Long Overdue Update (In the Form of Weird Survey)

I fully intended to update this blog long before now, but I suppose I also fully intended to make more than 2 batches of Christmas cookies rather than leave the dough in the fridge for a week, along with a hundred other random Christmas agenda items that are still undone, so I’ll take what I can get. I have a bunch of stories I want written down for posterity, and I definitely feel like I haven’t written down enough of what’s been happening, so hopefully with me working less after the holidays, it’ll get incorporated into my daily schedule a little bit better.

In the mean time, I’m at work on a Saturday night where it’s settled down and, besides the occasional phone call, I’ve got enough time to do this end of the year survey, which I also did last year, and am hoping will jog my memory a little bit to get me back into the swing of blogging. The questions are in italics, my answers not (in case you didn’t notice).

Here are the questions:
1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
I guess the biggest thing I did this year that I’ve never done before is get pregnant. I guess that’s some sort of accomplishment, right? It seems weird after all the admonitions in high school not to have unprotected sex so you don’t get pregnant to be doing it on purpose, but I guess I succeeded in getting to this point, so that counts for something.

I also moved back to Saint Paul with B, all of which happened while I was in a different state. We’ve never moved without me physically present, and I’m not sure that it was the world’s greatest idea, though it was necessary at the time. I felt terrible for B, though, and it was super weird to move out of one place with it still in tact and then fly to a whole different place to be the new home.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I honestly had to read my survey from last year to know whether I made any New Year’s resolutions, which is probably an indication of how well I did at them. I actually went to the gym up until the point we moved to Minnesota and then I failed to either sign up for a new one or start going to the one provided me by my status as married to a Macalester employee (which is why we didn’t end up purchasing a new membership somewhere, because it seemed silly to buy one when one was available free). I also haven’t found a yoga class that I like, but my friend Amy gave me a prenatal yoga DVD that I desperately want to try as a way of deciding whether I should take a prenatal yoga class, but I haven’t done that as of yet.

I’m not sure if I want to make New Year’s resolutions for next year, except to get through it and do the best I can at all the things I hope work out the way they’re supposed to: a new baby, law school, my job, the summer institutes, etc. It could be a super busy year, which is good, so I’m going to have to focus. I do also want to write more here, because I feel like the more busy my life is, the more I want to document it and the less I’m likely to remember. So trying to get at least 15-20 blog entries per month is a definite goal.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Our friend AJ and his girlfriend had a baby girl named Addison a couple of weeks ago, and we got to meet her in the hospital at 1 day old. Dave and Amy had a baby boy named Gabe during the summer institute, who I also got to meet and hold brand new. I have two new baby cousins, Leo and Eric, who were born during the summer. I think that’s it.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandfather died during the NDT this year in April, which was sad, and sadder because my mom and grandma were so sad. It was also weird leaving a debate tournament to go to a funeral, and the first funeral I actually really remember attending.

5. What countries did you visit?
I’m trying to remember if we went up to Canada, but I don’t think so. Other than that, it was all USA for me. I did go to Walla Walla, WA, which I’ve never been to, but I think that was the newest destination – all the other places I think I’d been to for debate tournaments before.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Just a healthy baby would do great. The ability to go to law school, which is super super close to being accomplished. Some idea of what’s happening for the next school year with enough time to be prepared.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Dates aren’t really coming to mind, other than my birthday and our anniversary, though general time periods come on strong. In February, Buddy and Wittwer won the District 8 NDT Qualifier tournament for the first time in Rochester history. In April, my grandfather died. In August, we moved to Saint Paul. In October, we got Rhino. Three of those four things were or have been spectacular, so I consider it a pretty good year.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I got a college degree. All of my own accord, without any outside help (except support from B, which I can always count on). That was a pretty big one. I got a pretty good job doing something I enjoy (which I had before, actually, but I’ve liked the aspect of doing non-profit work). I also got a new lawyer involved with my whole legal mess, which took more courage than others might imagine, since I hate confrontation.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Waiting so long to get this new lawyer is probably the biggest one. I’ve also been terrible about correspondence, keeping up with people I care about, and responding to emails that aren’t work related. I’m trying to do better, but it’s always a struggle.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I don’t consider pregnancy to be either, so no.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Besides Rhino, who’s not really a thing? Because he would obviously be the winner. Probably two new laptops over the summer. I also got a new Coach purse the day after Christmas that’s pretty awesome. Mostly, though, it hasn’t been a big year of buying things but rather spending money on moving those things around.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
As per usual, B, who moved us pretty much all by himself, and has been basically running all house-husband items as I work over Christmas. Everyone always asks about the things you can’t do while pregnant (mostly clean the litter box and eat random things, honestly) and it’s hard for me to note that it’s that big of a deal, cause B always did all the gross things related to the cats anyways.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Besides governmental officials? No one really. I find it weird that medical professionals routinely refer to a 12-14 week embryo/fetus as a “baby,” but that doesn’t really rise to the level of appalled or depressed.

