2022
1: What did you do in 2022 that you’d never done before?
-I bought a new water bottle to measure how much I’m drinking a day. A lot of peeing happened. Thankfully in the washroom.
-journaling in the evenings. Not new, but I took a different approach to it than in the past. I tend to write too much and found journaling exhausting. Now I take five minutes to jot down whatever few moments in the day boosted my mood, made me laugh or felt memorable. It does something good for my mental health.
-drank bubble tea from Gong Cha. It was yummy.
-Crochet. Not exactly new, but it had been literal years since I attempted it. I also started to hand crochet a blanket.
-I attempted so many new art activities and experiments in my class this year. We even made ice cream by shaking up some cream and vanilla in a bowl of ice and salt. My colleagues are always roping me into new things and I’m glad they do.
-Travelled to see a band. One of my favourite bands at that (My Chemical Romance). And then lucked out by getting to see another one of the “holy emo trinity” bands (Panic! at the Disco) a day before.
-I had a breast ultrasound done. TMI? You turn 30 and every year after that things gradually continue to decline in the way of health. But all is well.
-kayaking at my friend’s cottage.
-“hiking”. Quotation marks because there wasn’t much in the way of incline in the walk, but we’re working our way up!
-did my own press on nails. They looked surprisingly real and lasted two full weeks.
2: Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t do this, and while I haven’t been following my bucket list lately, either, I did in fact cross something off this year by travelling to see a favourite band live.
3: Did anyone close to you give birth? Two of my colleagues whom I work with closely had babies this year! My cousin in Germany also had a baby!
4: Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5: What countries did you visit?
The USA (St. Paul, MN). I’d never been there before. The mall was neat and the area around the hotel I stayed at looked a bit like something out of Once Upon a Time.
6: What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022?
A stronger voice to make change. Courage and drive to actually attempt the next steps of having projects come to fruition.
7: What dates from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
-Spending a weekend with my mom. We ate sushi, binged Stranger Things, watched the Lucy Show, crocheted, and watched The Winter Soldier.
-Attending the Avril Lavigne concert with my sister. Avril’s stage presence has definitely improved since the last time I saw her.
-Went to the Hanson concert at the Park Theatre with my bestie, Megs, in August. My fourth time seeing them. Try telling 7-year-old me that. Their shows are always a fun time.
-Travelling to St. Paul, MN with my sister to see My Chemical Romance after 15 years. We lucked out and Panic! At the Disco played the same venue the day before. My sister scored us some pretty great tickets and Brendon Urie was basically right up in our faces. I’d never been to MN before and so also enjoyed seeing the Mall of America. I was particularly excited to visit Barnes and Noble, haha. Steve Aoki was even on our flight home. I didn’t realize who he was until my sister pointed him out. Before she’d returned from her walk around the airport, I’d made some brief eye contact with this dude who was eating a granola bar. We exchanged polite smiles. Turns out it was Steve.
-Going to the Children’s Hospital book sale at St. Vital mall. I’ve been told that I’ve attended it before, but when I was much younger and don’t remember. Either way, it was super reassuring to see so many people excited about books in one place at once.
-More frequent walks with my friends. I’m trying to do a better job appreciating nature lately and walks is one of many keys to my heart.
-Saw Simple Plan and the Offspring with my sister and her boyfriend. We got some free drinks thanks to a parent of a student I teach. So generous. Simple Plan even played ‘Scooby-Doo’, so extra win!
8: What was your biggest achievement of the year?
-driving to work ALMOST every day. There were a few super icy days that I skipped out on, but then I also drove in a blizzard that a lot of other individuals backed out on, so it balances out.
9: What was your biggest failure? No failure, just lessons.
10: Did you suffer illness or injury?
-Covid got me near the end of August. Fever, sneezing, body aches, frequent awful headaches and fatigue. It last about five days and then I felt fine.
-A fun little development in my life has also been occasional migraines. Go me.
11: What was the best thing you bought?
-a measured water bottle.
-a sound sleep machine.
-a new journal.
-cute little animal tea diffusers. They make preparing tea a bit more exciting.
-some new Halloween décor (a pumpkin mug, Halloween mug that has vintage looking illustrations on it, another skeleton figurine, some new throw pillows, a leaf wreath, a knitted pumpkin, etc.) A bit excessive maybe, but I feel joy when I see any of my new items still.
-yarn to make a hand-crocheted blanket. Super calming.
-lemon ginger tea. I still don’t love tea, and I’m picky over the flavours of tea I’ll drink, but this one was a win. Kind of obsessed.
