Hey there, 2013

We're less than 2 months into the new year and, true to form, I've already overcommitted myself and am behind on everything. 

• Joined the Asana Junkies Practice Club led by Christina Sell (which I wrote about last week).  At least 4 hours every week if you include the webinar and the full practice sequence.  I'm caught up on the webinar but am about 2 weeks behind in the sequences.  It's fine.
• I am now in 3 book clubs, one of which I started.  And another one of which is reading this over the course of the year.  It's absolutely amazing...and unsurprisingly, I am about 75 pages behind.
• I may or may not have said I'd run a half-marathon in June?  I ended up at a Team in Training info session and next thing I knew I had signed up with my email and was looking at training plans.  Sooooo....we shall see.  It's for a great cause.

Honestly though, It's hard to think of a time in my life when I wasn't vastly overcommitted.  I just love doing things.  I especially love doing things in groups or teams, probably because I thrive on that sense of community, solidarity and shared experience.  Plus, doing things as part of a larger movement often gives me the kick in the pants to try something I might have been reluctant to do on my own - such as run a half marathon or read squintillions of pages of Proust within a confined timeframe.

Life is short.  Do all the things.

In a related story, I found these awesome cabled fingerless gloves on Etsy and am now determined to knit myself another pair.  I wear them when I work from home, because I refuse to turn up the heat until evening.  Ridiculous?  Maybe.  Frugal?  Hopefully.

I also found this lovely "Year in Review" survey on Katie's blog a while back, and because I love lists and surveys and such things, I'll go ahead and fill it out.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
I ran my fist official race in June!  I'm still not sure how I got talked into that one, but along the way I also discovered that I don't hate running, so...A+

And I finally traded in my faithful Vokswagen, the only car I'd ever owned, for a brand spanking new Honda Accord.  The VW was paid off long ago, and having a car payment is a painful reminder of the realities of adulthood.

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make New Years resolutions ever.  I figure if I want to change something, I should just change it now and not wait until the new year.  So that should also answer the second quesiton :)

Well...OK I'm going to make an exception.  This isn't so much a resolution as a goal, but I want to develop a better, more consistent home yoga practice.  I have a feeling this will be a perpetual goal...

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A couple of college and grad school friends - Carina and Evan

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully no

5. What places did you visit?
San Francisco/Berkeley/Oakland, Boston and Montana (x2)


6.What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
...a more consistent home yoga practice (see Q2...)

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
Hmmm...hard to say?  August 20 was the day I started my new role at work, so that was kind of a big one.  June 30 was the day I ran my first race.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Celebrating 1 year of marriage with my amazing husband/partner in crime :)

There were also a couple of work projects I was pretty proud of - plus I got myself into good enough running shape that I can now do 7/8 mile runs at a decent pace.  Honestly, I never thought I would be able to run more than 3-4 miles, so I'm pretty happy with this accomplishment.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I'm not sure this is a "failure" per se - but on the flipside of my positive changes at work, there were a lot of really difficult times this year and I'm not sure I always handled them as skillfully as I could have.  The company I work for went through several rounds of layoffs, and it was extremely stressful.  Every single day for about six months, I walked into this environment of constant fear/anxiety and you never knew when the other shoe was going to drop or which group was getting hit next.  Needless to day, this brought out some really weird and competetive behavior in normally sane poeple. I tried not to let it throw me off my game or bring it home with me, but there were definitely days when I did.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I have not been sick since January 2012!  Knock on wood...


11. What was the best thing you bought?
Aside from a new car? An electric piano!  My grandmother moved out of her house and into an apartment last year, and I was the lucky recipient of her baby-grand piano.  Unfortunately we do not have room for it, so it's living at my parents house for the time being.  But, I was getting the serious itch to play more often so I bought an electric Yamaha!  I'm pretty sure our downstairs neighbor now hates me.  Sorry Verlene...you will learn to love Beethoven I promise hopefully...


12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Ben.  He put up with all of my stress meltdowns and nights when I would get home from work and start crying in a ball on the couch for no discernable reason.  I'm not trying to throw a pity party here by any means, but some days were super emotionally overwhelming and he was there for me through all of it.


13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mini.  I've realized that there is no safe place in my home for breakable items, or anything made of peanut butter.  If it exists, she will find it and destroy it.  Also, when caught in the act she freezes and looks at me with surprise, like "what? how did I come to be on this high precipice/eating the christmas tree/knocking things off of the bookshelves/eating the cookies from the cookie exchange party at work?"  Just deplorable.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, car payments, Comcast (I hate you Comcast)


15. What did you get really excited about?
Starting to plan our travels for this summer

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
I can't pick just one...
Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
The Lumineers - Stubborn Love
Polica - Wandering Star
Gregory Alan Isakov - That Sea, the Gambler
Maroon 5 - One More Night (it's my favorite running song)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a. happier or sadder?
Hmm...hard to say.  The same probably? Probably wiser in the ways in which the world can be a really difficult place, but not necessarily sadder.

b. thinner or fatter?
The same, I think?  I do not weigh myself ever.

c. richer or poorer?
Richer in all senses of the word


18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Saying how I really felt even though it was risky.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about things that are out of my control.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my husband, parents, sister, aunt, uncle and cousin at my parents house



21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
Already in love with Ben :)
22. What was your favorite TV program?
In 2012?  Oh geez.
SHERLOCK
Parks and Rec
Community
Dexter
Game of Thrones

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate at this time last year?
I don't hate anyone

24. What was the best book you read?
Do re-reads count?  if yes, then Crime and Punishment.
Other favorites:
1Q84
Daughter of Smoke and Bone (and the sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight)
Cinder
The Dog Stars
Bossypants

25. What music did you get excited about?
Hmmm.  Sadly, I can't think of too much new music that I got excited about in 2012.  2011, yes.  2012, not so much.  I was pretty pumped about the new Mumford and Sons album, and am also excited for the new Cloud Cult that drops...next week I think (if you were part of the pre-order)?  I bought Sigur Ros tickets for April so that is exciting.  I also was pretty jazzed about dusting off some of my old Mozart/Beethoven/Chopin/Schubert/Grieg rep after I bought the electric piano.

26. What did you want and get?
Um, an electric piano and a new car, haha.  Some semblance of balance in handstand. And a new role at work.  It's funny how everything sometimes just falls into place, and even if it wasn't the way you would have planned it for yourself necessarily, it seems to work out for the best?

27. What did you want and not get?
Nothing really

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Was Take Shelter 2012?  If yes, then that one.  Sadly I haven't seen a lot of movies this year.  My favorite film that I watched, that I had not seen before was probably In the Mood for Love.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 29, and...what did I do?  Oh, right I had a party at our place, with cake and drinks and games.  And my sister skyped in from Australia.

30. What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
Probably if I'd have been able to divorce myself more from the chaos going on around me, I would have had a better year overall.  There were definitely some tough times in 2012 but they helped me grow, and gave me a thicker skin so I'm honestly thankful for them.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
I guess I wasn't aware you were supposed to change your "fashion concept" yearly.  My bad.

32. What kept you sane?
Ben and yoga.  And the pets, for as much as they drive me totally insane with their shenanigans, they are also awesome and cuddly.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Benedict Cumberbatch

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay rights - btw, way to vote no, Minnesota :)

35. Whom did you miss?
I had a few friends move away

36. Who was the best new person you met?
All of them

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012
Set yourself up for success based on the things you can control, then relenquish any attachment to decisions that are out of your control.  Then make the most of whatever happens.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year
There will be an answer - let it be