2006 in review
I did this meme last year and the previous year or two as well, and it's generally helped me put the year in perspective. So here we go...
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Bought a house. Started planning a garden. Made a boyslash vid.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year I wanted, in a general and non-resolution-y kind of way, to do more reading, do more biking, keep learning yoga, and get some academic projects completed. Hmm. I didn't do much more reading, and in fact may have done less; my biking time this summer was all taken up by house projects; I continued yoga in a rather half-assed way but didn't learn much of anything new; and while I did some thinking and planning on my academic projects I cannot say that I completed anything of substance. So that's a bit of a bust, then. On the other hand I did accomplish some things I'm very happy about. So once again, no formal resolutions, but a few goals: make progress on garden and landscaping plans, make at least two vids, do a good job with my research seminar, get at least one article sent out, and have more dinner parties - and be open to any other opportunities for good things.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nobody really close, no, although I think a few former colleagues did reproduce.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
None. But I'm going back to London this summer!
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
A vegetable garden! Or at least the beginnings of one.
7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
As always, I'm awful with dates. The closing on my house was late May, though, and that is really the year's paradigmatic event, imprecision of date notwithstanding.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting the house ready to move into. Are you spotting a trend here? 'Cause I am. Also, I put out two good vids inside of three months. That was pretty cool.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not enough progress on the dissertation various academic projects. Once again, a continuing trend! Also, I didn't get a vid made for the VVC Premieres show, which still irritates me, perhaps unreasonably.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major; the usual colds, plus the inevitable scrapes, bruises and burns endemic to being a clumsy person.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My house.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Everybody who voted to boost state minimum wages in November's election. Also, several of my students.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Nationally? Still the Bush administration. Locally? One of my colleagues, who to my delight has moved on to a different school.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Furniture. The house itself is a big expense, but of course the mortgage is spread out over years (and years and years).
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My house!
16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2006?
Peter Mulvey, "Girl in the Hi-Tops" and "The Knuckleball Suite."
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, definitely, in the sense that I am happier with the teaching I did this past year and more confident in my teaching for the coming year, and also in the sense that I feel much more settled and much more at home in my new town.
ii. thinner or fatter? The same, I assume; my clothes all still fit the same way.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer, definitely, especially in terms of friends, and general quality of life.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Vidding. Again.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Learning to read budgets. God, I hate administration. Unfortunately, I'm good at it, which means I'm probably doomed. It's a good thing I love teaching so much - gets me through the worst of the institutional bureaucratic crap that comes with it.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Varnished shelves for my living room; cut dead wood and crossing branches out of the dogwood hedge; made a lamb burger and steak fries for lunch and winter mushroom stew with polenta for dinner, and fudge for dessert; went for a long walk with my newest close friend and her funny little dog; took a long hot bath; read a book about composting.
21. Did you fall in love in 2006?
Sure. With books and music, as usual - and my new house, and the idea of a proper garden.
22. How many one-night stands?
With people? None. With vid ideas? A few. With books? Not enough.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Sling & Arrows. I haven't been this gone on a show since... god, since Firefly, I think.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Not that I can think of.
25. What was the best book you read?
Favorite fiction: Sarah Monette, The Virtu.
Favorite poetry: Dorianne Laux, Smoke.
Favorite nonfiction: June Jordan, Some of Us Did Not Die.
Favorite play: Kevin Elyot, My Night With Reg.
Once again I had what I would describe as a very strange reading year in that I read very little fiction. After two or three years of this you might think that I would conclude that my patterns have permanently changed, but I really don't think this case; I think it's just that the crazy upheaval of the past few years has put a wrench in the spokes of my reading habits. I do think that the availability of so much good narrative TV - both on-air and on DVD - has affected my reading patterns in ways that are likely to be more or less permanent: I can get my narrative fix in more than one medium. Which is good, because there are days when the thought of dealing with another printed page, however pleasurable, just makes me tired.
26. What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?
Maritime, We the Vehicles. I always wanted to like The Promise Ring more than I actually did, so discovering that I genuinely love Davey van Bohlen 's new band was a delightful turn of events for me.