12: Whose behaviour merited celebration?
People out there trying their best.
13: Whose behaviour made you appalled?
The crazy pro-lifers. Be pro-life for yourself, cool, but don’t try to control what someone else chooses to do with their uterus and body. Your detrimental way of thinking is getting some women who have no other option killed.
Also…completely separate topic, but people with no sense of humour. What’s that about? Who hurt you?
14: Where did most of your money go?
The MN trip and fast food.
15: What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Not super excited leading up to it, but once present it was pretty dang exciting to see MCR with my own eyeballs in person again.
16: What song will always remind you of 2022? Songs I discovered or listened to the most this year (music videos linked in titles where possible):
-‘The Astronaut’ – Jin Let’s start this off strong with what’s probably my favourite new song of the year. If you don’t think this song and its music video are the most wholesome and charming thing in recent music history, then YOU and ME… (see what I did there? No? You didn’t listen to the song) probably won’t vibe. If I wasn’t already a fan, this song would have won me over instantly. The story behind the song is even more endearing and I think it’s safe to say that Chris Martin of Coldplay is probably Jin’s biggest fan. Good luck in the military, Jin and thanks for being walking serotonin!
-‘Outro: Ego’ – j-hope (BTS) THIS SONG HAS NO BUSINESS BEING AS CATCHY AS IT IS! The last minute makes me feel like I’m at a parade. All other songs I have ever danced around to in the kitchen can kindly gtfo now. This song was #1 on my Spotify Wrapped this year. I’m not at all surprised, it’s all I’d listen to while washing dishes all summer long. I don’t think it’s on his setlist for the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in Times Square tonight, but one can HOPE that changes.
-‘Dead Weight ‘– BRKN LOVE This song is dark and great. “Send me to hell ‘cause I can’t wait.” If you ever want to feel badass while doing laundry, I recommend this one.
-‘Ah puh’ – IU This song is stupidly addicting and is apparently about being a strong woman who says and does what she wants. Praise.
-‘The Road’ – Garrett Hedlund I’ve yet to become a country music enthusiast, but every once in a while, a song will sneak into my playlist. It’s nice to see Garrett getting his life back on track and finally breaking into the music scene too since Country Strong.
-‘Loose Change’ – Koala THIS SONG IS SO FUN TO DANCE (and jump rope) TO! I don’t even care what it’s about.
-‘Rush’ – Adam Kahati and Fells (feat. Jack Book) This song is such a happy sigh.
-‘Sunshine’ – One Republic It’s OneRepublic. You can’t go wrong here. A great summer jam.
–‘One Way Lover’, ‘I Don’t Know You Anymore’ and ‘Runaway’ -Eric Nam Occasionally I enjoy listening to chill music in the car. And when I do, it’s Eric Nam.
-‘T.L.C.’ – Turnstile (thanks, Frank Iero) I recommend cranking the volume on this one in the car after a bad day at work.
-‘Louder than Words’, ‘Johnny Can’t Decide’ and ‘30/90’ – tick, tick…Boom! Soundtrack. I wish this film had come out when I was about to turn 30. So relatable.
-‘Left and Right’ – Charlie Puth (feat. Jung Kook) This song is the definition of earworm and is best to listen to with headphones on. I don’t know what the inspiration for the music video was, but it sure gives me a lot of Drop Dead Fredvibes.
-‘Oldschool’ – Nena I was so proud of myself for being able to understand parts of this German song without looking up the English lyrics first.
-‘Life Goes On’, ‘Skeletons’ and ‘Famous on the Internet’ – Young Rising Sons These songs were my jams this year. They get me. “And I-I-don’t ever want to act my age. And why does every day just feel the same?”
–‘Try Me’, ‘Beat the Devil (feat. Serena Ryder), and ‘Perfect Mistake’ (feat. Ria Mae) – Josh Ramsay I loved all of Josh’s new solo album, let’s be honest. I could list all the songs, but I chose the three I probably listen to the most on the record. These could easily be Marianas Trench songs. So, if you like MT, you’ll likely enjoy his solo work too. I also recommend listening on Spotify on your phone to see the little video clips he filmed for each song. They’re super random and pretty funny.
–‘Fever Dream’ – Palaye Royale It’s not a year if Palaye don’t release something new, right? The chorus in this song is big and familiar for some reason. I’ve spent months trying to figure out where I know it from or what it reminds me of, but no luck yet.
