(no subject)
January- With Gabe moving in, I had to adjust (easily) to having a roommate who happened to be a drunken stoner. I found this quite enjoyable. It was great to be back on the fourth floor and cold weather. The January party scene was good and I was doing well in my initial classes. There was just a little growing discontentment with loneliness
February- This month was characterized by a drop in self esteem andgrowing loneliness. However, my initial troubles in psychology were overcome and I started doing much better in Chinese when I got so sick I could barely leave my room and had to study. Unfortunately, I got a 29 on the zo practical that week, a rather influential test. I hosted a few prospies at the end of the month which was really cool.
March- I got a girlfriend? Wait, now I'm in a commited relationship? That was fast. I went back to Houston for Spring Break and dropped Zoology. Partying took a decided decrease. Working the Spoon concert was nice except for the inability to party at the end and finding out that Spoon is a band of jerks.
semester end-Another month that's kind of a blur--I went to class, slacked in Functions and Models, spent a lot of time hanging out with Clare and the rest living in Martin. Unfortunately, I somehow caught mono at the end of the month (this made Wendy think I was skipping class) and was on atnibiotics for toga and bong off.
If it weren't for the mono I'd have 2 A's and a B but instead it was just 2 A's and a C.
late May-early June I left for China on the 16th of May and had to meet a whole but small new group of Hendrix students, alumni, and professors. I got to brush up on my Chinese, experience a new culture, make some new friends and win some points with my upcoming profs. I also learned that I really don't know anything about China but did learn what "made in China" means. I then spent three nights in Texas eating salad. My trip to Australia was less benefiical--sure I met some cool people and got to barhop through the country's eastern coast, but the conference wasn't the GYLC repeat I was expecting or hoping for. However, I did get to go to Australia.
late June-early July-I did nothing except unsuccessfully hunt for jobs. Also got diagnosed with fatty liver and started exercising
late July-early August- this was my time working backstage at Canoesport. Working at a small business for a wage was nice. The duo of Clare's visit to town and the parents' 30th anniversary party were great ways to take a weekend off at the beginning of August. I was also quite suprised to have some extended relations in town.
late August-arriving at school early really became hanging out with the RAs and meeting a few of the new Freshmen. Really didn't get out much or do any radio work. Shirttails was alright but I had to work the Girl Talk concert which was pretty insane. Classes were starting up but Chinese was taking a decidedly longer time to get off the ground.
September- Most of this month was eaten by my duties as program director. No partying, not much work for Scoop08, but Mom's visit for family weekend was very nice.
October- Classes were getting heavier but never became unmanageable. That doesn't mean Fall Break wasn't sorely needed though. I think this is the month where LJ disappeared. Also, many friends I normally kind of saw around started going to other places. The last weekend was still lots of fun though. This is wehn I started heavily working for theScoop.
November- Scoop08 launched in the beginning but my article got delayed until December. I was working quite a bit for both class and Scoop but then took an extended break for Thanksgiving. Again, that was much needed. Coming back from that break was somewhat painful but I immediately took a straight A mentality.
December-discovered caffeine, pulled off good grades, and then basically passed out, where I am today. I was very delayed getting in the holiday season but hit it at the end. The month was capped off by wanting to see people I hadn't seen in long enough and catching up.
what did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Live with a long-term roommate
ballroom, latin, and swing dancing
tai chi
attend a collegiate sports event
be bedriddenly ill
have a girlfriend (go on date)
dropped a class
meet currently elected officials (convinced a sitting governor to do my voicemail message)
get a salaried job [KHDX]
go to China (see holy sights for religions I don't practice, haggle, I'm sure other things)
converse with strangers in my non-native language
go to Australia (eat kangaroo, visit the Great Barrier Reef, get up close and personal with a koala)
get a wage job [at Canoesport]
get a pro bono job (I've been through the whole spectrum of work in just a few months!) [Scoop08]
done music for a party
take classes on business and religion (okay, and psychology)
have a favor done for me by a Congressman
become a nationally published journalist
did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My new year's resolution for 2007 was to lose 30 pounds. On January 1, 2007 I weighed 256 pounds and now I weigh 226--just barely made it. I don't know if I'll do one for this year since that would require setting a specific goal.
did anyone close to you give birth?
no
did anyone close to you die?
no
what countries did you visit?
I traveled extensively through China and Australia and ate at a McDonald's in Japan
what would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
more free time, more and better partying, a winning Quiz Bowl team, the ability to consume alcohol, efficient and effective study habits, better phone habits
what was your biggest achievement of the year?
Tough to say. If you were to give me a list of everything that I said I did in 2007 a year ago I'd probably find them all plausible except for the girlfriend one. That just came out of left field. That's definitely my best personal achievement. However with other big things--the journalist bit, getting the job with the radio station, losing 30 pounds--and what was previously mentioned everything just fell into place and wasn't challenging, therefore not really making them feel like achievements.
what was your biggest failure?
Not doing quiz bowl right--yeah, that was back in January. Soemtime in March or April I got a fortune cookie that said "You will succeed in whatever you attempt" and so far it hasn't really let me down
what was the best thing you bought?
maybe that DVD player from Beijing
whose behavior merited celebration?
just about everybody's
whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
MSM, some jerks around me, the government
where did most of your money go?
into my bank account where it has stayed
what did you get really, really, really excited about?
I don't get really really really excited. It's about as rational as pi.
what song will always remind you of 2007?
There are none. I didn't listen to anything long enough to get lasting memories.
compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? happier
thinner or fatter? thinner
richer or poorer? richer
what do you wish you'd done more of?
party (at last)
what do you wish you'd done less of?
study (at first)
how will you be spending Christmas?
sitting around with the family
did you fall in love in 2007?
surprisingly yes
How many one-night stands?
not enough
what were your favorite TV programs?
The Sopranos, 30 Rock, Slings and Arrows, My Name is Earl, Chuck Lorre's shows, Venture Bros.
do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
who said I hated anybody?
what was the best book you read?
who said I read anything?
what was your greatest musical discovery?
There were many but I didn't quite get into them so much to really learn a lot thoroughly. However:
Blur
several David Bowie and Neil Young albums also acquired from my pirating session with Luke
many priceless 70s pop singles
P-Funk
Ice Cube in all his incarnations
Gnarls Barkley
that awesome Sex Pistols bootleg
San Francisco garage rock
what did you want and get?
love
What did you want and not get?
nothing
what were your favorite films of this year?
Ratatouille, Sweeney Todd
what did you do on your birthday?
woke up, ate breakfast, turned in Buddhism paper, slept all afternoon, went to total body toning, slept more.
how would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
nobody's judging me but I still like shirts with buttons and collars
what kept you sane?
nothing seriously challenged my sanity
which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I only ever see the bad ones
what political issue stirred you the most?
the sheer uselessness of the MSM and its ability to reduce all political discussion to a retarded black-and-white one dimentional discussion and a bullshit "culture war"
who did you miss?
Clare while in Australia
who was the best new person you met?
also, Clare
tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
Time keeps going even if you don't
quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Welcome to the Goodtimes" -whole song- The Black Crowes