2021, The Year in Review · 2:52am Jan 1st, 2022
Another year in the rearview mirror, and for me it was a year even more so than 2020 that I wish I could turn back the clock on and get a redo on. A lot of personal problems started cropping up for me later in the year, some of which I'm still dealing with now. Still, it was a year to remember one way or another. And as always, at the start of the new year, I like to look back over the year that passed to see what I did.
January
As my state's lockdown continues with no signs of letting up, I get a new job working at a pizza place. I also get around to what so many others already started doing the previous year: Re-reviews of episodes of the show, starting with "Friendship is Magic" on the 21st. I begin the new year by posting "A Silver Situation" on January 8, and "Rainbow Dash and the Daring Do Connection" on January 19. "Finding Cadence" is posted on January 30th with the first of three parts published.
February
My old job starts back up when the lockdown is finally lifted in my state, but I maintain my pizza job for the time being. I finish up "Finding Cadence" and publish "Rarity's First Rodeo", which is it as far as stories go for the month. My episode re-reviews continue as I get through Season 1 and about half way through Season 2, ending the month with a re-review of "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000".
March
Early in the month I begin work on Volume 12 of my rewrite series, after publishing "Freaky Flutterpie" while my re-reviews continue through Season 2, all of Season 3 and into Season 4. Within the month I'm done with my "What If?" series after ten episodes are covered and "Cheerilee's Day Off" is published at the end of the month to maintain a consistent pace of three fanfics worked on or completed for each month. Sadly, my pizza job wraps up unexpectedly when I'm told I won't be needed for the upcoming season. Fortunately, I still have my old job to fall back on.
April
My re-reviews continue un-interrupted through Season 4 and into Season 5 roughly halfway through. I write and publish both "Spitfire's Day Off", a requested story idea, and "The Game of Love" an un-requested story idea. I also begin work on a requested fic called "Twilight's 'Baby' Dragon". During this month, I celebrate my ninth year of being on the site with the first of what will be three Q & A sessions throughout the year. Not much else really happens to me except for me finally managing to qualify for health insurance and getting on a plan after weeks and months worth of hassle. Little do I know how much I'll need it in the months to come.
May
My most active month on the site. During this month I get my first Cvoid vaccine and my family gets a new puppy, yet I still manage to find time to celebrate hitting 900 followers, doing so with a Q & A session. "Twilight's 'Baby' Dragon" is published early in the month, and per the request of another author I write the one-shot "One Last Amended Fence". I work on "Sun, Stars and Padding" to release next month, and then I do something truly ambitious: I do an unofficial continuation of the first fanfic I ever read on this site with "Total Magic Pony Island: The Lost Episodes", releasing a chapter beginning on the 18th roughly every four days through the rest of the month. And I continue to do my episode re-reviews.
June
"Sun, Stars and Padding" is published on the first of the month, then I continue working on "Total Magic Pony Island: The Lost Episodes" while also finding time to write and publish "The Newest Apple". "Total Magic Pony Island: The Lost Episodes" wraps up on June 25th with two endings and fan voting for what to do for the sequel. I get my second dose of the Cvoid vaccine early in the month, but then I begin to suffer from stomach issues that initially seem to go away but then come back and refuse to go away. Still, I do episode re-reviews as we get through Season 6 and the re-reviews begin skipping with Season 7 based on what reviews I think summed up my feelings the first time around. This is also the month in which I reach 200 total stories published, the one crossing that milestone being a CheesePie fic "A Cheesy Reunion", starring Lil' Cheese.
July
My episode re-reviews come to a close on July 18th with my re-review of "The Last Problem". Meanwhile, despite a family reunion, no air-conditioning in triple digit heat, and continued stomach problems I manage to write and publish "Equestria Girls: Where Are They Now?", "Diamond's Special Sisterhood" and "The Power Ponies: Death of The Mane-iac". I also write but do not publish "Crinkleloo's Confession" for next month, which is when I get scheduled for a diagnostic colonoscopy.
August
"Crinkleloo's Confession" is published on the first of the month, then I do a requested story with "A Chaotic Meet and Great". I re-start "Potty Training Tales" after a suggestion from one author to do one last prompt, finding several done on the Google Doc since I originally closed it last year. On my birthday, I have to go through colonoscopy prep which is not fun. And for a week afterward I have to wait for results, before I learn I have ulcerative colitis and go on medication to successfully treat it. At the end of the month as things start to get back on track, I write and publish "I Should've Been There".
September
"Don't Give Your Love Away" is the first fic I write and publish this month, followed soon afterward by "Making Things Right" which is based on a fan comic. I then start setting to work on my next rewrite volume (number 13), while I also have to deal with insomnia that makes sleep difficult. I also deal with insurance problems related to medication for my condition. Still, on the day "My Little Pony: A New Generation" comes out on Netflix, I have my next "What If?" volume ready and waiting. And I review "A New Generation" relatively favorably, watching as new fandom content starts to trickle out. My comic reviews also come to an end for the time being since I acquire the last of the "Season 10" comics I want to obtain, and other comics prove difficult or impossible to track down.
October
As my medication issue is finally sorted out and my insomnia starts to improve, I finish up work on my "What If?" volume and then largely wait after writing my Halloween fanfic "Little Black Magic", a crossover with Sabrina The Teenage Witch (the t.v. show). My family does go on a brief vacation to Cedar Point and Kennywood, but it doesn't go so great as the crowds and the weather (n Cedar Point's case) refuse to cooperate.
November
"A Strange, New World" becomes my second straight fanfic in a row to hit the feature box, something two of my other fics this year boasted. Aside from that, nothing really happens. But towards the end of the month as Thanksgiving approaches, I start to experience back pain later associated with a small knot. My least active month on the site.
December
"Meadow of Rocks" is the last fanfic I write for the year, and it's published the same day it's written. "Potty Training Tales" also wraps up again, for good this time after one hundred and thirty six prompts across two Google Docs. After talking to my primary care giver, I ultimately settle on physical therapy to try to undo the knot early next year. Strangely, this is the month in which I hit 950 followers, prompting a third Q & A session. I end the year with 212 stories posted and exactly 950 followers, I most certainly didn't expect to make it this far when I started this account almost a decade ago.
Well, there you have it. I probably will get to 225 stories in 2022, but I don't know if I'll be lucky enough to cross the 1,000 follower threshold, just getting to 950 was a surprise in and of itself. Happy new year, and hopefully I'll have better news to share throughout 2022 (not holding my breath after two years of disappointments though).
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