Still working on the wedding post; meanwhile, here’s a fun meme I saw over at Lachlan’s.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Bought a new car. How thrilling. Not that I don’t appreciate my new car, I certainly do. But it’s not like I pushed the envelope, you know?
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I haven’t made NY resolutions since …. well, I can’t remember ever seriously making a NY resolution. The concept has always seemed stupid to me, like going on a diet. It is a truth universally known that a person in possession of a resolution must be in want of a disappointment.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No. Most of my friends are done with the breeding thing, as are my generation of my relatives. It will be a few years before the next wave of weddings/babies/divorces/babies/weddings begins anew.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, for which I am grateful. I had enough of that in my youth, so I hope this death-free stretch continues for many more years.
5. What countries did you visit?
South Dakota and Wyoming. Oh, you said “countries,” not “the country.” None then…
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A modicum of confidence in my fiction skills and a finished novel. A vacation in the United Kingdom.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I’ve never been one to remember actual dates for anything. Ask my friend Tom, who in the 20+ years we have been friends has only once received a birthday card from me during the correct month. I do remember events, however, and the first that are coming to mind during 2009 are the inauguration of Barack Obama, and the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. New beginnings and sudden endings.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
See #9.
9. What was your biggest failure?
For years now, I’ve refused to rank my undertakings as either “successes” or “failures.” If I wanted to reduce the richness of life to dualities, I’d get religion.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
For the past three years I’ve had a recurrings (goes away, then flares again) illness that resembles mono or the flu (minus a fever). I’ve seen physicians, chiropractors, naturopaths; been tested for mono, lyme disease, etc. several times. When they can’t identify it within a few visits/tests, doctors lose interest. So I do not know what it is; all I know is improved a lot when I had my IUD removed.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our Subaru. It feels very luxurious to me, what with things like heated seats – though the first time we used the, Kevin turned them on without telling me and I thought I wet my pants.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Whomever chose justice over peer pressure and did not sign that ridiculous Free Polanski petition.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No names! Bad juju.
14. Where did most of your money go?
I like to think to savings, though like everyone else, we paid a lot in regular old bills.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Every time I have a good writing day, I get inordinately excited. Of course, a bad writing day makes me go seriously emo – all is sourness and ruin! I’m going to go eat worms!
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
My mind doesn’t organize music like that. I have a friend who not only associates specific songs to specific years, but also to the season of that particular year. He gets annoyed when it comes on the radio during the wrong one.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier. I seem to get happier every year, I’m happy to say.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner, though I cannot say the same as for a), I am sad to say.
c) richer or poorer? Richer, mostly because we are better at saving money and I have lost interest in a lot of the material fascinations I once had, like clothes. If it doesn’t improve my writing, I’m not very interested.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Kevin’s brother and his sweetie came over. We exchanged gifts, had dinner, and then played some sort of Zombie card game that baffled me so I eventually went off to clean the horrendously messy kitchen which I thoroughly enjoyed. (I am wierd that way.)
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
In a manner of speaking. A true renewal of one’s feelings of appreciation for someone is just as good, if not better.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
House. Though Saving Grace runs a close second.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a pretty strong word.
24. What was the best book you read?
Tie: The Gargoyle and The Shadow of the Wind
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Didn’t make one this year, in my attempts to kick my iTunes addiction.
26. What did you want and get?
Gobs of books for Christmas. Seriously, my entire Amazon Wish List under my tree. Sweet!
27. What did you want and not get?
An diagnosis (see #10).
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Jane Eyre, the Masterpiece Theater version, which I got for Christmas. It’s the first film I’ve watched all the way through in a long time – and that’s saying something since it’s 3 hours long. It’s three years old though – I rarely watch recent films anymore. I watch everything on Netflix and it’s almost always a few years old. Lately, I haven’t even been able to watch the few that we’ve rented. Most films are mediocre to bad these days, so I get distracted easily. I have way too many other things I could do with the precious hours I am not at work or fulfilling some other obligation.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I honestly can’t remember. I turned 41, which may explain that. I know I didn’t have a party – that was the 40th. Hmmm…
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting further along in my novel. Or maybe just being happier with my writing. Yes, I think the second one is more accurate.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Slacker Chic.
32. What kept you sane?
Being creative and my sweetie.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
This is a good summary of my 2009 celeb crushes; latest is Toby Stephens (see #28). As far as public figures go, I’m impressed with Hillary’s ability to shake off the haters without sinking to their level.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Abortion rights. They’re anything but guaranteed, ladies.
35. Who did you miss?
My maternal grandmother.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
A very nice 70 year old woman at the wedding I attended on New Year’s Eve. She was super-friendly and genuinely nice. I went out of my way to visit with her (hoped it would rub off on me).
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
This, too, shall pass. OK, I re-learned it…but every time I do, I value it more.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Don’t bring me bad news, no bad news / I don’t need none of your bad news today / You can’t have my fear, I’ve got nothing to lose, can’t have my fear / I’m not getting out of here alive anyway / And I don’t need none of these things, I don’t need none of these things / I’ve been handed / And the bird of peace is flying over, she’s flying over and / Coming in for a landing (No Bad News, Patty Griffin)
