My Year In Review, 2009
I stole this off Eric's blog cause it looked like a meme kinda thing, and I am in the mood for that. Deal.
1) Compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder?
I'm definitely not sadder, but I don't feel noticeably happier either. So the same I guess.
ii. thinner or fatter?
Fatter - this time last year I'd lost 20lbs from my all time (recorded) high. Honestly though, I haven't dared step on a scale lately for fear of crushing my own soul, but nothing fits tighter or looser than usual so I'm probably back to that averaged high.
iii. richer or poorer?
Probably slightly poorer, only because both of us got Christmasy bonuses last year and this year just Dominic did.
2) What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Hmm. Went to Boston. Went to Texas. Quit a job (technically my jobs before were all jobs with pre-set time limits like a semester or summer, and then I was fired from the job in Berkeley as I was about ready to quit). Saw the Red Sox play at Fenway Park. There's probably more...
3) Did you keep last year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I stopped making resolutions a couple years ago because I never kept them. So since I didn't make any resolutions, I technically kept them lol. No, I'm not so much making a resolution as I am saying that I just need to step it up on getting healthier.
4) Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, not really. I know people that had children, but no one super close.
5) Did anyone close to you die?
No, again, no one close.
6) What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Serenity. I'm always stressing about things, even if they're not that bad. I want that feeling that everything is fine again. Although I don't think I'll get it.
7) What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Maybe September 19th, because that's when I quit my job & moved on after almost 5 years.
8) What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting the new job. I count that as an acheivement because my soul was so close to crushed at the old job that I wasn't sure I'd really be good enough to get a job anywhere else that wasn't a total half-assed operation.
9) What was your biggest failure?
Not continuing to lose that weight and falling off my diet.
10) Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, not really.
11) What was the best thing you bought?
Maybe my GPS or iPod or Wii. Or all of the above.
12) Whose behavior merited celebration?
What the hell kind of question is this? No one overly impressed me. Wait, that's not entirely true... in the last couple of week's my mom's lucidity has actually given me some hope for her...although I've been burned by that hope before I don't want to celebrate it too much.
13) Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one really, but if anyone, just my own.
14) Where did most of your money go?
Rent & car payments I bet; they're our two most expensive bills. Otherwise, nothing too crazy.
15) What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Now that I've been reminded about it through Eric's blog, I was unusually excited/inspired by Obama winning. But, even moreso, that I was able to connect myself to an industry that makes me relatively happy to be part of - I didn't think I could do that after quietly giving up on that dream of being a playwright.
16) What song will always remind you of 2008?
There's a bent appeal in saying "Never Gonna Give You Up" since this did seem to be the year of the RickRoll... but more likely it'll be "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry just because of the night we first heard it and Katie's comments lol.
17) How many different states did you travel to this year?
Nevada to Las Vegas a couple times for conferences & the Tahoe area for our anniversary trip, Massachusettes to Boston twice for conferences, Texas to Dallas to meet coworkers and start my new job, and Oregon for Christmas where I am right now, so I guess that makes 4 outside of California.
18) What was your favorite film of this year?
Toss up between Iron Man & The Dark Knight. Zach & Miri Make A Porno was excellent too, but not quiet as epic obviously.
19) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turning 27 really freaked me out for some unknown reason. We went to City Beach in Fremont for some pool and rockwall climbing for Rachel.
20) What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Had my new job come with a higher salary - just so I could add more of an "in your FACE" to my old one... and not had to worry so much about money.
21) How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Same as usual in terms of being a real t-shirt & jeans kinda gal, but I have made slightly more of an attempt to improve some of the nicer shirts I have and find things that are not just professional, but I'm comfortable in and flatter me, which isn't easy.
22) Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Can't think of someone I was enamored with really.
23) What political issue stirred you the most?
I was pissed that the US could be so forward-thinking as to elect a black man and that California could be so closed fucking minded as to pass prop 8. The fight's not over on that one though, I'm sure. It doesn't affect me too directly as the gay people I do know aren't racing to get married or anything, but it offends my sensibilities and sense of justice and equality. In ways I didn't know I could be offended.
24) Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Despite telling my cats "I hate you SO MUCH right now" from time to time when they fuck up, hate really is a strong word. There are definitely some people I've completely lost respect for since this time last year (one just yesterday totally lost any respect I once had for him) but not hate.
25) Who did you miss?
I missed my friend Tom, but really, I missed the cool quirky kid he was before he moved away. It's partially my fault that I haven't seen him since he moved back to Cali 6 months ago because I'm so afraid that it won't be the same; he's gone through some shit and grown up. Of the good friends I've had before that moved away, namely Jackie and Tiffany, it was different. I missed them, but what you're really missing is the person they were when you knew them. There's no anticipation that they've come back, and I never really stopped to think that it's not really the same person coming back that you knew before. So with that in mind, there's a lot of people I miss that I actually see sometimes :/
26) Who was the best new person you met?
