Green Room - Break - Day 7

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

In the lead up to the New Year, everyone is doing "Best and Worst of 2011" lists. I'm sure many people within the sound of my typing this have done it. Maybe even the people reading it.

So, what were the highlights and lowlights of your personal 2011? The biggest highlight is pretty obvious - participating in Idol. But I'm sure there were some lesser things that happened as well.

Maybe one of them could be your Free Topic entry!
http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/511799.html

Comments

[noodledays.livejournal.com]

I'd rather not share the lowlights (they were pretty low) in a community post, but a highlight is that my husband started a new job he pretty much loves, and my FIL broke free of his neurotic, energy-sucking wife. :o

*and woohoo for first!

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Glad that you have a couple of good things to put in the "win" column for 2011. Sorry there were some bad lowlights though. Here's hoping 2012 rebounds for you in a big way.

Congrats on the first!!!

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Yikes. I hope your husband's injury isn't too bad? But right on for him getting a job he loves. That's *always* a good thing. Glad you had a good 2011! And here's to more in 2012!

[nyxocity.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. My year was pretty even, overall. Not too much suck, not too much amazing. Kind of the same old same old. I wonder if I'm getting boring in my old age?

EDIT: I completely forgot Dragon*Con somehow! That was absolutely the highlight of my year. Best con EVER. Got to spend an hour hanging out chatting with an actor from my favorite show (Jim Beaver of Supernatural). Pretty much the entire rest of my year is a low point after that *LOL*

This morning I am at work, drinking Kahlua hazelnut coffee (YUM!) and not having a gosh darned thing to do, once again. Maybe I'll get something written for Idol.

Wow it's quiet around here! I hope everyone gets back here after New Year's!

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

I think a year that's pretty even isn't such a bad thing. And it doesn't necessarily make you boring! :-)

Enjoy that coffee... it sounds yummy!!! And get crackin' on that Idol entry, slacker! :-p

[lapis-lazuli615.livejournal.com]

My lowlight started off the year in January and has kind of hung over my head ever since. Personal relationships can be hard. *sigh*

I guess I have two highlights... Hanging out with Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day at Dragon*con was pretty spiffy! And then hubby actually listened to me for what I wanted for xmas and got me a couple of things I REALLY wanted [which rarely happens with him]!

This week, I am taking advantage of the week off [work and idol] and putting new [linoleum] tile in my kitchen! Back to work!

[nyxocity.livejournal.com]

Oh! How could I have forgotten Dragon*Con? That was absolutely the highlight of my year! I had the best time EVER. Got to spend an hour hanging out in the lobby of the Marriott with Jim Beaver (an actor from my favorite show) just chatting.

Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day, huh? Wow, that's pretty impressive!

[cacophonesque.livejournal.com]

Let's see...some highlights: my baby girl, climbing two mountains while pregnant, seeing a nesting pair of bald eagles, berry picking, canoeing, going camping, spending the year clean and sober. :)

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

You have had quite the year indeed. :-) Congrats on making it through the year clean and sober!

[rt-sparrow.livejournal.com]

LJ ate my comment.

Basically, I was saying the summer of 2011 was too damned hot, and it lasted half the year.

I'll add that LJ sucked.

When my allergy pill kicks in maybe I'll think of some high points.

(although high temperatures do count.)

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Heat really sucks. Really, really sucks. Hope 2012 isn't as rough for you!

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

My year has been a bit of a mixed bag... some really oustanding stuff and some really spectacularly craptastic as well. Still, I think "breaking even" for the year in terms of good and bad isn't a bad thing overall. I'm going to work my ass off to make sure that 2012 is going to be a damn fine year. Until the whole "end of the world" thing hits us anyway.

Just another day in Ye Olde Salt Mine here... slow day which is good. Only have the balance of today and tomorrow to get through before another wonderful 4 day weekend! I think *all* work weeks should be like this! :-) I'm hoping to get one of the free topics up but we shall see how that all plays out. My wonderful and lovely lady is returning home today though I probably won't get to see her until Friday. Still, it will be nice to have her back in the same time zone!

Hope everybody is having a great day!!!

[rt-sparrow.livejournal.com]

If the world ends in 2012, I hope it waits until after they reveal who the leak is on The Closer.

[wookiewife.livejournal.com]

The highs were pretty awesome. I got a temp job, then turned said temp job into a permanent one. With benefits.
Also, that whole "buying a house" thing was pretty sweet. And weddings! There were three of them this year, and hooooboy, I'm wedding'ed out.

Most importantly, though, no one in my family (or near-family) died this year. My aunt did get diagnosed with leukemia, but she's getting checked in about a month so they can call her in remission.

In all, 2011... No bad.

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Woooo hooooooo! Congrats on the permanent, benefit-getting gig! :-)

Glad that 2011 was kind to you. :-)

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

Highlights:
BABY!
Losing ~60 lbs
Getting a little time to bake again as baby got older
Husband got away from job he hated to great new job in May
New job this week!

