Year's end meme - Jana and others
Taken from Rachel. Thank you.
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Live in no fewer than 20 different places. That's what comes of living through Hurricane Katrina.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think we made any resolutions last year. I have no idea if anyone will make any this year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
None technically, but after living in New Orleans the rest of the U.S. seems like a foreign country.
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
Stability.
7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The month of February and the first of March stand out. We spent February in and around New Orleans. It was our last trip there. We went to Mardi Gras parades and said goodbye to our house and our lives there. We drove out on Fat Tuesday. It was a surreal experience. We spent the night in Scranton, PA and then drove to Boston for a show. There was a nor'easter on the first of March. We drove the vans loaded with all the things we saved from the storm through the literally blinding snow. I'm going to cry. I remember the way New Orleans was empty. We went to our usual parade spots and hardly anyone we knew was there. I can't really explain it right now. New Orleans is a big family and Mardi Gras is when you see the distant relatives. They were gone. Some of them, you could find by asking around, but a lot of them just disappeared into Houston or Little Rock or Los Angeles or Atlanta. There was no bookstore open past 5pm. The restaurants were filled with people who wanted to have a an hour of normalcy and we all pretended it was normal, but it wasn't. It still isn't. That's a longer answer than I had intended to write. Katrina isn't over yet. Don't let anyone tell you it is.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not having a mental breakdown.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not always being able to be clear headed and not rush things. I think we pushed to ohard sometimes to have everything go back to normal and didn't want to realize that this new normal bears no resembelence to any normal we've known before.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A house.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Everyone in this household. The frontrunners, all of us, did an amazing job under really hard circumstances.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The president, the governor, the mayor, FEMA, the SBA, the NOPD, the news media. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Toward living expenses, relocating, buying a new house, and saving what could be saved from New Orleans.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Having all our stuff in place and safe.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
Anything by Papillion!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Those really aren't the best terms. We're generally happier but also, oddly, more stressed.
ii. thinner or fatter?
About the same.
iii. richer or poorer?
Poorer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Relaxing and writing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Moving. Dealing with insurance and government agencies.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With friends and family at Kim's house.
21. What was your favorite month of 2006?
That's a toss up between July and December.
22. Did you fall in love in 2006?
No.
23. How many one-night stands?
None for us.
24. What was your favorite TV programme?
House, and Monk.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book you read?
Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Eddie from Ohio.
28. What did you want and get?
A house.
29. What did you want and not get?
A feeling of having a home.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I only saw one that was released this year, the new Harry Potter.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
The body turned 40. We went to Valley Forge and then to Independence Hall.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I honestly don't know.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Do I have anything clean?
34. What kept you sane?
My sons.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None really.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Hurricane Katrina.
37. Who did you miss?
Friends from New Orleans.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Ann. Both of them.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
Was reminded of really. It was something Gram used to say: Never unpack all your bags.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"We'll share a little kindess where ever we are
A smile and a welcome will be sure to take us far.
Hospitality surely will be
What makes this world a happy place to be."
-Papillion Cajun for Kids
-Jana and others
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Live in no fewer than 20 different places. That's what comes of living through Hurricane Katrina.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think we made any resolutions last year. I have no idea if anyone will make any this year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
None technically, but after living in New Orleans the rest of the U.S. seems like a foreign country.
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
Stability.
7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The month of February and the first of March stand out. We spent February in and around New Orleans. It was our last trip there. We went to Mardi Gras parades and said goodbye to our house and our lives there. We drove out on Fat Tuesday. It was a surreal experience. We spent the night in Scranton, PA and then drove to Boston for a show. There was a nor'easter on the first of March. We drove the vans loaded with all the things we saved from the storm through the literally blinding snow. I'm going to cry. I remember the way New Orleans was empty. We went to our usual parade spots and hardly anyone we knew was there. I can't really explain it right now. New Orleans is a big family and Mardi Gras is when you see the distant relatives. They were gone. Some of them, you could find by asking around, but a lot of them just disappeared into Houston or Little Rock or Los Angeles or Atlanta. There was no bookstore open past 5pm. The restaurants were filled with people who wanted to have a an hour of normalcy and we all pretended it was normal, but it wasn't. It still isn't. That's a longer answer than I had intended to write. Katrina isn't over yet. Don't let anyone tell you it is.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not having a mental breakdown.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not always being able to be clear headed and not rush things. I think we pushed to ohard sometimes to have everything go back to normal and didn't want to realize that this new normal bears no resembelence to any normal we've known before.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A house.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Everyone in this household. The frontrunners, all of us, did an amazing job under really hard circumstances.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The president, the governor, the mayor, FEMA, the SBA, the NOPD, the news media. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Toward living expenses, relocating, buying a new house, and saving what could be saved from New Orleans.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Having all our stuff in place and safe.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
Anything by Papillion!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Those really aren't the best terms. We're generally happier but also, oddly, more stressed.
ii. thinner or fatter?
About the same.
iii. richer or poorer?
Poorer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Relaxing and writing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Moving. Dealing with insurance and government agencies.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With friends and family at Kim's house.
21. What was your favorite month of 2006?
That's a toss up between July and December.
22. Did you fall in love in 2006?
No.
23. How many one-night stands?
None for us.
24. What was your favorite TV programme?
House, and Monk.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book you read?
Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Eddie from Ohio.
28. What did you want and get?
A house.
29. What did you want and not get?
A feeling of having a home.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I only saw one that was released this year, the new Harry Potter.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
The body turned 40. We went to Valley Forge and then to Independence Hall.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I honestly don't know.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Do I have anything clean?
34. What kept you sane?
My sons.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None really.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Hurricane Katrina.
37. Who did you miss?
Friends from New Orleans.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Ann. Both of them.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
Was reminded of really. It was something Gram used to say: Never unpack all your bags.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"We'll share a little kindess where ever we are
A smile and a welcome will be sure to take us far.
Hospitality surely will be
What makes this world a happy place to be."
-Papillion Cajun for Kids
-Jana and others