Some industry people, Connie & Lisa. They were so generous and kind to just take a liking to me and let me roll with them at different shows. It's a great feeling.
27) Did you fall in love in 2008?
I fell more in love, if that counts.
28) Did you make any new friends?
I hope to consider Connie & Lisa friends, so see 26.
29) What was your favorite month of 2008?
September was definitely exciting - 3 trips (two of which were out of state) back to back to back, with my quitting my job thrown in between.
30) Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Yes...and I'll just leave it at that.
31) What was your proudest moment?
When I was asked to speak at a training thing in Boston that Affiliate Classroom put on. To have gone from attending their training session in February to them asking me to come speak at their next one in August was a great feeling.
32) What was your most embarrassing moment?
A couple weeks ago in Emeryville. Lorenza, you're sworn to secrecy, bitch!
33) If you could go back in time to any moment of '08 and change something, what would it be?
I can't think of anything so obviously bad that I would have changed it.
34) How many people that you know have either been engaged or married this year?
Nic & Nikki, my favorite since I had a hand in their first meeting...or, was at least there for it! Veronica also kinda got engaged this year, Dom's family friends Matt & Amanda got engaged, and Katie's step sister was recently proposed to, and I have to assume she said yes (the 15 month old daughter they have is kind of a dead giveaway as to the answer). I don't think I know of anyone who tied the knot this year, though.
35) Were you a bridsemaid or groomsman?
Nope - was only ever a bridesmaid once at Jennie's wedding in '03. At the rate these bitches I call friends are going I don't see being one again for awhile...
36) Did you have any vices in '08?
I didn't overeat to the point of vice, but I ate the wrong things to the point of vice. That's really about it since I don't drink hardly at all and don't smoke anything, the things people traditionally think of as vices.
37) Was 2008 a good year for you?
All in all I can't complain, sure.
38) What are your plans for 2009?
The first big thing is going on a cruise to the Caribbean with Katie & a ton of friends from the View Askew message board. I'd like to make it down to LA again for shits & giggles. Maybe come up to Oregon more than my usual once per year with Dominic now that I can work from anywhere. I'm still debating whether or not to buy a puppy from Dom's aunt, so a dog might be in my future, we'll see. I also want to go camping again this summer.
39) Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Hmm... don't know, I'll get back to you.
40) Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
A couple will have to work...
"It makes me mad...'cause I want to be happy SO bad."
"How many times can I break 'til I shatter?"
1) Compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder?
I'm definitely not sadder, but I don't feel noticeably happier either. So the same I guess.
ii. thinner or fatter?
Fatter - this time last year I'd lost 20lbs from my all time (recorded) high. Honestly though, I haven't dared step on a scale lately for fear of crushing my own soul, but nothing fits tighter or looser than usual so I'm probably back to that averaged high.
iii. richer or poorer?
Probably slightly poorer, only because both of us got Christmasy bonuses last year and this year just Dominic did.
2) What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Hmm. Went to Boston. Went to Texas. Quit a job (technically my jobs before were all jobs with pre-set time limits like a semester or summer, and then I was fired from the job in Berkeley as I was about ready to quit). Saw the Red Sox play at Fenway Park. There's probably more...
3) Did you keep last year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I stopped making resolutions a couple years ago because I never kept them. So since I didn't make any resolutions, I technically kept them lol. No, I'm not so much making a resolution as I am saying that I just need to step it up on getting healthier.
4) Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, not really. I know people that had children, but no one super close.
5) Did anyone close to you die?
No, again, no one close.
6) What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Serenity. I'm always stressing about things, even if they're not that bad. I want that feeling that everything is fine again. Although I don't think I'll get it.
7) What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Maybe September 19th, because that's when I quit my job & moved on after almost 5 years.
8) What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting the new job. I count that as an acheivement because my soul was so close to crushed at the old job that I wasn't sure I'd really be good enough to get a job anywhere else that wasn't a total half-assed operation.
9) What was your biggest failure?
Not continuing to lose that weight and falling off my diet.
10) Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, not really.
11) What was the best thing you bought?
Maybe my GPS or iPod or Wii. Or all of the above.
12) Whose behavior merited celebration?
What the hell kind of question is this? No one overly impressed me. Wait, that's not entirely true... in the last couple of week's my mom's lucidity has actually given me some hope for her...although I've been burned by that hope before I don't want to celebrate it too much.
13) Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one really, but if anyone, just my own.
14) Where did most of your money go?
Rent & car payments I bet; they're our two most expensive bills. Otherwise, nothing too crazy.
15) What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Now that I've been reminded about it through Eric's blog, I was unusually excited/inspired by Obama winning. But, even moreso, that I was able to connect myself to an industry that makes me relatively happy to be part of - I didn't think I could do that after quietly giving up on that dream of being a playwright.