–‘That That’ – Psy (Feat. Suga) Oddly enough, I’d been talking to someone recently about how fun Psy’s music was a couple weeks before this song was released. Co-written and produced by Suga the music video includes some super fun dancing (would it be a Psy song if it didn’t?). This was a great song for the summer and reminded me of a student I taught who could sing all of Gangnam Style paired with the dance, on cue.
–‘Best Day of My Life’, ‘Congratulations’, ‘Million Pictures of You’ – Simple Plan Like I told the person at the front desk at Sunrise Records when I asked if they had the CD this song is off of on the day it was released, I’ve been a fan since I was 12. I’m not going anywhere. This track is off their latest record Harder Than It Looks’. SP has always used straightforward and simplistic lyrics to drive a message in their songs. As someone who never seems to grasp poetry, I appreciate that. This one is about not comparing yourself to others. A message that should always be reinforced. I also love that SP decided to stop trying to be “something they’re not” and went back to their roots. I personally liked both their old and new sound, but good for them for making a call that makes their lives easier. This record is very much their old school sound. It may not find a lot of play on mainstream charts or the radio, but it could very well win back some of their fans that have drifted away from them over the last few years.
–‘Run BTS’ – BTS If I narrow it down to one BTS song I listened to the most this year in which all the guys sing/perform, it’s this one. Don’t just listen to the song, watch the live performance for the choreography and Suga’s rapid rap live. The group won’t be performing as a whole again until at least 2025 due to military duties, but this song and its choreography showcase what they do best and leaves an impression.
–‘Middle of a Breakup’ and ‘Sugar Soaker’ – Panic! At the Disco The content of these songs don’t matter, I just get super caught up with how they sound. I’m at a point in my life where I’d rather listen to music that sounds fun. These tracks sound fun. It’s really just a matter of time before Brendon creates a whole Broadway production.
–‘Hindsight’ – Jake Wesley Rogers After getting to see him open for Panic! in MN, I decided to check out his work on Spotify. I was not disappointed. This track should be featured in a film.
–‘This is Why’ – Paramore A lyric from the song is: “This is why I don’t leave the house”… I don’t need to say anymore.
–‘About Damn Time’ and ‘2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)’ – Lizzo Not only are both these songs a fun listen, but they have some pretty great messages in them. I particularly love the chorus of 2 Be Loved. It reminds me of 80’s aerobics songs.
–‘Fallin’ with Me’ – The Struts Not a lot to say here. It’s The Struts. They’re keeping rock music alive. Thank them.
–‘I’m in Love with You’ and ‘Happiness’ – The 1975 Matty the mime is back in the I’m in Love with You music video. I adore it. And I’m a total sucker for the 1975’s sound overall. They’re a group I tend to listen to a lot in the fall for some reason.
17: Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? Neutral. (b) thinner or fatter? Probably a bit fatter? But looking forward to hopping back into a workout routine. c) richer or poorer? Richer.
18: What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing.
More spur of the moment activities. Less planning more doing.
19: What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stressing out.
20: How did you spend Christmas?
With family.
21: Did you fall in love in 2022?
No.
22: What was your favourite TV program? TV shows I watched this year:
-Bob’s Burgers This show really has become my greatest comfort show. I never would have thought I’d say that about a cartoon.
-The Conners I understand that a lot of people dislike this one. The timeline is all over the place and some of the jokes are super cringe, but I love it because similarly to Roseanne, is still addresses issues that most others sitcoms like to sweep under the rug.
–Sister Wives This is the most trash television show I watch and I’ve been addicted to it since the beginning. So happy Christine (and Jenelle? AND MARI?!) left Kody, who is quite possibly one of the biggest narcissists I’ve ever seen on TV. Does he hear himself when he talks? I’d love to see one of his wives smack him across the face if he demands them to show him respect one more time.
–Season 4 of Cobra Kai This show keeps getting better and better with the predictable, yet unpredictable twists! Bravo, writers! And when it’s done, just make a show about Johnny learning about things post 80’s nostalgia.
–Only Murders in the Building Season 1 and 2. The vaccine booster kicked my butt for a few days and I binged about half the first season in one day when I was stuck in bed. Martin Short and Steve Martin! You can’t go wrong! It’s a fun watch. I personally enjoyed season 2 more than 1.
–Our Beloved Summer After I finished Hometown Cha Cha Cha (so many tears), my colleague recommended this one next. She was not wrong. It’s super cute and like I’ve said, I’m a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope. Plus, it stars Choi Woo-shik from Parasite. Your eyeballs win yet again! Like Hometown Cha Cha Cha, this series was maybe a few episodes too long, but all in all it was enjoyable. I may not be ready for Hallmark Christmas cringe, but you don’t have to twist my arm to delve into the k-drama cringe.
