2011 in retrospect

This is the third year in a row that I’ve filled out this survey. I think it’s a nice end of the year debriefing, so here you are! This whole year I've been thinking it's been the worst year ever - but picking out the good parts to remember makes me feel unfair about saying it was a bad year. It could have been much worse, and it certainly ended well. So.

2011, thank God it’s over.

Here’s to 2012 being better!

What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
I started a real-person full time job. I went on a cruise as a passenger instead of a crew member, let’s see. I traveled around New England in June without a car… and then in October with a car. Went to Boston in the Fall. Lots of new things! What an interesting year this has been.

Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My goal for 2011 was putting together a show – I guess I should have specified performing the show, because I did put one together, but I never got it off the ground. I just started round two, so here’s to 2012 actually making some money off it.

I try to avoid making the typical “lose weight, be friendlier” types of resolutions, because resolutions like those are too vague to actually make significant progress with. I prefer now to make specific goals, with specific time frames, that I can check off.

What countries did you visit?
Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Cayman Islands.

What states did you visit?

Oh boy. A whole bunch of them. Drove from Minnesota down to Nashville in march and in may. Spent time in New Hampshire and Boston in June. And in October, we roadtripped thoroughly up the coast, and then to upstate NY. Thanksgiving I spent in Atlanta and then Maryland. and... flew through Florida to get on the cruise!

What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Money. And. umm. Emotional Stability.

What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?
March 17. June 26. Nov 12. Dec 12.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
There really wasn’t any one particular achievement of the year, but a lot of medium-sized ones: Moving to Nashville and getting started there again. Getting by with a little help from my friends. I’d say being able to vacation on a cruise AND buying all my Christmas presents, without blowing every extra cent I have. (Thanks to Matt and Ashley)

Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got stung by a bee or something in July, and it swelled my foot up like a balloon. You can still see the mark. Other than that – the usual colds, but nothing bad.

What was the best thing you bought?
The sparkly shoes. Hahah.

Where did most of your money go?
Traveling around, and eating food.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Spending time in Boston, both times. The roadtrip in October up the east coast.. putting on the duet recital in November, and the vacation on the equinox, seeing cruise people again, going to the Caribbean.

What song will always remind you of 2011?
Knee Deep in the Water Somewhere - Zac Brown Band

Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? Happier!
thinner or fatter? Fatter!
richer or poorer? Richer!

(funny how those three all go together :)

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Playing my violin.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Spending money.

How did you spend Christmas?
In Maryland, with my family, like always.

Did you fall in love in 2011?
I did, briefly, and fortunately back out again.

What was your favorite TV program?
Doctor Who, hands down. I started it on New Years day. 30 Rock a close second, I've watched the whole thing about 3-4 times this year. SO good.

What was the best book you read?

Bossypants, the Tina Fey autobiography. I re-read the Harry Potter series. Also enjoyed The Parasites, by Daphne du Maurier. And the Phantom Tollbooth – I got way more out of that than I did in 5th grade last time I read it!

What was your greatest musical discovery?
IN the spring I listened to a lot of Adele and Mumford & Sons. The summer was a large mix of everything, mostly getting back into country. The fall has been a lot of old things – beach boys and Frank Sinatra, and Tchaikovsky. haha, and… Full Tilt.

What did you do on your birthday?
Hmm. March - we had just gotten back from spring break, so there wasn’t much to do. I went to the city and ate food with Lauren, and then came back and had cake-made-from-scratch with the boys, and played Settlers of Catan. Yep.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Winning the lottery :)

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
“smart casual”

What kept you sane?
Planning things.

Who was the best new person you met?
Danielle – can’t believe it was only march that we met! Sarah, in the fall. And on the cruise, Jason and Ken. And everyone else.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
Love all, trust few. Do wrong to none. - Shakespeare

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I wanna see you again
But I'm stuck in colder weather
Maybe tomorrow will be better
Can I call you then?
Cause I'm a ramblin' man
I ain't ever gonna change
I got a gypsy soul to blame
And I was born for leaving
- Colder Weather, Zac Brown Band

Observations of Driving Styles and Stereotypes across America.

