my 2006 in review
first and foremost, i was on top of my personal hard-copy correspondence this holiday season (that is, before i ran out of days in the year), but i have been very neglectful of my well-wishing of the online fashion. so before i go any further, let me tell each of you who hasn't yet heard that i wish nothing but the absolute sweetness and richness of life for each of you in all the coming days of 2007 and beyond! i am on a bit of a personal upswing in recent months, and i hope whatever wave of good times i am riding extends to lift and carry all those within the reach of my keystrokes!
that being said, i gakked one of those usual year-end memes from xtatic1. thanx, and feel free to swipe for yourself and post with perfidy. :D
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
visited france & italy. tried escargot & eggnog (um, but not together). threw an embarrassing temper-tantrum. vacationed alone. had surgery. made homemade ravioli. saw an opera.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
no. i never do. so this year, i've resolved not to make any resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
yes (unless this means someone in close *physical* proximity, in which case, no...)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
no.
5. What countries did you visit?
france, italy
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
a sense of job stability (coming along). enough $$ saved for a downpayment for a house (also coming along). an engagement ring (ha ha--just seeing if j is reading this lately... ;) ). freedom from the last of my credit card debt. peace with my own mortality.
7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
individual date? not sure. visiting the top of the eiffel tower at midnight in paris with j is a particular highlight. as was throwing coins into the fontana de trevi and seeing the david up close & personal. do it again, do it again!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
overcoming this year's round of anxiety.
9. What was your biggest failure?
still working on the 'at peace with myself' thing. does anyone ever achieve this?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
um, yeah. gamekeeper's thumb requiring surgery. removal of a mole on my tummy that has left me with a scar that looks a little like a 2nd belly-button. etc. etc.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
does one 'buy' a passport? my 'rick steve's guide to europe through the back door.' oh, and a little eiffel tower for my charm bracelet. :)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
j. his love & caring, unyielding support, patience, good humor and thoughtfulness have helped me so many times in the past year, i cannot even count.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
the republicans in charge of congress. the current occupant. that judge who said that a woman cannot rescind consent during a sexual encounter, once given, even if she changes her mind.
14. Where did most of your money go?
travel. paying off bills from travel. also, i've had *a lot* of fantastic meals & wine this year...
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
my trip to europe. my labor day weekend trip w/j. my 'bad taste party' this summer. all the new friends i have made here. getting a second chance after once behaving badly.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
i don't know about individual songs, but j & i listen to jack johnson all the time. in my head, it's kind of become our personal soundtrack.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
happier. much, much happier. who knew this could happen?
ii. thinner or fatter?
everyone will be happy to know the answer is fatter. i gained back 5-7 pounds this year. now you can all stop worrying.
iii. richer or poorer?
richer in so many ways, mostly having little to do with $$. but luckily, in that department too.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
taken off more time to spend in europe. finding a way to make that happen.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
investing so much of myself in what turned out to be two false friendships. i got burned badly, twice, and it took longer to heal than i'd like to admit.
20. How will you be spending/did you spend Christmas?
spent it once at home with my family & old friends, spent it again with my sweetheart. i have decided i like a double christmas!
22. Did you fall in love in 2006?
yes. dreamily, blissfully, ridiculously. :) (can you tell i'm beaming? look closer, yes, that's really me!)
23. How many one-night stands?
whatever. this is a very odd question.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
desperate housewives. lost. project runway. monk. dead zone. the usual old standby's.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
hate? again, with the odd. hate is not my thing. let us just say that i have seen some qualities (and some disgusting, stomach-turning and heart-breaking behavior) in a few people i trusted that made me realize that trust was unfounded. so i have gained some wisdom even while the circle of people i feel close to shrank somewhat dramatically. that makes me sad, and sometimes a little judgmental, but not hateful.
26. What was the best book you read?
i am so glad i started reading again this year :) lots of good things--freakanomics, city of falling angels, grr, arrgghh, why can't i remember the titles of things!
