Sealed With A K...: 2011

I got the idea for this from my friend Leah Cevoli's blog. She's been doing it for years and it's cool to see how the answers change from year to year. I'm going to attempt to begin this tradition starting with my sayonara to 2011.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

Taught myself how to swim. Wrote a novel in 30 days.

2. Did you keep your 2011 resolutions? Will you make more for 2012?

I never really finished making them last year...so that was pointless. I did complete several goals such as my reading goal, my grades goal, and my NaNoWriMo goal. This year, I DID make 12 for 2012.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nope...I don't know any babies right now.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no. Not this year. Sad about Jani Lane, Heavy D, Steve Jobs and Amy Winehouse though.

5. What countries did you visit?

2011 was a depressing travel year for me. I never left the state this year. Staycations all 12 months.

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

More creative people in my life. More travel experiences. To fall in love.

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory and why?

December 4, 2011- Guns n' Roses at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville!!! My ultimate concert experience of the year and a perfect way to end 2011. After that, Christmas was pretty anticlimactic.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Completing my first novel EVER for NaNoWriMo in November, and teaching myself to swim over the summer which has been on all of my New Year's lists for 25 years. Ha ha!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Still working in retail. Still broke. Also still no guy :(

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Had a couple of head colds and a toothache...that's about it. Thank you, God!

11. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My mother for finishing her Master's degree at age 63! My sister for learning to swim with me! The Occupy protesters for giving apathy the middle finger and standing up for the 99%

12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

The mainstream media and their irresponsibility in general. Almost everything to do with politics...all parties. The appalling level of vitrol & venom by the general public on internet message boards. Where's the love???

13. Where did most of your money go?

Specialty food items like sushi, Red Bull, Starbucks coffee, and fancy teas and ingredients like toasted nori sheets. Textbooks. A new laptop after mine DIED. Android phone. Gas for my car. Concert tickets. (there wasn't a lot of money to go anywhere)

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

Guns n' Roses coming to Nashville!!! Finishing my Novel. Poison, Motley Crue, NY Dolls show. Really swimming in my pool...laps. Bikram yoga. Rachel Bolan & Scotti Hill joining twitter.

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

a) happier or sadder?

I feel about the same...generally happy, but very discontented. I want things to be different so I can be beyond happy...so I can be ecstatic.

b) thinner or fatter?

I was thinner after my very ACTIVE summer, but the cold weather and holidays are causing a creep back. Time to nip it in the bud!!

c) richer or poorer?

Same broke-ass girl, same bad credit. Well actually NO credit. I need a lightbulb moment for wealth.

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

Go out...date. I'm not going to meet the man of my dreams sitting at home on the sofa on my laptop. Job hunting...for something great. Write.

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

Eating burgers and fried chicken (damn southern living). Complaining. FInding excuses to stay home. Cancelling plans w/guys who I decided weren't "the one".

19. How did you spend Christmas?

At Mom's house with Mom, Julia, David, and his girlfriend Shandry in Tennessee. I worked in the morning and went over there after. It was nice.

20. Did you fall in love in 2011?

Sadly...not even close. At least not with anybody I actually KNOW. Normal guys have a really hard time competing with the complexity, world-travelled wisdom, and self-actualized swagger of the famous crushes I have. *sigh* #hopeless

21. What was your favorite TV program?

The Vampire Diaries, The Voice, New Girl, 2 Broke Girls, Supernatural, The Mentalist

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I don't HATE people!! NOH8! I try to be like Jesus in this area. But if there's someone who's negativity or aggressive behavior puts me off, I just avoid them.

