2013 Year In Review

I did this post last year and really enjoyed writing it, so I decided I'd tackle the same "year in review" questions this year.

I originally found this "year in review" list on a blog called brie-fit.com, and she said she'd copied it from "Temerity Jane via Sundry". Anyway, I thought it would be a fun way to look back on 2013.

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

I won our local beer mile.  Twice.
I went to Liechtenstein.
I went on a gondola ride in Venice.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I'm going to again do a resolutions recap. Overall, I'm happy with how I did.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

The guy who was my platonic travel buddy for years (together, we've gone to Kenya, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, and of course Italy, when he came to our wedding) got married a few years ago and they had a baby very recently.  We're actually spending New Year's Eve tonight with them, so we'll get to meet their little guy. 

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thankfully. My grandpa unfortunately had a stroke this summer and now has a live-in nurse and a feeding tube and can't do much with the right side of his body.  You can tell it's very frustrating for him.  It's hard to understand him, but when he talks, he mentions how unhappy he is, how his savings are being spent on the nurse, how much you need two arms for things, etc.  I'm glad he's still with us, but his quality of life has changed drastically, which is sad. 

5. What countries did you visit?

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italia, Netherlands.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?

My goal marathon time and a winning lottery ticket.

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

September 29, 2013, the date of my marathon PR in Berlin.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Probably running-related, but I can't decide if it's the marathon PR or the beer mile win (and successfully defending the title).  Probably the marathon PR.   

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not getting my marathon goal time.  At mile 16, I wanted to slow down, and by mile 18, I gave in to that.  Due to a tragic combination of a satellite malfunction and a lack of knowledge of the metric system, I also ended up missing my "B" goal.  

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing serious, thank goodness.   I'm having some foot pain right now, possibly from 28 miles on a treadmill on two days within a three day span.  Of course I can't get in to see an ortho this week, but I am fairly certain its some tendon inflammation.  I ended up resting it this morning, the first year I haven't done my traditional New Year's Eve loop of the lake in more years than I can count.   

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Best money spent was probably the gondola ride in Venice.  I didn't keep track if that was "my" money or "hubby's" money.  But after having been to Venice a couple times and not being there with the love of my life (hadn't met him yet), I saw people on gondolas.  Of course I could have gone alone or with friends, but it was something I wanted to save.  I wanted to kiss someone as we went under every single bridge.  I wanted to hold hands and ooh and aah together.  It was everything I dreamed of! 

12. Where did most of your money go?

Good question!  Since my husband and I alternate paying for big trips, he paid for the 2013 trip for the most part.  I guess I spent most of my money on debt reduction.  I've gotten really into the idea of making extra mortgage payments.  I like knowing that if something happened to me, my husband could take his time sorting things out and he wouldn't miss any payments.  Plus obviously paying even a bit more on a massive debt like a house can make a big dent in how long you pay.  I've heard (and believe) that if you have a 30 year mortgage and you make one extra principal and interest payment per year, you end up being done in 23 years.  That's huge! 

13. What did you get really excited about?

The trip to Europe. 

14. What song will always remind you of 2013?

"Blurred Lines" -- my husband told me it was "the song of the summer" before either of us had heard it.  Second choice is "Roar", but that's an answer to a question below. 

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

– happier or sadder? About the same, which is to say very happy.
– thinner or fatter? Fatter by about 5 pounds!  The last couple months haven't been good!! 
– richer or poorer? Richer.

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

Organizing, cleaning and purging around the house (same answer as last year...).

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

Eating!  Particularly in the last couple months.  My clothes are far too tight right now. 

18. How did you spend Christmas?

Home! Meaning at my parents' house in Wisconsin again.  Traditional Christmas Eve having dinner at home, then going for carols and church. This was the first year that my baby brother's wife was with us, which was fun.  Christmas morning presents, brunch, then organizing and packing, a long 5 hour drive to Milwaukee, and then another family Christmas with lots of excitement for my nieces and nephew.

19. What was your favorite TV program?

House of Cards, by far.  My boss loved and recommended it. It did not sound like something I'd enjoy, but by the second or third episode, I was totally hooked. 

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

I am going to post a separate list of what I read in 2013, but as I looked over where that draft post currently stands (I want to finish a couple in progress books before posting), I think my favorite was actually Lean In.  I would highly urge all people, not just women, to read it and think about it. 

21. What was your favorite music from this year?

I'm not a big music person, so this is hard to answer.  I guess pop/hip hop stuff that is good for running, boot camp, or just being in the gym.   Every time I hear that "Roar" song, I feel inspired and want to run faster and work harder. 

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which we saw just a couple days ago.  I don't feel like we saw a lot of movies and actually can't think of anything else that we saw! 

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I'm knocking on 40's door now.  I ended up working late, going out for pizza with my husband to one of my favorite pizza places (Fireside Pies, which he definitely does not love as a pizza snob).  One of the highlights was eating the three mini-bundt cakes that my accounting buddy gave me. 

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If I'd run the Berlin marathon about 10 minutes faster than I did. 

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

More of the same. I don't buy lots of new clothes.  I wore a lot of scarves and (embarrassing) I wore better bras that made a freezing cold office less evident...

26. What kept you sane?

A combination of a white board in my office and our diary system at work that lets me set reminders for when things need to be done on cases.   Having my major cases and deadlines on the dry erase board, coupled with checking my diary entries meant that I felt very on the ball at work.  I'm so happy to feel like I'm more in control.  It was one of my best resolutions (to not drag my feet on things like checking voicemail) and it really paid off in that I had far fewer "work freak out" dreams and generally met my deadlines (which are soft and internal, and therefore very easy to blow off, even though I shouldn't). 

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

I won't be healthy and active forever, so I should appreciate it now.