2012: The Year in Review

1. Where did you begin 2012? 

At Colin's parents' house in Lake Forest with Colin, Chris, Rosmer, Graham, and Mike

2. Did you have a New Year’s Resolution? 

figure out if I want to go to grad school/figure what I want to be when I grow up

(I decided the answer was yes/I want to be a librarian)

3. What was your status on Valentine's Day? 

in a relationshiop with Colin Logan

4. What did you do for St. Patty's Day in 2012? 

I worked at ZooFriends, and then Juliet came over to my house. We got a pizza from Marco's and watched an Irish film called "Intermission" and a couple episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

5. Did you play an April Fool's joke on anyone this year? 

nope

6. Do anything special on Easter?

Colin and I met my Dad, Grandmother, Papa Jerry, and the Sheppard clan at church, and then we went to my aunt Sheila's house for lunch and fam time. We also went with aunts and cousins to Grandma Pat's house to see if we wanted to keep any of her old things.

7. What did you do on the 4th of July?

I went up to Tulsa for the day and spent time with the Baluhs. Agatha and Graham were in town, so I met them at TU and we chatted a bit by the pool. Then the three of us and Claude went to eat at Old School Bagel and then shopped around at Gardner's Used Books.

8. What was your favorite summer memory of '12?

When Colin came to visit in June, we had a cookout at my dad's house. Kristine and Maesynne came, and Chris Smith brought a group of Tulsa people with him, including Rosmer, Ryan, and a couple others.

9. What were you for Halloween? 

Amelia Earhart

10. What happened on Thanksgiving?

Went to Aunt Sheila's in Moore on Thanksgiving day; went to Aunt Nancy's in Tulsa that Saturday

11. What about Christmas?

At Aunt Sheila's on Christmas Eve, Mom Skyped in through Melissa's computer. We carried her around so she could talk to everyone, and she even participated in dirty Santa! It was awesome. Mel, Richard, and I were going to drive up to Grandmother's in Bartlesville on Christmas Eve, but the weather was bad and the roads got icey, so we decided not to chance the drive. We both participated in dirty Santa there over the phone, though! It was a very technological Christmas.

12. Did you get kissed under mistletoe?

no

13. Best Christmas present?

Dia de los Muertos coasters and wine glasses, from Tina

14. Describe your birthday.

I went down to Dallas for the weekend, and my mom and I saw 5 films at the Dallas International Film Festival. My favorite was documentary called "Brooklyn Castle" about a chess team at a Brooklyn middle school.

15. Best birthday present?

 "Game of Thrones" Season 1 on Blu-Ray, from Colin

16. What was your best month?

April - great weather, fun birthday, OKC Arts Festival

Worst month?

August - studied for and took the GRE, breakup with Colin

17. Did you know anybody who got married?

Meg Hemric & Andrew Fagan

18. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Sarah Bowler

19. Did anyone close to you die?

Grandma Pat, John Baluh

20. Where did you live?

Edmond, OK

21. What countries did you visit?

none

22. What was your favorite vacation? 

I never really had a true vacation, but I enjoyed driving up to Rochester, MN with Mom to help her look for apartments, and I loved having 3 days off in a row from work for Christmastime.

23. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?

inner peace

24. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory?

September 9th, when Colin and I talked about our breakup for 2 hours on the steps of McFarlin Library

25. What was your biggest achievement of the year? 

recovering from a bad breakup

26. What was your biggest failure?

I completely neglected my physical health this year.

27. Did you suffer illness or injury?

does a broken heart count? :P

28. What was the best thing you bought?

The Harry Potter Wizard's Collection

29. How did you earn your money? 

OKC ZooFriends, Edmond Public Library

30. Where did most of your money go?

gas, Halloween

31. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Ashton Eaton

32. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Todd Akin

33. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Dallas International Film Festival, Colin coming to visit in June

34. What song(s) will always remind you of 2012?

"Gangnam Style" by PSY, "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepson, "Someone Like You" by Adele, "The Heart of Life" by John Mayer

35. Compared to this time last year, are you:

I. happier or sadder? 

It's been quite a roller coaster ride, but I feel like I've come back to about the same happiness level I was at last year.

II. thinner or fatter? 

fatter

III. richer or poorer? 

maybe *slightly* richer

36. What do you wish you’d done more of?

exercise

37. What do you wish you’d done less of?

stress out about work

38. Did you fall in love in 2012? 

no

39. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn’t dislike this time last year?

I wouldn't say that I've started disliking anyone, but there are a few people that I like *less* than I did last year.

40. Did you have any encounters with the police? 

I got pulled over for speeding on I-35 (on my way to Dallas), but got away with a warning

41. What were your favorite TV programs?

Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Castle, House, Once Upon a Time, Perception, Parks and Recreation, The Walking Dead

42. What was the best book you read?

"This is Not the Story You Think it Is... : A Season of Unlikely Happiness" by Laura Munson

43. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Florence + The Machine, The Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men

44. What concerts/shows did you go to?

Souled Out at the UCO Jazz Lab, Huey Lewis & the News at the Zoo Amphitheater, "War Horse" at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas

45. What were your favorite films of the year?

Brooklyn Castle, Silver Linings Playbook, Prometheus, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Looper, Chronicle, ParaNorman, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Avengers, Zero Dark Thirty

46. What did you want and get?

The Harry Potter Wizard's Collection

47. What's one thing that would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

having a more regular and predictable work schedule

48. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?

I wore leggings with skirts pretty regularly, and I decided to cut my hair the shortest it's ever been, as a pixie cut.

49. What kept you sane? 

Mom, Kristine, Juliet, Krystal

50. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? 

Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy

51. Who did you miss most? 

Colin

52. What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2012?

take the GRE

53. What's something you learned about yourself?

I've been relying too much on other people for my personal happiness. I need to work on finding peace from within.

54. Was it a good year? 

No, but I learned a hell of a lot.

55. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:

You can never be completely in control of your life. Surprises will happen, and you can't blame yourself for not predicting them. You can't change how other people behave, but you can change how you choose to respond.

Number of movies watched on video/Netflix: 40

Number of movies seen at the theater: 45

Number of television seasons completed: 22

Number of books read: 19

God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him...

I had lunch at McAlister's today and had a sort of epiphany. I noticed a girl across the room at a table by herself (like I was, but with a laptop instead of a book) who, after she received her food from the waiter, closed her eyes and bowed her head in prayer with her hands together, touching her forehead. I watched as she sat there in silence for about 30 seconds, and I realized something about praying over food that I never have before: it primarily serves as a reminder to be thankful.

I admit that I've always thought praying before eating was a little silly. I didn't see the point. It didn't make sense to thank someone who wasn't there. I've never really been a big fan of prayer in general, because I never felt like it held any direct effect. That's not to say that I don't appreciate people telling me they'll pray for me when I'm having a hard time. In doing so, they are basically telling me they care, that they will be thinking of me, and that gives me comfort. Praying over food, however, doesn't have the same connotation. It's very much in the moment and directed at inanimate objects.

The problem with my old view is that the nature of prayer really has nothing to do with direct effect, or any effect, for that matter. It's all about intention. What I realized today is that it's not about the subject of the prayer. It's about having a sense of gratefulness. It's about reminding yourself to appreciate what you have. It's an opportunity for brief meditation on contentment. Prayer is introspective.

Seeing that girl pray in silence at the restaurant for no one but herself helped me realize that it really is about inner reflection and peacefulness. Especially if one lives a very busy life and has difficulty finding time to relax, taking 30 seconds before each meal to ruminate on gratitude can work wonders for overall contentment. I am definitely guilty of taking the little things for granted and forgetting that I have A LOT to be thankful for. Especially since I'm going through a rough time right now, it is sometimes hard to concentrate on what is good in my life; I sometimes forget to appreciate all that I have. I am going to start practicing everyday gratitude by taking a moment before each meal to briefly remind myself that my food is a gift, and in that moment of thanks, I will recognize other parts of my life that deserve appreciation.

Let's watch the Olympics, just for kicks

(pun intended)

NBC didn't cover any taekwondo on their main channel, so I had to go online to watch it. We won two bronzes, one for Terrence Jennings, who got into the sport by watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and one for Paige McPherson. Great Britain also won with a gold for Jade Jones! I'm glad the British have won lots of medals at these Olympics--it's always nice to see the host country do well, and they very often do since they have home-field/court/ring/track/etc. advantage.

I've really enjoyed Mary Carillo's coverage of these Olympics. Her interviews with athletes are always well-done, and her specials on London and the U.K. (about topics such as Welsh traditions and Shakespeare) were interesting and fun. I guess they have the best sports journalists go out into the field to interact with people and leave the odd ones (Bob Costas) in the studio.

A few words on Usain Bolt: He is certainly impressive, but I don't like him. He's unquestionably the greatest sprinter of all time, winning both the 100m and 200m in 2 consecutive Olympics (as well as some relays), but he's also very full of himself. He can't seem to stop talking about how great he is, and even after he won the 4x100m relay with the Jamaican team, he said, "I'm very happy with myself," as if his teammates didn't have much to do with it. (Contrast that with the winning US women's 4x100m relay team, who couldn't stop saying how much they loved each other.) I might also add that in a couple of his races, he actually slowed down on the last few steps when he knew he had it won. In a long distance run, that can make sense because you're exhausted to point of collapsing, but in sprinting, it's just pure arrogance. It shows that Usain doesn't care as much about doing his best as he does about winning. A true sportsman always tries his best and gives it his all, whether or not he's in the lead. Sports, especially the Olympics, are about showing people what you're made of, not simply winning every contest. The media's obsessive coverage of him also annoys me because it overshadows more inspiring athletes like Ashton Eaton, the decathlon gold medal winner.

Some sports really know how to put on a show

Synchronized swimming is fun to watch. Similar to figure skating, it obviously takes tremendous athleticism and skill, but the athletes try to come up with choreography and artistry that goes well with their music and provides entertainment for the crowd. You get everything from Great Britain's Peter Pan theme to Australia's AC/DC routine. What really gets me is how much time they spend underwater. It seems like they're holding their breath for at least half of their performance (they probably are). It's too bad that the US isn't usually in contention for a medal.

Then there's rhythmic gymnastics, one of the strangest sports ever. It really seems like more of a dance competition to me. Ballet is not a sport (though it does require athleticism), so I'm kind of at a loss for why this would be considered differently... unless you look at it as the "sport form" of dance, emphasizing the athleticism and slightly reducing the artistry. The routines look like dance exercises with specifically required props--ribbons, rope, hoops, clubs, and bouncy balls. Maybe the props are the key--having to dance around while concentrating on a prop (that they have to keep in constant motion) requires expert hand-eye coordination, so it's kinda like table tennis in that sense... I dunno. It's definitely bizarre, but also fascinating. (The US doesn't have a full team competing.)

There was a devastating crash between South Africa and Kenya in the 4x400m relay prelim, preventing South African Oscar Pistorius from even getting a chance to run his leg. Needless to say, it dashed the hopes of Pistorius and his team... at first. Their country filed a formal protest because the Kenyan runner suddenly changed direction right in front of the South African, causing them both to fall. Well I'm definitely glad they did so, because the committee allowed them to compete in the final, making Pistorius the first double amputee to compete in an Olympic (non-Paralympic) final. So cool!

Quite a few crashes occurred in BMX racing, as well, but that's actually the norm. Because of all the falls, there's a point system with multiple races to determine who advances in the competition, so you're not automatically out of it if you crash once. The exciting, fast-paced races are so enthralling that once the bikers come out of the gate, it's impossible for me to pull my eyes from the screen. It's BMX-treme!

