The Memorial Rainbow

2011's End Of Year Review

2012's End Of Year Review

2013's End Of Year Review

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2011's End Of Year Review

Hey.

Can I get my 2011 back? 2012 has kind of sucked so far. I got the floor pulled out from under me on the five train -- late, late, F**KING LATE. -- Memorial Rainbow, January 30, 2012

--

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?:
Quit my job. Never quit a job before. Went to a convention and sold my books. That's it on 'big stuff I've never done before,' I guess. Oh -- I drove a U-Haul through Manhattan. That was pretty great.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Well, considering the world went to poo five days after it started and stayed poo the entire year, I don't even remember any resolutions but I'd consider this a resounding no.

3. Where did you ring in 2012?
At Dylan's place in Washington Heights. It was a pretty typical New Years shindig.

4. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?:
October 14, 2012. The last day of New York Comic Con, and when everything FINALLY started to get better. Runner up goes to July 16, 2012 (this year's New Years holiday).

5. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?:
I went to Coney Island with Dylan and we froze our butts off while eating sandwiches I had prepared. Oh, I was 24. But age ain't nothing but a number, right?

6. What was your status by Valentines Day?
Again -- taken, but Dylan doesn't celebrate Valentine's Day.

7. Were you in school (anytime this year)?
Second year that I've been completely out of school.

8. How did you earn your keep?
Phone calls for the first four months. I didn't earn keep for most of the rest of the year, although I worked temp stuff. This needs to change, but not because I'm a horrible person.

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?:
Nope.

10. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?:
YOU KNOW YOUR NAME. I've quoted that there's only one thing that's really pulled me through the end of this year, and you are it. You'll get what's coming to you, I swear. *bites your nose*

11. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?:
I guess this doesn't really count as 'fancy' but I did like the two big Top 40 songs this year -- Call Me Maybe and Gangnam Style.

12. What political issue stirred you the most?:
NYC is all like POLITICS YAY so I jumped on the Democratic bandwagon like the craziness. It was fun. And I hope to continue learning more about politics in 2013.

13. Where did most of your money go?:
Rent. Again.

14. What was your favorite TV program?:
LagRin or Tari Tari.

15. What was your favorite film of this year?:
I typically don't see a lot of movies, but I liked the ones I saw. The Hobbit, Wreck-It Ralph, Brave, The Hunger Games...

16. What was the best book you read?:
Shades of Earth.

17. What was your greatest musical discovery?:
July 16, 2012 -- singlehandedly the inspiration for Platinum.

18. Did anyone close to you give birth?:
If I missed anybody, let me know. More engagements and marriages than births.

19. Did anyone close to you die?:
Lots of change-ups in the system but no flat-out deaths.

20. What countries did you visit?:
I went to Cedar Point. That's it.

21. What was your biggest achievement of the year?:
New York Comic-Con.

22. What was your biggest failure?:
New York Comic-Con. As well as Project OSD, quitting my job for the startup that never started up, romantic relationships, being unable to pay my rent, being unable to wake up most days, inspirational relationships -- um, like, most everything was a failure? It was a pretty bad year, to be quite honest. (I'm looking at you and giving my only smile.)

23. Compared to this time last year, are you…
i. thinner or fatter?: Even.

ii. richer or poorer?: TOTALLY POORER

24. What do you wish you'd done more of?:
Pushing my creative work.

25. What do you wish you'd done less of?:
Beating myself up/staying in bed/getting attacked/thinking the world was going to end.

26. How will you be spending Christmas next December?:
Florida again would be too much to ask for. I hope I get to spend it with people I love.

27. Did you fall in love in 2012?
In and out and in and out and in and out. This year was the Magnum XL-200 of love, man. Thankfully I am at this point comfortably in (hey, Dad, please don't screw me over in 2013? I'm kind of following your lead here!).

28. How many one-night stands?:
That would be...one. Well done. O.o

29. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?:
Yes, I do. I don't like people who keep secrets from me, or who think I'm kidding, or who refuse to take me seriously. Hate is a bit of a strong word, but there are two people I really hate. Maybe three.

30. What did you get really, really, really excited about?:
New York Comic-Con.

31. What did you want and get?:
A great roommate (and a cat to go with it). A desk in my room. The promise of love. Freedom from a really bad relationship. My walk with God. A muse. A dream. The ability to vent through my writing.

32. What did you want and not get?:
The start-up position.

33. What was your best month?
I'll say November. I wrote 150K for NaNo, and I got promise that somebody will never leave me. And it was true. It IS true.

34. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?:
Drive. Fierceness. The ability to not forget my name. The strength to walk in God's footsteps, despite the fact that they are so much bigger than my own. For the Hudson Metro-North line to run superexpress right to Marble Hill. I'll make it happen or fade out trying. For me to be single, and for me to be secure in the installation and rave that both saved my life.

35. How would you rate this year with a scale from 1 (shitty) to 10 (excellent)?
Two. Only saved by Project Realignment.

36. What's something you learned about yourself in 2012?
I get scared pretty easily. And I'm used to just running and hiding. But I also learned that I need God in my life, because He is my confidence. At least I'm aware of that now because watch out 2013!

37. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?:
This was the year I finished the working version of the Knight and Summer outfits, not to mention running around in Pokemon cosplay and yukata, so...yeah. I became a New Yorker and just stopped caring what others thought? At least about that part of myself.

38. What kept you sane?:
My writing -- specifically Blue Impulse.

39. Who did you miss?:
The people who stopped believing me and refused to speak with me ever again.

40. Who was the best new person you met?:
A fan who made me realize my failures weren't so bad after all, and that I could learn from them. Thank you.

41. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
My dad -- both of them -- loves me! This was huge at the end of the year. But also, looking back at all of my failures this year -- I'm glad I had them because I learned from them.

42. What song will always remind you of 2011?:
An instrumental piece called "Scene Shifts There" from the Rewrite soundtrack. It's the second most played piece of 2012 on my iTunes, directly related to Blue Impulse and I also wrote a creative nonfiction based on it. I embedded it at the bottom of this post. All the feels, guys.

43. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"She wants to fight because she loves you. If you deny that -- no good!" -- Nakajima Megumi, "TRY UNTE"

44. What Quotes sum up the year?:
"It's the hair." In Japanese, that's かみだ -- which also translates as "God did this."

I did this back in 2008 at my other journal; figured I'd redo it for this year and share it with you all.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?:
Well, I moved to New York City...finally. Went to Cedar Point by myself. New Years was great. Found out what was really important to me. Found out the six train is ridiculously late. (That's a huge inside joke, guys -- but it is SO, SO TRUE.) Transferred my job. Did my first NaNo in a long time that I didn't ML, and really seriously kicked some ass at it. Worked overnights. Went to Ohayocon for more than one day. Stayed with Dylan! Yes, the same boy stayed with me for an entire year. I wonder how he's able to cope with my sanity?

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Um...I don't even REMEMBER any resolutions I made for last year. All I really remember about New Years last year was working. (And going into personal at midnight.)

3. Where did you ring in 2011?
Work. It sucked.

4. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?:
July 21, 2011. As to why...it's a secret!

5. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?:
I was 23! I can't even remember. *sad* Although I didn't have to work. Oh! I went to Miami to go see Dylan graduate. I remember this now. And the pianos and happiness and stuff.

6. What was your status by Valentines Day?
Taken, but Dylan doesn't celebrate Valentines Day (boo hiss).

7. Were you in school (anytime this year)?
Nope! Done with that for at least now. First year that I've been completely out of school.

8. How did you earn your keep?
I'm still working for the same company, still taking the same phone calls. (Does this need to change?)

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?:
I got an eyelash stuck in my eye during New Years...other than that, not really?

10. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?:
Moving to New York. The morning of September 7th, when I woke up in Emily's grandmother's apartment and realized I was here...wow.

11. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?:
I never do well with this question. Can we count the Coney Island Cyclone?

12. What political issue stirred you the most?:
I'm not a very political person. Can we just skip this question? Although I want to figure out where I stand on these issues.

13. Where did most of your money go?:
Rent.

14. What was your favorite TV program?:
Either Madoka Magica or Penguindrum. Although Heartcatch ended at the beginning of this year.

15. What was your favorite film of this year?:
The Lion King, in 3-D. Lame, I know.

16. What was the best book you read?:
The Hunger Games trilogy.

17. What was your greatest musical discovery?:
Putting up Almond Dust for sale on iTunes.

18. Did anyone close to you give birth?:
My other cousin's family finally had their first. They came into town for the reunion. So cute.

19. Did anyone close to you die?:
No.

20. What countries did you visit?:
No countries. But I visited Nashville, Charlotte, Allentown, Madison, New York...I went on a lot of road trips.

21. What was your biggest achievement of the year?:
The aforementioned posting on iTunes, as well as getting my books out onto Nook and Kindle.

22. What was your biggest failure?:
I know there were things that made me cry this past year, but nothing that I've surprisingly failed at. Maybe this means I'm not living?

23. Compared to this time last year, are you…
i. thinner or fatter?: I think I'm a bit skinnier

ii. richer or poorer?: probably poorer

24. What do you wish you'd done more of?:
Being confident in myself.

25. What do you wish you'd done less of?:
Sleeping/hiding under my blanket.

26. How will you be spending Christmas next December?:
Hopefully in the city. Or in Zanesville, to make my sister shut up.

27. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Can I not answer that question? >< But the short answer is yes! Yes yes yes yes yes.

28. How many one-night stands?:
Still coming in at NONE.

29. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?:
There is a certain someone who hasn't spoken to me for more than a year. I still dream about him -- I actually dreamed about him last night. I regret that, but it happened in 2010.

30. What did you get really, really, really excited about?:
Moving to New York City.

31. What did you want and get?:
Freedom.

32. What did you want and not get?:
The position in Flushing, which means I am stuck rocking a five hour commute every day.

33. What was your best month?
July. But July always is. (Holidays for the word)

34. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?:
Money! Friends. My otaku self back. Penguins! Love. Dylan. The six train. All these things I want to hold close.

35. How would you rate this year with a scale from 1 (shitty) to 10 (excellent)?
TEN PLUS ONE.

36. What's something you learned about yourself in 2011?
I am capable of anything I put my mind to, and I am never alone.

37. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?:
My fashion sense actually matched the rest of the world for once -- the maxi was in, flared pants were in...

38. What kept you sane?:
A very special friend.

39. Who did you miss?:
Same special friend.

40. Who was the best new person you met?:
All the people at work, and basically anybody I met in New York.

41. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
A couple: You don't have to take the easy way out. Even when times are rough, you still wake up the next morning. And Flatbush Avenue is worth traveling to.

42. What song will always remind you of 2011?:
"Kasuka na Kaori," by Perfume. That one will definitely remind me every time.

43. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"If I take a six train, I'll be too late -- Don't leave me here, take me with you! -- Don't ask why. That word does not exist." -- from Penguindrum

44. What Quotes sum up the year?:
"Since then, every single day...from that day on, I've been here! So you don't have to be alone!"