One thing I do think about throughout the year is what I'll be putting in this very post: my year-in-review. So here it is: a rundown of 2015 in all its glory.
What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?
I took the National Certification exam for surgical technologists. I am now officially a CST (Certified Surgical Technologist, though everyone calls us "scrubs"). Even though I have been scrubbing for 9+ years now, I've never been certified, because it wasn't required. Now it is, and It's rather a joke among my coworkers that we are all now so much better/intelligent/sparkly now that we are certified.
I took the National Certification exam for surgical technologists. I am now officially a CST (Certified Surgical Technologist, though everyone calls us "scrubs"). Even though I have been scrubbing for 9+ years now, I've never been certified, because it wasn't required. Now it is, and It's rather a joke among my coworkers that we are all now so much better/intelligent/sparkly now that we are certified.
Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
This is what I wrote last year, and it still fits today: "Honestly, I don't remember what they were. Probably the usual, and I probably will."
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Dave & Lexy had baby #5 in August. I was so bummed not to be in Phoenix to meet little Asher on the day he was born, but I'm very happy to know my nephew now that they have moved back to Utah! Yay!
Did anyone close to you die?
My Great Uncle Wayne Bryant passed away in November. I didn't hear about it until a few weeks later; I guess there wasn't a funeral, which makes me sad.
What countries did you visit?
No other countries; I did get into Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, and California (the usual, I suppose).
What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
An assurance that everything will work out the way it's supposed to.
What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory?
August 29. I won't really elaborate here, but that was the date of a pretty significant paradigm shift in my heart.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Passing the certification exam was a pretty big one. I also was promoted to a Tech III at work (the highest level you can attain within Intermountain). Not really big deals, but not too shabby.
What was your biggest failure?
I never got Benji into therapy. I need to get him evaluated and get that ball rolling. He needs more than the school can provide, and I need to buckle down and get it scheduled.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major; just a really bad cold in October.
What was the best thing you bought?
Airline tickets and Disneyland. I need to fly more!!
Whose behavior merited celebration?
Not mine, that's for sure. Grandma T (my mother-in-law), on the other hand, has been amazing.
Where did most of your money go?
Bills. Car. Food. Concerts. Gifts. Disneyland. Bath & Body Works. Ulta. Amazon.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to California in May with Allison for the U2 concerts! I'm still excited just thinking about how awesome it was!
What song will always remind you of 2015?
It's a tie between "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson w/Bruno Mars, and "Hello" by Adele. Here are the ALBUMS I spent some quality time with in 2015 (homework, you know).
10. Talking is Hard, Walk The Moon
9. 25, Adele
8. Just Kids, Mat Kearney
7. Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons
6. Smoke And Mirrors, Imagine Dragons
5. The Desired Effect, Brandon Flowers
4. VHS, X Ambassadors
3. Battle Born, The Killers
2. Young Love, Mat Kearney
1. Wilder Mind, Mumford & Sons
Some of these albums are a bit older, but I tend to listen to them over-and-over for a while. Songs of Innocence didn't make the list, because it came out in 2014, and I couldn't stop listening it to it then. I did listen to U2 non-stop while I was there for the concerts, and it was so great.
My top 10 SONGS of 2015 (or, the songs that have meant the most to me this year)
10. "Moving On" by Mat Kearney
9. "Take Me To Church" by Hozier
8. "Polaroid" by Imagine Dragons
7. "The Crystal Ballroom" by U2
6. "Never Get You Right" by Brandon Flowers
5. "Avalanche" by Walk The Moon
4. "Unsteady" by X Ambassadors
3. "When We Were Young" by Adele
2. "Learning to Love Again" by Mat Kearney
1. "The Wolf" by Mumford & Sons
Popular songs like "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran and "Style" by Taylor Swift weren't bad, but they don't make the top 10. Sorry, Tay-Tay.
And the concert list for this year (it was pretty epic):
Pentatonix (3/3/15, UCCU)
Mat Kearney (3/13/15, The Complex)
U2: Innocence & Experience (5/30, 5/31, The Forum, Los Angeles)
Train (with Matt Nathanson and The Fray, 7/19/15, USANA Amphitheater)
Imagine Dragons (with Halsey and Metric, 7/28/15, Energy Solutions Arena)
Walk The Moon (with Coin, 8/8/15, The Complex)
Brandon Flowers (9/28/15, The Complex)
Bastille (Nightmare Before Xmas, with Arcadia and Broken Kelby, 12/7/15, The Complex)
Seriously--it was a great concert season. The only one on the schedule for this year is Vance Joy @ The Complex, but I might need to go to Journey (USANA) Josh Groban & Sarah McLachlan (USANA), The Cure (Maverik Center). I'm also hoping U2 will drop their next album soon ("Songs of Experience"), and with it more U.S. tour dates. We'll see how it all pans out!
Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Not sure at the moment. It depends on the day and how much sleep I've had.
Thinner or fatter? Fatter, probably. I don't really keep track.
Richer or poorer? Slightly less in-debt, and I made more, so I guess I'm richer?
What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercising. Spending time with my boy.
What do you wish you’d done less of?
Staying up too late.
How will you be spending Christmas?
Probably in Logan.
Did you fall in love in 2015?
Um...
Who were your best friends?
Peggy, Heather, Todd
What thing did you do that was meaningful to others?
I threw a baby shower for Alisa and organised a retirement dinner for Carol. I also made a photo book for Sarah & Chad's wedding.
What were your favorite TV programs?
Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Sherlock, The Mindy Project, Broadchurch.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Not really. I try not to hate people.
What was the best book you read in 2015?
I read quite a few books this year. The best is probably The Martian by Andy Weir (it was so good I read it twice!). Let's see if I can remember the rest:
Harry Potter 1-7 (it's about time to read these again . . .)
The Cuckoo's Calling, Robert Galbraith
The Silkworm, Robert Galbraith
Career of Evil, Robert Galbraith
The Giver, Lois Lowry
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith
The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom
The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman
Bossypants, Tina Fey
How To Be Good, Nick Hornby
Funny Girl, Nick Hornby
This year (so far), I have read Brooklyn by Colm Toibin and Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson. Both pretty easy reads, but not spectacularly memorable.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
X Ambassadors. Good stuff!
What did you want and get?
An iPhone 6s Plus. Merry Christmas to me.
What did you want but did NOT get?
A Kindle. Sometimes toting books around gets old.
What was your favorite film of this year?
Star Wars Episode VII (I've seen it twice). The Martian was also very good, but the book was better. Mockingjay Part II and Selma were good. Inside Out was FANTASTIC.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I'm pretty sure I worked. I'll be 37 in a couple of weeks. Yikes!
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More sleep. And a car with a great sound system.
What kept you sane?
Friends. Good people at work and church and in my life.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I'm currently crushing on Oscar Isaac. ("Poe DAMNeron, ammirite?")
What political issue stirred you the most?
Honestly, I try to avoid it. My car radio died, so I just listen to music. The bombings in Paris were tragic, but the political pundits make me crazy. I REALLY hope Donald Trump doesn't win the Republican nomination.
Who did you miss?
I don't get to see Peggy often enough, but she makes time for me. I miss Brittany Burgon--she hasn't responded to any of my attempts to reach her. Sad.
Who was the best new person you met this year?
Todd (work friend). He makes me laugh.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.
The only thing you can control is yourself.
Quote that sums up your year:
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
So there you have it, folks (um, Erin--I'm pretty sure you're the only person still checking in! Thanks!). Here's to another trip around the sun. Let's make 2016 a good one, eh?
