year in review
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
well the big one's pretty easy. got married! obviously it was the thing that really defined this year. i also wrote my first program for making music that is designed to be used by people outside of the geeksquad i was involved with at MIT, which has been a big learning experiece.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more
for next year?
i don't think i had explicit new year's resolutions last year. as for this year, i am going to make a couple small ones (become more capable with french and learn to play the guitar) and a more general big one to try and stay on top of things that need to get done. i don't think i was lazy last year, but i certainly could have done a better job remembering and acting on a lot of things.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
not sure if they're "close" to me, but jasonlizard and his wife had a kid and we visited them at their apartment 2 days prior, so that was pretty awesome. also, a friend at work and his wife had their kid the same day (at the same hospital even) and i'm quite happy for them as well. those are some lucky kids surrounded by big brains and kind hearts.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
not close to me, but there was someone that bridget knew for a long time and it hit her quite hard. i never met him but from what i saw and learned afterwards made me i wish i had. also, bridget's family dog died, and he was a wonderful creature. i'm much more of a cat person, but devon was special.
5. What countries did you visit?
iceland! i think there might have been a trip to canada as well, though i'm really not sure. not a lot of travel this past year but next year is looking more promising on that front.
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
i want bridget 100% healthy again. we're definitely pointed in the right direction & she has a great doctor on the case so i know this will happen. along with that, more free time is a big one. the wedding was a lot of work (big surprise eh?) and PSPSeq really consumed me quite a bit as well. and i don't want free time to be spent lazing about, it's more that i want the ability to allocate time more freely rather than feel like it's all taken by a couple big things.
7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
absolutely 9/9. it was a whirlwind, but having that day with bridget was awesome. plus having the people that shaped us into who we are today offering their love and good wishes meant a lot. 3 other dates are 9/13 (the day we stayed at the skylofts; the most ridiculously posh day i've had and perhaps ever will have), 12/25 (christmas snow + blue lagoon + crazy icelandic scenery + a truly amazing dinner, how could it not stay with me?), and 1/23 (bridget's birthday, big surprise party at taberno de haro & ceremony plus the explodingdog cake).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
planning the wedding and having it go as smoothly as one could possibly hope for. also, writing a rather complex program, receiving some glowing praise, and seeing it start to develop a life of its own.
9. What was your biggest failure?
continuing to fall into some of my bad habits and becoming more 1-dimensional than i want to be. also seeing the DSP music syndicate completely disappear without creating what we set out to do, though that's not a failure i can exactly pin on myself. its more of a general disappointment from that whole experience. at least i learned some important things and developed a couple friendships, so i don't consider the entire time a failure at all. there was just much more promise than we were able to squeeze out of it.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
nope, last year was actually probably about the healthiest year i've had. i don't even remember missing a day of work from being sick. though being with bridget as she's continued to fight through her sinus problems has really affected me and has probably been the hardest thing about this past year.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
the trip to iceland (bridget's christmas present). such a wonderful experience and i'm glad we were able to do it. second place is the swanky LCD TV which makes the xbox 360 oh so pretty.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
bridget, for her strength and doing everything she can to feel better. also, to all the people who saw through all the bullshit in government and voted against the republicans in the elections. i know that not everything is going to change or even necessarily change for the better, but at least it seems that a lot of people came to their senses.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
ummm, anyone who voted republican? and heaps of appalledness on the executive branch who are completely out of touch with reality.
14. Where did most of your money go?
here and here. at least the food and venue were just what we wanted. after that, simply nickled and dimed away in life.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
9-9-06!
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
untitled 4 by sigur ros. last song i heard as a single man. :) also the book of love by the magnetic fields. by virtue of the fact that it was the song we did our first dance to, i'm sure i heard it more than any other.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder?
happier.
ii. Thinner or fatter?
about the same i'd say. maybe a couple pounds heavier. nothing a month back at the gym can't fix.
iii. richer or poorer?
between the wedding and analog devices's stock price, poorer. alas.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
socialized, gone dancing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
procrastination.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
already spent! floated in the blue lagoon, ate one of the best meals i've ever had, hung out with a friend of bridget's, went on a late night hunt for the northern lights. a perfect day.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
not much of a phone person. most of my calls were to my dad. didn't do a great job keeping up with friends.
22. How many one-night stands?
none. wouldn't want to kill those wedding plans. ;)
23. What was your favourite TV program?
got into lost, though it definitely lost its way this season. rewatched a lot of buffy and angel, which are both still brilliant. parts of robot chicken were cute.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
not much on the people hating thing.
25. What was the best book you read?
ummm, i think the only book i read this year was slapstick. it was good, but the fact that it's the only book is quite embarrassing.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
not a good year for musical discoveries. at all. i finally got around to listening to prefuse 73 and it is definitely good stuff. most of the year was spent trying to digest music i already own.
27. What did you want and get?
a wife? ;) that's not a particularly accurate answer, but i did get to marry bridget which was something i wanted and is all sorts of wonderful, so maybe it does count. also, the opportunity to explore iceland together, since it's a place that resonates strongly for both of us and was an early point of conversation when we first met.
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
there were movies this year? i probably only went to a couple in the theatre so i think i need to punt this one.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
went to a punk/hardcore show on long island of course, how i spend every birthday! it was a tribute concert for james, bridget's friend who died. it was touching seeing all the bands and people there to remember him and also to experience something important from bridget's youth. the night previous (which served as my birthday as well) i hung out with bridget's friends. went to a diner and out for drinks afterwards. i turned 31.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
dull and comfy? lots of muted colors, little to no labels or slogans. wore my green hoodie every day that the weather permitted it, including today.
31. What kept you sane?
i don't really feel like i was ever really heading towards insanity this year, though some of the wedding planning was stressful. knowing that there was an end date and that the outcome would be worth it definitely helped keep everything in the proper context.
32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
none really. that's not how my mind works.
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
none in particular and everything in general. the elections and by proxy the referendum on the current administration was probably the one i read the most about, and am also most relieved over. we're definitely still not going in the right direction (that will take another 2 years to rectify), but at least it seems like the majority of americans agree to that much and that's a heartening start.
34. Who did you miss?
no one really; everyone i care for is still around or available online/phone and i'm very happy for that.
35. Did you fall in love in 2006?
how about i say i stayed in love, ok?
36. Who was the best new person you met?
diamondsea, did we meet this year? if so, you win!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
that i can't judge what i am or am not capable of before doing it, so don't put limitations on what you try.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
there are songs where people make vocal noises during the music? how annoying!
ok ok fine, here's one that is more morbid than i'd like but i love the sentiment and it's a song that makes me think of beautiful summer days with the windows rolled down driving off somewhere new with bridget:
What a beautiful face
I have found in this place
That is circling all round the sun
What a beautiful dream
That could flash on the screen
In a blink of an eye and be gone from me
Soft and sweet
Let me hold it close and keep it here with me
And one day we will die
And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea
But for now we are young
Let us lay in the sun
And count every beautiful thing we can see
Love to be
In the arms of all I'm keeping here with me
overall, it's been a unique year. definitely dominated by the wedding and PSPSeq. for the most part i've been kept very busy with both of those things. obviously the wedding is over and i'm trying to package up PSPSeq a bit so i will have more time to focus on new things. 2007 will most likely have at least one big decision in it (when/where bridget will go back to school) which will have consequences for years to come. plus there's the possibility for more work travel which is quite exciting. unlike 2006, where i could see pretty clearly where i'd be at the end of the year i really don't have that sort of visibility into this one. however, i do think i'm pretty well equipped and excited to see where it goes and have the awesomest person to experience it with, so let's get it started.