last year
I'm pretty sure I cribbed this last year from gloriamunty, and, creature of habit that I am, here it is again:
1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Um . . . I set foot outside of the U.S.A., but don't worry. I'll never stray for long. I love this place.
2. Did you keep your new years resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I always make a few, but the one significant resolution I made last year was that I wouldn't smoke a single cigarette in 2007, and I kept it. Resolution resolved!
My roommate Paul, whose mother is, like, into the Bible or something, suggested to him that "eight is the number of new beginnings," which I like the sound of so much that I've decided to make eight resolutions for the coming year:
(1) Write that novel
(2) Start an exercise thing, but something less gay than going to a gym. Jiu-jitsu perhaps, or Tai Chi. Movement is what's important here.
(3) Take the GRE, whether or not I use it this year.
(4) Do some volunteer work. Clean up a park or read to old people. Something.
(5) Start a professional-looking writer's blog. Use it.
(6) Acquire modest means of music production. I don't necessarily have to use it, but I probably will.
(7) Respond to emails and letters ASAP, no more letting them sit in my inbox or on my desk indefinitely.
(8) Be awesomer.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. My stepsister, Renae, gave birth to my 2nd nephew, Ari Reginald back in January. Also, my former roommates Joe and Jamie had their first daughter, Francesca, about two weeks after moving out of my apartment. Phew!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thank God, no. I think this is the first year in years that I've been able to say that.
5. What countries did you visit?
Italy and Fire Island
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Millions and millions of dollars. Way more than I know what to do with. Barring that, a decent job with benefits.
7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Um . . I guess there are a few, but they're mostly too personal to relate here.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Um . . I guess I'm now, like, the project manager of the Morning News's Mp3 Digest, which is pretty awesome. Big thanks to anyone who's helped with that.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Being a boyfriend.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Lots of colds, I guess. Nothing much else.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
As usual, I'd like to say drugs, but it was probably that hat that some of you might have seen me sporting around town.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I've been blessed with some solid friends. Joe, Paul, Dan, and Matthew come immediately to mind in the Being-Right-There-For-A-Brother Dept. My mom still manages to make everything okay, too. One hell of a woman, she is.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mostly just mine, but I also don't feel like pointing any fingers right now.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent and Life Cafe around the corner.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The retreat, going home for Thanksgiverning and Xmas, my hat, talking about being in a band, The Simpsons Movie.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
I don't know. For me there wasn't a really stand-out track of 2007, save for possibly Petra Haden's a capella version of "Don't Stop Believin'." I guess that M.I.A. song "Paper Planes" was, like, everywhere.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? probably the same
ii. thinner or fatter? the same
iii. richer or poorer? the same
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Drugs. Psychedelics, specifically.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying/Bitching/Moaning
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my dad and his in-laws in Peniscola, FL.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Toughie. Probably?
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I actually made a point of trying to catch 30 Rock on TV, which I haven't done for any show in a long time. Also, I started watching The Wire on DVD, which is, like, fucking amazing to me.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nah. Even when I do get really mad at people it usually passes in a few days. Not worth the effort.
25. What was the best book you read?
Against the Day, I think, even though I haven't finished it yet. The Master and Margarita's also the shit.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Um . . I know I should have an answer for this, but . . . I guess Sissy Wish and the Bees are pretty great. I know a lot of people are going to say it, but Vampire Weekend is really good, too.
27. What did you want and get?
Um . . a new hat?
28. What did you want and not get?
Another hat. And an external hard drive.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
The best movies I saw last year were No Country For Old Men, This is England, and The Darjeeling Limited, and No Country was way ahead of the other two.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
My friends James and Melissa came in to town and we went to the Levee and got crunk. I turned 28.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Winning the lottery.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Cobbled? Lacking?
33. What kept you sane?
Who's to say I was kept sane?
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Probably Tina Fey.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
I guess I was most upset at all the ways that the Democrats fucked up their majority in Congress. They didn't really change anything once they got there, as much as they promised they would. Patriot Act stands, wire-tapping and water-boarding are still legal, war is still ok, still no budget. Lying fucktards. Can't say as I'm surprised, though.
36. Who did you miss?
This list just keeps getting longer every year. Let's just say everyone I've ever known who isn't a douche.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Heather, Dan, Ari, Beth F., Adam, Clint, Sam, Chloe, Laura, Llew, Eric F., Clay, Beth M., Pasha, Matty, Meg, Karen, um . . . I think that's it. There's probably more I'm forgetting.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Be safe, you say,
Whatever the mess you are, you're mine, ok"
The best part about that lyric is the sense that there a quotation marks in there, but you don't know quite where, specifically whose "ok" that is.