Greatest athletes in the world

Americans Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee won gold and silver in the decathlon, so we've got the world's top 2 greatest overall athletes. It was pretty obvious by the 7th event that those two would be at the top, but I was pulling for Hardee to win because he's the better thrower (shot put, discus, javelin). Eaton's discus throwing, in particular, was less than impressive. :P   He more than made up for it, however, in the running and jumping events to come through with gold. Watching the two of them compete makes me miss going to track meets in high school to throw shot and disc. I actually know what it's like to be in the ring, so watching US athletes compete in that environment against the best in the world is a real treat.

Another great thing about the decathlon: the athletes are all very civil and friendly to each other. They go through the experience of competing in 10 events together over 2 days, growing accustomed to each other and even sometimes getting to know each other. After the last event, the 1500m run, many of them hugged and patted each others' backs, sharing the accomplishment of making it through to the end. The endurance required to complete that journey, along with the versatility required to do well in it, sets the decathlon apart from all other events in the Olympics. That's why I love it so much.

To top it all off, this year is the 100th anniversary of the decathlon, which was first won in 1912 by American (and Oklahoman) Jim Thorpe. How fitting, then, that Ashton Eaton set a world record this year at the US Olympics trials. Having an outstanding decathlon tradition is something the US can be extremely proud of. Here's a great article about Eaton's potential legacy to the sport.

Gymnastics ends with a bang

Gabby's gold in gymnastics all-around was exciting, but Aly Raisman really shined in this year, as well. She won bronze on the beam in a tie breaker, and then went on to win gold on a nearly perfect floor exercise, with the crowd clapping along with her music, as usual. Aly was the one who edged out Jordyn Wieber for the all-around final, and while everyone was upset that Jordyn didn't get a chance to compete for that title, Aly proved herself the better gymnast this year. Way to go Aly!

Men's gymnastics high bar is so fun to watch! This year the gold medal went to Zonderland of the Netherlands, the first Dutch man to win a medal in gymnastics. His routine was AMAZING--he had a combo of 3 releases in a row, contributing to the most difficult piece of gymnastics in the entire games. Plus, he has a rockin' 70s haircut. You can watch his routine here.
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I don't care that much about equestrian, but the jumping is kinda fun to watch, and I got to root for an Irish guy named Cian O'Connor. He was tied for silver with Gerco Schroder from the Netherlands, so they had a jump-off. It was neat to see these two countries have a go, 'cause the Netherlands is usually a Winter Olympics country, and Ireland doesn't win many medals in general. O'Connor went second, and his time was much better than Schroder's--it looked like he had it won... until he botched the very last jump. It was close, but O'Connor got the bronze, Ireland's first (and probably only) medal of these games. Yay Ireland!

The two American beach volleyball teams played each other for gold, and Misty May/Kerry Walsh won. No surprise there. They've never lost a single set in 3 Olympics. That's just... wow. You can tell in their interviews that they're such great friends. That's probably one reason why they're such an amazing team--they know each other well enough to predict each others' moves, and they trust each other well enough to know that their backs are covered. That's the very definition of teamwork.

So far, we've won 20 medals in track and field. That's twice as many as the 9 that second place Russia has. We always dominate in track and field, and it should give us the edge over China for the overall medal count. Right now, we're up by 4, though China has 2 more golds. I'm hoping we get gold and silver in the decathlon--our two American athletes are at the top after day 1.

The US swim team totally owned the 2012 Olympics

I really like Ryan Lochte. He such an easy-going guy, but he worked his butt off to win 5 medals at these Olympics. Though he didn't win as many golds as was expected, he did get one in the 400m IM, beating Phelps soundly, so he can add that to his list of accomplishments. Plus, he wore grills on his teeth during that gold medal ceremony--so silly, but hilarious!

Missy Franklin won gold in the 200m backstroke, smashing the world record by nearly a whole second. Then she went on to win her 5th medal with an all-star relay team for the 4x100m medley. Every leg of our team had the gold from their individual events, so it was no surprise that they easily won gold again together. Missy is only 17 years old, so we'll mostly likely see her, along with some of her teammates, at Rio in 4 years, and maybe even the Olympics after that, as well. I definitely look forward to watching them swim more in the future.

Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever, has set the bar at 22 medals, 18 of those gold. There's no doubt that this record is going to last quite some time. Our whole swim team was just so damn good this year! The US medaled in 26 out of 32 swimming events, and in 4 of those we had 2 medalists! IN-freaking-CREDIBLE! A-freaking-MAZING!
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British athlete Jessica Ennis won gold in the heptathlon, one of my favorite events of the games. The heptathlon and decathlon are so fun to watch because it's amazing that these athletes can do all of those events so well. Strength, stamina, speed, and flexibility are all required at the highest level, making them the best overall athletes in the world. To me, that is seven times (for the heptathlon) or ten times (for the decathlon) more impressive than being the best in just one event.

Funniest thing I've seen in a while:

The discus officials use a remote-control car to return the discs from the field back to the ring. When I saw that I could NOT stop laughing. Ha! :P  (Perkovic of Croatia won gold with a distance of 226 ft.) Randomly, here's a video of the top 5 screams from women's discus.

Oscar Pistorius of South Africa ran in the 400m, making it to the semifinal race, but not the finals. That doesn't sound all that special... until you find out that he's a double amputee. Both of his legs were amputated below the knee, so to compete, he wears artificial limbs made especially for sprinting. It's the first time an amputee has ever qualified for the Summer Olympics, to compete against able-bodies athletes (that's not counting the Paralympics). It's a huge accomplishment and inspiration. Love it!