–Inventing Anna It took a couple episodes to get into this one, but then I was invested in the story and all the drama. I often love series that are based on true stories, so it was crazy to think that this is a real person who was able to fool so many people into giving her money. Yes, there are many words you could use to describe Anna, but dumb certainly isn’t one. And that accent! So unique.
–Watch Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer To be very honest with you, I don’t recall much of this documentary. I know I watched it though.
–The Girl in the Picture This was infuriating and so sad. So many opportunities to have saved this woman.
–Keep Sweet and Obey. If you want to tear your own skin off and/or need greater reason to dislike anything based around religion (if religion is not your thing), this might set the mood for you.
–Season 4 of Stranger Things A character I liked made it. A character a liked did not. So, I was on this uphill and downhill emotional rollercoaster of crying and laughing. That’s really all you can ask of one of the greatest shows of all time. Looking forward to its conclusion in season 5.
–Monsters at Work It’s cute.
–It’s Okay to Not Be Okay This k-drama took me a few episodes to get into, but once you gradually build up a love for the characters, you’ll be hooked on it until the end. When I started the show I kept tuning out and rolling my eyes, but by the end I felt like I’d been on a whole emotional life journey with how the characters’ trauma unfolded. It all starts with two brothers who frequently move because the elder brother who has autism struggles with trauma surrounding the murder of their mother that he witnessed as a teenager. The brothers cross paths with a notoriously snarky children’s author who writes some pretty freaky fairy tales. It’s better to just watch with an open mind that the show does pick up the pace.
–The Haunting of Bly Manor I still don’t know if this is part of a trilogy or not, but, either way, this was the best of the three. I love ghosts.
–The Haunting of Hill House I liked this one second.
–Midnight Mass This one was alright. Most of it was boring, but the last episode was great.
–Abott Elementary My sister got me hooked on this show. Finally! A school show that highlights the life of ELEMENTARY teachers. It’s a whole other world and I’m glad to see someone was smart enough to buy into it. Why it took this long, I’ll never know. Believe the crazy things the kids do on this show. I can confirm it’s true.
–Dahmer I can binge-watch some of the grisliest shows out there about the most disgusting serial killers, but this one was a very difficult watch for me and I needed to take breaks between episodes. I watched it over a period of time and no more than two episodes in one sitting. What a disgusting and manipulative thing he was.
–The Midnight Club Again, the same creator as Bly Manor, Hill House and Midnight Mass. I have no idea if they’re meant to have some huge connection. There’s always some hints, but who knows. This show, however, is meant to be a continuing series and not just a standalone. I enjoyed it and hope it continues. It’s like a much darker and sadder version of Are You Afraid of the Dark?
–The Watcher I didn’t know this was based on a real case until after I’d finished it and a colleague told me. Knowing that now, its lackluster and frustrating ending makes sense.
–The Santa Clauses I didn’t love it and have a lot of mixed feelings. I liked Bernard. I hated the song intro. It had a decent plot and then fell on its face. We really don’t need a second season, but I’ll probably still watch it.
–Wednesday This show is what Riverdale could have been if it hadn’t strayed from its first season’s mood and style so much. I loved the subtle nods to the Addams’ Family series. E.g. Wednesday having to snap twice to open a trapped door, or when someone calls her kooky and she says she prefers spooky, etc. They couldn’t have chosen a better actress to portray Wednesday. She owned that role.
–Gilmore Girls No, I have never watched this show. If you had told teenaged me to watch it I would have rolled my eyes. That said, I’m very glad to not be the same person I was at 16. I always assumed this show was more about gossipy teen life, but it’s very much not that at all. It’s a cozy show set in a small town you wish you were a part of. They have the quirkiest events and it always seems to be Fall or Christmas. The show centers around the mother’s storyline just as much as it does her daughter. And yes, it’s a lot of relationship drama, but nothing ever feels high stakes and it’s definitely a calming comfort show. I’m almost at the end of season 7 and then plan to watch Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life right after.
–A Very Boy Band Holiday I’m not saying it’s good (because it’s really not), but I watched it with my three best friends and I laughed a lot. So now I’ll have fond memories attached to it.
I also wanted to mention Podcasts I listened to or am listening to:
–It’s Always Halloween While I admittedly don’t listen too closely to all the episodes featuring people calling in to share their personal stories, I do really enjoy the episodes where Luce shares research surrounding Halloween and things that are associated with Halloween. Like, what are bog people? And how did people in the Victorian age celebrate Halloween? (Spoiler alert! Very differently).