40. Did you enjoy this year?
Yeah, I did.
1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Um . . . I set foot outside of the U.S.A., but don't worry. I'll never stray for long. I love this place.
2. Did you keep your new years resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I always make a few, but the one significant resolution I made last year was that I wouldn't smoke a single cigarette in 2007, and I kept it. Resolution resolved!
My roommate Paul, whose mother is, like, into the Bible or something, suggested to him that "eight is the number of new beginnings," which I like the sound of so much that I've decided to make eight resolutions for the coming year:
(1) Write that novel
(2) Start an exercise thing, but something less gay than going to a gym. Jiu-jitsu perhaps, or Tai Chi. Movement is what's important here.
(3) Take the GRE, whether or not I use it this year.
(4) Do some volunteer work. Clean up a park or read to old people. Something.
(5) Start a professional-looking writer's blog. Use it.
(6) Acquire modest means of music production. I don't necessarily have to use it, but I probably will.
(7) Respond to emails and letters ASAP, no more letting them sit in my inbox or on my desk indefinitely.
(8) Be awesomer.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. My stepsister, Renae, gave birth to my 2nd nephew, Ari Reginald back in January. Also, my former roommates Joe and Jamie had their first daughter, Francesca, about two weeks after moving out of my apartment. Phew!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thank God, no. I think this is the first year in years that I've been able to say that.
5. What countries did you visit?
Italy and Fire Island
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Millions and millions of dollars. Way more than I know what to do with. Barring that, a decent job with benefits.
7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Um . . I guess there are a few, but they're mostly too personal to relate here.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Um . . I guess I'm now, like, the project manager of the Morning News's Mp3 Digest, which is pretty awesome. Big thanks to anyone who's helped with that.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Being a boyfriend.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Lots of colds, I guess. Nothing much else.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
As usual, I'd like to say drugs, but it was probably that hat that some of you might have seen me sporting around town.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I've been blessed with some solid friends. Joe, Paul, Dan, and Matthew come immediately to mind in the Being-Right-There-For-A-Brother Dept. My mom still manages to make everything okay, too. One hell of a woman, she is.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mostly just mine, but I also don't feel like pointing any fingers right now.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent and Life Cafe around the corner.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The retreat, going home for Thanksgiverning and Xmas, my hat, talking about being in a band, The Simpsons Movie.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
I don't know. For me there wasn't a really stand-out track of 2007, save for possibly Petra Haden's a capella version of "Don't Stop Believin'." I guess that M.I.A. song "Paper Planes" was, like, everywhere.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? probably the same
ii. thinner or fatter? the same
iii. richer or poorer? the same
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Drugs. Psychedelics, specifically.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying/Bitching/Moaning
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my dad and his in-laws in Peniscola, FL.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Toughie. Probably?
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I actually made a point of trying to catch 30 Rock on TV, which I haven't done for any show in a long time. Also, I started watching The Wire on DVD, which is, like, fucking amazing to me.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nah. Even when I do get really mad at people it usually passes in a few days. Not worth the effort.
25. What was the best book you read?
Against the Day, I think, even though I haven't finished it yet. The Master and Margarita's also the shit.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Um . . I know I should have an answer for this, but . . . I guess Sissy Wish and the Bees are pretty great. I know a lot of people are going to say it, but Vampire Weekend is really good, too.
27. What did you want and get?
Um . . a new hat?
28. What did you want and not get?
Another hat. And an external hard drive.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
The best movies I saw last year were No Country For Old Men, This is England, and The Darjeeling Limited, and No Country was way ahead of the other two.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
My friends James and Melissa came in to town and we went to the Levee and got crunk. I turned 28.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Winning the lottery.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Cobbled? Lacking?
33. What kept you sane?
Who's to say I was kept sane?
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Probably Tina Fey.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
I guess I was most upset at all the ways that the Democrats fucked up their majority in Congress. They didn't really change anything once they got there, as much as they promised they would. Patriot Act stands, wire-tapping and water-boarding are still legal, war is still ok, still no budget. Lying fucktards. Can't say as I'm surprised, though.
36. Who did you miss?
This list just keeps getting longer every year. Let's just say everyone I've ever known who isn't a douche.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Heather, Dan, Ari, Beth F., Adam, Clint, Sam, Chloe, Laura, Llew, Eric F., Clay, Beth M., Pasha, Matty, Meg, Karen, um . . . I think that's it. There's probably more I'm forgetting.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Be safe, you say,
Whatever the mess you are, you're mine, ok"
The best part about that lyric is the sense that there a quotation marks in there, but you don't know quite where, specifically whose "ok" that is.
40. Did you enjoy this year?
Yeah, I did.