best new person you met? What is a stranger?  What is it like to meet new people? 

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2020. 
Pandemics suck.  I guess I learned how to wear a mask?