–Tis the Podcast Three friends dissecting and rating Christmas films. It’s often infuriating because I often disagree very strongly, but yet here I am. Still listening.
23: Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a strong word.
24: What was the best book you read? Books I read this year:
–The Midnight Library by Matt Haig A bit overhyped. Again, neat concept, but I think it was trying too hard at times to drive its point across to its readers. By the end I felt like someone was smacking me over the head with its message that I understood right from the first few chapters.
–Disappearing Act by Robert Sheehan First of all…it’s short stories by Robert Sheehan, right? So it’s like reading Neil Gaiman retelling and embellishing weird hallucinations Russell Brand has conjured up. My favourite short story was the one about Medusa’s sex life. Have you ever thought about it? I hadn’t, but apparently Robert Sheehan has done a lot of thinking on the subject.
–Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens This was great until the ending. The ending was predictable and kind of disappointing.
–Book Lovers by Emily Henry I don’t often pick up stories that one would call “Hallmark”, but when I do, they usually include something to do with book stores or libraries. This was a nice summer read and the main male protagonist’s snarky humour won me over.
–Eat, Pray, Love (audiobook) by and read by Elizabeth Gilbert I appreciated that the author didn’t try to push her beliefs on her readers/listeners, but I still wasn’t won over by the story like so many others. The idea of change, yes, but the meditation thing still isn’t for me at this stage of my life. Maybe when I reach my mid-thirties? I love Italian food, so eating all the carbs sounded appealing to me.
–Educated by Tara Westover This really wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, but that said books and memoirs about peculiar families always have me hooked. I can’t believe some of the stuff that happened in this one. I don’t understand how the father lived. HOWWWW?
–Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi I want to love this book, but I just liked it. It might be that it lost some of its gravitas from being translated to English from Japanese. The idea was intriguing, but the way in which it was played out didn’t grip me like I read in some other readers’ reviews. So, while the stories – especially the last one, were heartbreaking, I didn’t cry, because to me it felt like reading a play-by-play. Telling, not showing.
–And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie The first Agatha Christie novel I’ve ever read. I enjoyed it. It took me a while to get into the writing style, but there were moments when I couldn’t put the book down. The greatest struggle for me was trying to keep track of all the characters. Many were forgettable, but then they weren’t in it too long anyway, right? I’d absolutely pick up another book by the queen of crime books.
25: What was your greatest musical discovery? Bands/artists I discovered or started listening to this year:
–Eric Nam (thanks, Jimin) Such calm/chill songs, but still catchy enough that I don’t get bored listening. He’s also hilarious. The video of him baking a cake without a recipe and no idea what he was doing stressed me out a bit, but it all turned out, so I’m ok.
–BRKN LOVE (I can’t remember where I learned about them). More new young rock bands! Music has no age limit. Let’s go! Their cover of River is worth your earholes’ time.
–IU (thanks, Jin? Suga? Both?) She’s like the Korean version of Carly Rae Jepsen so I had no problem adding a few of her songs to my Spotify list.
–Young Rising Sons (thanks to a random Spotify playlist). I don’t understand how these guys aren’t a bigger deal? If you’re in your late twenties/early thirties and not living the life you want (yet) I think this band will get ya. And, of course they’re from Jersey <3 Makes sense.
-Synthetic Sun (thanks to Cassie the Venomous). An alternative? Emo? Rock? Band. I haven’t listened to that much of their work yet, but if you like angst, you might like them.
-Outsider (thanks to Jin, again) Apparently I have an affinity for rap when I don’t understand what is being said and it’s rapped so fast that native speakers probably don’t even know what is being said.
-Mod Sun (thanks, Avril Lavigne concert) Nice to know that pop punk is still thriving in 2022.
-Grandson (thanks, Avril Lavigne concert) I think I liked his work better live than recorded. Big mood and energy though.
-Jake Wesley Rogers (thanks, Panic! At the Disco concert) This dude is like Bowie meets Elton John. I played Hindsight so often after the concert I’m shocked that it didn’t make my top 5 songs on Spotify Wrapped this year.
26: What did you want and get?
I got to see My Chemical Romance in person (again).
27: What did you want and not get?
The Struts, New Politics and Bleachers still haven’t come here yet. That should change.