Getting into the Olympic spirit

I am having so much fun watching the ups and downs of world class competition! American Nathan Adrian winning the gold in the 100m freestyle by 1/100th of a second was so exciting! And the women pulled through again with another gold in the 4x200m free relay. But watching gymnasts Danell Leyva and and John Orozco compete in the men's all-around was absolutely engrossing. They both had a chance to medal, but they each screwed up pretty bad on the pommel horse, repeating their mistakes from the team competition. John's score was bad enough to take him out of the running, but Danell did well enough on his other events to still have a chance... and he did it! He came away with bronze! Such an impressive comeback--it must have had something to do with that lucky towel he carries around with him everywhere. Gymnastics sure has been all about bouncing back this year!
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Kayla Harrison became the first American ever to win a gold medal in judo, and if that's not impressive enough for you, she's a former victim of sexual abuse. When she was 16, she confessed that her coach had been abusing her for years, and her mother immediately pressed charges. They moved, found a new training group to help her recover emotionally and psychologically, and now she's an Olympic champion. In an article from TIME magazine, Kayla says, "This is proof that you're only a victim if you allow yourself to be. Nothing can stop you." She is definitely a strong woman worth looking up to.

Every time Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman do their gymnastics floor exercises, the crowd claps with the music, and tonight they really put on a show. As their last routine, it was the perfect way to end the night that would win them the gold and bronze, respectively. We've won gold in the women's all-around for the last 3 Olympics, which means the Russians are no longer the obvious favorites in the sport. We've never had an African American winner, though, so Gabby's definitely in the history books for that.

Rebecca Soni also won gold in the 200m breaststroke with a world record, becoming the first woman to win this event in back-to-back Olympics. Our women sure have set a lot of standards this year--I wonder if that correlates with the fact that the US has more female than male athletes at the Olympics for the first time ever...

Awe-inspiring team efforts for the US

I am sooooo glad our women's gymnastics team won the gold! It was so heartbreaking that Jordyn Wieber didn't make it to the individual all-round finals--her score was 4th out of everyone behind 2 teammates and a Russian, but only the top two athletes from each country are allowed to compete in that event. So sad! But she did her best to put it behind her to help the team win gold. Now THAT is a great competitor! So many talented athletes have a really hard time coming back from disappointment like that, but Jordyn did it. What a great team! Every single routine was great, and a few, like Jordyn's own floor routine and McKayla Maroney's vault, were basically flawless. It's always fun to watch an entire team succeed together.

The US swim team is doing awesome this year, too! Nearly every single swimmer we have has won a medal, including Allison Schmitt's exciting gold tonight in the 200m freestyle. The women, in particular have been really impressive. Phelps and the men have been great, too, but when you're expected to win and you get silver, it feels like a loss. Any medal at all is a big achievement, but there is definitely a difference between "winning" bronze and "losing" gold. Phelps "lost" gold tonight in the 200m butterfly because he had some iffy turns and a bad finish, but he did make history by becoming the most decorated Olympian EVER with his 19th medal (a gold) from the 4x200m freestyle relay. Very cool!

Missy Franklin is on a roll!

Individual diving is pretty amazing, but synchronized diving is double the awesome. Not only are the dives cool-looking and super difficult, two people have to do the exact same thing at the exact same time! And the US did great, too! The women's team won silver and the men's team, bronze. So neat!

The American men really messed up the team gymnastics competition, but the Brits pulled through to medal for the first time in a hundred years with a bronze. Originally, Britian had silver, Ukraine had bronze, and Japan got fourth, but Japan disputed a score and was moved up to second, bumping Ukraine off the medal stand. You can't blame a coach for looking out for his team, but I, for one, thought the Japanese guy's score was fair--his pommel horse dismount looked pretty terrible to me. I feel sorry for the Ukraine.

US swimmer Missy Franklin (17 years old) has a really great story. She and her family decided to stay in Colorado to train instead of moving to a bigger swimming state (like California), and they have turned down numerous sponsorships and prize money offers so she could stay eligible to swim with her high school team. I think that's really cool--that her parents are allowing her to stay a normal kid as much as possible, not pushing her talent to the breaking point or weighing down her shoulders with high-stakes pressure. As a result, swimming has remained a fun activity for her instead of an obligation and a job. That's the way it should be done... and it has worked out splendid for Missy! In addition to the bronze she got with the US team in the 4x100m freestyle, she won GOLD in the 100m backstroke 14 minutes after swimming in a heat for the 200m freestyle. Looks like I have a new favorite swimmer.

American women are owning

I really enjoyed watching women's weightlifting. If whoever runs the 100m is the fastest in the world, then I suppose whoever lifts the most would be considered the strongest in the world. Those asian women are so much smaller than me, but they can lift 2 me's into the air. So cool.

The women's road race was pretty exciting. It was raining, which made the road slick (and caused the cameramen to repeatedly wipe off their cameras), so quite a few crashes occurred. I really wish I had had time to watch it all the way through, but because of work and other events to catch up on, I had to fast-forward through most of it. For much of the race, the US team stayed up at the front to avoid crashes, but later on, the Dutch kept attacking to lead and pick up the pace. Toward the end, Vos of the Netherlands, Armistead of Britain, and Zabelinskaya of Russia pulled ahead and stayed close till the very end, getting gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. It was quite the riveting finish!

The men's 4x100m freestyle relay was exciting, too. It looked like we had it won, but the French caught up to us in the last 50m--exactly the same thing that happened in 2008 but the other way around!

NBC did a special on Kim Rhode, who won gold in individual skeet shooting, becoming the first American to win individual medals in 5 consecutive Olympics. She's only missed once in all that time! Wowie! And Dana Vollmer won gold in the 100m butterfly in world record time, becoming the first woman to swim it in under 56 seconds--faster than most men! Yay for American women!

The 2012 games have begun

I loved London's Opening Ceremonies. It really showed off how much great stuff Britain has produced for the world over the centuries. The progression of time was a cool framework for the show, starting out with quaint agrarian life (reminiscent of Hobbiton), transitioning to the Industrial Revolution (towering silos coming out of the ground reminded me of the intro to "Game of Thrones"), and then on to the digital age (feature texting and modern music). The musical ride from the 50s to today was very neat and well-done. I'm glad they saved Pink Floyed for the fireworks finale--so fitting!

