The What I Did This Year Meme, Year 3
Got this from Liz, this year. I also did this same meme in 2005 and 2004. It's funny how many answers I'm just going to copy and paste directly from one to the next. I guess I don't change much.
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
- broke up with someone I loved
- received two good job offers simultaneously
- drove to Tennessee all by myself
- used a week's worth of sick time to care for someone else
- traveled for business
- went to a roller derby
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I'm still posting the books I read, but that's more of a habit now than a resolution. I don't know that I had any resolutions last year. I don't know that I want to make any for next year, either. My life's too up in the air to make myself any promises. Except that I'm going to keep up with yoga, that much I can promise.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, Joanna Chancellor did. Her son Connor is beautiful. And about 20 different women I know are pregnant right now.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, Walt. (Technically he died in 2005, but I found out in 2006.)
5. What countries did you visit?
England. Does Bermuda count as a country?
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
More compassion for myself. (Last year, and the year before, I wrote, "Motivation to start writing again. Motivation to send things out to journals. Decisiveness. More appreciation for the good things I have." It's still applicable this year as well. Gee, that decisiveness thing sure doesn't seem to be happening, does it?)
7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March: my trip to London with Missi and Lauren. my parents' surgeries.
April: the realization that I needed to make a change. Dan Chancellor's wedding in Orlando, and meeting Amy and Alli for the first time.
May and June: putting the plan into action. packing. the end of the travel writing class. meeting the BTD and the mess that was.
July 3: goodbye.
July: crying into my Applebees salad. Bermuda. Nashville. finding cool stuff and dead birds in the attic.
August: Annie's wedding. Elan's wedding. The turtles doing it. August 17. Dragon*Con!! Meeting Chrysta at the airport.
September: holy multiple job offers, Batman.
October: dog sitting.
November: visiting Boston. Phoenix for business. Thanksgiving with my parents for the first time in years.
December: the Rainer Maria show. Saturday December 16.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Packing up my entire life and leaving Boston, my job, my friends, and my lover to move to Pennsylvania, and surviving it.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not trusting in myself, not having faith in myself, not being kind enough to myself.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A few colds.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My iPod is awesome. I also bought a car that I love but that is going to eat up a lot of my money for the next five years and that I wish I hadn't had to buy.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Everyone who helped me move: Amy, my parents, Laur and Missi especially, but all of you. And Jorn's. There was a lot of love and respect in our parting, and I'm really grateful for that.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one to blame here but myself, as always.
14. Where did most of your money go?
I dropped a bit over $400 on the iPod, but I had saved up for that. I probably spent a lot on the move. The new car was what blindsided me. That's where all my money's going for the next ever and ever.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
my iPod, the Rainer Maria show, the El Vez show, Saturday December 16, Elan's wedding, Dragon*Con.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
Probably that Dungen song, track 2 on Stadsvandringar.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? so much sadder. sometimes I feel like a big flesh sack full of sadness.
b) thinner or fatter? fatter. I miss walking to work every day.
c) richer or poorer? toss up on this one. I have a lot more in my savings--a lot more--but I also have a hefty car payment.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
accepting change gracefully. and yoga, but I really did keep up with that pretty well.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Going to copy 2004's answer and say "Whining, bitching, worrying, playing stupid internet games, complaining, worrying, getting upset, stressing out, hating my life." With a side order of "hating my thighs, hating my body, being hard on myself."
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
with my parents, not traveling.
21. Did you fall in love in 2006?
let's leave this question alone.
22. How many one-night stands?
I'm not a one-night kind of girl.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Lost, Heroes, Rockstar Supernova.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
Look for the answer to this one some time next month.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Crap, this is hard. Tilly and the Wall! Um, what else... Jim's German Industrial Mix #1, Rockstar Supernova, Massive Attack, Math the Band. And the Raiders of the Lost Ark soundtrack used for cheap.
27. What did you want and get?
a new life in Philly. (be careful what you wish for.)
28. What did you want and not get?
confidence.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Snakes on a Plane was spec-fucking-tacular.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 27. I decided to buy a car.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
winning the lottery and moving somewhere warm so I could just sleep and do yoga all the time. and a less painful transition to the whole new-life-in-philly thing.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
looking for pants. and trying not to look as overweight as I feel.
33. What kept you sane?
yoga, Amy, my parents, traveling, my friends.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Oh, Captain Jack Sparrow, I love you. I also love Desmond on LOST and Peter on HEROES.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
There should be a word like "vegetarian" for a person who doesn't like politics.
36. Who did you miss?
Mostly? Jorn. And Chelsea of course!
37. Who was the best new person you met?
I'm loving my coworker Jean. And Meg from my travel writing class this spring.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
Chin up, emo kid, you'll get there eventually.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I hate trying to come up with song lyrics, and I'm grumpy so I'm going to bed. You may nominate a song lyric if you like. Oh wait, I thought of something:
"And if, indeed, this was like our first marriage,
then you and I, together, can be like divorcees."
