2011 in Review
Dec. 21st, 2011 01:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hjcallipygian1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Well, the biggest thing is pretty clear: I got a lady (my wife) pregnant. =) We're due June 16, 2012. The other big thing (not really on the same level) is that I started taking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in July.
2. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, not that I can think of. End of 2010, yes, but not 2011.
3. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, a co-worker was killed a few months ago.
4. What countries did you visit?
None.
5. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
I don't really lack for things in my life, you know? There's nothing to complain about. I guess I'd say "A healthy baby," but who doesn't want their baby to be healthy?
6. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?
Apparently none. =) Can't think of any specific dates.
7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I helped make a human. I added a bathroom onto our house. (This accomplishment is somewhat mitigated by the fact that I'm a contractor and add rooms to other people's houses for a living.) I started taking martial arts (something I'd long wanted to do.) I ran a half marathon in 2:02:41.
8. What was your biggest failure?
I really hoped to do that half marathon in 2 hours flat, and I think I could've made it if I'd trained a bit more often. I only did two runs in the two weeks leading up to the race. Still, not a lot to complain about.
9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope. All in all, I'm a pretty healthy dude.
10. What was the best thing you bought?
I dunno. I'm not much of a possessions type of guy. Running shoes? My gi? No idea.
11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My wife (Dr. Scientist) is pretty awesome. She got a promotion, ran several races, and for the past three months has been carrying around a human in her belly. My parents are pretty awesome, too.
12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one I know personally, but plenty of public figures and politicians have said one thing and then expressed, "I do not give a shit about anyone else in the world," by their actions.
13. Where did most of your money go?
My house. Added on a bathroom, and then there's the mortgage as well. It's clearly the number-one money taker in my life.
14. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Well, you know, there's a baby. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is very awesome and if you make the mistake of asking me about it I will talk about it for a long, long time.
15. What song will always remind you of 2011?
I listened to a lot of country music this year. (When people ask me what type of music I like, I usually respond with, "I like songs, not types of music. I can probably name a song or two I like from any popular genre and some less-than-popular.") Just ended up that way, I think. Anyway, "Take a Back Road" by Rodney Atkins is a good one from this summer/fall. "Somewhere With You" by Kenny Chesney. In non-country music, there this song called "Colors" that sounds like a Modest Mouse song but apparently isn't by them that I like. "Shake It Out" and "Virgin" by Manchester Orchestra is also good. Rise Against had some good songs as well.
16. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Maybe a bit happier, but (knock on wood) I haven't had any depression problems for years now.
ii. thinner or fatter?
About the same. Maybe a bit more muscle mass in the legs, a bit less upper body, but I still hang around 180.
iii. richer or poorer?
Eh, probably about the same cash-flow wise but debt has been reduced.
17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercise. Wish I'd taken the BJJ plunge earlier rather than waiting as long as I did. Wish I ran more this fall, although with a new baby that's probably the one thing I'll get plenty of next fall when I take the baby out in the jogging stroller to give my wife some silence at the house. Wish I walked the dog more, he gets such a kick out of that I always feel like I don't do it enough.
18. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sitting around. I always think I crave it, but then very rarely do I actually benefit from it.
19. How will you be spending Christmas?
Actual Christmas will be at my parents' house. Grinchmas (my wife's step-father is hilariously crotchety about holidays, so I dubbed Christmas at their house "Grinchmas" and he thought it was hilarious and loved it, so it stuck) will be just before New Years.
20. Did you fall in love in 2011?
No.
21. How many one-night stands in this last year?
Heh. Whenever my wife forgets to wear her rings somewhere, I call her my "piece on the side." (I am her piece on the side when I forget as well.) I suppose that we might have had relations at some point when that happened, but that's about as sordid as my love life gets.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Fringe. I love Olivia Dunham. She's awesome.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, not that I can think of.
24. What was the best book you read?
I did not do a lot of reading this year.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
From hip to me generally takes about eighteen to twenty-four months, which is a bit sad as I'm a reformed hipster who used to search out new music. So I'm still discovering older stuff, I suppose.
