(no subject)
1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?
uhm, let's see...gone to Europe, rang in the New Year with food poisoning, had a romantic weekend getaway with someone I loved, studied abroad, navigated my way through a long stay in a country where the language was not one of my first, turned 18, gotten paid to work with children for weeks at a time, visited classical sites....
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't tend to make New Year's Resolutions
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
nein
4. Did anyone close to you die?
nope, happily
5. What countries did you visit?
Burma (crossover from the tail-end of 2003), France, Scotland, Italy, and very soon, Ireland
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
an academically-oriented job that pays but does not cause me to cry many nights from stress? I'm not sure...
7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
lots of masses of time will remain etched, because I did so many absolutely incredible things. but probably one date - September 18, leaving for Scotland
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
my incredible academic success my spring semester? getting accepted to St Andrews? surviving the SIG job?
9. What was your biggest failure?
well, I don't know...a lot of social things turned out really poorly...friendships shifted in directions I wasn't very happy about...but I don't think it's fair to blame myself for those things. I'd rather say my comparatively poor grade in French and leave it at that :-P
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
serious food poisoning causing excesses of vomiting in Burma, but otherwise no, not really
11. What was the best thing you bought?
probably my iPod for its wonderful handiness...or one of my model horses that will have no significance to most of you (for those who it will be meaningful to: my Carol Williams Park Arab, not because she's the most amazing or favorite horse I bought this year, but because she is the most special to me, being that I've wanted a Carol paintjob for years because she is my painting idol, and without her book I would have been so ignorant about painting and never leanred a thing)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Gil, John, Lauren...
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I don't really want to name names here...not really fair...I could name some people in the hobby though *gags*
14. Where did most of your money go?
model horses, books, camera stuff
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
being at the Louvre, even for a few short hours, and Paris in general, and spending a week mini-road-tripping with John
16. What song will always remind you of 2004?
probably just about anything from The Dresden Dolls' self-titled album or "You Are the Quarry" by Morrissey
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder?
this time last year? probably not quite as actively, outwardly HAPPY, but not worse off
Thinner or fatter?
significantly heavier, due to the 10-15 pounds I packed on over the summer due to the GARBAGE I ate at SIG and the indulgence in France
Richer or poorer?
probably about the same...though I earned a lot of money this year, I spent way too much :-P
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
painted model horses, and GOOD GOD READ MORE BOOKS
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
staying on the computer so much...uhm...yeah
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
probably cooking for myself and then reading some good books while I eagerly anticipate John's arrival the next day
21. How will you be spending New Year's Eve?
in Dublin with my love and my wonderful Jewish-auntie friend!
22. Did you fall in love in 2004?
I fell more and more in love as the months went by ;-)
23. How many one-night stands?
ehm, none
24. What was your favorite TV program?
I really haven't watched much TV except for a ridiculous excess of Queer As Folk whenever I was home, with Talya and/or Kyle, and a dash of Simpsons here and there
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
The flatmate is a pretty close one for hatred, but he's suddenly morphed into a paragon of politeness and virtue this week so...but he definitely inspired hate in me like I've never felt before. I feel a lot more bitterness towards some people than ever before, but no real hatred.
26. What was the best book you read?
Jesus, stupid questions. Ehm...gads, probably something from Bernie's class (Writers From the Other Europe), or maybe...no wait...I read a TON of books this year, between Bernieclass and France and Burma...oh and the cruise in Alaska too! Man. I really did. Let's say for non-fiction (of which I read admittedly very little), either Thucydides or Kaplan's The Coming Anarchy, and for fiction...let's see, either 1984, Life with a Star by Weil, or The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (Kundera).
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
My re-discovery of the Smiths, and of course the Dresden Dolls
28. What did you want and get?
Well...I wanted a Sarah Minkiewicz resin and lucked out by buying Otto AND getting Spinny for free! w00t!
29. What did you want and not get?
I wanted to be considered competent enough at driving by my parents to be able to have a car spring semester, because thanks to my three jobs on campus I was able to contribute to the upkeep. No such luck.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
not Troy, that's for damn sure...eh, probably Shrek 2
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 18...I went to West Point and then this lake at a state park for swimming at with kids from SIG...then that night I had a little surprise party thrown for me and I chilled with people at a restaurant/bar near campus afterwards. It was strangely relaxing for a workday. A few days later I celebrated with John by going to New York to see Ben Folds, which was preceded by excellent Indian food.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
uhm...less time apart from John? that's stupid. more book reading time, though I got some respectable blocks of time while traveling.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
schlumpily comfortable and totally unfashionable. ooooh yeah!
34. What kept you sane?
being able to escape the Simon's Rock campus for the anonymous comforts of UMass...
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
meh, no one
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
oh, the election. i know, typical.
37. Who did you miss?
who did I miss? well I don't know. I guess I missed Lauren and Natalka a whole lot because I didn't see nearly enough of them...and so I guess the same could be said for Jen and Michelle...but I always miss all those gals! I just don't see them often enough. Also I really miss Maryann now! God she'd have been such a lifesaver this semeser.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Well I've really enjoyed getting to know Christina this fall...also Rachel and Stephane at SIG were awesome. And getting to know Gil better!
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004.
Stop feeling guilty and just keep being proactive about your life.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Well...this is kinda close. It's interesting enough.
I was spending my days with my demons, yeah
They had taken up inside of my heart
They were trying to keep me entertained
They were tearing me apart
Well my memory, she was packing, yeah
And I knew that she would never come back
She handed me a letter and
Then she vanished in the black
And the letter said:
Things are what you make of them
Things are what you make of them, baby
And you know what I mean
Yeah, you know what I mean (Bishop Allen, "Things Are What You Make of Them")