1. Something that made you cry this year? I had to say goodbye to my cat, Reynaldo. I adopted him as a kitten 17 years ago. I tried to give him a good life, and he was a wonderful (if frequently exhausting) roommate and I miss him.
2. Something you want to do again next year? Travel! I just got back from Key West and I have plans to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival in April. If you're not vaccinated/boosted, please reconsider. My heart will break if the Film Festival is postponed or cancelled (again) due to covid. I'm sure everyone has plans that are important to them, as well. Let's try to pull together to combat covid.
3. Talk about a new friend you made this year. Elaine from movie group. In addition to sharing my passion for classic films, she's an animal lover like I am. She's rather insisted we become friends and at first her persistence freaked me out. Now I'm glad she's in my life. She's thoughtful and positive and enthusiastic.
4. How was your birthday this year? Speaking of Elaine, we were supposed to meet for my birthday but she cancelled at the last minute because she was in a car accident. I was miserable about it in the moment, but ultimately it didn't matter. First of all, her safety and welfare are more important than my birthday dinner. Secondly, we ended up celebrating a few weeks later anyway. PS I had birthday presents to open from out-of-town family and friends and also celebrated with John and Joanna, just not on the day.
5. Favorite book you read this year? I read many I liked this year. The most interesting was My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. A scary, creepy, thrilling book.
6. What’s a bad habit you picked up this year? I should drink more water. I unconsciously found myself reaching for milk or Coke instead of H2O. This is not good for me. I must work on that.
7. Post a picture from the beginning of the year. Toilet paper was very important in 2020, wasn't it?
8. Post a picture from the end of the year. This was the view from our table as we enjoyed lunch on Christmas Day in Key West. The Gulf of Mexico was beautiful, and I was with people I love.
9. A memorable meal this year? The best burger I had all year was at Bites, an Asian restaurant. I know, I know. I should order the crab rangoon or sushi rolls. But I'm telling you, their burgers are freaking AWESOME!
10. What are you excited about for next year? Making improvements. I want to make incremental changes to my health/wellness routine and my home that will make will make me happier.
11. What’s something you learned this year? That this pandemic has been hard on everyone. That everyone feels they have lost something. We need to be kinder to one another.
12. What’s something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year? Sorry, but I don't understand this question, since now is the start of the year.
13. Favorite place you visited this year? I went to Wrigley Field with my nephew in July. It's been my favorite place all my life, and he's one of my favorite people.It was also the last time I would ever see my favorite-most ballplayer, Anthony Rizzo, as a Cub.
14. Did you keep any New Year’s Resolutions? I don't recall making any.
15. Will you make New Year's Resolutions for 2022? Not per se, but I do aim to move more and drink more water.
