2005: A Year in Review

I went back and dug up that survey I did for 2004 and updated it:

1. What did you do in 2005 that you’d never done before?
I went miniature golfing

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Kept some, broke others, will probably make more (to break and keep)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thank goodness, no.

5. What countries did you visit?
just my own

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
Ha ha! A graduate degree!

7. What dates from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory?
None, really – not a lot of etching this year, more like impressions

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Working at the reference desk; doing a good job at the reference desk.

9. What was your biggest failure?
That B in Cataloging – a pretty good year, yeah?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing some aspirin or Nyquil couldn’t fix, no.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Subscription to Bitch magazine

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Oh, plenty of people. Right off the bat? My family (as always), Jaime, and co-workers whom I admire.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one’s, actually. Way to go, world!

14. Where did most of your money go?
Tuition & rent

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Starting work at the reference desk, visiting Oregon and New Hampshire in June, Halloween

16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) – Arcade Fire

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier!
b) thinner or fatter? same!
c) richer or poorer? poorer!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Playing with my cat

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Goofing around on the internet

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I already spent it, in Santa Ana with Jaime and her family and in San Diego with Rob and his friends

(21 is still missing, 1 year later!)

22. Did you fall in love in 2005?
I did, and out of it, too. One-and-a-half times!

23. How many one-night stands?
0

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I did manage to watch the last season of Six Feet Under at my neighbor’s house. Man.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.

26. What was the best book you read?
What an evil question! I refuse to answer on principle. I read 182,829 great books this year.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Okkervil River, though I didn’t discover them, it’s more like they discovered me in a bedroom far away from home.

28. What did you want and get?
Contentment

29. What did you want and not get?
Closure

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Me and You and Everyone We Know

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
A lovely brooch from my sister, a plane ticket, a book; 29 year s old

32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More cookies

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Librarian Chic

34. What kept you sane?
Prozac, my family and friends, my cat, schoolwork

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
You know I really dig Sarah Vowell and since she did a voice for The Incredibles she’s no longer just some silly writer but an honest to goodness public figure doing the talk show circuit

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Ah the old stand-bys: homelessness, privacy, and death-penalty craziness

37. Who did you miss?
Jaime, my family

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Shelly Thacker, y’all!

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
Never pass up a cookie.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
“So tighten up your belt as
you gather dust upon some shelf,
You lost by just a nose,
There’s no prize for place or show,
Now at least you know…
So smile –
It’s not so bad”
Smile – Quasi

Final Thoughts:
2005 was, overall, a good vintage.