New Year's Retrospective 2025
2026-Jan-02, Friday 11:15![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dorchadas
New Year's meme time.
1. What did you do in 2025 that you’d never done before?
I went to Hawai'i!
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?
No one this year.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
B"H no.
5. What countries did you visit?
I didn't go to any new countries but as I mentioned I did go to Hawai'i, which I learned that some Americans apparently think is a different country? Sometimes people from Hawai'i get questions like "do they speak English in Hawai'i?" or "Do I need my passport to visit Hawai'i?"
6. What would you like to have in 2026 that you lacked in 2025?
A better outlook for Laila. We're at the point now where the doctors have basically given up on medicine--she's on her fourth medicine and still having seizures, so the odds of finding a medicine that actually works are basically zero--and are now planning to do brain surgery.
7. What date from 2025 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 19th, Laila's first day of school!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Got named to the dev team of Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead, which means I'm officially a game dev now!
I also started doing regular exercise, inculding with weights, so that remedies the failure of last year.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Falling off on my Japanese studying. I did better with it last year, and I've done a bit of it (playing some Japanese games and reading some articles), but I mostly just let it languish.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major this year.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I didn't really buy anything for myself this year that wasn't lunch at work or something like that. With all the expenses we have, trying to spend less money.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I wrote last year:
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Anyone who thinks that lurking outside school and tear-gassing children is an appropriate means of enforcing immigration law.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Into medical care for Laila and![[instagram.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png)
sashagee, just like last year and the year before.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Nothing. Not even going to Hawai'i, really, though I had a nice time while I was there.
16. What song will always remind you of 2025?
I actually barely listened to any music in 2025, to be honest. I mostly listened to podcasts. This is the same answer as last year but it's just as true, and I don't even have the excuse of Laila listening to a specific song since she doesn't listen to "Drama" anymore. Maybe the Bluey theme song?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? sadde
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same
iii. richer or poorer? Once again technically richer thanks to the stock market AI bubble, but I'd need to sell a bunch of stock to get access to it.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Last year I said I wanted to take Laila for more walks, and I did accomplish that, so this year I think the answer reading more books. I used to read 80 books a year before the Plague Years and now I'm nowhere close to that, with no real hint of being able to get close to that. Maybe with t
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stayed up late. I'm getting older now and the lack of sleep is really catching up with me. I need to start going to sleep around 11 p.m. or so on days when Laila is going to wake up at 6 a.m., and who knows what days those will be.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
On the beach, in Hawai'i.
21. Is there a particularly memorable meal you had?
No.
22. Did you fall in love in 2025?
No.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
I barely watched any TV, though I did watch Frieren, which is extremely good, and Orb, which is also extremely good. I wrote about Orb here.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No one I know personally.
26. What was the best book you read?
Wuthering Heights. This issashagee's favorite book, and while I didn't like it as much as she does, I can see why it's so popular.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Midnight Kids, probably, learned about from listening to Illenium's podcast.
28. What did you want and get?
Lots of Laila cuddles andsashagee feeling better. One thing I really like is that when I get up in the morning when sashagee is still asleep, I make breakfast for Laila and give her her medicine, and then I'll sit on the floor while Laila watches trains or Hello Kitty and Friends and she'll often come sit on my lap so she can cocoon herself in a blanket.
29. What did you want and not get?
A respite. A slow moment to actually be able to save some money. There's always something.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I'm not sure I watched a single new movie this year, though I did takesashagee to go watch Redline and she had a great time.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I didn't do anything. It was just a day.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less spending on healthcare. Basically as soon as I
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
I tried to switch to a bit more business casual, with more button-downs
34. What kept you sane?
The time I put in working on Cataclysm, which I'd have to say is probably my primary hobby now.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I have never answered this question because I don't follow celebrity culture, and that is still true.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Not ICE's behavior, but the Republican reaction to ICE's behavior. Shooting innocent bystanders, breaking down people's doors, and tear-gassing schools is what the median Republican voter wants.
37. Who did you miss?
My friends, who I still haven't seen that much. We talked about doing more baby Shabbat brunches this year but money was just so tight that we never really made it. And, honestly, Laila has so much energy that it's hard to take her to baby Shabbat. Maybe I'll try again after her surgery.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I'm not sure I met anyone new, really. I don't get to many events where I'd have the chance to anymore.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2025.
One foot in front of the other and you will get there, one step at a time.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
This one is hard. A lot of the music I listen to is sad, or kind of desperate love songs, and neither of them fits this year. Maybe the closest is the song I always used to post:
Happy New Year to everyone!
1. What did you do in 2025 that you’d never done before?
I went to Hawai'i!