The open road.

I love it. One of my favorite things ever is roadtripping – the highways, the wind in my hair, the good music playing, the vending machines and rest stops, the gas station food. The excitement of either going to a new place, or visiting home. The journey, not the destination.

My family drove around a lot when we were younger – one trip in particular, a 5-week roadtrip/camping trip around the country: Maryland to California and back. I was about fourteen years old, and ever since then, I’ve wanted to do another long trip just like it. I haven’t managed to get farther west than Nebraska, yet. Eliz and CWK actually did, around and around they went, and to so many places. I’ve driven mostly around east of the Mississippi. Last year a good friend and I drove from Minneapolis, MN to Rochester, NY in one day, and back again four days later! (crazy, but worth it) And I love driving around New England – everything is so close together! I’ve made the trek from Baltimore to Nashville so many times, through Virginia, one time breaking down and making friends with all the mechanics (in the town of Buena Vista, pronounced like Byoona Vista) (Larry Moore certainly was kind to tow me all the way back to Harrisonburg, and told me all the names of each mountain in his hometown, and how much he’d love to learn to play the banjo – but I’m getting away from the point, that’s a story for another time)

Here are my experiences, observations, and rants, for your enjoyment:

Maryland, my home state: If you need to get somewhere quickly, you cut around other cars in as right a lane as possible. The people that live in Maryland know that the left lane, despite its universal reputation for being the fast lane, is actually the ”just-as-slow-as-the-middle-lane” lane. The quickest way around all the bottlenecking is to go around on the right lane. Oh, also, when in a right lane, especially merging onto any road, stay in the right lane UNTIL IT ENDS. This is vital for fitting in as a Maryland driver.

Tennessee, my other home state: Everyone drives slowly, and no one uses their turn signals. I’m sorry if you detect a hint of bitterness in my description; it honestly drives me crazy. I wish people would just drive like impatient jerks, at least I would know what to expect and I’d be fine with working around it. There are too many two lane roads, even in the city, and if the person in front of you isn’t going even as fast as the speed limit, (which is more common than you'd think) there is no way around them. Fortunately, my commute isn’t that far, and isn’t that bad. I could complain of the stop lights every 50 feet, but that’s what I get for living in a city. I suppose I can be ok with it.

Virginia, my might-as-well-be-one-of-my-home-states: I have mixed feelings about Virginia. Highway 81 goes on forever, but it’s an awfully pretty drive next to the mountains. The people are slower paced, but they are generally good about getting over to the right lane if someone comes up behind them in the left lane. However, pretty much everyone I know has gotten a speeding ticket in the southern tip of Virginia. So be careful, especially if you are singing Toby Keith on the phone at your sister and not realizing at all that there is a cop behind you.

Let’s head north, shall we?

New York: In upstate New York, I... really just slept through most of the roads there, so I don't have much to say about the rest of the state. Now, I've never actually driven in NYC, but having driven right by the city and gotten stuck in traffic, taking two hours to go the last 20 miles before crossing into New Jersey – I’ve had a taste of it. (I’d be lost if “Don’t Stop Believin” hadn’t come on the radio right as I started getting frustrated) I personally believe that particular stretch of road is a conspiracy, led by New Jersey, as a last resort to get people to be glad and relieved to finally see the turnpike. And to all stop for gas as soon as they get across the state line.

New Jersey: Besides not being able to get off the turnpike once you’re on (heaven forbid you have to stop to use the restroom ) (the song is true: “you can’t get there from here in Jersey, you’re always on the wrong side of the road. You gotta head ten miles east just to get back south. “) (though, if you do get gas, they pump it for you! Such an accommodating state, if you can handle it) Jersey isn’t that bad.

Connecticut: Drivers in Connecticut have two options: Everyone goes too fast and all very close together, or stopped DEAD in traffic. Cruise control is vastly underused. I haven’t driven much in Connecticut, except to get other places. Or stopped in traffic while trying to get to other places.