26. What did you want and get?
New bathroom. Baby (early stages). BJJ lessons.
27. What did you want and not get?
Uh... Not to get all White Male Privilege on you or whatever, but nothing, really.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Yeah, I don't know.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Thirty-two now. I went to work, came home, had dinner with my wife. I like my birthdays low-key.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I'm not a wanter of things, for the most part. If I find something I want, I just work hard and go get it. But getting to see friends who live far away more often would've been really nice. I got to see a bunch of humans in Disney World for a day, and that was cool, but I'm always left wanting by vacation visits. It's a totally different form of interaction than you get when you see someone on a regular basis; you only get a surface interaction rather than the deeper understanding you can get from seeing someone on a regular basis. The only one I feel like I really have a good handle on of those who live far away is Rachel, not coincidentally the one who I email with the most and who is most educated in expressing feelings and emotions verbally and reading the emotions of others through secondary channels (and thus understands my weird periodic silences).
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Monotonous. =) You can pretty much expect to see me in jeans and a polo-type collared shirt most times.
32. What/who kept you sane?
My wife, Dr. Scientist. Exercise, especially running and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ronda Rousey. She's an Olympic bronze-medal winner in Judo, so she's a total bad-ass; she has a really amusing sense of humor; and she looks like Julia Stiles. Hope Solo has been awesome since she called out the US coach a few years ago for benching her in a critical point in a match she had no business coming out of.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
It's hard to get stirred up by politics because it's so illogical. Beliefs matter more than facts. I just don't really get it much.
35. Who did you miss?
Not enough room for that.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
All the guys and ladies I met at Gracie Barra South Jax, where I learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Just a truly welcoming, nurturing group. They very quickly made the place feel like home.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Keep your friends close and your elbows closer. (BJJ joke, sorry.)
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
I guess it would be the same one as every year:
I never want to be that guy
I never want to be just fine
But there are times I need you to remind me
I never want to be that guy
I never want to be just fine
I never want to say my best days are behind me
I never want to be lukewarm, again...
Well, the biggest thing is pretty clear: I got a lady (my wife) pregnant. =) We're due June 16, 2012. The other big thing (not really on the same level) is that I started taking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in July.
2. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, not that I can think of. End of 2010, yes, but not 2011.
3. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, a co-worker was killed a few months ago.
4. What countries did you visit?
None.
5. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
I don't really lack for things in my life, you know? There's nothing to complain about. I guess I'd say "A healthy baby," but who doesn't want their baby to be healthy?
6. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?
Apparently none. =) Can't think of any specific dates.
7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I helped make a human. I added a bathroom onto our house. (This accomplishment is somewhat mitigated by the fact that I'm a contractor and add rooms to other people's houses for a living.) I started taking martial arts (something I'd long wanted to do.) I ran a half marathon in 2:02:41.
8. What was your biggest failure?
I really hoped to do that half marathon in 2 hours flat, and I think I could've made it if I'd trained a bit more often. I only did two runs in the two weeks leading up to the race. Still, not a lot to complain about.
9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope. All in all, I'm a pretty healthy dude.
10. What was the best thing you bought?
I dunno. I'm not much of a possessions type of guy. Running shoes? My gi? No idea.
11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My wife (Dr. Scientist) is pretty awesome. She got a promotion, ran several races, and for the past three months has been carrying around a human in her belly. My parents are pretty awesome, too.
12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one I know personally, but plenty of public figures and politicians have said one thing and then expressed, "I do not give a shit about anyone else in the world," by their actions.
13. Where did most of your money go?
My house. Added on a bathroom, and then there's the mortgage as well. It's clearly the number-one money taker in my life.
14. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Well, you know, there's a baby. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is very awesome and if you make the mistake of asking me about it I will talk about it for a long, long time.
