Tradition
So as you can tell, I don't really write in my livejournal anymore. I thought this day would never ever come. But it did. BUT I STILL READ YOURS, y'all, so do not remove me from your friends lists or I will be sad.
But I've done this survey every year for five or six at this point, and like Tevye I'm just so attached to tradition.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Lived outside of the comforting sphere of a dorm or a parent's house, lived abroad (for a short time), got a tattoo (two, in fact), a relationship.
2. Did you keep your new year resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No resolutions. Not into that. My kind-of resolution this year is to investigate more dancing opportunities in Ann Arbor. My boyfriend's enthusiastic about swing-dancing and I'm signed up for some bellydancing classes, so there we go. Good progress!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Fortunately no, although there were close calls.
5. What countries did you visit?
England, Scotland, and Wales!
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
To be completely honest with you, a vacuum cleaner.
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
November 4, obviously. Also June 27th, the day I left for London, and August 30th, the day I re-met Drew. Also December 26th because it was my 21st birthday. You know what's funny is generally I look back at these at the end of the year and sometimes I remember the date I said would remain "etched" and sometimes I don't. Last year's I still remember. (It was the day I left Michigan at the end of my freshman year and also was pretty unceremoniously dumped.)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving. (GAH. What the hell! I really want to do this survey but I don't want to be all about how My Heart Was Damaged. But I can't deny that that was a big part of the year. Just bear with me, folks.) Also, I knit myself a sweater. That was what I said last year. It is mildly funny and I can't really think of what my greatest acheivement this year was, so maybe I should just leave it. Acheivement. . .maybe my little group of stories that I wrote last semester. Sounds funny, but I'm proud of them.
9. What was your biggest failure?
As I said last year, there were so many little ones, but not any big ones that I can recall. Leaving that from last year again.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not in any major way, but I did take Drew to the ER and then get sick myself. That was a fun week.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Still pretty big into yarn, but the best things I bought this year were all in London. Tickets to Cardiff and Edinburgh, the ring I'm currently wearing on my right hand (I'm very very attached to it), and the kilt I bought for SIX POUNDS in Scotland.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
I've always found this kind of an odd question. Who am I to celebrate someone else's "behavior"? Also, I don't understand what it's saying.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
It's that time of year when the world falls in love.
14. Where did most of your money go?
YARN. And books and perfume. And music. And travel expenses. And food. FOOD is so expensive when you live on your own. Alas, this is the rest of my life.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Travel! And Bill Bryson. Really into his travel writing, and ever since Mr. Millar said I should be a travel writer like Bryson I've been kind of fantasizing about it.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Maybe "Sweet Painted Lady" because it's strongly associated with Drew and also that album is very associated with Jessie and life in our apartments together.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier. My circle of friends is a little smaller, but very close at this point, and I feel generally okay about where my life is going.
ii. Thinner or fatter? Probably a little fatter, but about the same generally.
iii. richer or poorer? POORER. Oh God, POORER.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercise and read novels for fun. I got pretty into non-fiction in these past few months, but there really is nothing like a good novel or short story collection for getting the creative juices going. Eww. Creative juices. That is an icky thing to say.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Been mean. It's hard when you live with people to not be snippy sometimes. Learning how to deal with stress and collaborative living and friendships and work and relationships is definitely a process, and I think that process is a big part of maturity.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent it snowed in with my family and my boyfriend. I can think of worse ways. My brother and Drew and I played Wii Sports and drank hard cider. It was a good time.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
And how.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Rome! And Slings and Arrows with Jessie at dinner. And Arrested Development with Abe and Jared and Bacchus.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I'm sure there's someone out there that I hate, but nothing's coming to mind, which is probably a good thing.
26. What was the best book you read?
Jane Eyre, no question.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
STAX RECORDS! Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, and then all the neo-soul I investigated thanks to them. Also old Billy Joel and Elton John. Not gonna lie: I listened to a lot of Glass Houses and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road this year.
28. What did you want and get?
Tattoos and love.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Just saw it last week and I absolutely loved it.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
It was a great birthday. I was 21. I saw Benjamin Button, then ate fondue with family + Drew + Keith, then my wonderful brother took Drew and Keith and I out for a night on the town. Boozing it up with three of my favorite male people was a great way to spend the night.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Well, I don't know about immeasurably. With all its ups and downs, it was pretty satisfying. (I wrote that last year and it seems more applicable now than then.) (And again, just leaving it).
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
V-neck sweaters and glasses. Skirts and boots. An argyle cardigan. Generally not being as put-together as I'd like to be. And a red dress.
34. What kept you sane?
What keeps anyone sane? Music, books, writing, fruit, my friends, exercise, knitting, hugging, and copious amounts of alcohol.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Still David Tennant, also Pullo from Rome. Also Tina Fey, because who doesn't love her. And Emmeline Pankhurst.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Weirdly, SUFFRAGE. Being in England and studying the suffragettes just got me so riled up. I was a suffragette for Halloween, as you know, and I just got a custom sweatshirt for my birthday that says "Suffragette City" on it. I KNOW. It is awesome. Wham bam thank you ma'am!
37. Who did you miss?
The people I wasn't with.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
You know, before I met Drew my friends said I would hate him. And I believed them, because they are my friends. And then I looked at pictures of him on Facebook and realized that he was incredibly dreamy. And then we met in March and drank a lot of Jack Daniel's. And then I obsessed about him for a really long time and now we are dating. So, in short, Drew.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
There are good people everywhere in the world, and some of them will let you sleep on their couch.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Because this is a dumb question: "A couple of the sounds I really like are the sounds of a switchblade and a motorbike".