New Hampshire: Seriously, the nicest driving people of any state I’ve met, especially when it comes to pedestrians. As a pedestrian, if you even get the smallest gleam in your eye, a hint that you might be thinking about crossing the street, whether it be near a crosswalk or not, every single driver around you will stop and wave you across.

Minnesota: Besides the classic “going very slow on cruise control in the passing lane,” a distinguishing trait of Minnesota drivers I noticed was what I call “squirrelling.” Example: A common situation - you’re cruising down the road, and someone is waiting, perpendicular to you, intending to drive across your two lanes, across the median to turn left and go in the other direction. There is no one behind you. They wait until you approach dangerously close, then they dart out in front of you, across the road just ahead of you – like a squirrel, hence the name – to arrive safely on the other side, completely ignoring the fact that they caused you to slam your brakes and have a minor heart attack.

Iowa and Nebraska: Everyone just drives fast. No one likes these states and there’s nothing to see anyway, except for windmills, so everyone just gets out of there as quickly as they can.

Same with Ohio: except that you have to stop periodically and give Ohio (and Indiana and Illinois) little bits of your money, a few dollars at a time, until you have none left and you just hope they’ll let you go when you finally reach the state line.

Kentucky: I ran into an interesting driving habit this past summer in Kentucky. Here’s what happened: I was driving up 65N and saw a sign that said “right lane closed, 4 miles ahead.” Everyone moved into the left lane immediately, and they slowly approached the lane closure in a single file line. Four miles early. I spent those few miles confused, wondering if I had missed something, wondering why no one was in the right lane at all. Mystery.

Georgia: In Georgia, it’s perfectly cool to just set your cruise control at exactly the speed limit and sit in the left lane. I hate driving in Georgia.


So there you have it. Opinions.

Anyone have anything to add? Agree or disagree?

post-christmas words

So, sorry for dropping the ball on the december photoblog. Internet on a ship is sketchy enough, and I didn't really upload any cruise photos til I got back on land anyway.

Stay tuned for some upcoming word posts, I have a few in the making, including but not limited to:

1. a new and improved rant on the drivers in america

2. a recent theory on dog vs. cat people

3. a recap of 2011

In the meantime, here's a cool picture I took from a tender boat in the Cayman Islands:

.25

god bless us, everyone!

.24

christmas eve will find me

where the lovelight gleams

i'll be home for christmas!

.23

Santa honey, I wanna yacht and really that's not a lot

I've been an angel all year

Santa baby,

hurry down the chimney tonight

.12

let's get away from sleigh bells

let's get away from snow

let's make a break some Christmas, dear

i know the place to go

.11

good tidings we bring, to you and your kin

good tidings for christmas, and a happy new year!

.10

a very merry Christmas

and a happy New Year

let's hope it's a good one

without any fear

.9

may all your troubles soon be gone,

those christmas lights keep shining on

.8

sleigh bells in the air;

beauty every where;

yuletide by the fireside

and joyful memories there.

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[sorry for all the string pictures. i'm usually at work when i'm making these posts. caribbean pictures so so soon!]

.7

it's the most wonderful time of the year.

with the kids jingle belling,

and everyone telling you,

"be of good cheer!"

.6

it's that time of year when the world falls in love

every song you hear seems to say:

Merry Christmas,

may your new year dreams come true

.5

o can you hear the bells, they're ringing

i've been humming carols since thanksgiving

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[from Robert Kelly's "I'm Coming Home" found here]

[my famous Hannigan cheeseball recipe found here]

.4

o christmas tree, o christmas tree!

you stand in verdant beauty

.3

silver and gold

mean so much more

when I see silver and gold decorations

on ev'ry Christmas tree.

.2

we can hardly stand the wait

please christmas, don't be late!

.1

but the prettiest sight to see

is the holly that will be
on your own front door.

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[2nd annual] photo-a-day countdown towards Christmas.