Goodbye, 2024.

This entry is dedicated to Peep, a sweet Northern Mockingbird youngster I tried desperately to help last summer, but was unable to save.

A young Northern Mockingbird near a tray of water.

This entry is also dedicated to Sparrow, a Sparrow who died in my hands after being attacked by a Grackle; Sparky and Rascal the Squirrels who passed likely due to rat poison; the squirrel who was already gone when I found her and is buried in a park nearby; the Pigeon who was already gone whom I buried near a park; a baby bird who was already gone whom I laid to rest under a shrub; Holly, another Sparrow who came for help on my balcony, but who, like Peep, I could not save; the Crows who were so far gone I could not lift them to bury them; and the millions of birds, animals, sea creatures, reptiles, and insects who suffered and died this year because of humans. They mattered, and they are forever in my heart. If I could change one thing about humanity, it would be to open its eyes to what I see and feel from every living creature I encounter, so that our species would live in harmony with theirs.

What did you do in 2024 that you’d never done before?
Go to cardiac rehab. Have a couple of social media posts go viral.

Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I mostly did. I will absolutely have a few resolutions for 2025, and will be revisiting a couple from 2024.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.

Did anyone close to you die?
Susan and I weren’t close, but I considered her a friend. The first time I saw Poets of the Fall in concert and the last time she saw them in concert we were together. She once sent me a short story she had written and I wish I could have seen more of her writing before she died. I miss her.

Did anyone close to you get married?
A lovely woman in my city-hiking group did. Congrats Amanda and Nav!

What countries did you visit?
None, alas. I had to cancel my trip to Portugal on account of cardiac rehab.

What would you like to have in 2025 that you lacked in 2024?
A million bucks.

What dates from 2024 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 8, when Sparrow died in my hands. Some of my friends and acquaintances found out just how much I love birds that day. November 5, when my country died in a voting booth.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Bringing my ejection fraction from 40% on the day of my heart attack to 65% before I finished cardiac rehab. Healthy ejection fraction, also known colloquially as “heart function” is between 55% and 70%. More than one doctor did a double-take when looking at my charts and scans.

What was your biggest failure?
I would have liked to have lost 20 pounds. The thing about heart attacks is that your health care team will encourage you to drop a few pounds and then put you on medications that promote weight gain.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes, but minor–coughs, colds, routine aches and pains.

What was the best thing you bought?
I sent a couple of NextMugs for Chica K and her hub. And one for a bestie who I hope isn’t reading this. And one for me. They’re self-heating mugs. They come with a rechargeable battery that you charge on a special coaster that you plug into your wall. And lemme tellya, you know milks cool your coffee or whipped cream cools your hot chocolate? Not any more! They’re one of those little splurges that enhance your quality of life by making something simple, like a hot beverage on a winter night, extra nice.

Here’s today’s ornament, sent to me by Chica K in a gift box along with a few other goodies, including a very nice throw that looks fabulous on my couch.

A knitted Christmas ornament in the shape of a Christmas tree.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
My friend Louise, who did not judge me but instead comforted me and helped me as I sobbed over Sparrow. France. Heck of an Olympics show. Gisèle Pelicot. The courage that woman has. Dare I say Luigi Mangione? He woke a lot of people up. He has also made a lot of people who should be scared, scared. As John F. Kennedy said, those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. My country is headed for some dark days.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
77 million Americans. I can’t believe how racist, misogynistic, and bigoted so many of my fellow Americans are. As someone on a social put it, they’ll vote for a corpse before they vote for a woman.

Where did most of your money go?
Rent.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I had a lot of hope for Kamala Harris.

What song will always remind you of 2024?
This came out in 2022 but #notallmen took off in 2024 in response to women choosing the bear. It’s not all men, but it’s always a man. Or, 70,000 men in rape chats. Or the one-third of college men who would rape a woman if they thought they could get away with it. And those are just the dumb ones who talk about it publicly. When the good men come forth, do the inner work, actively take steps to deconstruct the patriarchy, and confront and educate men who harm women, let me know, because I see precious few of them actually doing that.

Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Neither. I’m angrier.

Older or wiser?
Older, of course. We all are. Wiser, I don’t know. More cynical, definitely.