Yeah right, Elton.
But I've done this survey every year for five or six at this point, and like Tevye I'm just so attached to tradition.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Lived outside of the comforting sphere of a dorm or a parent's house, lived abroad (for a short time), got a tattoo (two, in fact), a relationship.
2. Did you keep your new year resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No resolutions. Not into that. My kind-of resolution this year is to investigate more dancing opportunities in Ann Arbor. My boyfriend's enthusiastic about swing-dancing and I'm signed up for some bellydancing classes, so there we go. Good progress!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Fortunately no, although there were close calls.
5. What countries did you visit?
England, Scotland, and Wales!
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
To be completely honest with you, a vacuum cleaner.
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
November 4, obviously. Also June 27th, the day I left for London, and August 30th, the day I re-met Drew. Also December 26th because it was my 21st birthday. You know what's funny is generally I look back at these at the end of the year and sometimes I remember the date I said would remain "etched" and sometimes I don't. Last year's I still remember. (It was the day I left Michigan at the end of my freshman year and also was pretty unceremoniously dumped.)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving. (GAH. What the hell! I really want to do this survey but I don't want to be all about how My Heart Was Damaged. But I can't deny that that was a big part of the year. Just bear with me, folks.) Also, I knit myself a sweater. That was what I said last year. It is mildly funny and I can't really think of what my greatest acheivement this year was, so maybe I should just leave it. Acheivement. . .maybe my little group of stories that I wrote last semester. Sounds funny, but I'm proud of them.
9. What was your biggest failure?
As I said last year, there were so many little ones, but not any big ones that I can recall. Leaving that from last year again.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not in any major way, but I did take Drew to the ER and then get sick myself. That was a fun week.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Still pretty big into yarn, but the best things I bought this year were all in London. Tickets to Cardiff and Edinburgh, the ring I'm currently wearing on my right hand (I'm very very attached to it), and the kilt I bought for SIX POUNDS in Scotland.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
I've always found this kind of an odd question. Who am I to celebrate someone else's "behavior"? Also, I don't understand what it's saying.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
It's that time of year when the world falls in love.
14. Where did most of your money go?
YARN. And books and perfume. And music. And travel expenses. And food. FOOD is so expensive when you live on your own. Alas, this is the rest of my life.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Travel! And Bill Bryson. Really into his travel writing, and ever since Mr. Millar said I should be a travel writer like Bryson I've been kind of fantasizing about it.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Maybe "Sweet Painted Lady" because it's strongly associated with Drew and also that album is very associated with Jessie and life in our apartments together.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier. My circle of friends is a little smaller, but very close at this point, and I feel generally okay about where my life is going.
ii. Thinner or fatter? Probably a little fatter, but about the same generally.
iii. richer or poorer? POORER. Oh God, POORER.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercise and read novels for fun. I got pretty into non-fiction in these past few months, but there really is nothing like a good novel or short story collection for getting the creative juices going. Eww. Creative juices. That is an icky thing to say.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Been mean. It's hard when you live with people to not be snippy sometimes. Learning how to deal with stress and collaborative living and friendships and work and relationships is definitely a process, and I think that process is a big part of maturity.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent it snowed in with my family and my boyfriend. I can think of worse ways. My brother and Drew and I played Wii Sports and drank hard cider. It was a good time.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
And how.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Rome! And Slings and Arrows with Jessie at dinner. And Arrested Development with Abe and Jared and Bacchus.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I'm sure there's someone out there that I hate, but nothing's coming to mind, which is probably a good thing.
26. What was the best book you read?
Jane Eyre, no question.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
STAX RECORDS! Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, and then all the neo-soul I investigated thanks to them. Also old Billy Joel and Elton John. Not gonna lie: I listened to a lot of Glass Houses and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road this year.
28. What did you want and get?
Tattoos and love.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Just saw it last week and I absolutely loved it.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
It was a great birthday. I was 21. I saw Benjamin Button, then ate fondue with family + Drew + Keith, then my wonderful brother took Drew and Keith and I out for a night on the town. Boozing it up with three of my favorite male people was a great way to spend the night.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Well, I don't know about immeasurably. With all its ups and downs, it was pretty satisfying. (I wrote that last year and it seems more applicable now than then.) (And again, just leaving it).
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
V-neck sweaters and glasses. Skirts and boots. An argyle cardigan. Generally not being as put-together as I'd like to be. And a red dress.
34. What kept you sane?
What keeps anyone sane? Music, books, writing, fruit, my friends, exercise, knitting, hugging, and copious amounts of alcohol.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Still David Tennant, also Pullo from Rome. Also Tina Fey, because who doesn't love her. And Emmeline Pankhurst.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Weirdly, SUFFRAGE. Being in England and studying the suffragettes just got me so riled up. I was a suffragette for Halloween, as you know, and I just got a custom sweatshirt for my birthday that says "Suffragette City" on it. I KNOW. It is awesome. Wham bam thank you ma'am!
37. Who did you miss?
The people I wasn't with.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
You know, before I met Drew my friends said I would hate him. And I believed them, because they are my friends. And then I looked at pictures of him on Facebook and realized that he was incredibly dreamy. And then we met in March and drank a lot of Jack Daniel's. And then I obsessed about him for a really long time and now we are dating. So, in short, Drew.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
There are good people everywhere in the world, and some of them will let you sleep on their couch.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Because this is a dumb question: "A couple of the sounds I really like are the sounds of a switchblade and a motorbike".
Yeah right, Elton.