The short film featuring the Queen and James Bond (Daniel Craig) getting into a helicopter was fun, then seeing "them" jump out of it into the stadium right before Her Majesty's declaration of opening the games was very clever! Roan Atkinson "playing" the Chariots of Fire theme was HILARIOUS! I could not stop laughing through that entire song. I also greatly enjoyed watching top-hatted Kenneth Branagh wander around hordes of people whilst chomping on a cigar and posing with fists on hips.

The idea of having one copper pedal for each country come together to form one Olympic flame was ingenious. And Paul McCartney was a great closer, leading the crowd in singing "Hey Jude." My favorite part, however, was the children's literature segment. JK Rowling read a passage from Peter Pan, kids jumped and flipped on movable beds, costumed nightmare creatures danced around sleeping children, and a giant Voldemort was defeated by many Mary Poppinses!

Danny Boyle's production turned out to be incredibly creative, visually interesting, and intensely entertaining. China's awesome ceremony in Beijing was impressively big, but I liked this one better. I do hope to see the good Doctor somewhere in the closing ceremonies, though.
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I noticed that some of the cyclers in the men's road race were chatting it up during the first part of their ride, when everyone was still in a big clump. What a great example of the Olympic spirit! Seeing athletes from different countries being friendly and nice to each other, especially during competition, is one of the main reasons why I love to watch them. It's always see great sportsmanship at the Olympic level--makes me wish it was more common in US pro and college sports. Another thing I enjoy: seeing older athletes and underdogs win! 38-year-old Vinokourov of Kazakhstan surprised everyone and took home the gold for this race.

There was an Irishman named Kieran Behan competing in men's gymnastics with an inspiring backstory. He's had quite a few bad injuries that had doctors thinking he wouldn't walk again, let alone compete in the Olympics! But he recovered from them all to become the second man from Ireland ever to qualify for the Games. He didn't get to the finals, but he sure had the time of his life. How cool is that?

Ryan Lochte won the gold by a longshot in the men's 400 IM (individual medley). His extra hard work over the last four years has really paid off, and as he said, he's "ready to rock" for the other events. Michael Phelps got 4th. Just goes to show that busting one's ass can really make a difference.

This year has been interesting so far.

2012 started off pretty well. I did some soul searching and figured out that I wanted to become a librarian. I wouldn't quite call it my life's passion, but after working at a library as an aide (aka page), I realized I could see myself staying in that environment long-term. Here was a job that I could make into an enjoyable and fulfilling career. So I started doing research on grad school for a Master's in Library Science.

Then I read Lissa Rankin's book What's Up Down There? about women's health, which enlightened me in regards to how I should view my body and overall health. Her websites OwningPink.com and LissaRankin.com illustrate her innovative view of "whole health," which includes other aspects of life besides just physical well-being. She's also a champion of living life according to what she calls your "Inner Pilot Light," which basically means being true to yourself and listening to yeart heart and conscience.

My research on Lissa's ideas eventually led me to an inspiring TED talk by Brene Brown, which helped me more clearly form my outlook on life and people in general. I already believed in something close to what she said in the lecture, but my feelings on the subject were unfocused. Brene uses her extensive research on shame and vulnerability to posit that being vulnerable is the key to having healthy relationships with oneself and others, which, in turn, leads to contentment with life and prevents feelings of shame. Basically, she provided me with a clear outline of proof supporting my view of how the world works. I was so amazing that I bought both her book (which are excellent) and continue to gobble up everything she publishes.

In the midst of all that, however, was great tragedy. My Grandma Pat died on February 10th after fighting against numerous ailments that hit her back-to-back in a short stretch of time. We knew she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months earlier, but what started the avalanche that buried her was a stupid little blood clot. It all happened too fast for me to write about while it was going on, and I still having trouble thinking about it now, five months later. In a way, though, I'm glad she didn't have to go through a long drawn-out process with chemotherapy and lingering discomfort. I do selfishly wish I had had more time with her, but she's no longer in pain and no longer has to feel anxious about impending treatment for terminal illness. I believe she is in a better place.

I definitely feel that I've grown a lot as an individual over the past few months. I've learned new things about myself and the world, I've come to terms with my outlook on life, and I feel closer to my family after spending so much time with them surrounding my grandma's illness. I've had some pretty rough times this year, but getting through them made me stronger. I feel like I have a purpose again, something to strive for, and even though I may need to dig a little deeper to find out whether librarianship is my true "calling," it's still something I care about deeply enough to pursue with vigor. This is where I'm at so far:

I don't feel a need to help kids learn directly, I aspire to help them want to learn. I guess that's why being a teacher doesn't really appeal to me but being a librarian does. A teacher has an obligation to try to impart knowledge on a specific subject, whether or not their students actually care to learn about it. A librarian has an obligation to aid someone who asks for knowledge, but if a person has no desire to learn about a certain topic, there is no obligation for the librarian to pursue the matter. A librarian's main goal is to make information available to everyone who wishes to learn it and to encourage learning across a broad spectrum. Teachers are like steering wheels and librarians are the road signs! The real trick is to inspire people, especially kids, to want to explore new ideas by making them fun, easy, and intriguing. Doing this for kids, especially, helps them grow into intelligent, confident, and inquisitive adults who continue to learn throughout their lives.

Snow White and the Huntsman - 2 out of 5 stars

Snow White and the Huntsman was incredibly disappointing. It has a lot of the elements that a great film needs--complex themes; excellent style through costuming, set design, and cinematography; an amazing score (by James Newton Howard); and interesting characters--but the pieces don't quite fit together to form a satisfying whole.

The script is all over the place, but it's no wonder, with 3 writers credited for the screenplay. Lots of great ideas pop up here and there, but many of them aren't explored or fully explained. The evil queen rising out of a milky bath makes for a chilling image, but what purpose does it serve the story? Snow White apparently has magic of her own, but the nature of it isn't quite clear--it seems to exist solely to allow her to defeat the queen. The theme of life and light (Snow White) versus death and darkness (the Queen) is hinted at, but there is no direct illustration of it. In an ingenious bit of writing, our heroes come across a village of women who have found a way to protect themselves from the Queen's habit of sucking the youth and beauty out of girls throughout the kingdom, but aside from simply presenting this scenario, not much is done here--I would have liked to see one of these girls befriend Snow White and accompany the protagonists to the end, but the village is just one of many quick stops on the way to forward the plot.

