So...how was 2011?

In My Humble Opinion
21

It went up and down and up and down and… lots of movement that’s for sure. Some personal highlights:

  • I finished the job with which I’d started the year, had a short and extremely interesting one, had one which was supposed to be good and long but was such a PoS I can’t regret having left even though the next one ended way too soon. Currently between projects but I can’t complain about a lack of calls, let’s see what January brings.

  • In Spain, most elections work by “party lists”. I was part of one of the lists for my town and got to be one of the party supervisors at a voting table for several hours. The Other Guys won, but it was very interesting for me to see more closely both how the system works and how the specific list here worked. The Christmas dinner for that party was two nights ago; I couldn’t attend because I was still recovering from the flu, but Mom did and made sure to transmit my List of Ways We Screwed Up to a couple of the bigwigs.

  • I found myself with time, money and energy to tackle the necessary renewals in my house; thanks to the housing crisis, I also found myself able to hire the necessary tradespeople, something which wouldn’t have been possible two years ago (they were busy building new houses and unwilling to accept smaller jobs). Once the new display case arrives on Wednesday, I’ll be done… well, until I can get a new sofa, the old one is trying to walk itself to the recycling but, given it was a supermarket DYI and it’s about 10yo, I say it’s entitled to retire.

  • ETA’s health seems to equal my sofa’s. This is good. The economic situation is a mess and it sometimes looks as if every time a politician opens their mouth they manage to fuck it up further. This is bad.

22

I suppose 2011 could be said to be better than the last couple of years, but that’s because they were total disasters (at least I didn’t lose a couple of hundreds of thousands of dollars this year, unlike the last couple of years). Therefore I would say that while it was an extremely tough year, I can only hope that 2012 is better.

I am hopeful, but I have my doubts. I wish all dopers a very happy year ahead.

23

Better than 09 and 2010. Wife got permanent job and we were able to go on vacation twice. This year I’m working on my weight and landing a better job. Amount of success on those two will determine how 2012 goes.

24

Well, my 2011 was such a roller coaster ride. I’d rate it as a year I’m glad to see the last of.

We have officially begun the remodel on the deli we are opening, which we are very excited about of course, but all the delays have me stressed a bit about finances. I’m learning that opening a business together is a serious threat to a marriage to boot.

I’ve been struggling to figure out how to be a 55 year old woman and that has caused me to behave foolishly. Struggling through losing faith and the resulting new belief that I will never see my loved ones again after death. I know it sounds so trite, especially for someone of my age, but I feel like I’m still trying to find myself. So 2011 has had a lot of sadness for me.

But, I’m optimistic for the future. My life is going to change pretty drastically in about 8 weeks or so, hopefully for the better. I need to figure out what I believe in now. Not the god of the bible, but maybe something…maybe nothing. Maybe I’ll just be too busy in 2012 to worry about it so much. That’s ok too, I guess. I just want to be content.

I too want to wish you all a wonderful 2012. May it be full of new loves, new friendships, new adventures and prosperity for all.

25

Lessee - daughter’s divorce was final, then she moved in with another zinger of a guy… :rolleyes:

Crap at work came to a head so I decided to go ahead and retire.

Ended the year with husband having his fifth spinal surgery.

Not a great year - 2012 has got to be better, right?

26

I don’t know how to rate it. Maybe after I write this all out, I’ll be able to.
I still have not been able to find a doctor who can help me with my movement problems. Meanwhile, things are getting worse. I have embarrassing facial tics and gait disturbances that I can longer hide. My limbs become rigid and uncooperative for no reason. I can’t hold positions in yoga for very long, which means I fall and embarrass myself frequently. The good humor you’re supposed to have when this happens hasn’t really kicked in for me yet, despite my efforts to be light-hearted. The futility of my doctor’s visits only serve to remind me of the brick wall surrounding me, making me feel invisible and irrelevant, like I’m already dead. The sadness and hopeless feelings have given over to emotional detachment and apathy. I appreciate this because I get severely depressed if I make myself care.

The upside is that I continue to do all the things I want to do. I still walk to and from work, though it takes longer. Friday I went hiking all up and through the Shenandoah National Park for the first time, and I had a good ole time moving my body, exerting myself. I still do my artsy stuff, still sell my wares on the street, and still do everything all by myself. I had a long period of low appetite for awhile, but now I’m back to my old self and have gained some needed weight. So, I still find a reason to get out of the bed despite everything.

Another good thing is that I moved into a house. It’s very cool and makes me feel grown-up. I can’t wait till spring, when I can plant flowers in the big backyard. Making the move took guts, and I’m proud of myself for doing it.

I went to Austin this year. My first time in Texas. It was a nice trip and I got to see a lot of things. It was another ballsy thing I did. I’m pretty hardcore when I want to be. :slight_smile:

I’m also not doing such a bad job with my new position. It’s not as challenging as I thought it would be–which is both good and bad–and it seems secure for now. I continue to get along well with my coworkers. These past weeks, it seems I’ve been able to help a lot of people out–which makes me feel like I do belong. This is a good feeling to have, and I don’t want to take it for granted.

Family also appears to be doing well.

I just bought a Kindle Fire, which makes me feel like I’m a cool kid living in the 21st century.

So…I’d say it was a good year for me. Not great, but not bad either.

27

Well, my job continues to be the most horrid thing I have suffered thru, but it is paying the bills and I ain’t fired yrt.

All my critters are still happy & healthy. The only ongoing health problem among them is little Cricket’s heart murmur, which as of now is being controled with lasix & enalapril.

I reconnected with several old friends that I had not seen in literally years.

I have been able to get a connection to HORSES, the biggest love of my life; I have not had steady horse-time in many years, and next Saturday I am going to orientation at a horse rescue center to volunteer.

I jumped back into an ild hobby, showing model horses, and had a kick-ass year in the club I joined.
So, looking back, all in all it hasn’t been a bad year. I hope it continues to improve for us all.

28

The bad:

  • My wife started out the year with an inner ear problem that caused dizziness for a couple of months.
  • I ended the year with a persistent and nagging lower back problem.
  • Our pet of 19 years had to be euthanized.

The good:

  • I located and visited a friend I hadn’t seen in 40 years.
  • My wife graduated from the local museum docent program and is doing tours.
  • We visited kids and grandkids in the Midwest. Another granddaughter on the way.
  • Explored the John Day region of Oregon and toured Oregon’s south coast and the redwoods.
  • Had a bumper crop of tomatoes.
  • We celebrated our 20th Christmas together.
  • No family members died.

All-in-all, it came out in the plus column.

29

The Ms (who keeps track of all things) just reminded me that we saw 44 movies, went to innumerable concerts and to many new restaurants throughout the year. I also read some 50 books or so and lost 30 pounds. Oops.

30

Coulda been worse. Got my master’s (as of yet, apparently useless). Started dating again (just). Still living with diabetes (doy). Turned 45, still marginally sane and - most important - still above ground.