New Year's Retrospective 2021
2022-Jan-04, Tuesday 15:47![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dorchadas
Backdating this a bit because time got away from me, but here's, the traditional new year's meme:
1. What did you do in 2021 that you’d never done before?
Changed a diaper!
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't do New Year's resolutions, so I will neither keep them nor make more.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes,![[instagram.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png)
sashagee did.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Fortunately, no--even in another plague year, making this now the Plague Years, I've managed to avoid any deaths of friends or family.
5. What countries did you visit?
For obvious reasons I didn't go anywhere.
6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?
More contact with friends
7. What date from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 13th, my daughter's birthday!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Successfully keeping a baby alive. Babies are surprisingly danger-seeking!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Taking so long to get the house in order for the baby. Now that the baby is here, we obviously have much less time to do so.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I caught the plague right at the end of the year, but thanks to vaccination my case was no worse than a bad cold. I got over it in less than a week with (currently) no lasting effects.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I haven't really bought a lot for myself, so maybe the swing for Laila. Originally she really hated it but she's come around on and now she likes her morning swing time.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
sashagee, for all the time and tears that go into caring for an infant, and our families, who really have been incredibly supportive.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The people who wanted to overthrow the United States government and install a fascist dictator in all but name, all while claiming to be preserving the republic, and all the Republican officials who are working to make sure that next time their efforts succeed.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Into medical care for Laila, sadly.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The birth of my daughter and watching all her milestones! Just a week or so ago, she called out "ma ma" and looked atsashagee, clearly connecting the concept. Today sashagee and I were talking and when I said "Laila," Laila--who had previously been sucking her thumb and looking into the distance--turned and looked at us and took her thumb out of her mouth. 
16. What song will always remind you of 2021?
I don't have an answer to that.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Much much happier
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter by a bit
iii. richer or poorer? Richer, but only thanks to the stock market.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Cooked dinner. I get that being new parents meant we had less time, butsashagee is currently a full-time homemaker so I could have taken some time to cook more while she recovered from the birth. Instead we had a lot of thrown-together meals and ordered out a lot.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Not exercised. I had an appendectomy back in January and obviously I needed to recover from that, but it took me a long time to get back to regular exercise, to my detriment, I think.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We would have spent it withsashagee's parents but we were both sick with COVID, so we stayed at home.
21. Is there a particularly memorable meal you had?
Not really.
22. Did you fall in love in 2021?
With Laila! I didn't have a particularly strong bond with her when she was born, but I read that it might come in time, and it did.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
We didn't watch a lot of TV--or at least, I did not--butsashagee introduced me to The Nanny
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book you read?
I didn't read a lot of books in the last year, so probably And I Do Not Forgive You: Stories & Other Revenges by Amber Sparks.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I honestly don't think I discovered anything new this year.
28. What did you want and get?
A healthy, happy baby daughter!
29. What did you want and not get?
An end to the Plague Year. It'll be the Plague Years from now on.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Definitely Dune.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing that exciting. I turned 39 but we had a three-month old. We had curry, which has been rare the last few months becausesashagee lost her taste for spices with her pregnancy.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
An end to the plague.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
Goth dad. There were sometimes sweatpants and undershirts involved, but all of them were black.
34. What kept you sane?
My loving girlfriendsashagee, our families, and the laughter and smiles that Laila has started to do.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't think I've ever answered this question with anyone. I don't follow celebrity culture.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The continuing attempts of the Republican Party to overturn the election and turn our country into a sham democracy like Hungary, at which them seem well on the road to success. We're getting our passports ready.
37. Who did you miss?
My friends, who I have seen even less than usual what with having a small baby in the midst of the plagues.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Laila! (You might notice a pattern here...)
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021.
All those parents who I've seen say that you don't know what worrying is until you have children, that I used to roll my eyes at because I thought they were mocking other people's troubles and the depth of their interest in the world...were right.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Finally, a chance to use this in a legitimate context:
Happy New Year to everyone!
1. What did you do in 2021 that you’d never done before?
Changed a diaper!
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't do New Year's resolutions, so I will neither keep them nor make more.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes,
sashagee did.4. Did anyone close to you die?