And that seems to be one of the big problems with the film's storytelling--intriguing elements are introduced to progress the plot in some way, but the elements themselves aren't given much thought. Many of these elements were characters. The dwarves, for example, basically serve as exposition, comic relief (which I really wish had been more prevalent), and as a means to infiltrate the Queen's castle (in a highly ridiculous scene that is hard to take seriously); but we never get to know any of the dwarves as individuals. We never really have a reason to care about them for their own sake.

The writing pretty much fails at character development in general. We get one glimpse of Queen Ravenna's past that adds a tiny drop of sympathy to the character, but it's not enough to really make us sorry for her. Even the main character, Snow White, is not completely believable as a leader of armies and killer of evil due to a lack of inner turmoil and personal growth. She spends the majority of the film being led and saved by others, then all of a sudden, when it's necessary, she just "knows what to do."

The one part of this movie that really makes it worth watching is the character of the Huntsman, beautifully performed by Chris Hemsworth. He's a sympathetic anti-hero who starts out as a raving drunk widower and ends up being the only character to show significant growth over time. I will even admit that I teared up during a monologue of his at a crucial moment in the story. He is the reason I was invested in the outcome. Kristen Stewart's Snow White falls flat as a truly strong protagonist worth rooting for--it was for the Huntsman's sake that I wanted her to win. Even Charlize Theron sometimes goes a touch over the top as the evil Queen Ravenna.

The movie's marketing led us to believe that Snow White and the Huntsman would be a new twist on a familiar fairy tale, but there's not much real innovation to be found. I REALLY wanted to like this movie, and with just a few tweaks here and there, I'm convinced I could have loved it, but the story just doesn't quite work. First-time feature film director Rupert Sanders obviously has a talent for imagery and motif, but he may need to hone his storytelling skills. The film is far from a disaster, and as a 12-year-old kid, I would have been engrossed (having seen less movies and been less familiar with cliches), but this movie isn't intended for children. The level of violence and dark themes are quite adult; it's just too bad that the telling itself seems rather juvenile, relying too heavily on archetypes and simple answers.

2012 Oscars

The Oscars were quite enjoyable this year! Better than last year's production, I thought. Billy Crystal was an excellent host, told lots of very funny jokes (though I didn't really care for the awkward song he sang at the beginning). And I loved the Cirque du Soleil performance to Danny Elfman music, as well as Hans Zimmer's orchestrations for the whole awards show itself.

I was mostly satisfied with the winners, too. (As you can see below, 10 of the nominees I was rooting for took home gold.) The only thing that really disappointed me was that Harry Potter won nothing. I'm irked that it lost Best Make-Up to The Iron Lady. I think creating countless battle wounds and Voldemort's bald, creepy head look real is a greater achievement than making one actor look like someone else, but maybe that's just me...


YELLOW is the nominee I was rooting for. RED is the nominee who won.
ORANGE is the combination of both, when my favorite got the award.

Best Picture

The Artist  ~Thomas Langmann

The Descendants  ~Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close  ~Scott Rudin

The Help  ~Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan

Hugo  ~Graham King, Martin Scorsese

Midnight in Paris  ~Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum

Moneyball  ~Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt

The Tree of Life  ~TBA

War Horse  ~Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy


Lead Actor

Demian Bichir  (A Better Life)

George Clooney  (The Descendants)

Jean Dujardin  (The Artist)

Gary Oldman  (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)

Brad Pitt  (Moneyball)


Lead Actress

Glenn Close  (Albert Nobbs)

Viola Davis  (The Help)

Rooney Mara  (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)

Meryl Streep  (The Iron Lady)

Michelle Williams  (My Week with Marilyn)


Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh  (My Week with Marilyn)

Jonah Hill  (Moneyball)

Nick Nolte  (Warrior)

Christopher Plummer  (Beginners)

Max von Sydow  (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)


Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo  (The Artist)

Jessica Chastain  (The Help)

Melissa McCarthy  (Bridesmaids)

Janet McTeer  (Albert Nobbs)

Octavia Spencer  (The Help)


Director

Michel Hazanavicius  (The Artist)

Alexander Payne  (The Descendants)

Martin Scorsese  (Hugo)

Woody Allen  (Midnight in Paris)

Terrence Malick  (The Tree of Life)


Animated Feature

A Cat in Paris  ~Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli

Chico & Rita  ~Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal

Kung Fu Panda 2  ~Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Puss in Boots  ~Chris Miller

Rango  ~Gore Verbinski


Animated Short

Dimanche/Sunday  ~Patrick Doyon

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore  ~William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg

La Luna  ~Enrico Casarosa

A Morning Stroll  ~Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe

Wild Life  ~Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby


Live Action Short

Pentecost  ~Peter McDonald, Eimear O'Kane

Raju  ~Max Zahle, Stefan Gieren

The Shore  ~Terry George, Ooralgh George

Time Freak  ~Andrew Bowler, Gigi Causey

Tuba Atlantic  ~Hallvar Witzo


Documentary Short

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement  ~Robin Fryday, Gail Dolgin

God is the Bigger Elvis  ~Rebecca Cammisa, Julie Anderson

Incident in New Baghdad  ~James Spione

Saving Face  ~Daniel Junge, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom  ~Lucy Walker, Kira Carstensen


Documentary Feature

Hell and Back Again  ~Danfung Dennis, Mike Lerner

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front  ~Marshall Curry, Sam Cullman

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory  ~Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

Pina  ~Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero Ringel

Undefeated  ~TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay, Richard Middlemas