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?
No one this year.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
B"H no.
5. What countries did you visit?
I didn't go to any new countries but as I mentioned I did go to Hawai'i, which I learned that some Americans apparently think is a different country? Sometimes people from Hawai'i get questions like "do they speak English in Hawai'i?" or "Do I need my passport to visit Hawai'i?"
6. What would you like to have in 2026 that you lacked in 2025?
A better outlook for Laila. We're at the point now where the doctors have basically given up on medicine--she's on her fourth medicine and still having seizures, so the odds of finding a medicine that actually works are basically zero--and are now planning to do brain surgery.
7. What date from 2025 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 19th, Laila's first day of school!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Got named to the dev team of Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead, which means I'm officially a game dev now!
I also started doing regular exercise, inculding with weights, so that remedies the failure of last year.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Falling off on my Japanese studying. I did better with it last year, and I've done a bit of it (playing some Japanese games and reading some articles), but I mostly just let it languish.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major this year.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I didn't really buy anything for myself this year that wasn't lunch at work or something like that. With all the expenses we have, trying to spend less money.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I wrote last year:
My andand that's still true for the same reasons.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Anyone who thinks that lurking outside school and tear-gassing children is an appropriate means of enforcing immigration law.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Into medical care for Laila and
sashagee, just like last year and the year before.15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Nothing. Not even going to Hawai'i, really, though I had a nice time while I was there.
16. What song will always remind you of 2025?
I actually barely listened to any music in 2025, to be honest. I mostly listened to podcasts. This is the same answer as last year but it's just as true, and I don't even have the excuse of Laila listening to a specific song since she doesn't listen to "Drama" anymore. Maybe the Bluey theme song?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? sadde
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same
iii. richer or poorer? Once again technically richer thanks to the stock market AI bubble, but I'd need to sell a bunch of stock to get access to it.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Last year I said I wanted to take Laila for more walks, and I did accomplish that, so this year I think the answer reading more books. I used to read 80 books a year before the Plague Years and now I'm nowhere close to that, with no real hint of being able to get close to that. Maybe with t
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stayed up late. I'm getting older now and the lack of sleep is really catching up with me. I need to start going to sleep around 11 p.m. or so on days when Laila is going to wake up at 6 a.m., and who knows what days those will be.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
On the beach, in Hawai'i.
21. Is there a particularly memorable meal you had?
No.
22. Did you fall in love in 2025?
No.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
I barely watched any TV, though I did watch Frieren, which is extremely good, and Orb, which is also extremely good. I wrote about Orb here.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No one I know personally.
26. What was the best book you read?
Wuthering Heights. This is
sashagee's favorite book, and while I didn't like it as much as she does, I can see why it's so popular.27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Midnight Kids, probably, learned about from listening to Illenium's podcast.
28. What did you want and get?
Lots of Laila cuddles and
sashagee feeling better. One thing I really like is that when I get up in the morning when sashagee is still asleep, I make breakfast for Laila and give her her medicine, and then I'll sit on the floor while Laila watches trains or Hello Kitty and Friends and she'll often come sit on my lap so she can cocoon herself in a blanket. 29. What did you want and not get?
A respite. A slow moment to actually be able to save some money. There's always something.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I'm not sure I watched a single new movie this year, though I did take
sashagee to go watch Redline and she had a great time. 31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I didn't do anything. It was just a day.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less spending on healthcare. Basically as soon as I
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
I tried to switch to a bit more business casual, with more button-downs
34. What kept you sane?
The time I put in working on Cataclysm, which I'd have to say is probably my primary hobby now.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I have never answered this question because I don't follow celebrity culture, and that is still true.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Not ICE's behavior, but the Republican reaction to ICE's behavior. Shooting innocent bystanders, breaking down people's doors, and tear-gassing schools is what the median Republican voter wants.
37. Who did you miss?
My friends, who I still haven't seen that much. We talked about doing more baby Shabbat brunches this year but money was just so tight that we never really made it. And, honestly, Laila has so much energy that it's hard to take her to baby Shabbat. Maybe I'll try again after her surgery.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I'm not sure I met anyone new, really. I don't get to many events where I'd have the chance to anymore.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2025.
One foot in front of the other and you will get there, one step at a time.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
This one is hard. A lot of the music I listen to is sad, or kind of desperate love songs, and neither of them fits this year. Maybe the closest is the song I always used to post:
And it's been a long December and there's reason to believeAnd we did. There's a reason I always posted that song.
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass
And it's one more day up in the canyon
And it's one more night in Hollywood
It's been so long since I've seen the ocean
I guess I should
Happy New Year to everyone!