16) What song will always remind you of 2008?
There's a bent appeal in saying "Never Gonna Give You Up" since this did seem to be the year of the RickRoll... but more likely it'll be "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry just because of the night we first heard it and Katie's comments lol.
17) How many different states did you travel to this year?
Nevada to Las Vegas a couple times for conferences & the Tahoe area for our anniversary trip, Massachusettes to Boston twice for conferences, Texas to Dallas to meet coworkers and start my new job, and Oregon for Christmas where I am right now, so I guess that makes 4 outside of California.
18) What was your favorite film of this year?
Toss up between Iron Man & The Dark Knight. Zach & Miri Make A Porno was excellent too, but not quiet as epic obviously.
19) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turning 27 really freaked me out for some unknown reason. We went to City Beach in Fremont for some pool and rockwall climbing for Rachel.
20) What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Had my new job come with a higher salary - just so I could add more of an "in your FACE" to my old one... and not had to worry so much about money.
21) How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Same as usual in terms of being a real t-shirt & jeans kinda gal, but I have made slightly more of an attempt to improve some of the nicer shirts I have and find things that are not just professional, but I'm comfortable in and flatter me, which isn't easy.
22) Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Can't think of someone I was enamored with really.
23) What political issue stirred you the most?
I was pissed that the US could be so forward-thinking as to elect a black man and that California could be so closed fucking minded as to pass prop 8. The fight's not over on that one though, I'm sure. It doesn't affect me too directly as the gay people I do know aren't racing to get married or anything, but it offends my sensibilities and sense of justice and equality. In ways I didn't know I could be offended.
24) Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Despite telling my cats "I hate you SO MUCH right now" from time to time when they fuck up, hate really is a strong word. There are definitely some people I've completely lost respect for since this time last year (one just yesterday totally lost any respect I once had for him) but not hate.
25) Who did you miss?
I missed my friend Tom, but really, I missed the cool quirky kid he was before he moved away. It's partially my fault that I haven't seen him since he moved back to Cali 6 months ago because I'm so afraid that it won't be the same; he's gone through some shit and grown up. Of the good friends I've had before that moved away, namely Jackie and Tiffany, it was different. I missed them, but what you're really missing is the person they were when you knew them. There's no anticipation that they've come back, and I never really stopped to think that it's not really the same person coming back that you knew before. So with that in mind, there's a lot of people I miss that I actually see sometimes :/
26) Who was the best new person you met?
Some industry people, Connie & Lisa. They were so generous and kind to just take a liking to me and let me roll with them at different shows. It's a great feeling.
27) Did you fall in love in 2008?
I fell more in love, if that counts.
28) Did you make any new friends?
I hope to consider Connie & Lisa friends, so see 26.
29) What was your favorite month of 2008?
September was definitely exciting - 3 trips (two of which were out of state) back to back to back, with my quitting my job thrown in between.
30) Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Yes...and I'll just leave it at that.
31) What was your proudest moment?
When I was asked to speak at a training thing in Boston that Affiliate Classroom put on. To have gone from attending their training session in February to them asking me to come speak at their next one in August was a great feeling.
32) What was your most embarrassing moment?
A couple weeks ago in Emeryville. Lorenza, you're sworn to secrecy, bitch!
33) If you could go back in time to any moment of '08 and change something, what would it be?
I can't think of anything so obviously bad that I would have changed it.
34) How many people that you know have either been engaged or married this year?
Nic & Nikki, my favorite since I had a hand in their first meeting...or, was at least there for it! Veronica also kinda got engaged this year, Dom's family friends Matt & Amanda got engaged, and Katie's step sister was recently proposed to, and I have to assume she said yes (the 15 month old daughter they have is kind of a dead giveaway as to the answer). I don't think I know of anyone who tied the knot this year, though.
35) Were you a bridsemaid or groomsman?
Nope - was only ever a bridesmaid once at Jennie's wedding in '03. At the rate these bitches I call friends are going I don't see being one again for awhile...
36) Did you have any vices in '08?
I didn't overeat to the point of vice, but I ate the wrong things to the point of vice. That's really about it since I don't drink hardly at all and don't smoke anything, the things people traditionally think of as vices.
37) Was 2008 a good year for you?
All in all I can't complain, sure.
38) What are your plans for 2009?
The first big thing is going on a cruise to the Caribbean with Katie & a ton of friends from the View Askew message board. I'd like to make it down to LA again for shits & giggles. Maybe come up to Oregon more than my usual once per year with Dominic now that I can work from anywhere. I'm still debating whether or not to buy a puppy from Dom's aunt, so a dog might be in my future, we'll see. I also want to go camping again this summer.
39) Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Hmm... don't know, I'll get back to you.
40) Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
A couple will have to work...
"It makes me mad...'cause I want to be happy SO bad."
"How many times can I break 'til I shatter?"