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
j is an excellent guitar player. oh, wait, does this mean new music i learned about? i don't think i learned much that was new this year, at least not new to other people. the killers, death cab for cutie, kt tunstall, the lovemakers. i think i need to branch out some in 2007.
28. What did you want and get?
j's heart. to go to italy. hp's announcement that they will not be forcing me to choose between moving to the bay area or losing my job anytime in the foreseeable future. reaching a particular savings goal (yay, me!). a diamond necklace. a visit from my best friend lisa.
29. What did you want and not get?
to get to see everything cool there is to see in rome. to go to venice. a charm for my bracelet from italy. to salvage a once-important friendship. a visit from my parents. a visit from my sister.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
wow, so many were so good. i think 'an inconvenient truth' & 'who killed the electric car?' are right up there. again, i hate it when i can't remember stuff.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i had a hard time accepting it, but i reached what is, for me, a milestone birthday. however, j took me to our favorite restaurant *AND* threw me a surprise birthday party, in which there were friends, champagne, homemade devil's food cake, games, flowers, gifts & much, much laughter! so it was a pretty damn good birthday, even if i am now officially old.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
if more close friends and family would have come to visit. i miss people...
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
post-goth sassy-pants? one of these years, everyone will finally get off my back about black? get away from me with that bubble skirt?
34. What kept you sane?
j. my kittie-kats. my parents. my friends. medication. champagne. holding my tongue & waiting to see what happened next. blue skies & fresh air. sunshine. traveling to bigger cities with better shopping. hope & potential. dreams for the future. letting molehills stay molehills.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
hmmm. i rarely think about this, but if i were pressed to the wall, i guess i am back on my johnny depp & john stewart kicks...
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
the midterm elections.
37. Who did you miss?
punker. my parents. lisa. lana. kim. amanda. e.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
new person? i've met so many this year, which is wonderful & exciting. i am pretty glad to have a new close friend in d, even if we *did* technically meet at the tail-end of 2005.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
trust your first impressions. consider the source. pursue your pleasures, though they may seem impractical. (wow, who knew i learned 3 things this year?! that's exponentially more than the last 3 years combined!)
that being said, i gakked one of those usual year-end memes from xtatic1. thanx, and feel free to swipe for yourself and post with perfidy. :D
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
visited france & italy. tried escargot & eggnog (um, but not together). threw an embarrassing temper-tantrum. vacationed alone. had surgery. made homemade ravioli. saw an opera.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
no. i never do. so this year, i've resolved not to make any resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
yes (unless this means someone in close *physical* proximity, in which case, no...)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
no.
5. What countries did you visit?
france, italy
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
a sense of job stability (coming along). enough $$ saved for a downpayment for a house (also coming along). an engagement ring (ha ha--just seeing if j is reading this lately... ;) ). freedom from the last of my credit card debt. peace with my own mortality.
7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
individual date? not sure. visiting the top of the eiffel tower at midnight in paris with j is a particular highlight. as was throwing coins into the fontana de trevi and seeing the david up close & personal. do it again, do it again!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
overcoming this year's round of anxiety.
9. What was your biggest failure?
still working on the 'at peace with myself' thing. does anyone ever achieve this?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
um, yeah. gamekeeper's thumb requiring surgery. removal of a mole on my tummy that has left me with a scar that looks a little like a 2nd belly-button. etc. etc.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
does one 'buy' a passport? my 'rick steve's guide to europe through the back door.' oh, and a little eiffel tower for my charm bracelet. :)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
j. his love & caring, unyielding support, patience, good humor and thoughtfulness have helped me so many times in the past year, i cannot even count.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
the republicans in charge of congress. the current occupant. that judge who said that a woman cannot rescind consent during a sexual encounter, once given, even if she changes her mind.
14. Where did most of your money go?
travel. paying off bills from travel. also, i've had *a lot* of fantastic meals & wine this year...
