1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
Um, sometimes my dad reads this? So I'm not gonna say? But it's super fun and happy!
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I distinctly remember not making New Year's resolutions last year. I was calling them New Year's intentions, and I think my goal was, in general, to live my best life. I definitely started doing that; although the end of this year ended dramatically different from the way it began.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, but next year the answer is gonna be YES! Because WOO! Someone awesome is growing a little person inside them and YEAH, we're gonna love it a lot!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, because they are strong, bad-ass people who not only "beat the odds," but they also take the odds out back, pummel the odds to a pulp and eat the odds for breakfast.
5. What countries did you visit?
Sadly, I stayed in the perimeters of the US this year.
7. What dates from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Jan 30th- My future began shaping up completely differently from the way I had been planning.
May 7th- my sister married her soulmate.
Aug. 19- the world turned right-side-up again
Nov. 4th- my best friend realized her heart's true happiness.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting three important women in my life through their weddings, and documenting all three with photos I'm genuinely proud of.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being able to make things right with Scott and Cara.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Does my broken heart count since it doesn't feel broken anymore? Oh, the Great Little League Hot Dog Debacle sucked. Yeah, that's my New year's resolution for 2006. No more food poisoning, please.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My stompy polka dot rain boots.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My friends who live in the computer. Thanks, Lauren, Shannon and Cindy! Oh, and Shannon for kicking the Breast Cancer 3-Day with her oozing foot.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
George W. Bush. Just.. Gah. Yeah. George W. Bush. And his family. Trent Lott's house is gonna be rebuilt, people. Meanwhile, women and children are being raped in the Astrodome. But that's okay, 'cause it's really a much better situation for them than the poverty they were living in, right Babs?. ::Loud THUNK as my head crashes down on the desk:::
14. Where did most of your money go?
Wedding-related travel and bridal showers. It was so worth it, because I saw my favorite people more in the past year than I have in a decade. That fuckin' rocked. I also liked the part where the guests-of-honor hugged me and said I got the mood, games and food and everything exactly, exactly right and it was just what they wanted.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Meeting Frenchy (see below). Also, I went completely ape-shit over the latest Harry Potter Book. I don't care if I'm 26; I love that boy wizard. Also, the Welcome Back Potter celebrations always feel like Christmas Eve to me, where you anticipate it for weeks, you get something you really want, and it's all kind of magical and make-believe but you just don't care. I stopped believing in Santa when I was 5, and I don't remember the first two Christmases when I did believe. I really only have three memories of truly believing in Santa, so I treasure that "ONLY TWO MORE HOURS!!!" feeling. I envy the kids who are getting to grow up with this summertime tradition.
16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
"In My Life" by John Lennon
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? much happier
b) thinner or fatter? Well, I don't weigh myself ever ever ever, so it's hard to say. If anything, I measure my size by J.Jill's straight-leg jeans. I dropped two sizes this year.
c) richer or poorer? financially better off, and my life is deeply, deeply richer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
dancing
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
crying
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I don't know if it counts are "my favorite," but I watched an inordinate amount of "Law and Order: SVU." The drama, the formula, believing in the redemptive powers of Benson and Stabler, it was sort of comforting in its uniformity. I couldn't turn it off. Of course, the fact that there's always an episode of Law and Order on, any time of the day or night, may have contributed to that.
25. What was the best book you read?
three-way tie! (in no particular order)
a.) "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult
b.) "HP and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
c.) "Down Home" by Gwen Robin Glazer
a promotion!
28. What did you want and not get?
a dishwasher. I would live in a cardboard box if it had a dishwasher.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
"In Her Shoes." Love the lovely Jennifer Weiner.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Huh. I don't know how to answer that one. My year was pretty damn satisfying, actually. I don't know. I did a lot of "pruning" this year. That makes my year sound like a bonzai tree. I left a lot of toxic dynamics at work and work-related friendships behind. I got closure, both romantic and platonic, with relationships that had apparently exceeded their expiration dates. I guess it would have been immeasurably more satisfying if pruning didn't hurt so much while it was happening.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
I really had a "I'm spending the money I would have used to buy you an iPod at Ann Taylor Loft" thing going on.
33. What kept you sane?
Oh my God, my friends and family. Especially my sisterfriends. Oh, and the pets for loving me unconditionally and resting their little furry heads on me just when I needed a snuggle. Yeah.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
War in Iraq. Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement and the ensuing "pitbull in size 6 shoes" catastrophe. When you're the kind of person who walks round with an "If you aren't outraged, you're not paying attention" button, (and I do), it's hard to choose.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Joel. Totally. Hands down. Although it's worth noting that he brought a lot of other really great people into my life...
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
I've never, ever believed in the platitude "everything happens for a reason." I still don't. I do, however, believe that if you respond to everything life throws at you in a reasonable way; in time, maybe even years from now, the reason will reveal itself.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"I knew that I loved you/
when we were flying home in the dark./
Your hand on the wheel while I was trying to take my jacket off,
My foot on the gas/
your eyes fast to the road ahead of us./
I never felt such trust./
And I recall, in my sleep/
how you changed my life on Magnolia Street./
A dream, but it's true/
I am not the same since I met you./
I knew that I loved you the first time I got into your car./
5 comments:
Isn't a meme some sociological term for like a 'group idea' or something like that? I suppose I could look it up but I'm far too lazy.
Hah!! I'm so smart:
n. : A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.
n. : A cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior) that is passed from one generation to another by nongenetic means (as by imitation); "memes are the cultural counterpart of genes"
The astute might point out that I actually didn't know until I looked it up, and say that I'm not as smart as I say I am. Screw the astute.
Huh. Gwen told me it's a word for a basic framework of questions, kind of like a chainletter that goes around the internet.
I'm happy to be your friend in the computer, oozing foot, lice-filled house and all.
Besides, I have The Cuteness, which sort of outweighs all the grossness. :)
Ange - I emailed you at the gypsyp*ach address -- just want to make sure you got it!!!
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