2016 Wrap-Up.

[angledge]

Goals from last year:

1) I will attend at least 100 SQUID practices this year.

Not even close. I did 26 swim practices this year. I need to find another workout venue, because Squid weekday practices are inconvenient enough to be a real disincentive, & I never make Saturday practices because we're always on the go on the weekends. Possible alternatives: swimming at Denver Recreation facilities, finding another team with better practice times, or maybe picking up a different activity. I have toyed with the idea of just throwing myself into skiing & hiking, & maybe doing yoga.

2) I will compete in at least one swimming competition this year, either a pool meet or an open-water event.

Nope. I let my uncertainty about my new job derail my training & missed all the summer events.

3) I will overpay my mortgage by at least $4,000 this year.

Nope. We overpaid by $1,916.05. Good but not great. Still, we have done well in our first year of homeownership. We owe $320,172.25 on the mortgage, & our realtor estimates our house could sell for around $370,000. Our neighborhood has been proposed for historic district designation, which would likely drive up values. We're doing well with Breezehome.

4) I will earn, in some fashion, some income from any source OTHER than my AECOM paycheck.

Yessss.

5) I will log at least 30 Whole30-compatible meals a month into MyPaleoPal.

No. I have actually done an about-face on this. Instead, I have been attending Overeaters Anonymous & trying to work through some of my weird issues around food.
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Health: Weird year. I worked on mental health for a while, then stopped. I worked on weight loss, then realized I'm all fucked up in the head about weight & food. I feel good but I need more exercise for sure. Still not sleeping well. It's not been a great year healthwise. But I did achieve some of the specific goals I had last year: I grew some food in my own garden, I learned how to brew kombucha (I have a batch going right now), & I'm eating more seafood & vegetables than ever before.

HEALTH GRADE: Change in direction required.

Wealth: We did pretty well this year! We didn't make any huge outlays, & didn't realize any huge windfalls. We just plugged along, paying down debts, saving money in assets. Very boring, very pedestrian.

Change in assets, 2016: increased by $55,011.64
Change in debts, 2016: decreased by 10,817.27
Change in rough net worth, 2016: increased by $65,828.91

WEALTH GRADE: Steady Freddy.

Happiness: This year has been volatile. HPG & I nearly broke up in late summer. I'd say we are doing much better now. My job transition was stressful, but overall I think it was a good move. Larger trends - political, mostly - have made me wonder if our world is worth saving. We've made some good friends in our neighborhood, & met even more great people this year. I've spent tons of time in the mountains, exploring the beautiful areas around Denver. But the year's finish - the surprise discovery of my elder brother Richard - means that 2016 can never be anything but amazing.

HAPPINESS GRADE: Despite everything, would 2016 again.

Plans for 2017

I dunno. I did so badly with my resolutions in 2016 so maybe this year I'll just see how things go. Or I may write another post later with some modest goals.

Comments

[lovellama.livejournal.com]

the surprise discovery of my elder brother Richard

How did it go with your parents and the letter?

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Not well, yet. My parents very obviously never expected this secret to come to light, so they were in no way prepared for this. They are pretty much in shock, with perhaps a side dish of denial.