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
my trip to europe. my labor day weekend trip w/j. my 'bad taste party' this summer. all the new friends i have made here. getting a second chance after once behaving badly.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
i don't know about individual songs, but j & i listen to jack johnson all the time. in my head, it's kind of become our personal soundtrack.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
happier. much, much happier. who knew this could happen?
ii. thinner or fatter?
everyone will be happy to know the answer is fatter. i gained back 5-7 pounds this year. now you can all stop worrying.
iii. richer or poorer?
richer in so many ways, mostly having little to do with $$. but luckily, in that department too.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
taken off more time to spend in europe. finding a way to make that happen.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
investing so much of myself in what turned out to be two false friendships. i got burned badly, twice, and it took longer to heal than i'd like to admit.
20. How will you be spending/did you spend Christmas?
spent it once at home with my family & old friends, spent it again with my sweetheart. i have decided i like a double christmas!
22. Did you fall in love in 2006?
yes. dreamily, blissfully, ridiculously. :) (can you tell i'm beaming? look closer, yes, that's really me!)
23. How many one-night stands?
whatever. this is a very odd question.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
desperate housewives. lost. project runway. monk. dead zone. the usual old standby's.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
hate? again, with the odd. hate is not my thing. let us just say that i have seen some qualities (and some disgusting, stomach-turning and heart-breaking behavior) in a few people i trusted that made me realize that trust was unfounded. so i have gained some wisdom even while the circle of people i feel close to shrank somewhat dramatically. that makes me sad, and sometimes a little judgmental, but not hateful.
26. What was the best book you read?
i am so glad i started reading again this year :) lots of good things--freakanomics, city of falling angels, grr, arrgghh, why can't i remember the titles of things!
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
j is an excellent guitar player. oh, wait, does this mean new music i learned about? i don't think i learned much that was new this year, at least not new to other people. the killers, death cab for cutie, kt tunstall, the lovemakers. i think i need to branch out some in 2007.
28. What did you want and get?
j's heart. to go to italy. hp's announcement that they will not be forcing me to choose between moving to the bay area or losing my job anytime in the foreseeable future. reaching a particular savings goal (yay, me!). a diamond necklace. a visit from my best friend lisa.
29. What did you want and not get?
to get to see everything cool there is to see in rome. to go to venice. a charm for my bracelet from italy. to salvage a once-important friendship. a visit from my parents. a visit from my sister.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
wow, so many were so good. i think 'an inconvenient truth' & 'who killed the electric car?' are right up there. again, i hate it when i can't remember stuff.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i had a hard time accepting it, but i reached what is, for me, a milestone birthday. however, j took me to our favorite restaurant *AND* threw me a surprise birthday party, in which there were friends, champagne, homemade devil's food cake, games, flowers, gifts & much, much laughter! so it was a pretty damn good birthday, even if i am now officially old.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
if more close friends and family would have come to visit. i miss people...
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
post-goth sassy-pants? one of these years, everyone will finally get off my back about black? get away from me with that bubble skirt?
34. What kept you sane?
j. my kittie-kats. my parents. my friends. medication. champagne. holding my tongue & waiting to see what happened next. blue skies & fresh air. sunshine. traveling to bigger cities with better shopping. hope & potential. dreams for the future. letting molehills stay molehills.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
hmmm. i rarely think about this, but if i were pressed to the wall, i guess i am back on my johnny depp & john stewart kicks...
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
the midterm elections.
37. Who did you miss?
punker. my parents. lisa. lana. kim. amanda. e.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
new person? i've met so many this year, which is wonderful & exciting. i am pretty glad to have a new close friend in d, even if we *did* technically meet at the tail-end of 2005.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
trust your first impressions. consider the source. pursue your pleasures, though they may seem impractical. (wow, who knew i learned 3 things this year?! that's exponentially more than the last 3 years combined!)