One of these years, I’ll get my annual Year In Review polished up and ready to publish before the last week of January. This is not that year.
This year, I had initially planned a slight departure from my normal, categorical method of cataloging the past year and wanted to try a My Life In Weeks style retrospective. Alas, after I typed in everything I’d cataloged weekly in my bullet journal, I discovered that it was long and unengaging — even for me.
So, I’ll include the weekly breakdown at the end of this post, replete with hyperlinks, but I’ll summarize as per usual.
Speaking of summaries… this year was the year I got medicated for my depression and started sewing (and no, I don’t think one was necessarily due to the other). Also, this was the year we went on our first family vacation (which, at the time of this writing, is only partially finally documented online via photos, but not reviews).
Health Care
| CHIROPRACTOR | 13 | Spondylolisthesis + disc bulge = every month forever |
| FAMILY DOCTOR | 6 | Psych meds FTW! |
| UROLOGIST | 6 | Addressing an annoying issue |
| DENTIST | 4 | Quarterly perio maintenance |
| SURGERY CENTER | 1 | Outpatient urological surgery |
| ENDOCRINOLOGIST | 1 | Monitoring my thyroid nodule |
| HOSPITAL | 1 | Pre-op testing for outpatient surgery |
| OBGYN | 1 | Annual |
| PODIATRIST | 1 | Fit check for orthotics |
| OPTOMETRIST | 1 | Progressive lenses |
| RADIOLOGY | 1 | Mammogram |
Weight
In 2017, I put on some ten pounds. In 2018, I apparently didn’t try hard enough to get it back off… but at least I came out even in the end?
I’m apparently going to need to take a different tack in 2019. This whole idea of weight loss being a lifestyle change instead of a short-term diet is legit, and has served me well in maintaining my past losses, but if I want to drop 20 more pounds, I’m going to need to get into the Active Weight Loss mindset again.
Fitness
The final week of March was our vacation, and December 7 was my outpatient surgery, after which I had major restrictions on my activity (no lifting more than ten pounds and no strenuous activity for a month).
The majority of the fitness classes I took in 2018 were kickboxing, but some were core/yoga/pilates kinds of classes, and a few were CrossFit-style.
Hobbies
Sewing:
This has been my new main hobby. From June through December, I made:
- 1 pincushion
- 4 envelope pillowcases
- 2 plushies
- 2 tank tops / muscle shirts for Connor
- 2 cloaks for Halloween (one twill, one fleece)
- 1 name tag
- 1 curtain
- 1 t-shirt resized for Connor
- 2 zipper pillowcases
- 5 pairs of jammie pants for Connor
- altered one dress for myself
- 7 zipper pouches
- 2 jammie tops for Connor
- 3 drawstring bags
Photography: Exposed five rolls of film all year, two of which were during my Week of Fun with Connor before the start of first grade in August. Finally got them developed in January 2019.
Haven’t posted any film photos to the blog since March; most photos have been from my iPhone.
Miscellany
I hit up 21 garage sales in 2018, either with Aaron or with both Aaron and Connor. Over half of those were winners, and we came away with nothing from nine sales. Our most successful day was June 9 (without looking it up, I’m guessing that was the annual Waterville Community Garage Sale), where we bought items from four separate sales and checked out two other sales that were a total bust.
Epilogue
Before we get to the weekly highlights, I’ll insert my typical wrap-up.
Was 2018 a good year? I think it was. We saw a return to flying the friendly skies, I got some much-needed brain meds, we helped Connor figure himself out behaviorally at school, I went whole-hog on my new sewing hobby, and I got a promotion at work. When I look back on 2018, I suspect I’ll think of it as the year we started family vacations and I started sewing.
Yeah, yeah, this was a pretty good year. I’d take more like this. A+ would do again.
2018 in Weeks
January
Week 1: We booked our Mexico vacation!
Week 2: Connor started swim lessons (again).
Week 3: Mei fell ill and went missing in our house for two hours.
Week 4: I started a prescription for Wellbutrin.
February
Week 5: We enjoyed our bi-annual meal with the Abts!
Week 6: My annual mammogram. (Whee.)
Week 7: Connor got a chest x-ray for his persistent cough.
(Turns out we just needed to increase his allergy meds.)
Week 8: Connor and Dad beat Super Metroid!
March
Week 9: Connor submerged his head at swim class!
Week 10: Bought pesos from the bank for our Mexico vacation.
Week 11: I baked bread for the first time.
Week 12: I demonstrated Power BI to my boss’s boss.
Week 13: Our first real family vacation: Mexico!
April
Week 14: Focused on getting back to eating healthy.
Week 15: Mom came to visit.
Week 16: I started a prescription for Prozac.
Week 17: Promedica announced their intent to purchase my employer.
May
Week 18: The dentist said Connor will need orthodontics.
Week 19: Connor went on a school field trip to the zoo.
Week 20: I priced sewing machine tune-ups.
Week 21: I shared tomato plants with my Weight Watchers group.
June
Week 22: Summer camp started for Connor!
Week 23: Waterville Community Garage Sale
Week 24: Connor’s final swim lesson for the spring.
Week 25: Amy came to visit (and we got rained out of the Crosby Festival).
Week 26: I started sewing by making a Mickey Mouse pillowcase and a Mega-Mushroom plushie.
July
Week 27: Connor missed his first fireworks because of an eye injury.
Week 28: Mei started taking thyroid medication.
Week 29: I had my urodynamics test.
Week 30: I got new glasses with progressive lenses.
August
Week 31: I finished sewing a 1up mushroom for Connor.
Week 32: I had my first taste of pre-menopause with late menses and hot flashes.
Week 33: Connor and I had a staycation! (No camp and no school)
Week 34: Connor started first grade!
September
Week 35: Connor’s first “friend” birthday party!
Week 36: Connor turned seven.
Week 37: I started development of the Census Dashboard in Power BI.
Week 38: Connor’s first Cross-Country race of the season.
Week 39: I sewed Connor’s first homemade pajama pants.
October
Week 40: I demonstrated the Census Dashboard to the project stakeholders.
Week 41: Connor’s third and final Cross-Country race of the season.
Week 42: I got a new computer!
Week 43: Connor got glasses!
November
Week 44: Connor was Raven (from Teen Titans Go!) for Halloween.
Week 45: I sewed my first zipper pouches.
Week 46: First snow day of first grade.
Week 47: Devsgiving at Cracker Barrel gave me the turkey trots.
December
Week 48: I got a promotion to Senior Data Warehouse Engineer!
Week 49: I had an outpatient urological procedure.
Week 50: Connor accidentally hit a girl in the face with a rock on the playground.
Week 51: I got a free iPhone 7 upgrade via AT&T’s warranty exchange program.
Week 52: Christmas!
If you made it all the way to the end, post a comment and let me know. 🙂 Happy (Belated) New Year!