40 Questions

Here is my first attempt at answering 40 Questions.

1. What did you do this year that you’d never done before?

My wife, son, and I went to France last summer. It was the first time I’ve been to Europe.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions?

I don’t make them so I can’t keep them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Also, no.

5. What cities/states/countries did you visit?

Went to France and also Ohio.

6. What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year?

A job! I’ve been out of work for a little over a year and I start a new one in about days.

7. What date(s) from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

5/24 was our one year wedding anniversary. That was a big one. We’re just weds now no newly about us.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I applied and was accepted to grad school.

9. What was your biggest failure?

To use my time off to get more active. I had lots of time, I just didn’t do it.

10. What other hardships did you face?

I’m on blood pressure medicatio now, does that count?

11. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I had a spell where my back was really bothering me and I ended up in bed for a few days and finally ended up in urgent care. It was scary and I don’t recommend.

12. What was the best thing you bought?

I bought a guitar to learn how to play. Still not sounding great but I’m making progress little by little.

13. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Stephen Colbert

14. Whose behavior made you appalled?

Drump

15. Where did most of your money go?

Home ownership, utilities, necessities.

16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Musée d’Orsay. This was the place I really wanted to see on our trip to Paris.

17. What song will always remind you of this year?

Trip to France. It was a big one.

18. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? Richer or poorer? Healthier or unhealthier?

Happier, poorer, unhealthier :(

19. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Exercise, move, bikeride, etc.

20. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Screentime.

21. How are you spending the holidays?

Parents house or quietly at home.

22. Did you fall in love this year?

Yes, again to the same person.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

People worthy of hate are not worth the effort.

24. What was your favorite show?

The Traitors.

25. What was the best book you read?

Reread Dune.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery of the year?

Jesse Welles.

27. What was your favorite film?

Sinners.

28. What was your favorite meal?

Leah and I shared a crepe for breakfast in Nice, France.

29. What did you want and get?

A job.

30. What did you want and not get?

A mini computer or older device to move my self-hosted services to.

31. What did you do on your birthday?

Dinner with the family at Howe’s Bayou in Ferndale.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Reversal of some of the items in 36 would be nice.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion this year?

Shorts, T-shirt, and barefoot. I’ve been unemployed all year.

34. What kept you sane?

My family.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you admire the most?

None of them.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

Where do I start this has been one catastrophy after another. Domestic concentration camps, illegal wars, kidnappings and harassment by masked thugs, the gutting of the civil rights act, I could go on.

37. Who did you miss?

My grandparents.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

I don’t know if I met anyone new, not yet really.

39. What valuable life lesson did you learn this year?

I was putting too much of my worth in my job. Have to find a healthier way to think about that relationship.

40. What is a quote that sums up your year?

This too shall pass.

This is day 40 of 100 Days To Offload.