I know you just posted this, D.  It reminded me to post it, too.  You’ll probably be shocked to death about this, but I was thinking about re-posting this earlier this morning.  Crazy.  I know.

Last year when my friend posted her 2012 Wrap-Up on her blog, I posted mine, too.  I think it’s good tradition to see where you’re at with things, and so in keeping with tradition, I’m going to do it again right now.  Lucky you. 

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?  I moved up in our car club so to speak.  I have a “Big Girl” role now, and I love it almost more than my day-job. 

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Last year was the first year I’d ever really made a resolution as an adult.  I failed miserably on some fronts, and did pretty well on others (We saved money in 2012 for the first time ever.  I had a great deal of professional growth, although not within my day job.  I try to communicate better with the Mr. I’ve also been better at allowing people to help me when I’m struggling.).   I’m doing them again this year with a newfound respect for the one(s) I wasn’t ready to tackle last year.

1. First and foremost, take control of my weight.  I wasn’t nearly as motivated last year as I am this year.  A different kind of fire has been lit under my butt.  Maybe it’s for the wrong reasons, but it has me moving forward, so I’m not going to ignore it.
2. I’m going to focus on my appearance a little more this year.  I’ve got a dermatologist appointment some time this month so that I can finally get rid of the skin that I had when I was 12.  It’s ridiculous.  I’m also going to make it a point to look a little more polished every day.  You know, run a curling iron through my hair.  Wear something sparkly.  Slip on a pair of heels on the regular.  It doesn’t take that much longer, and it makes me feel sooooo much better when I do it.
3. Pay my bills as soon as I get paid.  This is not to say I squander my paycheck, or that I don’t pay my bills.  That would be untrue.  I just wait until the last-minute to pay everything, which is really stupid.  It’s like I’m afraid to do it, to spend the money on bills just in case something comes up that I might need to otherwise spend the money on.  There is no sane logic behind this thought process, and it’s very stupid. 
4. Schedule time for me.  I spend all of my time in my life doing things for other people.  I do nothing nice for myself.  This needs to stop.
5. Let go.  Let go of one thing in particular.  A non-blogworthy thing, but something to let go of all together. 
6. Sleep.  I need to set a bed-time for myself and stick to it.  Even if I have to take something to help me, I need to sleep more.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? A very close friend of the family became a daddy for the first time to a precious little pea.  I cannot wait to meet her.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes.   My Aunt passed in March.  I was exceptionally close to her.  In August, John’s Grandma died.  Rest in peace to both of you.  We love you and miss you every day.

5. What countries did you visit? Sadly, none.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? More time, and way more money.  This will not ever change.

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Most recently I would say the Second Annual Puke N Rally NYE Bash in my basement.  We throw one heck of a party at our house… that is for sure. 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Successfully bringing in the vendors for our car show.  Helping to raise money for an incredible charity (The Wounded Warrior Project).  Plus, not punching certain people in the throat, and exemplifying an exceptional filter on my mouth at times.  I really think I should get some credit for those last two.

9. What was your biggest failure? I was my biggest failure. Yet again. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I had one cold.  I get seasonal allergies.  I fell on a patch of ice that I thought wasn’t ice in the driveway last week and am just now seeing the bruise come up for it.  Pretty much a safe year for me.

11. What was the best thing you bought? My camera, without question.  Also?  Stainless steel Starbucks travel cup.  It keeps my coffee warm for so, so long.  Also?  It has helped me cut back.  I no longer drink 20 oz. a day.  I’m holding steady at 9 oz. now, most days.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Oh Lord like we need an excuse….  (This will remain unchanged from the 2011 wrap-up.  Seriously.  I’ll throw a party for anything.)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Probably every single politician.  Moms who put their children on the back-burner so they can be selfish and “do their own thing.”  Mass murderers who killed so, so many innocent people.  My mom.  (Though, let’s be clear right now – no one made me depressed.  Lack of money, my jiggly horriffic body and the requirement to clean bathrooms are really the only depressing things in my life and even then, it’s minimal.  I’ve got a lot to be thankful for.)

14. Where did most of your money go? Mortgage. Child.  Gas.  Life.  Gas. 

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Vacation to California, even though it’s a working vacation.  Black Friday shopping.  A  new patio. Christmas.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012? I can’t remember what year a song came out, almost ever.  Songs I loved this year?  All songs by Zac Brown Band.  Cruise by Florida Georgia Line.  I really love that song a lot.  Honeybee by Blake Shelton.   Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Jason Aldean had some really good ones, too.  I love a good summer song.  There were a handful this year that I especially loved.

