2019 Year in Review

1. What did you do in 2019 that you'd never done before?
Went back to work full time while having a kid.  I wasn't expecting to do this at this time last year but it worked out fine!  Everyone is good. Most especially me, mental health (and less grey hair wise).

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Like I'm new here or something, I didn't review my list so that big time played into me not doing as well as I'd like to have. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Not really, again, I think that ship of super close friends has sailed. 

4. Did anyone close to you die? HAAAAA. My answer from last year is epic.  "we narrowly escaped this with an almost 94 year old grandpa and 17 year old dog." SHIT.  Grandpa died just days shy of 94 in early February.  While I expected it and also wanted him to be free of earthly suffering, it still sucked so much ass.  I cried way more at the funeral than I expected do. 

Our Milo boy crossed the rainbow bridge in July.  That also sucked and I also cried way more than I expected to.  So I guess my life lesson is that death sucks donkey balls and to try to give myself the grace to just be with the grief for a little while. 
5. What countries did you visit? We went to Belize with our friends in February (which holy shit seems so long ago) and Scotland/England in May (also seems like approx. 100 years ago). Both trips were amazing and I'd do again in a heartbeat.  I was not expecting to fall in love with London so hard, having always disliked it previously. 

6. What would you like to have in 2020 that you didn't have in 2019? better self-control over my diet (same stupid answer as last year, dammit)

7. What dates from 2019 will be etched upon your memory, and why? July 17, my first day back in an office in 13 years. September 6, I officiated Laura's wedding! 

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year? Probably starting said job, not going insane and carving out some sort of work/life balance.  I managed to get up early to workout more often than not this fall and that makes me really proud! 

9. What was your biggest failure? Parenting. Just expect that to be my answer for the rest of my life. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not really! Nothing major.  So I'm either working out not hard enough or just right, right? haha. 

11. What was the best thing you bought? Every time we swiped the credit card for travel related purposes.  I just tried to come up with a top 9 photos of the year and I was at like 24 in 6 months.  We made memories out the wazoo this year and I will always be 100% behind spending money for that. 

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Owen.  He's really come into his own as an excellent traveler.  He's a joy to be with 99% of the time.  I love taking him places and we usually get compliments on his excellent behavior. 

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Not appalled by any means but I'm still depressed things didn't work out for me at my former job.  

14. Where did most your money go? The mortgage and travel, that was SO much of the annual budget, haha, sorry I'm not even a little sorry. 

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Our Scotland/England trip, really all of our trips. Having something constant to look forward to was awesome. 

16. What song will always remind you of 2019? Anything by Lizzo.   

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?a) way happier
b) same, but only because I was tubby year end last year, too, oops
c) way richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? ordered salads 

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? eating  and drinking crap. basically same as last year.  SHOOT. 

20. How did you spend Christmas? Had an epic Christmas Eve dinner after going to church.  Woke up and opened presents.  Ate french toast casserole and played in the yard until we went to Drafthouse to see Cats.  Did a lot of packing as we got up in the early morning to go skiing the 26th.  

21. Did you fall in love in 2019? Yes! With our new family member, Daisy Mae! 

22. What was your favorite TV program? Schitt's Creek

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No. 

24. What was the best book you read? I read something that I cannot remember the title but it was about Queen Elizabeth going to Scotland to see the Royal Brittania and we'd just been so it was so excellent to read. 

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Lizzo, definitely

26. What did you want and get? a new job, a Peloton Tread 

27. What did you want and not get? probably nothing other. I am spoiled rotten.

28. What was your favorite film of 2019? Downton Abbey

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 38.  On my actual birthday, I worked and we went to Hopdoddy for burgers.  We also did a staycation at the Westin Galleria for that weekend and it was awesome. We got a lot of Christmas shopping done and recharged. 

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? In reading my answer from last year, Holy Shit, 2019 was a LOT better than 2018.  Yeah. Nothing. This year was SO SO SO SO SO MUCH better. 

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2019? Office wear for the first time in MANY MANY YEARS. 

32. What kept you sane? Vodka and beer. 

33. What political issue stirred you the most? Politics at the moment exhaust me.  I did enjoy watching British news during our time there and realizing that we aren't the only country with a vocal minority of morons. 

34. Who did you miss? Our friends in Dallas, most definitely still. 

35. Who was the best new person you met? Probably Emilyn, my work bestie.  She taught me all the things I needed to know in the beginning when no one else would.  It's nice to have someone have my back at work. 

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2019. 
Travel is my happy place. I need to keep figuring out how to feed that beast.