28: What was your favourite film of this year? Movies I watched this year, new or old:
-Tick, Tick…BOOM! SO GOOD! RIP Jonathan Larson. I’m pretty sure the whole musical community will forever be left wondering what else your brilliant mind would have come up with.
-The Lost Daughter Watched this one while a bit delusional from the booster shot. Still confused about the ending, but the overall film was great and oddly suspenseful?
-Parasite Fantastic storytelling. Fantastic acting. I love how it was a lowkey horror film that was just enough to creep you out. I’m glad this film won the Academy Award the year it was nominated. I’d be super annoyed if it hadn’t.
-The Guilty It all literally takes place in one location and yet it keeps you in suspense. Even cooler learning about the filming process and how it was done over a period of a few days during Covid. The director literally directed the whole thing from a van where he needed to isolate.
-Luca The plot was better than Encanto. Fight me.
-Captain America: Winter Soldier Did it pull me into the whole Marvel universe like I’d hoped it might? No, but the film was enjoyable to watch. Do I like Bucky? Yes. Was the Black Widow the most obnoxious character in this film and I kept hoping she’d get killed off? Absolutely. I’m so sorry, GM friends. I’m sure she must be great in other Marvel films. XD
-Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore I liked it better than the second one, though the first half really dragged. And I would have liked it more if zero qilins were harmed, because that was haunting and really knocked down my excitement right at the beginning of the film. Magical or not, if an animal is harmed (whether it’s actually hurt or not) I’m out.
-Turning Red While I probably didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped to, considering the theme, it was still cute. I found it neat to watch a Pixar film that took place in Canada (especially how they even included Canadian currency and the Canadian flag everywhere). I also appreciated the representation and tie they had between boy bands of the early 00’s and groups today.
-The Valet A quirky little film it had a surprisingly emotional punch.
-Jurassic World Dominion This was just fun. As all the Jurassic movies are. The best part was Jeff Goldblum of course.
-The Village It didn’t draw me in at all.
-Fuzz Bucket The 80’s were a time, weren’t they?
-Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022 “sequel”) Don’t bother, it’s awful. Unless you have a kink for lots and lots of gore. Then have it. You’ll be swimming in blood and guts.
-Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark This one probably deserves a shot at a sequel. I’ve never read the books, but I feel like they did them justice enough.
-Pumpkin Head I feel like I’ve seen parts of this one, but never the whole thing. I sat through the whole thing this time, but I still feel like I only saw part of it because I was bored.
-Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) This just felt sad and wouldn’t fly at all today.
-‘The Addams Family’ (2019) Meh. The voice actors could have done a better job.
-BTS: Permission to Dance On Stage – LA I have as much fun watching these guys perform as I do watching footage of MJ performing live. Infectious high energy.
-Hocus Pocus 2 I really, really wanted to love it. I did not. I do appreciate the scenes with the Sanderson sisters though and was excited to see them on the screen again. Like everyone else who watched this film, I agree there should have been greater focus on the origin story of the sisters. It felt too Disnified by the end. So bland.
-Love Actually I’m not saying I hated it, but I definitely found it overrated? Too disjointed and I wanted more explanation and plot for each storyline. Well, almost all the storylines? Some were just plain dumb, however I will always approve of Hugh Grant dancing down a flight of stairs to Jump.
-Me Time Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg. That’s all you had to say. Sold. You don’t need a brain to watch it. It’s super dumb and sometimes that’s all you need or want to watch.
-Where the Crawdads Sing Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. They focused so much on Kya’s relationships with Chase and Tate and yet I feel like I learned absolutely nothing about anyone. By no fault of the actors. Just not a very good adaptation of book to screenplay. Too bad.
29: What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Snarky humour.
30: How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2022?
Second hand sweaters and teacher-vibe dresses.
31: What kept you sane?
Colleagues. Laughing > Crying.
32: Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
The usuals and Jin. A+ personality and my kind of dorky.
33: What political issue stirred you the most?
-Pro-life vs. pro-choice.
-Those truckers. You know the ones. C’mon, people. You have the right to protest, but also, people have jobs and need sleep. SSSSHHHH.
-Putin. I’m not blaming all of Russia, because they clearly have decent people there too, just like anywhere else in the world. But Putin… Some people are born evil.
34: Who did you miss?
People that have “crossed over”. Whatever that means to you.
35: Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022:
I’ve reached the stage in my career where I’m just telling it like it is. I feel like you need to be blunt with some people to get your message through to them. Not saying I’m jaded…but maybe I’m jaded.
36: Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
“This is why I don’t leave the house.” – This is Why – Paramore. Always telling it like it is.