topic stealing from ava and answering 40 questions
Sorry Ava, this prompt looked too fun, so I'm stealing it. It'll make for good Lorem Ipsum (that inside joke is gonna confuse a lot of people reading this)
1. What did you do this year that you’d never done before?
Saw Linkin Park in concert, traveled to Arizona by car (about a 10 hr drive), started using a dumb phone, got into vinyl, went to a protest, blogging, probably some other stuff I'm forgetting.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions?
I don't really do new years resolutions, I basically take a word and make it more my focus for the year. Last year's word was "Music", this was the year I went to see Green Day in concert, built up my music collection, my iPod, etc.
This year's was "Family", with my daughter getting older I wanted to put more emphasis on quality time with my family. This became more important when I started having to go in-office more for work. That limited time on those in-office days, I wanted to make sure were spent with my wife and little girl. So, in that respect, yeah I think I kept my "resolution".
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
One of my coworkers had a baby recently that apparently wasn't planned. She just had him a little over a week ago.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My wife's uncle did. Which sucks because he was probably my favorite of her uncles. Such a fun guy and it's sad not seeing him at family functions.
5. What cities/states/countries did you visit?
Phoenix, Arizona. Oceanside, California. Definitely a pretty uneventful year for travel.
6. What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year?
More free time. The more I take advantage of time not locked to my phone, the more I've spent on art (music,digital creations, webcrafting, etc.) I'd just like to be able to do more of it.
7. What date(s) from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- My daughter's first birthday
- My annual trip to California with family (getting to spend a week by the beach will never not be a blast)
- September 6 - Linkin Park Concert
- My wife's birthday, spending it in a nice hotel in a romantic location and just being a couple was amazing.
- Christmas, this year's Christmas was my daugter's first REAL Christmas, and it was such a blast.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Starting the Gazette with my friends, successfully transitioning to a dumbphone, breaking some old habits.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't really think I had a "failure" this year. There wasn't much of anything that I took a risk on that didn't pan out.
10. What other hardships did you face?
My wife's uncle's passing was probably the hardest. Escaping the shooting at the protest I was at was a big one too.
11. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope!
12. What was the best thing you bought?
I bought my daughter a stuffed Pikachu that she absolutely loves, regularly hear her calling for "Pika" which is just adorable.
Other than that, probably my dumb phone, that really changed my life for the better. Also my record player, been loving getting into vinyl and my modded consoles.
13. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My wife, she's been amazing balancing her schooling and raising our daughter when I'm at work. Idk how she does it, but she's truly amazing.
14. Whose behavior made you appalled?
gestures broadly at US Government
15. Where did most of your money go?
Probably to my record collection, dining out, and some gaming stuff
16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Linkin Park concert. Going to see that with my best friend in Chester Bennington's hometown will always be special and the concert was fucking amazing. It was a lot of fun spending time with my bro. We often say we are 2 halves of a whole idiot, and when we get together it's chaotic fun. I'm so overstimulated and tired by the end of it, but it is worth it every time.
17. What song will always remind you of this year?
New Divide - Linkin Park
18. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? Richer or poorer? Healthier or unhealthier?
Happier for sure, probably poorer (thanks Donnie and your stupid fucking tariffs), and healthier (been getting in better shape)
19. What do you wish you’d done more of?
More creative works, I didn't get into writing music again until late this year and I started doing more digital art too late this year. I hope to continue both into next year.
20. What do you wish you’d done less of?
I wish I had spent less time being angry at the world. I've been getting better since starting my quest to become chronically offline though.
21. How are you spending the holidays?
Hanging out with family, the way it should be :)
22. Did you fall in love this year?
My dumb phone, vinyl records, The Amazing Digital Circus, Smiling Friends, and blogging.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't really hate people. Hate takes too much out of me and doesn't help me move forward, so I try to avoid it as much as possible.
24. What was your favorite show?
Smiling Friends and The Amazing Digital Circus
25. What was the best book you read?
The Myth of Sisyphus
26. What was your greatest musical discovery of the year?
The Beatles, never was big into them, but after listening to Sgt. Peppers and Abbey Road as well as watching the Rooftop Concert, I finally understood how much they pioneered in terms of music, art, and even musical technology.
27. What was your favorite film?
Superman
28. What was your favorite meal?
Zuppa Toscana, this year and every year.
29. What did you want and get?
I'm assuming this means for Christmas rather than just the year in general, but I wanted the Warning 25th Anniversary vinyl box set, basically the only thing I wanted.
30. What did you want and not get?
I only had one thing I wanted for Christmas and I got it lol.
31. What did you do on your birthday?
Hung out with family, played Halo, ate pizza. A perfect birthday if you ask me.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not having to work in-office lol
33. How would you describe your personal fashion this year?
Alt, casual, baggy, and maximalist(?)
34. What kept you sane?
My friends (IRL, in my Halo group, and my friends on Bear), my family, and not being online all the time.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you admire the most?
Fuckin Ms. Rachel of all people taking a stand with Israel's genocide against the people of Gaza. Didn't know she was a G like that.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
gestures broadly at everything
37. Who did you miss?
I miss my best friend. I wish I could see him more often.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Pretty much everyone I've met because of Bear. Ava, Kami, Suliman, Mono, Psycheoma, Xaya, Cris, all of these wonderful people have given me a reason to enjoy the internet.
39. What valuable life lesson did you learn this year?
Life is better when you aren't constantly being reminded how terrible it is. That isn't to ignore the problem or not do anything about it, but constantly being bombarded by rage bait and negativity does little beside put you in a state of despair.
40. What is a quote that sums up your year?
"You think this is funny?" "In a cosmic sorta way, yes."
Pirate is wearing christmas PJs
Pirate is feeling happy
Pirate is listening to Warning
Pirate is playing DOOM: The Dark Ages
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