Fortunately, no--even in another plague year, making this now the Plague Years, I've managed to avoid any deaths of friends or family.
5. What countries did you visit?
For obvious reasons I didn't go anywhere.
6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?
More contact with friends
7. What date from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 13th, my daughter's birthday!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Successfully keeping a baby alive. Babies are surprisingly danger-seeking!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Taking so long to get the house in order for the baby. Now that the baby is here, we obviously have much less time to do so.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I caught the plague right at the end of the year, but thanks to vaccination my case was no worse than a bad cold. I got over it in less than a week with (currently) no lasting effects.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I haven't really bought a lot for myself, so maybe the swing for Laila. Originally she really hated it but she's come around on and now she likes her morning swing time.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
sashagee, for all the time and tears that go into caring for an infant, and our families, who really have been incredibly supportive.13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The people who wanted to overthrow the United States government and install a fascist dictator in all but name, all while claiming to be preserving the republic, and all the Republican officials who are working to make sure that next time their efforts succeed.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Into medical care for Laila, sadly.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The birth of my daughter and watching all her milestones! Just a week or so ago, she called out "ma ma" and looked at
sashagee, clearly connecting the concept. Today sashagee and I were talking and when I said "Laila," Laila--who had previously been sucking her thumb and looking into the distance--turned and looked at us and took her thumb out of her mouth. 16. What song will always remind you of 2021?
I don't have an answer to that.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Much much happier
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter by a bit
iii. richer or poorer? Richer, but only thanks to the stock market.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Cooked dinner. I get that being new parents meant we had less time, but
sashagee is currently a full-time homemaker so I could have taken some time to cook more while she recovered from the birth. Instead we had a lot of thrown-together meals and ordered out a lot. 19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Not exercised. I had an appendectomy back in January and obviously I needed to recover from that, but it took me a long time to get back to regular exercise, to my detriment, I think.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We would have spent it with
sashagee's parents but we were both sick with COVID, so we stayed at home.21. Is there a particularly memorable meal you had?
Not really.
22. Did you fall in love in 2021?
With Laila! I didn't have a particularly strong bond with her when she was born, but I read that it might come in time, and it did.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
We didn't watch a lot of TV--or at least, I did not--but
sashagee introduced me to The Nanny25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book you read?
I didn't read a lot of books in the last year, so probably And I Do Not Forgive You: Stories & Other Revenges by Amber Sparks.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I honestly don't think I discovered anything new this year.
28. What did you want and get?
A healthy, happy baby daughter!
29. What did you want and not get?
An end to the Plague Year. It'll be the Plague Years from now on.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Definitely Dune.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing that exciting. I turned 39 but we had a three-month old. We had curry, which has been rare the last few months because
sashagee lost her taste for spices with her pregnancy. 32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
An end to the plague.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
Goth dad. There were sometimes sweatpants and undershirts involved, but all of them were black.
34. What kept you sane?
My loving girlfriend
sashagee, our families, and the laughter and smiles that Laila has started to do. 35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't think I've ever answered this question with anyone. I don't follow celebrity culture.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The continuing attempts of the Republican Party to overturn the election and turn our country into a sham democracy like Hungary, at which them seem well on the road to success. We're getting our passports ready.
37. Who did you miss?
My friends, who I have seen even less than usual what with having a small baby in the midst of the plagues.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Laila! (You might notice a pattern here...)
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021.
All those parents who I've seen say that you don't know what worrying is until you have children, that I used to roll my eyes at because I thought they were mocking other people's troubles and the depth of their interest in the world...were right.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Finally, a chance to use this in a legitimate context:
You're my little potato, you're my little potato,
You're my little potato, they dug you up,
You come from underground,
The world is big, so big, so very big
To you, it's new, it's new to you.
You're my little potato, you're my little potato,
You're my little potato, they dug you up,
You come from underground.
Let's talk about root crops (they dug you up),
And lamb chops (they chew on you),
And things to eat... like apples
And cheese and 'nanas and cream,
Jellies and butter,
It's late at night, I hope this little bottle helps you go to sleep.
-Metamora, Little Potato
Happy New Year to everyone!