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

a) happier or sadder? I feel like this is a loaded question.  Pertaining to everything except for my own self, I’d say the same or happier.  Pertaining to my own personal self, for sure sadder. 
b) thinner or fatter? I can honestly say, precisely, exactly the same.

c) richer or poorer? It’s all relative. Make more, spend more.  Make less, spend less. 

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Slept.  Moved around.  Played.  Traveled. 

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Work.  I’d really like to work less.  Commute. 

20. How did you spend Christmas? With my beautiful little family.  Then dinner with my mother in law later on.  It was quiet and simple and nice.

 21. Did you fall in love in 2012? Constantly.  My husband is amazing.  So is my sweet baby girl.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Probably Sons of Anarchy.  It’s SOO GOOD.  I love me some Nashville.  I have to admit, I love Duck Dynasty, too. 

24. What was the best book you read? I read the 50 Shades books.  They were awful, and ridiculous, but I had fun with them.  I read the Twilight series in one week per my hair dressers recommendation.  Those were fun, too.  I read a couple other good books, but not titles I can remember off-hand.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? I love a lot of music.  I am not, however, obsessed with music.  “Discovering” music isn’t even on my priority list.

26. What did you want and get? My camera.  A patio.  A patent leather fuscia coach purse.

27. What did you want and not get? Bigger boobs.  Smaller butt.  Non-nasty stomach.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? You know, I think movies suck a big, fat suck these days.  I am constantly disappointed with the lack of creativity and the willingness to copy the exact same movie with different characters and call it something new.  I love Forrest Gump, Top Gun, Casino, Walk the Line, Step Brothers, etc.  I think the only really good movie I saw this year was probably Savages.  That really was surprisingly pretty good.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 30 again this year.  It was unmemorable, as they usually all are.  Except the perfume.  I love the perfume.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?  If I could have made the weight loss thing happen, I think the year would have been pretty good across the board.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? How about “lacking.”  Every day I’m Jeans, Cowboy boots, T-shirt.  It needs to be jazzed up so badly.   This is the same answer as last year, except now I smell good.

32. What kept you sane? Ummmm….  I think this term needs to be used rather loosely!  Probably writing on this silly little blog helped me a lot.  It’s cheap therapy for me, and I enjoy doing it. 

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I kind of think they’re all idiots.  Know what will make me mental, but I’ll probably read about it anyway?  Stupid Kim K’s pregnancy.  Gag me with a spoon.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? I can’t go here and cover it all in one post.  Taxes, debt, the cost of gas (but you can sell it to me for up to $1.00 off with my rewards points from the grocery store?  Why CAN’T YOU ALWAYS SELL IT TO ME FOR $1.00 OFF?!?!?!), LGBT right to wed, fracking and the ignorance that surrounds that argument, war, health care, unemployment, the cost of prescription medication even with health insurance, why in the hell the cost of milk was protected in the “fiscal cliff” agreement, the ignorance that surrounds the gun control debate on both sides of the fence, welfare leeches… the list goes on and on. 

35. Who did you miss? My friends & family out-of-state.  I miss my aunt a lot.  Not in a boo hoo, sobbing kind of way. Just in that I really miss talking to her.  She was pretty great.

36. Who was the best new person you met? I feel like I didn’t really “meet” any new people this year.  I would like to grow some more friendships though!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.  You have to be willing to put yourself  at or near the top of the priority list on a pretty regular basis if you want to give everyone else the best version of yourself that you possibly can.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.  “Looking back now on my life I can’t say I regret it. And all the places that I ended up not the way Ma would have had it.  But you only get one chance in life to leave your mark upon it.  When the pony he comes riding by you better set your sweet ass on it.  Keep your heart above your head and your eyes wide open.  So this world can’t find a way to leave you cold.  Know you’re not the only ship out on the ocean.  Save your strength for things that you can change.  Forgive the ones you can’t, you gotta let ‘em go.”  – ZBB

Happy 2013 Bloggies!  I hope that the year ahead will bring you luck and prosperity, good health, abundant happiness and overwhelming joy!!!!  Here’s to making the new year your bitch!!! 

xoxoxo

 

H