- Rainer Maria
That song always makes me cry. Now I shall take my melancholy ass off to bed, secure in the knowledge that this meme was a bad idea and so was this whole year. Let's hope 2007 is a marked improvement.
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
- broke up with someone I loved
- received two good job offers simultaneously
- drove to Tennessee all by myself
- used a week's worth of sick time to care for someone else
- traveled for business
- went to a roller derby
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I'm still posting the books I read, but that's more of a habit now than a resolution. I don't know that I had any resolutions last year. I don't know that I want to make any for next year, either. My life's too up in the air to make myself any promises. Except that I'm going to keep up with yoga, that much I can promise.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, Joanna Chancellor did. Her son Connor is beautiful. And about 20 different women I know are pregnant right now.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, Walt. (Technically he died in 2005, but I found out in 2006.)
5. What countries did you visit?
England. Does Bermuda count as a country?
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
More compassion for myself. (Last year, and the year before, I wrote, "Motivation to start writing again. Motivation to send things out to journals. Decisiveness. More appreciation for the good things I have." It's still applicable this year as well. Gee, that decisiveness thing sure doesn't seem to be happening, does it?)
7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March: my trip to London with Missi and Lauren. my parents' surgeries.
April: the realization that I needed to make a change. Dan Chancellor's wedding in Orlando, and meeting Amy and Alli for the first time.
May and June: putting the plan into action. packing. the end of the travel writing class. meeting the BTD and the mess that was.
July 3: goodbye.
July: crying into my Applebees salad. Bermuda. Nashville. finding cool stuff and dead birds in the attic.
August: Annie's wedding. Elan's wedding. The turtles doing it. August 17. Dragon*Con!! Meeting Chrysta at the airport.
September: holy multiple job offers, Batman.
October: dog sitting.
November: visiting Boston. Phoenix for business. Thanksgiving with my parents for the first time in years.
December: the Rainer Maria show. Saturday December 16.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Packing up my entire life and leaving Boston, my job, my friends, and my lover to move to Pennsylvania, and surviving it.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not trusting in myself, not having faith in myself, not being kind enough to myself.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A few colds.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My iPod is awesome. I also bought a car that I love but that is going to eat up a lot of my money for the next five years and that I wish I hadn't had to buy.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Everyone who helped me move: Amy, my parents, Laur and Missi especially, but all of you. And Jorn's. There was a lot of love and respect in our parting, and I'm really grateful for that.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one to blame here but myself, as always.
14. Where did most of your money go?
I dropped a bit over $400 on the iPod, but I had saved up for that. I probably spent a lot on the move. The new car was what blindsided me. That's where all my money's going for the next ever and ever.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
my iPod, the Rainer Maria show, the El Vez show, Saturday December 16, Elan's wedding, Dragon*Con.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
Probably that Dungen song, track 2 on Stadsvandringar.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? so much sadder. sometimes I feel like a big flesh sack full of sadness.
b) thinner or fatter? fatter. I miss walking to work every day.
c) richer or poorer? toss up on this one. I have a lot more in my savings--a lot more--but I also have a hefty car payment.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
accepting change gracefully. and yoga, but I really did keep up with that pretty well.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Going to copy 2004's answer and say "Whining, bitching, worrying, playing stupid internet games, complaining, worrying, getting upset, stressing out, hating my life." With a side order of "hating my thighs, hating my body, being hard on myself."
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
with my parents, not traveling.
21. Did you fall in love in 2006?
let's leave this question alone.
22. How many one-night stands?
I'm not a one-night kind of girl.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Lost, Heroes, Rockstar Supernova.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
Look for the answer to this one some time next month.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Crap, this is hard. Tilly and the Wall! Um, what else... Jim's German Industrial Mix #1, Rockstar Supernova, Massive Attack, Math the Band. And the Raiders of the Lost Ark soundtrack used for cheap.
27. What did you want and get?
a new life in Philly. (be careful what you wish for.)
28. What did you want and not get?
confidence.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Snakes on a Plane was spec-fucking-tacular.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 27. I decided to buy a car.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
winning the lottery and moving somewhere warm so I could just sleep and do yoga all the time. and a less painful transition to the whole new-life-in-philly thing.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
looking for pants. and trying not to look as overweight as I feel.
33. What kept you sane?
yoga, Amy, my parents, traveling, my friends.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Oh, Captain Jack Sparrow, I love you. I also love Desmond on LOST and Peter on HEROES.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
There should be a word like "vegetarian" for a person who doesn't like politics.
36. Who did you miss?
Mostly? Jorn. And Chelsea of course!
37. Who was the best new person you met?
I'm loving my coworker Jean. And Meg from my travel writing class this spring.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
Chin up, emo kid, you'll get there eventually.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I hate trying to come up with song lyrics, and I'm grumpy so I'm going to bed. You may nominate a song lyric if you like. Oh wait, I thought of something:
"And if, indeed, this was like our first marriage,
then you and I, together, can be like divorcees."
- Rainer Maria
That song always makes me cry. Now I shall take my melancholy ass off to bed, secure in the knowledge that this meme was a bad idea and so was this whole year. Let's hope 2007 is a marked improvement.