Thinner or fatter?
Slightly fatter. See, resolutions I didn’t keep, above.

Richer or poorer?
Richer.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
Travel.

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Work.

How did you spend Christmas?
Chilling. That’s what I do.

How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?
I’ll be seeing John Oliver.

What was your favorite TV program?
Still What We Do In the Shadows. I heart Nandor, and I was sad to see the series end. Loved the second season of The Empress. Currently loving Dexter: Original Sin.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a strong word, but I didn’t know or care who JD Vance was a year ago and unfortunately, now I do.

What was the best book you read?
Twilight Empress by Faith L. Justice, as that’s the only one I finished. But I’m enjoying Jonathan Kellerman’s Breakdown.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Jax.

What did you want and get?
A new boss.

What did you want and not get?
Six winning numbers. Or five.

What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn’t go to the movies this year. Nothing really stood out to me on any of the streaming services.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Got take-out, which I always do. I keep the fortune in my wallet for the next year. Much to my relief, this time there was actually a fortune in my cookie, unlike in 2023. I’m not saying not having a fortune in your birthday fortune cookie is an omen, but I did have a heart attack a few days later.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Kamala Harris winning the U.S. election.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2023?
I don’t have one, but click here to see my rather neglected URSTYLE profile.

What kept you sane?
Puzzles, games, and wild birds.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I’ve lost my taste for celebrities and public figures, actually.

What political issue stirred you the most?
Every damn one of them.

Who do you miss?
Inigo, with all my heart.

Who was the best new person/people you met?
Probably the new director at work. He values work-life balance. Incredible in this day and age in the U.S., I know.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2024:
People who say they “understand the assignment” can’t be trusted. The math doesn’t add up. Maybe they understood the assignment, and maybe they even wrote it down in a memo pad, but when they went home to vote they left the memo pad in their locker. Also, a lot of White women have their heads up their arses with performative actions regarding racism. Blue bracelets and blue heart tattoos? That’s how you do the work? Really?

A quote that sums up your year:
I am woman, hear me roar.

Not the happiest year, by far. I’m certainly grateful to be alive, without any cardiac complications, but damn, the whole world is on fire like I’ve never seen in my 58 years on the planet, and I don’t see it improving any time soon.

A meme showing a Mogwai from the movie Gremlins near a running faucet.

Saturday 9: “Goodbye”

Took a couple of days off from Holidailies. Sometimes, when I have a lot of writing to do for my job and freelance work, there’s just nothing left in the tank at the end of the day.

But today I thought I’d try a Saturday 9. These are questions inspired by songs. I will admit, a lot of the songs featured on Saturday 9 are a bit before my time so I’m unfamiliar with most of them unless they are Big Band. In fact, when I saw the title of today’s song, “Goodbye,” I thought it was going to be something completely different.*

This song was chosen because it’s time to say goodbye to 2024.

In this song, Mary Hopkin asks her lover not to let her sleep too late. Did you wake up this morning on your own, did someone wake you, or were you jangled awake by an alarm clock?

This morning was the first of nine alarm-free days. Heck yes, I slept in. When there’s no prospect of an alarm, I let my body do what it wants, which is stay up and sleep in late. I am an Owl and I make no apologies for it.

The lyrics reference “a lonely song.” Can you name a song about loneliness? 

As long as we’re on older songs, let’s go with “Lonely Boy” by Andrew Gold.

“Goodbye” was written for Mary by Paul McCartney. He was the one who signed her to her first record contract and produced this and all her Apple Records, including her first big hit, “Those Were the Days.” Looking back on 2024, who is someone who gave you a helping hand when you needed it?

Probably my new boss and the new director at work. The last one (who was both my supervisor and the director) was toxic. So the new two have had to be very patient while I unlearn and let go of the problems she caused, both in my work and my morale.

This video shows Mary performing on The Ed Sullivan Show while wearing a miniskirt. Minis were very popular in 1969. Did you embrace a fashion trend in 2024?

I tried, oh how I tried, to get on the natural gray trend. About four inches into it, I couldn’t stand being silver on top and gold on the bottom with mousy roots in the back, so I went to my hairdresser and begged for redemption. She put a semi-permanent color in that has now faded to a nice, light but warm blonde so that you can’t tell that I have roots. She said that when it faded, I would notice the roots but no one else would, and she was right. I really can’t see roots, at least in the top and the front. The back may be another story but hey, if you’re commenting on my hair from the back, you’re behind me and therefore in a good position to kiss mah butt.

