Previous Years: 2016 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009
1. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
March 17th – I turned 33 this year.
Spent the day celebrating a St. Patrick’s Day potluck at work, and then out to dinner with Charlie at Burntwood Tavern in Fairlawn. K, Kenny, Charlie, my parents and I went out to celebrate K’s and my joint birthday at Gigi’s and The Speakeasy.
2. Did anyone close to you die?
I lost two wonderful people this year: DadZ’s friend, Rob Smith, on Valentine’s Day, and Hooman’s wife, Vera, to metastatic breast cancer in July.
3. What vacations/trips did you take?
- May: Cincinnati for the Flying Pig Marathon
- June: Washington, DC for PanCan Advocacy Day (album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/6eX1fWj2R5zmM1j12)
- November: Thanksgiving in Louisville (album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1LX71KmKtaaMtDtx1)
4. Where did most of your money go?
- Mortgage
- Amazon
- Eating Out
5. Favorite / Most-Watched TV Shows:
6. Best Books / Books Read
- Walt Longmire mysteries.
- Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor: A Master Class on Mentoring, Motivating, and Making It Work!, Tim Gunn
- Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir, Jenny Lawson
- Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, Lindy West
- Sawbones, MacBride Stuart – (I have literally no recollection of reading/listening to this book. But I still gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.)
- The Great Forgetting, James Renner – (God, dammit, this book pissed me off.)
- Good Mourning, Elizabeth Meyer
- The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory
- First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies, Kate Anderson Bower
- I’m Just a Person, Tig Notaro
- Work Clean: The life-changing power of mise-en-place to organize your life, work, and mind, Dan Charnas
- Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, Mary Roach – (I know I finished it, but it wasn’t memorable at all.)
- True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray, James Renner
I also read Nemesis, by Jo Nesbø, but I had a hard time getting into it, and finishing it. I think I’m done with the Harry Hole mysteries. I don’t think I have the patience for them.
7. What was your favorite film of this year?
Book of Life, and it was absolutely my favorite film.
8. Podcasts in Rotation:
- I Doubt It with Dollemore
- The Dork Forest
- Real Crime Profile
- Extra Hot Great
- It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders
- Dressed: the History of Fashion
- Congressional Dish
- How Did This Get Made?
- NPR Politics Podcast
- The Blotter Presents
- The Jackie and Laurie Show
- The Minimalist Podcast
- The Smartest Man in the World
- Stay Tuned with Preet
9. What was the best thing you bought?
I celebrated paying off one of my student loans by using the payment for a pair of Randolph Aviators. You may recognize them from this fine piece of television.
The Blog of JulZ 