Foreign Language Film

Bullhead (Belgium)  ~Michael R Roskam

Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)  ~Philippe Falardeau

A Separation (Iran)  ~Asghar Farhadi

Footnote (Israel)  ~Joseph Cedar

In Darkness (Poland)  ~Agnieszka Holland


Adapted Screenplay

The Descendants  ~Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Hugo  ~John Logan

The Ides of March  ~George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon

Moneyball  ~Screenplay by Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy  ~Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan


Original Screenplay

The Artist  ~Michel Hazanavicius

Bridesmaids  ~Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig

Margin Call  ~J. C. Chandor

Midnight in Paris  ~Woody Allen

A Separation  ~Asghar Farhadi



Original Score

The Adventures of Tintin  ~John Williams

The Artist  ~Ludovic Bource

Hugo  ~Howard Shore

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy  ~Alberto Iglesias

War Horse  ~John Williams


Original Song

"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets  ~Music & Lyrics by Bret McKenzie

"Real in Rio" from Rio  ~Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Lyrics by Siedah Garrett


Cinematography

The Artist  ~Guillaume Schiffman

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  ~Jeff Cronenweth

Hugo  ~Robert Richardson

The Tree of Life  ~Emmanuel Lubezki

War Horse  ~Janusz Kaminski


Art Direction (Production Design/Set Decoration)

The Artist  ~Laurence Bennett (Design), Robert Gould (Set Deco)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2  ~Stuart Craig (Design), Stephenie McMillan (Set Deco)

Hugo  ~Dante Ferretti (Design), Francesca Lo Schiavo (Set Deco)

Midnight in Paris  ~Anne Seibel (Design), Helene Dubreuil (Set Deco)

War Horse  ~Rick Carter (Design), Lee Sandales (Set Deco)


Costume Design

Anonymous  ~Lisy Christl

The Artist  ~Mark Bridges

Hugo  ~Sandy Powell

Jane Eyre  ~Michael O'Connor

W. E.  ~Arianne Phillips


Make-up

Albert Nobbs  ~Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston, Matthew W. Mungle

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2  ~Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin

The Iron Lady  ~Mark Coulier, J. Roy Helland


Film Editing

The Artist  ~Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants  ~Kevin Tent

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  ~Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall

Hugo  ~Thelma Schoonmaker

Moneyball  ~Christopher Tellefsen


Sound Editing

Drive  ~Lon Bender, Victor Ray Ennis

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  ~Ren Klyce

Hugo  ~Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty

Transformers: Dark of the Moon  ~Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl

War Horse  ~Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom


Sound Mixing

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  ~David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Bo Persson

Hugo  ~Tom Fleischman, John Midgley

Moneyball  ~Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco, Ed Novick

Transformers: Dark of the Moon  ~Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Peter J. Devlin

War Horse  ~Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Stuart Wilson


Visual Effects

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2  ~Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler, John Richardson

Hugo  ~Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman, Alex Henning

Real Steel  ~Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor, Swen Gillberg

Rise of the Planet of the Apes  ~Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher WHite, Daniel Barrett

Transformers: Dark of the Moon  ~Dan Glass, Brad Friedman, Douglas Trumbull, Michael Fink

What is whole heath?

I just finished reading a book called What's Up Down There? Questions You'd Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend, which I loved, and so I went to author Dr. Lissa Rankin's website called Owning Pink. Lissa was a gynecologist for years until she became fed up with what she considered an incomplete system. She felt the medicine she was trained to practice was missing something, so she quit her job and spent some time coming up with a new, more holistic model that I think makes much more sense.

I'll be honest and say that if I had come across Owning Pink without having read Lissa's book and not knowing her background, I probably would have dismissed it as touchy-feely crap that somebody made up 'cause they don't like going to the doctor. That's not what this is. Dr. Rankin has extensive medical knowledge from being a physician for 8 years, and she had the courage to give up a secure job and stable life because she knew the system in which she worked was not quite right. It didn't jive with her picture of what it meant to be completely healthy.

Her view on "whole health" is not just about physical health, it includes spirituality, sexuality, relationships, financial issues, life purpose, and environment, among other things. The idea is that all aspects of your life need to be healthy in order for you to be "wholly" healthy, and if any of these parts are crumbling, your physical health deteriorates, showing signs of this unhealthiness. It's really very logical. I recommend you take a look at Lissa's own explain on her website. (The theory applies to both men and women, but most of the Owning Pink website is aimed at women.)

On Librarianship

The last couple months have been super busy! I worked a lot--that's not really a new thing, but I had other stuff going on so it seemed like more than usual. I did some traveling--visited Agatha in South Carolina in November, visited Colin in Lake Forest over New Year's (both very fun and relaxing vacations). And Kristine and I started the "Unofficial Library Movie Club," so I've been going to the theater more frequently.

I've also been thinking a lot about the future. The more I work at the library, the more I feel at home there, and I've been toying with the idea of going to grad school to get a master's in library science. Most libraries (including the local system) require a master's to be a full-fledged librarian, and I think that is something I would enjoy being. Even if I went to library school and decided I didn't want to work at a public library, there are lots of other options--school/specialty/private libraries, cataloguing, administration, public relations, etc. Also, I think I would enjoy studying it. My coworker Kristine is currently majoring in English at UCO and plans on doing library school--probably at OU. She once told me about a class she'd heard of called "Recommending Books." You give lots of oral "book reports" and learn how to cater to your audience's interests. That sounds like a blast!

One thing about librarianship that really appeals to me is that I would be able to help people learn without having to be their teacher. Librarians primarily teach people how to find what they're looking for, steer people in the right direction, help them help themselves. On aptitude tests I've taken in the past, "teacher" has always been among my results of "what you'd be good at," but while I greatly admire good teachers, I've never had the desire to be one. They have to deal with snotty kids, obnoxious parents, annoying bureaucracy, and trying to teach 30 very different kids the same thing at the same time in a way that they can all understand and keep them all interested is a HUGE challenge (100 kids for some college professors). Not exactly my cup of tea.