Lowlights:
Old job super not pleasant after returning from maternity leave
Never sleeping enough due to aforementioned baby
Still needing to lose ~30 lbs

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Lots of great highlights from 2011 for you. Which is awesome. Big congrats on all of those. Here's to 2012 being even better!

[poppetawoppet.livejournal.com]

Lowlights: completely fading away from school after the spring. My resolution this year is to get myself back on campus and get myself a thesis topic

Highlights: driving to Michigan for a concert, not staying the whole time, and meeting online friends. Winning a round of the Sherlock (BBC) challenge fic fest. Getting a sub job.

Meeting the guy in my icon, not making an idiot out of myself, hugging him (!) and hopefully sitting down and writing my thoughts on why his album means so much to me.

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

You can do it. You'll get your thesis topic and kick some serious ass. Just keep plugging away at it.

Congrats on winning a round at the contest! That's pretty awesome!

[banyangirl1832.livejournal.com]

GUYS. I am being published, just got the word this morning. It's in a non-paying magazine, but it's exposure, and to top it all off, it's the piece I wrote for the Narcissism challenge (titled in the magazine as "Shadowmaid"). And its the magazine's premiere issue! Whee! Comes out on January first and if you'd like to read it then, it's on exilesmagazine.com.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you!!!

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Lowlight of the moment: Trying to figure out how I'm going to budget for all the Operation Gallbladder bills :shudder:

2011 was not a spectacular year for me. The biggest highlight has been marred by some behind-the-scenes situations of which I don't feel comfortable discussing in public. The lowlights? Too many to count.

2012 HAS to be better. It just HAS to be.

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

*HUGS* I'm sorry that 2011 wasn't a great one and was filled with ick for you, Kizzy. 2012 *WILL* be better for you. I know it will. *HUGS*

[ceiphiedknight.livejournal.com]

Lowlight? Can't really think of one. My aunt passed away, but we weren't close. It's been an overall very stagnant year.

Highlight was absolutely visiting Florida in October for a wedding, hanging out with friends and trips to various theme parks and Star Trek: The Exhibition at the Kennedy Space Center! It was over a week of sensory overload, and it was amazing.

With all the Star Trek and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I was in nerd heaven. XD

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a fun year. Trips with friends are always a good thing!

[megmaureen.livejournal.com]

Highlights: Graduated college (only took 10 years!), made some awesome friends, got past week 8 in Idol, became closer to my sibling and parents, and got my anxiety/social phobia under control

Lowlights: Due to all of the above, I've had to reevaluate some relationships in my life (mostly marriage) and how (if) it fits with the new me. Also, I waked my ankle on the bathtub last week and now I have a really bad bruise and it hurts.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I just landed back on Californoa soil, but waiting on my bags...

So for now, my lowlights were pretty personal and mostly mental issues and self esteem problems. Those kind of got bad for some reason.

But I am in counseling now and I am doing better. Much better most of the time :)

There were more highlights than lowlights overall, so I'd say that's a good year. Work sucks the life out of me, but such is the life of most in the working class, right? Financially, I hit scary times too, but I survived and should be getting ahead again soon.

I had a wonderful year because I have an amazing boyfriend who treats me so well and I'm very much in love. That part of my life couldn't have been any better.

I expect 2012 to be a very good year, I see so many great things for my future.

Bags are starting to come out now, but I'll be back. Promise :)

[myrna-bird.livejournal.com]

Welcome back!

[similiesslip.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, Idol IS one of my highest highlights. You all mean a lot to me.

One more season after this one right? Then how will I go on? I mean, I guess I will but Idol will be sorely missed. Seriously.

Idol has changed my life and I treasure it.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I am not sure what I will do without Idol either. Seriously... what will I do with all this empty spaces of time I devote to reading, writing and voting?!?

And what will I do without the people?!? *Cries*

[alien-infinity.livejournal.com]

While Idol is obviously on the Automatic Highlights list, it seriously has been a highlight creativity-wise. I hadn't written any fiction in approximately a bazillion and three years (unless you count a pathetic & failed attempt at Camp NaNoWriMo), so writing well-received fiction has been a major highlight.

Also, I moved out and now have my own apartment. Getting away from my, ah, less-than-exemplary mother was definitely a highlight. Eventually, maybe I'll even turn into a Real Adult and graduate college?

The lowlights were basically more of my usual mental health crap (eff you, wonky brain!), a kind of "same old, same old" that includes lots of academic angst and general feeling of failure.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

:points to icon:

;)

[sweeny-todd.livejournal.com]

highlights - handing in my phd, getting a job, travelling round europe, paying off my credit card etc

lowlights - those final months of finishing my thesis, a pretty big split within my friendship group, pnemonia

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Your highlights are just plain awesome :)

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Question: does the anxiety possibly have anything to do with the fear of being voted out of Idol? XD (Sorry, I know it sometimes affected me that way!)

