2012: The Year in Review

2012 in Review: Or, as I like to call it, a year in the life of a grad student. I don't really remember specifics much beyond the births and deaths.  My day-to-day life was just...there.  Same job, same school, same house, same car.  Not a banner year.

Although, this was the year of INCREDIBLE ELECTRONICS KISMET.
I got an iPhone.
Got a new iPad.
Won a Kindle Fire for $4 from an arcade machine.
Found a Wii at a garage sale for $20.
Managed to snag a Refurbished iMac for Christmas.

Also the Vera Bradley, T-Shirt, and Toy collections got a little out of hand.  A little.

January * February * March * April 
The time in which I learned that taking Teen Library Materials and Reader's Advisory at the same time is a VERY BAD IDEA.  I read 5 books a week. Every week.  That's a lot of words, people.
Got a new tattoo.
Got a new ear piercing.  Learn that 11 is the magic number of piercings before strangers start commenting on your ear hardware.

May * June
Exhausted from schoolwork.  To hell with school, decide to have fun over the summer.
Make bromance with Kat official.  Fake wedding officiated by Tiny Hulk.
Have fun (Color Run!)

July
Have fun (Chicago! Six Flags! Vera Bradley Outlet! IKEA!).

August
Have fun (Dallas! Zombie Run!)

September * October * November
Back to school.  Commence more reading.  Write papers that progressively get worse as the semester goes on and still manage to get good grades.
Officially decide I have a work spouse.
Start fake fight between bromantic life partner and work wife.  Hilarity ensues.

December
Relax.  Prep for school.  Hunt for apartments.  Work.

And some list-y items:
Favorite Book of 2012: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  I extolled my love for it on my <a href="http://1year100books.blogspot.com/2012/08/52100-gone-girl.html">other blog</a>, but man on man, this book was just something else.  I haven't felt so....viscerally about a book in a long time.  I love books where characters are awful to each other, yet you relate to them despite their awfulness.  I HIGHLY recommend the read, especially before the movie out.

Honorable mention goes to Lois Lowry's Son, the final book in The Giver series.  Great conclusion to the series (conclusively answers what happens at the end of The Giver while still managing to allow it to retain the mystery that made it so popular in the first place.

Favorite TV Show of 2012: Once Upon A Time.  This show gives me the feels.  ALL THE FEELS.  However, How I Met Your Mother comes in a VERY close second, if for nothing else than Barney's declaration of love and subsequent proposal to Robin.

Favorite Movie of 2012: Pitch Perfect. I didn't know much about this movie when I went to see it, and just thought it was going to be a cutesy send-up of the college acapella scene.  BUT IT WAS SO MUCH MORE.  Not only was it clever and funny, but it depicted POSITIVE FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS.  That is, the women in that movie behaved as women actually act in real life.  Nobody cheats to win, nobody steals somebody's boyfriend.  It demonstrates how strong personalities often overrule weaker personalities, even if the former is wrong.  And when the group finally imploded, they solved their problems by TALKING THEM OUT.  No deus ex machina, just good old fashioned conversation.  I just loved it.

Best Musical Discovery: iTunes Match.  My one true love.  Haha.  I usually reserve this space for the artist or group that I like the best, but I simply couldn't think of one this year.  But I got iTunes Match in March (in preparation for getting my iPhone in April) and holy crap, it is SO CONVENIENT to have all your music right there on your phone whenever you want it.

Favorite Song of 2012: Hands down, "Drive By" by Train.  I realize that they lyrics are cheesy, but you totally have to respect a band that clearly knows they are famous enough to get away with writing the most ridiculous lyrics possible.  I also really liked "50 Ways to Say Goodbye," because I can remember being positively entranced by the lyric "Fell and no one caught her" the first time I heard it.

Most Valuable Life Lesson in 2012:
Not so much a lesson as a reminder: Que sera, sera.  It's why it's tattooed on my wrist now.

And why will 2013 be awesome?
Moving out of my parents's house and in with the bromantic love of my life, Kat.
I will finish my Master's Degree IF IT KILLS ME.  Which at this point, I highly suspect I will.