I've used Zenni also, it's much cheaper than warby Parker.

My 2017 is feeling unmemorable. It wasn't. I had a lot of fun with friends, trips to Miami and San Francisco for dance conventions, my trip to Japan, seeing the eclipse, going camping and going to a weekend cabin, the Festival of Babes and watching the lesbian softball at LCP, and so on. My roommate moved out in June and I got a new one in November who seems to be working really well. I saw my bff a few times and her kiddo. Running my first (and likely only) half marathon.

But I also struggled with my depression being worse for most of the year, after taking a while to actually do anything about that, and then trying a few different medication options. I think between increasing the dose in September and adding some supplements has helped a lot. But I stopped running and weigh more than I ever have, currently. Not real happy about that, which doesn't help. Still trying to get up the oomph to get back at working out—especially since I think it was helping the depression some, in the spring when I was training.

So this year I'd really like to run again. Dance more (I've almost entirely stopped going to any of the non-gay dancing). Go on more weekend trips, including seeing my cousin and her kids in Denver before they are no longer babies. Do more new things. Go to Mexico for some Vitamin D. Plan another international trip. Have my clothes that are not stretchy fit again.

Costco is also a really good option for glasses. You can do the eye exam there without a membership, but you'll need a membership to buy the glasses.

Sophia, let me just add my voice to the chorus of Holy crap, that's a lot of stress! You're clearly a strong and resilient person, and it's no wonder you'd be depressed after a year like that.

I was on that same high-fat very-low-carb diet for a few months, years ago. I lost a lot of weight fast and felt real good, but once I went off it I could never stand to do it again. I lost all interest in food, too; I only ate when I was physically too hungry to ignore it.

I've used Zenni and I like them. If your prescription is real strong, though, you won't get glasses for $20. But they're still cheap, compared to the 100s of $$ you'd pay at the optometrist.

My tri-focal progressive glasses rarely cost over $100 with Zenni.

Sophia, Holy crap!

And I got a package and card from My Secret Santa, a lovely Wonder Woman scarf from Think Geek.

Also, to my giftee, sorry for slacking but stuff Is coming.

2017: the year I moved into a 2nd floor apartment and gained a view. Mostly of the Hiawatha Fie station, but I'll take what I can get!

Emily, thank you for the archery range gift certificate! That's just what I need to shift me from idly thinking about it to actually going!

Happy new year everyone! I feel I've been around less this past year. A lot of that was just the politics train wreck; I found it harder than usual to engage after that.

My 2017 was, at a personal level, pretty good, even if I also spent a lot of it more worried for the state of the world than any time since leaving the borderline apocalyptic FAC. Our most momentous event was building an extension on the back of the house so Biyi's parents can have their own space, and finally getting the back yard landscaped. I've uploaded some photos to flickr, for instance: [link] It's mostly native plants that cope well with dry conditions; we also have some bamboo and three citrus trees (lemon, lime and mandarin). The planter box in the corner, which we built for Biyi's mother, is mostly a herb garden, but Ryan is growing a couple of tomato plants in there too.

Speaking of, Ryan has now finished Year 3. This year he started playing saxophone, which is fun. He's been doing tunes like the Star Wars theme and the James Bond theme. Here's a photo of him, taking an archery lesson with one of his friends. [link]

In conclusion, I present this photo of a meerkat, just because. [link]

I don't know why I am so jealous of people with citrus trees. I don't even use that much citrus. But somehow it just seems the ultimate luxury to me (next to also having an avocado tree)

Well, that seems like as good a segue as any.

At the end of May, we bought a house. It was built in 1933 and I think the lemon tree in the back yard was planted about then. It still needs a lot of work (It feels like we'll NEVER finish paint-scraping), but it's a good house.

The "we" in the previous paragraph is me and my fiance (since March. He proposed during a dress rehearsal. Worked it into the opening number of the show. Well done, him). What with the whole "rock in the middle of the ocean" thing, and his brother being in Vietnam, we're not getting married until July of this year, which is kind of the "we need to be done scraping paint" deadline.

I've been super busy with work and theatre stuff, but I have been reading, so I think I feel like I'm around more than it looks like I'm around.