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Obviously the biggest highlight of my year was making it to 12th place last season :P

I have a draft best & worst of 2011 typed up, but I wanted to get some other things done before I posted it. Probably not going to happen now though...

I do, however, have something exciting coming up for 2012! I'm going to be meeting pixie117 and java_fiend in February! (Gary, do you have any requests? XD)

[myrna-bird.livejournal.com]

How I wish I could be a fly on the wall, or a bird in the bush or even better, really there. You will have a wonderful time. I think it is so cool that Idol folks can meet for real!!

[barrelofrain.livejournal.com]

Lowlights... Getting diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, getting Lyme Disease for a second time are you freaking kidding me???, not making any real leeway with my health, being incredibly stressed out about my last living situation to the point of getting anxiety about it on the daily

Highlights... Leaving that living situation! (even if it was to move back in with my parents temporarily), finishing my first novel!, getting a used car that is functional and then having the debt wiped away, meeting sneakishfrog at her wedding in September, gaining baking skills, having friends, even ones I haven't seen in years, who send me a note, a comment, and sometimes even fun, silly, and/or things in the mail when I'm sick. <3

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Those are some pretty damn good highlights. I missed the news about the living situation changing, but I'm super glad to hear you did something about that!

[wolfden.livejournal.com]

Y'all my 2011 was kinda of insane.

We started on New Years Eve with my daughter flooding her upstairs bathroom and it raining in our kitchen. Then I sprained my ankle (which actually involved me tearing 2 tendons) and then 3 weeks later my daughter broke her arm (all while my husband was still recovering from his Halloween 2010 accident). Then I had surgery in March to fix my tendons (had to wait until husband could drive). Everyone in my house then had the flu.

Then things got better. Until our dog got really bad in the summer and we had to put him to sleep. Our kitty made miraculous recovery for several months but had to be put to sleep about 3 weeks ago. My mom continues to decline and we've battled a new skin picking habit since late summer (She has Alzheimer's).

My husband had his screws out in November and his foot is feeling better than it has since he was hurt since then. He rode for the first time since his screw removal last Friday.

Highlights though - my daughter is rocking it in the polo arena and on the polocrosse field. My husband is back riding and playing polo and polocrosse. I played my first arena polo match with my daughter Thanksgiving weekend. I adopted my friends older toy poodle because he likes to snuggle with me in my bed (and she has multiple other dogs). We got our new puppy (YAY PUPPY) the first weekend in December.

My health has held pretty stable (other than the tendon rupture which is not uncommon for me unfortunately).

So hopefully 2012 won't be the end of the world and the improving trend of late 2011 will continue.

Now if our other house would just sell

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Sounds like it was a rough year for the health of your family (furry and non-furry members alike). Yikes. I am sorry to hear of all that :(

I hope 2012 keeps improving though.

[fading-light.livejournal.com]

Highlights- This is going to sound kind of silly, but a highlight for me was starting to like a guy for the first time in four years. I seriously was starting to think something was wrong with me since I haven't had any type of attraction to anyone for 4 years.

I also got to see my family during the summer. It was insanely hot down there, but I had a good time.

I joined LJ Idol for the first time, and for me that is really a highlight considering my confidence in my writing sucks.

Lowlights- Being too shy to do anything about the guy I liked to the point that the crush faded. I have a new guy I like now, and I'm trying not to be a complete chicken when it comes to him.

My cousin's husband dying. I didn't really know him all that well, but I don't like to see my family in pain.

Not being able to go back to school because they decided to tell me right before school started that I didn't actually graduate. I didn't have time to sign up for classes because they were all full.

Not getting the higher position at work that I applied for.

I think that is pretty much it.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I don't think that sounds silly at all. It sounds like a big step for you.

LJ Idol has helped build confidence in my writing, and helped me get better at it. I am still improving every single week, I can see it. The feedback and the practice is really helping. I certainly hope you play again :)

[nyyhoneybee.livejournal.com]

Highlights: Getting engaged & married, meeting a very good online friend for the first time, Scentsy convention, cruise w/my maid of honor, starting grad school, finally getting to go to Wrigley Field

Lowlights: losing someone who I thought was a "best" friend over jealous issues, a car accident that screwed up my back big time, failing out of nursing school then out of ST school

My review of 2011 post will be long...and emotional...it was a super up and down year for me. In some ways, I'm better for it but I am also a lot more jaded and I tend to "disappear" on the real world more often because of some of the stuff that happened. The above it just a start.

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

When one has to live in one's parents upstairs because one is not well enought to take cere of ones shildren and work but can't get ssi for ones self most everything is a high point.
My lime tree bloomed - yay.
We got a dog - Yay
I'm not dead yet - supper terrific.
I'm not being that sarcastic on the last one I really was not expected to live this long at all.
First I had to be recessitated as a 10 wk pre-mee in 1973. Not the best odds for servivAL.
wasn't suposed to live a week, a month, a year ectra.