Saying Goodbye to 2016

Today the thieves celebrate New Year's and wrap up 10 years (!) of thievery!  

Cheers to all of us thieves!

Sunday Stealing: Bud's Last Stand of 2016

1. What did you do in 2016 that you’d never done before?

Not a lot, it wasn't the best of years.  I turned 52...hadn't done that before. Watched my daughter get proposed to...also new.  Um....can't think of anything else.  Like I said, it wasn't a great year.

2. Best thing that happened to you was...

It's a toss up between our daughter moving out or the birth of our second grandson.  Normally the grandson should win, but the relationship with our daughter had become one of such discord and stress that the relief was HUGE.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Kind of answered that already, but yes, our daughter gave birth to her first child on Dec. 13 in the middle of a snow storm.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Not this year, thank you, Lord.  There have been far too many holiday deaths in the family over the years.

5. What countries did you visit?

This one, but since I live here I guess it really can't be called visiting.

6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016?

A comfortable financial situation.  I don't care if it comes in the form of more money or less bills.  Either would work just fine.

7. What dates from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

November 9, because I woke up to find that Trump had won the election.  I was not a "fan" of either candidate.  I thought both were absolutely horrible and it is telling that they were the best we could come up with.  

December 13, because of the above mentioned grandson's birth.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Surviving it and also keeping my mouth shut and "playing nice" through the entire election season when pretty much no one else was even attempting to be kind, polite, or anything that didn't make you want to punch their stupid face in.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Any and all attempts at dieting.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing worth mentioning.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Fleece-lined leggings.  Those things are awesome!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

The police officers who kept getting up, putting on their uniforms, and going to work to keep us safe every day.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Pretty much the entire population of the country.  We really showed our ugly underbelly this year...and I'm not just talking about the election.  Just so much hate and violence everywhere you turned.

14. Where did most of your money go?

My husband's pickup truck.  Just don't ask any more about it.  Really.  It's a sore, sore, sore point.

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

That grandson I mentioned and my daughter moving out.

16. What song will always remind you of 2016?

Can't think of one.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?

A.  About the same.  B.  About the same.  C.  Poorer.

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

Pretty much anything.  It was not an exciting year...lack of funds.

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

Facebook.  Biggest time-sucking black hole in the universe.

20. How will you spend New Year's Eve?

We went to our friends' home.  Nothing exciting...talked, ate really bad for us food, played cards.

21. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Again...nothing.  I really didn't pay a lot of attention to music this year.

22. What was your favorite new TV program?

New?  I guess maybe "The Great Indoors."  I don't watch much television and we recently got rid of cable and/or satellite service and only have Netflix and Hulu.

23. What was the rudest thing someone did to you in 2016?

I invited two friends to go on a one day bus trip.  One of them completely monopolized the other and I was pretty much shut out all day.

24. What was the best book you read?

One of the Janet Evanovich ones.  I read Turbo Twenty-three in the Stephanie Plum series, but also the latest in her two other series.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Home Free

26. What did you want and get?

A Total Gym.

27. What did you want and not get?

The biggest, most powerful Ninja blender.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

We only saw two in the theater...Independence Day: Resurrection and Suicide Squad.  Of those, I really liked Suicide Squad.

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

I hit the big 5-2 this year.  I didn't do anything to celebrate.

30. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Hillary lost the election.  Sorry, I know most of you are fans.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?

Comfort.

32. What kept you sane?

My faith.

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

Can't say that there was one.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Uh....the presidential election. D'uh.

35. Who did you miss?

As always, my grandmother.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

I didn't exactly just meet him, but I got to know a guy at work a lot better.  He's a retired state trooper and he's full of interesting stories and man, is he funny.


Here's a bonus I promised a couple of the Saturday 9'ers...a few pictures of my Santa collection.

That's all for today.