Also, I'm all about freedom of information. It's important to me, and being a librarian would allow me to advocate that ideal.

I still have a ton of research to do on library schools--how much it costs, what the curriculums are like, where the campuses are. I know that OU has a program, so that would probably be a good, easy, close resource to check out to get a feel for how it works.

...So that's where I'm starting my year--to study or not to study. Right after graduating from TU, the thought of more schooling was appalling to me, but now I'm ready to start working toward something again. I feel like I've been treading water for a year and a half and it's time to pick a direction and swim. One problem, though, is that I'm very attached to Colin, and he still has to figure out his future, as well. I don't really want to swim north if he's going west. I'd much rather us go the same direction! The ideal is that our favorite options happen to be in the same place, but that's probably unlikely. My main goal for this year is just to figure out which direction I want to go. I'll be ok if I don't start moving yet, but I need to at least pick a destination. I haven't had a concrete plan in a long time and it's been very uncomfortable.

2011: The Year in Review

1. Where did you begin 2011? 

At Zack Stickrod's in Stillwater

2. Did you have a New Year’s Resolution? 

1. give up all non-chocolate candy; 2. do some kind of physical activity at least 3 days a week

3. What was your status on Valentine's Day? 

single

4. What did you do for St. Patty's Day in 2011? 

Six Flags Over Texas with Heather

5. Did you play an April Fool's joke on anyone this year? 

no

6. Do anything special on Easter?

I worked at the ZooFriends office till about 3pm, then went over to Aunt Sheila's to see family.

7. What did you do on the 4th of July?

I was in Chicago with Colin. We went to The Museum of Science and Industry, then walked around the city for a bit looking at sculptures. Then we watched the fireworks from a spot near Millenium Park.

8. What was your favorite summer memory of '11?

spending time in Chicago with Colin

9. What were you for Halloween? 

Lady MacBeth

10. What happened on Thanksgiving?

Spent time with the fam at Aunt Sheila's

11. What about Christmas?

Festivus with Dad/Tina/Mel/Richard at the Jazz Lab to see Souled Out; Christmas Eve at Aunt Sheila's, Christmas Day at Grandmother's; and the day after Christmas, I had some friends over for a small dirty Santa

12. Did you get kissed under mistletoe?

nope

13. Best Christmas present?

PlayStation 3

14. Describe your birthday.

I went up to Tulsa for a couple days. Ate Sushi at Asahi with Colin, Ryan, Chris, Sam, Samantha, Daniel, and Garrett. Then Colin, Ryan, Chris, and I went to see "Source Code." The next day Colin and I met up with Graham and we went to see "Your Highness."

15. Best birthday present?

"Beauty and the Beast" on DVD (from Colin)

16. What was your best month?

February--got a job, met a guy, reconnected with old friends

17. Did you know anybody who got married?

Melissa/Richard, Cyrus/Shannon

18. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Melinda

19. Did anyone close to you die?

no

20. Where did you live?

Edmond, OK

21. What countries did you visit?

none, but I did visit Illinois and South Carolina

22. What was your favorite vacation? 

Chicago for a week over the 4th of July

23. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

A more concrete plan of the future, namely what I want to be when I grow up.

24. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?

The weekend Colin and I first started dating

25. What was your biggest achievement of the year? 

finding Colin, and finding two jobs that I enjoy

26. What was your biggest failure?

not exercising enough

27. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I got pretty sick in late summer, but it was just a bad cold

28. What was the best thing you bought?

Dragon Age II, plane tickets to Chicago, season pass to Six Flags, plane tickets to North Carolina, the first 4 books of "A Song of Ice and Fire"

29. How did you earn your money? 

ZooFriends, Edmond Public Library

30. Where did most of your money go?

gas, movie theaters, plane tickets

31. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Josh Groban

32. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

eh, I dunno

33. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Josh Groban concert, visiting Colin in Chicago, Blue Man Group concert, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 midnight premier, spending time with Colin and friends in Chicago for New Year's Eve

34. What song(s) will always remind you of 2011?

"Rolling in the Deep" by ADELE, "Bells of New York City" by Josh Groban, "Space for Rent" by Whomadewho

35. Compared to this time last year, are you:

I. happier or sadder? 

happier

II. thinner or fatter? 

thinner

III. richer or poorer? 

richer

36. What do you wish you’d done more of?

exercise

37. What do you wish you’d done less of?

get sunburned

38. Did you fall in love in 2011? 

yes

39. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn’t dislike this time last year?

no

40. Did you have any encounters with the police? 

I got one speeding ticket

41. What were your favorite TV programs?

Bones, Castle, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, House, Black Books

42. What was the best book you read?

"A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin

43. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Whomadewho, Band of Heathens

44. What concerts/shows did you go to?

Band of Heathens, Josh Groban, Blue Man Group, The Stage Door Theater's production of "Till Death Do Us Part", Souled Out

45. What were your favorite films of the year?

The Adjustment Bureau, Midnight in Paris, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, 50/50, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Anonymous, Our Idiot Brother, The Guard, The Descendants, Beginners

46. What did you want and get?

Dragon Age II, PlayStation 3

47. What's one thing that would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If Colin hadn't been in Chicago all summer

48. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

wore my glasses a lot, plaid button-down shirts, I was kinda rockin' the Indie look sometimes--I even bought some skinny jeans (to be worn with boots) :P

49. What kept you sane? 

Colin

50. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? 

Josh Groban, Cillian Murphy, Rhys Ifans

51. Who did you miss most? 

Colin Logan

52. What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2011?

enjoy having a customer service job

53. What's something you learned about yourself?

I tend to have issues when something I planned and looked forward to doesn't turn out the way I envisioned it.

54. Was it a good year? 

yes

55. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:

Most people are stupid and rude, but you you shouldn't let it get you down, because there are also really smart and considerate people out there who make up for it.

Number of movies watched on video/Netflix: 75

Number of movies seen at at theater: 39

Number of full television seasons watched: 20

Number of books read: 20