Also in 1969, the Colts lost to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III. The game is famous because of all the hype leading up to it, including Joe Namath “guaranteeing” the underdog Jets would win. Do you have a special sports memory of 2024?

Oh, we’re still on the Jets, are we? The only glee I have right now is that they’re doing better than the Patriots.

But here’s a little story: Years ago, my sister’s ex-husband owned the limo company the Jets contracted with. When she had her first child, one of the players, Reggie McElroy, drove her home from the hospital.

As for my favorite sports memory of 2024, it was the Olympics. Or, rather, all the beautiful, glorious stir the French caused, first by having the metal band Gojira do the opening ceremonies, second with the bacchanal that so many self-righteous, itching-to-be-offended Christians utterly misunderstood and misinterpreted to be a mockery of the Last Supper. France, if you’re taking American retirees ten years from now, please save a spot for me. I adore you.

What’s the farthest from home you traveled in 2024?

Naples. Alas, not Italy, but Florida, for a conference. Here’s the view from my room. Not bad. However, with apologies to any Floridians here, Florida just isn’t my jam. I don’t like the hot, humid weather or the politicians there.

A scenic view of Florida from a hotel room balcony.

What was the biggest purchase that you made in 2024?

A console table and a rug for my home office. The console table was to give my dining room table back to myself because I had all of my coloring supplies there. It was fun to put together: Not one F-bomb, cazzo, or perkele fell from my lips.

A console table holding art supplies.

The rug is not as muddy-looking in real life. It’s really a rich burgundy with off-white, brighter tans, and olive. I replaced the daylight lightbulbs in my home office with warm lightbulbs and I didn’t realize what an impact that would have on the colors. Oh, and a few months later, that rug, which I did not realize would be wool, is still shedding and filling the cannister in my Shark. But it’s nice to see the office coming together. Now that I know how muddy the colors in any artwork would be, I will stick to black-and-white prints for the wall. Maybe prints of some of Picasso’s line-drawings. He did a bunch of various birds.

What was your favorite book of 2024?

The only one I finished was Twilight Empress by Faith L. Justice, so I guess that wins by default.

What are you looking forward to most in 2025?

Traveling farther than Naples, Florida. I hope. I have a work trip to Phoenix coming up in March, but I really would like to travel overseas on a vacation.

Now for today’s ornament, Papa Smurf. He looks like he’s up to something, doesn’t he? Or maybe he’s worried about a wayward slapshot from the Washington Capital ornament to his lower left.

A Christmas ornament featuring Papa Smurf.

*Here’s what I thought today’s song might be. Better lyrics, by far, in my opinion. Maybe this is before your time, in which case, respect your elders, whippersnapper.

Snowflakes and Chill

And so another chill Christmas winds down. Yesterday my sister asked me what I was doing and I said “Just chilling. New Year’s is more my jam.” And it really is. I had to work yesterday and I’m working tomorrow, so today was really more about rest.

Or, more accurately, forced rest. I’ve been working out nearly every day for the past week and I sooooo want to work out right now, as I type this, but I think my quads need a break. Every time I work out, there is cardio involved, so even if it’s not a workout that includes weight-training, it’s still working my legs, such as the inclines on the treadmill and the jumping in the cardiokickboxing. Last night my legs were feeling noodly when I lowered the treadmill from the final incline (12%!), so yeah, rest.

Yeah, not quite Ivan Drago, but it felt like it.

Forced rest on the work, too. I could log in and finish up a piece, or work on a freelance piece, but I find that if I use my days off as actual days off, I’m more efficient on workdays.

Certainly more efficient than goofing off with my gel pens. Hey, look! I finished it!

A mandala of a snowflake.

I had to mess with the contrast, so once again it looks like I spilled something where the shadows are on the paper, but whatever. It’s not art. It’s me binge-watching The Empress and filling in spots with cheap gel pens.

Here’s a better snowflake:

A snowflake Christmas ornament.

And on that note, to all a good night!