15. What song will always remind you of 2011?
I listened to a lot of country music this year. (When people ask me what type of music I like, I usually respond with, "I like songs, not types of music. I can probably name a song or two I like from any popular genre and some less-than-popular.") Just ended up that way, I think. Anyway, "Take a Back Road" by Rodney Atkins is a good one from this summer/fall. "Somewhere With You" by Kenny Chesney. In non-country music, there this song called "Colors" that sounds like a Modest Mouse song but apparently isn't by them that I like. "Shake It Out" and "Virgin" by Manchester Orchestra is also good. Rise Against had some good songs as well.
16. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Maybe a bit happier, but (knock on wood) I haven't had any depression problems for years now.
ii. thinner or fatter?
About the same. Maybe a bit more muscle mass in the legs, a bit less upper body, but I still hang around 180.
iii. richer or poorer?
Eh, probably about the same cash-flow wise but debt has been reduced.
17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercise. Wish I'd taken the BJJ plunge earlier rather than waiting as long as I did. Wish I ran more this fall, although with a new baby that's probably the one thing I'll get plenty of next fall when I take the baby out in the jogging stroller to give my wife some silence at the house. Wish I walked the dog more, he gets such a kick out of that I always feel like I don't do it enough.
18. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sitting around. I always think I crave it, but then very rarely do I actually benefit from it.
19. How will you be spending Christmas?
Actual Christmas will be at my parents' house. Grinchmas (my wife's step-father is hilariously crotchety about holidays, so I dubbed Christmas at their house "Grinchmas" and he thought it was hilarious and loved it, so it stuck) will be just before New Years.
20. Did you fall in love in 2011?
No.
21. How many one-night stands in this last year?
Heh. Whenever my wife forgets to wear her rings somewhere, I call her my "piece on the side." (I am her piece on the side when I forget as well.) I suppose that we might have had relations at some point when that happened, but that's about as sordid as my love life gets.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Fringe. I love Olivia Dunham. She's awesome.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, not that I can think of.
24. What was the best book you read?
I did not do a lot of reading this year.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
From hip to me generally takes about eighteen to twenty-four months, which is a bit sad as I'm a reformed hipster who used to search out new music. So I'm still discovering older stuff, I suppose.
26. What did you want and get?
New bathroom. Baby (early stages). BJJ lessons.
27. What did you want and not get?
Uh... Not to get all White Male Privilege on you or whatever, but nothing, really.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Yeah, I don't know.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Thirty-two now. I went to work, came home, had dinner with my wife. I like my birthdays low-key.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I'm not a wanter of things, for the most part. If I find something I want, I just work hard and go get it. But getting to see friends who live far away more often would've been really nice. I got to see a bunch of humans in Disney World for a day, and that was cool, but I'm always left wanting by vacation visits. It's a totally different form of interaction than you get when you see someone on a regular basis; you only get a surface interaction rather than the deeper understanding you can get from seeing someone on a regular basis. The only one I feel like I really have a good handle on of those who live far away is Rachel, not coincidentally the one who I email with the most and who is most educated in expressing feelings and emotions verbally and reading the emotions of others through secondary channels (and thus understands my weird periodic silences).
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Monotonous. =) You can pretty much expect to see me in jeans and a polo-type collared shirt most times.
32. What/who kept you sane?
My wife, Dr. Scientist. Exercise, especially running and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ronda Rousey. She's an Olympic bronze-medal winner in Judo, so she's a total bad-ass; she has a really amusing sense of humor; and she looks like Julia Stiles. Hope Solo has been awesome since she called out the US coach a few years ago for benching her in a critical point in a match she had no business coming out of.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
It's hard to get stirred up by politics because it's so illogical. Beliefs matter more than facts. I just don't really get it much.
35. Who did you miss?
Not enough room for that.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
All the guys and ladies I met at Gracie Barra South Jax, where I learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Just a truly welcoming, nurturing group. They very quickly made the place feel like home.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Keep your friends close and your elbows closer. (BJJ joke, sorry.)
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
I guess it would be the same one as every year:
I never want to be that guy
I never want to be just fine
But there are times I need you to remind me
I never want to be that guy
I never want to be just fine
I never want to say my best days are behind me
I never want to be lukewarm, again...