2008 Going Going Gone

ANNUAL END OF YEAR REVIEW: This 50% lame 50% insightful survey has been a part of my year-end doings for awhile now – 40 questions and answers, get ‘em while they’re hot!
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1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Lived with a romantic partner and didn’t feel the need to knaw off my foot and escape; he eidn’t either, horray!

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t believe in that craziness. Setting oneself up for failure, I say. Sky and I do make resolutions sometimes over our Sunday dinner but it’s more along the lines of “THIS WEEK we will not let the towels sit in a wet heap in the hamper” or “THIS WEEK we shall be nice to so and so even when we are stressed out at work.”

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Wendy and Mitch had Isadora and she’s beautiful. Nick and Monica had Kolya Sanjevi and I haven’t met him yet but I’ve heard good things.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandpa

5. What countries did you visit?
None but my own. I guess maybe New York counts as another country.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More traveling (same answer I gave last December)

7. What days from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory?
the Sunday before my birthday when Sky and I scooted to see the ballet, the days in New York, Election day

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
see #1

9. What was your biggest failure?
I’m gonna with not finishing NaNoWritMo, but I didn’t really think I would, so I don’t feel too bad about it. I was pretty impressed that I did as much as I did in that respect, to be honest.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I dropped a knife in my foot, that sucked.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Hunter wellies

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
great coworkers, my family

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
anti-gay measure voters everywhere; the dude who smashed all of our gingerbread houses at work

14. Where did most of your money go?
rent, student loans

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The ELECTION!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
My Moon My Man – Feist

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

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Traveling, camping

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
fretting about situations in which I couldn’t affect change; waking people up

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
That boat done sailed! I hitched a ride with some generous friends down to Oregon – we hit a snow storm and it took us FOREVER – where I got to spend about 20 hours with my mom, dad, and sister. It was worth it. Sky was in Mexico with his family, which is where I would have been as well had I not had to work 1 measly shift on the 27th. Oh well, it’s done.

(21 is still missing, since 2004)

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Totes.

23. How many one-night stands?
0

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I got my share of America’s Next Top Model online, and towards the end of the year we got into watching Project Runway since it was showing on the TV on our flight back from NYC

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

26. What was the best book you read?
Yeah, right. I can’t even narrow it down because I only ever remember the last few books I read.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Not a discovery because I didn’t listen to much that was new this year, but seeing Will Oldham (Smog) play at the Triple Door this year was pretty fucking amazing.

28. What did you want and get?
A very cozy home

29. What did you want and not get?
more Jaime time

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
DUDE. We watch so many movies. This is too difficult, I can’t choose. These are films that pop up in my brain right this second though:
Happy-go-lucky
Great Speeches from a Dying World
Up the Yangtze
Be Kind Rewind
Burn After Reading

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 32 and it was fantastic. Sky took me on a few little unexpected trips/adventures (including suprise dinner dates for my birthday dinner) and we had a lovely yard sale/party that weekend. Someone even brought me a cupcake at work – I felt so spoiled this year.

32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I wish the overjoyed feeling I had when Obama won wasn’t so sour tasting once I realized Prop 8 had passed. That was a big, big downer.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
layers to keep warm, comfortable shoes

34. What kept you sane?
I’d like to thank my counselor for listening to me kvetch, the gym (where I go after a stressful day), the cats for being soft and Sky for listening to me kvetch but also for kissing me all better.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I love that Obama’s eyes get all wrinkly when he’s smiling at people. That’s fanciful enough.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I was pretty worried about the pro-life measures, anti-gay crapola and the presidential race – 2/3 good outcomes

37. Who did you miss?
Jaime, my family

38. Who was the best new person you met?
I’m going to go with introspective hippie here and say “myself”

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Always have rubber boots, even if you think you won’t need them.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
“Oh I do believe
You are what you perceive
What come is better that what came before…”
“I Found a Reason” – Lou Reed

Final Thoughts:
2008 left me a bit gobsmacked to be honest. “I never thought I’d see the day” crossed my lips on plenty of occasions in lots of different situations. Most of it was good, some was bad, and I think it all came out in the wash.