23. What was the best book you read?

I can't pick one! I was having a big year of celebrity autobiographies and Young Adult fiction. I'm hoping to read more substantial books in 2012, but who knows. *shrugs* Here, in no particular order, is my top 5:

My Horizontal Life~Chelsea Handler

Mustaine: A Memoir~ Dave Mustaine

The Mummy Case~Elizabeth Peters

Heist Society~Ally Carter

Divergent~Veronica Roth

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Korn w/Skrillix, dubstep, The Pretty Reckless, Ellie Goulding, The Avett Brothers, Spotify, Revolver Magazine, Alter Bridge

25. What did you want and get?

Guns n Roses tickets, Paid my car off, As in all my classes

26. What did you want and not get?

To meet Axl, Dj etc..., Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame tickets, to attend my cousin Kyle's wedding to Sara in a ZOO in Tacoma Washington, a big royalties check from Warner & BMI, a boyfriend...or even a date I don't have to work at enjoying

27. What was your favorite film of this year?

Final Harry Potter Movie...Hanna, Super 8, and Black Swan (I saw it late...in January last year)

28. What did you do on your birthday? How old were you?

I don't remember...I know I stayed in downtown Nashville the NEXT weekend for Motley/Poison/Dolls and 4th of July fireworks. I turned 39. I can't even believe that, but I'm in really sexy company-DJ Ashba also turned 39 this year. :)

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

Location, location, location!!! Living in a more interesting, creative neighborhood.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Pretty safe...jeans, layered tanks, tees, rock tees. Yoga pants & tanks. flip-flops in summer, uggs in winter, chucks in the middle. Ponytail hair or down w/sideswept bangs.

31. What kept you sane?

My sanity is debatable, but ...Music & Writing, Creative long distance friends on social networks. Truthfully, I'm not sure that stuff worked at all..

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

Axl Rose, Dave Mustaine, DJ Ashba, James Michael, Skid Row guys, Blake Shelton, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki & Mischa Collins (Supernatural), Roger Howarth & Trevor St. John (OLtL),Robin Tunney, Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Taylor Momson, Daisy DeLaHoya, Josie Stevens (I like wild girls. Ha!)

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

Trying to abstain from politics these days. I support equal rights for everyone. NOH8.

34. Who did you miss?

All my family out West, especially for Kyle's wedding :(

35. Who was the best new person you met?

My brother's girlfriend Shandry.

36. What valuable life lesson did you learn in 2011?

It's never to late to be what you might have been. I have achieved things this past year that I tried to make happen for decades. I've watched my mother do the same. It mainly takes focus and the decision & dicipline to follow it through.

37. What song lyrics sum up your year?

"I'm like a puzzle
But all of my pieces are jagged
If you can understand this
We can make some magic, I'm on like that

I wanna fly, I wanna drive, I wanna go
I wanna be a part of something I don't know
And if you try to hold me back, I might explode
Baby, by now you should know

I can't be tamed
I can't be tamed
I can't be blamed
I can't, can't, I can't, can't be tamed"

See entire song & video HERE

38. Post a favorite picture of yourself from 2011.

This is taken right before going to see Slash and Ozzy Osbourne at the Bridgestone Arena February 16th, 2011. Did kind of a rockabilly thing :)

There are less than 3 magical days of holiday wonder left of 2011 and I am definitely feeling the urge to tie off the loose ends of this year, banish those things that didn't really nurture my soul and begin the preparations for exciting fresh starts. Few things in the world make me as giddy as new beginnings, and that is probably why New Year's Day is one of my most treasured holidays.

Whatever happens on New Year's Eve is irrelevant (unless I was seeing Guns n' Roses play at The Joint in Las Vegas), but as the glitter covered revelers count down the seconds, the reset-button of life gets a champagne soaked push at midnight, and once again the first day of the new year is that all-American open road I keep meaning to take (preferably in a vintage 1966 Mustang convertible) for an exhilarating drive across this sexy country. This year we turn 2012 and some say it may be our last year on this planet, at least on this realm anyway. I hope I live this year as though it were our last year our planet had left to live, taking the big risks like there's nothing to lose.

My plan is to make this the most heavily documented year of my life so far. I plan on using blogs, social networks, photographs, sketches and songs to accompany the journey. I wish everyone love and luck in all of their endeavors this year!

Ciao, Rockers!
K.