14. Where did most of your money go?
I started keeping track of our discretionary expenditures over the past few months, and the answer to this question is Target. The new SuperTarget in Midway is going to be the death of my budget.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
That first positive pregnancy test was pretty awesome. Driving out to get Rhino, I was so excited I could barely sit still. Finding out we were moving to Minneapolis and getting to tell my mom and have her be thrilled was great as well, though more bittersweet.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
I consider 2007 (at least the latter half) the time in which I re-started listening to popular radio, so rather than any given song reminding me of the year, the entire catalog of pop radio will have to do. I think the Maroon 5 album is the one I listened to most this year, and was the most excited to have come out, though I also really enjoy the new Matchbox 20 single. I’m predictable like that.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer?
a) Overall I think happier, though I’m a little anxious about getting the rest of this school stuff resolved. But in general, I’m in a really good place right now.
b) Surprisingly, I am the same or thinner. I have yet to gain any pregnancy weight (at 19 weeks last Thursday), though that might change by my appointment at the end of January. Some clothes fit differently, but overall I’m about the same.
c) About the same. We have a little more debt, but more income. Things should get better in the next couple of months, and then I can start worrying about how expensive babies are.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Mainly, I wish I’d been better at keeping up contact with people I care about. When life gets complicated, I tend to withdraw inward, and I had forgotten how much time I spent in upstate New York with B by ourselves, and I haven’t done the best job adjusting to having a ton more people around. I’m getting better, but there’s still a ways to go.

I also wish I’d spent more time actually coaching debate – a lot of my current job is adminstrative, so I haven’t spent as much time actually working with kids as in past years. The same is true for college – though B is happy to have me work with the Mac kids as much as I’d like, I haven’t done as much since the beginning of the year. Hopefully, Texas will go well.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Mostly sleeping. Though I didn’t throw up a lot, the first trimester (and even now) I sleep so much and am tired so often that I feel unproductive. I can’t really do anything about it, but it’s my least favorite side effect so far.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
We had our usual three Christmas extravaganza, though it started a little earlier than previous years. The 23rd was with B’s dad, followed by Christmas Eve at my parents’ house, and Christmas Day at B’s mom’s house, followed by dinner with my parents and then a trip to a friend’s house. I thought we did two things better this year than previous years – we spent way more time at B’s mom’s house, which I really enjoyed, and we had Christmas morning with just the two of us, opening presents and hanging out with the kitties for a little while before the day with family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Sure, with the new kitty, and there’s always B and Hippo. It’s been a good year in that regard.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
The Gilmore Girls. I’m still sad it’s gone, and nothing can quite replace it. I’m still mad the West Wing and Studio 60 are gone as well.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t think so. There are a couple of people I’m mad at that I wasn’t mad at last year, but hopefully that’ll end soon.

24. What was the best book you read?
Sadly, I don’t remember any books I read that weren’t romance novels or debate related. Of those, I enjoyed rereading Encountering Development by Arturo Escobar, but that’s more than kind of dorky to admit. Pregnancy books aren’t especially exciting.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don’t really do musical discovery. I’m happy with most radio stations and the aforementioned Maroon 5 album.

26. What did you want and get?
A 2nd kitty. A pregnancy that will hopefully end in a healthy baby. To move home. A new laptop. A college degree. Those were the big ones.

27. What did you want and not get?
The same political goals as last year. To stay in Rochester. To apply to law school (yet). That’s about it.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I have no idea. I saw about 5 movies, and enjoyed most of them.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We had a birthday party, for the first time in a few years, and it was awesome! I was 27. The mini-cupcakes were the best part, I think, though I make a mean margarita (by which I mean that I ask for them to be made and then B makes them for me).

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Alcohol. Seriously. This having a baby after the NDT thing to not miss any major events is awesome except that it means that EVERY major holiday for a whole season does not involve drinking by me (B’s birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, etc). I didn’t even think I drank that much, and I don’t, but wow.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
At this point, it’s mostly work pants and three shirts at a time to combat my constant freezing-ness. I only own one pair of jeans at the moment, so it’s been mostly real pants.

32. What kept you sane?
Always B.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I got nothing on this one. I haven’t really been into TV that much this year, so I’m severely lacking in the celebrity crush department.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Reproductive rights, perhaps even more so given my current condition. I’m sure I’ll talk about this more at length later.

35. Who did you miss?
Since moving back to Saint Paul, mostly the Rochester debaters and coaches.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I like all the Macalester debaters I’ve gotten to know better a lot, not to mention all the Minnesota HS debate people. It’s definitely a community I’m happy to be back to.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
My biggest life lesson for the year is that I’m going to do what works best for me and B regardless of whether it makes people happy that they’re included or not. I mean, I was doing that already, but I’m more convinced that it was the right decision.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I’m going to go with a classic:
At this point in my life
I’d like to live as if only love mattered
As if redemption was in sight
As if the search to live honestly
Is all that anyone needs
No matter if you find it
You see when I’ve touched the sky
The earth’s gravity has pulled me down
But now I’ve reconciled that in this world
Birds and angels get the wings to fly
If you can believe in this heart of mine
If you can give it a try
Then I’ll reach inside and find and give you
All the sweetness that I have
At this point in my life
-Tracy Chapman

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