2019

Howdy and Happy New Year!

2019 is over. What a relief. Overall, it was a fine year and good things happened but 2020 has a better ring to it.

If you are a regular on my blog (which should be everyone), you know I make a neat year-end list to wrap each year. None of my lists are ranked because this is not an awards show. Writing my list simply helps me reflect on my memories and helps me outline my regrets, of which there are many.

In addition to all the fun things on this list, I took on 12 unique challenges as a part of #ResoluFUN2019. I tried so many new things and failed miserably at others. But that is a blog for a different day.

Without further adieu, I present the most anticipated year-end list.

Fav Albums (2019 Releases):

• Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center
• Leon – Leon
• Heard it in a Past Life – Maggie Rogers
• Remind Me Tomorrow – Sharon Van Grettan
• Amidst the Chaos – Sara Bareilles
• Sucker Punch – Sigrid
• El Mal Querer – Rosalía (while I listened to plenty of old music, I’m putting this on the 2019 despite its 2018 release)
• Lion King: The Gift – Beyoncé
• Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend
• Chrysaline – Josh Garrels
• Lover – Taylor Swift
• Fine Line – Harry Styles

Here is a playlist of what Spotify said were my top songs. Keep in mind, I listen to a lot of CDs that didn’t make it on this list (ahem, Joanna Newsom).

Concerts I Attended:

• Justin Timberlake
• Better Oblivion Community Center
• Maggie Rogers
• Joanna Newsom #dreamcometrue
• Vampire Weekend
• RAIN (closest thing to the Beatles since they are in short supply)
• Lauren Daigle
• Johnny A.
• Penny and Sparrow

Places I Visited:

• Boise
• Manzanita (you caught me, this makes the list every year)
• Metolius River
• Peru – Cusco, Machu Picchu
• New York

Plays/Musicals:

• Moulin Rouge
• Nunsense
• No Sex Please, We’re British
• Shakespeare in Love

Movies I Watched (2019 Releases):

• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
• Star Wars: Ep IX – The Rise of Skywalker
• Booksmart
• Aladdin
• The Lion King
• Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé

Movies I Should Have Watched but Didn’t (2019 Releases):

• Shazam!
• Us
• Little
• Toy Story 4
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
• Ford v Ferrari
• Frozen II
• Marriage Story

I could go on, but I won’t.

Celebrities I Almost Met but Instead I Just Stood Two Feet Away from Them:

• Ezra Koenig
• Auli’i Cravalho AKA MOANA

Celebrities I Actually Met:

• Tamron Hall
• Melissa Villaseñor

New Things I Did (that weren’t resolution-related):

• Attended a Seder
• Bought a car
• Stayed in a yurt
• Went to a Timber’s game (three, actually)
• Judged a music competition
• Went to a roller derby bout
• Ran an 8K

Accomplishments:

• Got a haircut
• Awarded “Most Cheerful” in my company
• Promoted to “Pro” at improv (because I am a professional!)
• Received a desk phone at work
• Almost developed asthma but did not
• Appeared in the background of a show on Netflix
• Made a joke in Spanish while in Peru and it went over well with the man seated next to me in the back of our passenger van
• Damian Lillard’s series-ending three pointer (I know it was Damian’s accomplishment but it felt like an accomplishment for the entire city of Portland)

Things That Happened:

• I jumped into a band and played piano during a SoFar concert. Later, I spilled my beer all over the carpeted floor. Then it snowed.
• Someone told me, “You are a hard person to read.” (Which means I am doing everything right).
• I tried to sell my desk on Craigslist and Nextdoor to no avail. I even titled it “Great Desk.” The world is cruel.
• I solved the mystery of the broken clock at work in a rather impressive fashion. The cleaning company was at the bottom of it. They said they didn’t break the clock but they did. Is there anyone we can trust?
• I had my blood drawn for the first time since babyhood. The nurse said I looked like I would faint but I did not.

Regrets:

• Not fixing my computer

Okay, my list of regrets was smaller than I originally thought.

Some Fast Facts:

Highest Elevation: 12,142 ft (3,600 m)

Lowest Elevation: 0 ft (0 m)

Individual Airplane Flights: 11.5

Most Non-Mythical Item I Saw Mistaken for a Mythical Item: Narwhal Horn

Number of Times I Was Mistaken for a High Schooler (Conservative Estimate): 40

Crepes Consumed: 3

Cows I Saw in the Road: 9

Watches Broken: 1 (but on two separate occasions)

Reviews I Gave on Google: 11 (Average Rating: 4.5)

Thanks for another wonderful year. I will be following up with an update about my 2019 Resolu-Fun list and maybe even writing regular blog posts.