2015: Bests and Worsts

Best Change In Appearance

I am smaller, since I’m 40-plus pounds thinner. By some foreshortening magic I took a selfie in which I have thigh gap.

That photo lies a lot. Still, I am some inches less wide, and for a few days after the visit to the Citi Museum I was down one inch in height. Which reminds me:

Worst Change In Appearance

This post details my temporary shortening and my permanent … lumpening. And now that I look at that photo above, that mole farm on my neck is pretty sad.

Best Hobby

I learned to read music and pluck out about 16 notes in fingerstyle guitar, which I find much more satisfying than playing chords. It’s easier to play notes than to follow guitar tabs, if you ask me, since the information doesn’t have to detour into the confusing numbers part of my brain.

Worst Hobby

Blogging. I only blogged three times a month. I think that’s probably contributed to my emotional decline this year.

Best Out Of Town Visit

We had many mini-vacations and trips out of town, including week-long trips on The Rock Boat and a riotous visit to Chicago, as well as short trips to Springfield IL, Hannibal and Branson. The best of all was a visit to KC for my niece’s wedding shower. I supplied the food for the Mad Tea Party.

Worst Out of Town Visit

My niece’s wedding. At one point I was on the side of the road screaming into my hands and Gary was talking about divorce and it wasn’t the fault of anyone I just mentioned in this paragraph.

Best Animals

The racoons, deer, opossums, and skunk in our backyard? They were good. The wildebeest in Springfield that wanted to lick my shirt? Terrifying. Hard to beat. But, when I feel low, I still watch this video of the alpaca spitting on Gary.

Almost the best laugh of the year.

Best Laugh of The Year

The best Girl’s Night Ever happened at Friend #2’s house, and sad to say it started with young Friend #8 confessing she’d had a debilitating stroke. I’m used to being on the receiving end of the Heartless Cows’ sympathy, but that night I got to be a cow myself.

We all then played Cards Against Humanity. I announced the Question Card “What’s That Sound?”

Friend #8, the one with the stroke, played the white card.

I don’t remember doing anything for the next five minutes but falling on the floor and laughing.

Worst Laugh of the Year

Or rather, worst non-laugh. In 2016, I changed. Usually I can laugh at dark things, in fact that’s my first reaction (see above). This year, a few things happened in which I couldn’t see the humor (and thus didn’t write blog posts about them). In the past I would start from a position of emotional detachment, so I could see foibles in myself and others. That detachment is ebbing away every day. I’m becoming such an emotional basket case, and according to this article I’m probably headed toward a panic attack if I don’t get back to who I am.

I’m not going to end up the scared sick lady who makes her family dance to her crazy tune. Step One: More therapeutic blogging. Step Two: Therapy. Step Three: Medicine, if it comes to that.