27. What did you want and get?
A house. The chance to teach some cool new classes. Time with people I care about. Time to vid. Lots of new CDs, books, DVDs. Pretty good midterm election results.
28. What did you want and not get?
Time to make a vid for the VVC Premieres show.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I saw about 25 movies this year - more than twice as many as last year - which is mostly due to having signed up for Netflix late in the fall. I think only two of the movies I saw this year were actually released this year, and of the two of them I preferred Brokeback Mountain. If we're talking about movies I saw in 2006 as opposed to movies of 2006, then it's probably a tie between Bend it Like Beckham and Before Sunset.
30. What did you do on your birthday?
Taught a couple of pretty good classes, got some nice shout-outs on LJ, talked on the phone with some dear friends, got treated to dinner by some local friends the following weekend.
31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to teach from a coursepack rather than a textbook. Oh, and having a proper budget for my little writing center. But honestly I think that's about it. This year was actually pretty satisfying, in a quiet sort of way.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Collared shirts, v-neck sweaters, jeans or corduroys, Chuck Taylors, and hair that defies gravity.
33. What kept you sane?
My friends, and the knowledge that, whatever my daily ups and downs, I have the incredible luck to be living the life I most deeply want.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Peter Mulvey, Jeff Foucault, and Kris Delmhorst: OT3, baby.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Nationally? Health care, living wage campaigns, the Iraq war, and abortion restrictions. Locally? Alarmingly racist campaigns by local Republican candidates for state office.
36. Whom did you miss?
sisabet, various friends from grad school, and renenet, who is living much too far southeast of me. Also, my beloved elected officials from my former home. I like my new senator, but she's no Russ Feingold.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
My new colleague and his awesome partner. Several of my upper-level students. Also, although we'd met before, I got to actually have substantive conversations with cesperanza, including the one in which we amused (or possibly alarmed) assorted compatriots by discussing Joyce fandom at high speed over a VividCon lunch of bread, cheese, tomatoes, and red wine.
38. What valuable life lesson did you learn in 2006?
I get a lot more done if I divide the Overwhelming Crush of Things To Do into individual manageable projects, and then break those projects down into specific tasks. I already knew this about writing papers, but I keep having to learn it again in new contexts, such as, oh, say, renovating a house.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.it's a warm summer evening; I can just hear the knuckleball suite
the clover hums along, the little rainclouds are finding their feet
this town is a talisman - it is a vanishing breed
and its song is a first-chair viola lost in the weeds....
these summer evenings are where we used to meet
oh, these warm summer evenings are where we once and again shall all meet
40. What LJ entries prompted the most conversation this year?
The vid announcements for New Frontier and Out Here; nothing else even came close. I am still a little overwhelmed, and a lot grateful, that so many people took the time to comment or e-mail me about those vids.
In sum...
I didn't fully realize just how bad a year 2005 was until I started comparing it to 2006. Which is probably just as well. 2005 was a year of big important milestones, certainly, but it was mostly a year of endings, or of unsuccessful or suspended beginnings. 2006 has been a year of making progress - not on everything I'd like, of course, and not always as much as I'd like, but progress nonetheless - and of starting projects that feel meaningful to me. And I like embarking on new things, as long as I can combine those new things with plenty of time spent sitting quietly at home. So: a pretty good year, on the whole.
I'm planning a separate post on my year in fannishness, but will simply note here that although this was not a particularly busy year in terms of general fannishness, or even in terms of vidding output, I think it was quite a good year. I'm mostly satisfied with it, anyway, which is what counts.
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Bought a house. Started planning a garden. Made a boyslash vid.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year I wanted, in a general and non-resolution-y kind of way, to do more reading, do more biking, keep learning yoga, and get some academic projects completed. Hmm. I didn't do much more reading, and in fact may have done less; my biking time this summer was all taken up by house projects; I continued yoga in a rather half-assed way but didn't learn much of anything new; and while I did some thinking and planning on my academic projects I cannot say that I completed anything of substance. So that's a bit of a bust, then. On the other hand I did accomplish some things I'm very happy about. So once again, no formal resolutions, but a few goals: make progress on garden and landscaping plans, make at least two vids, do a good job with my research seminar, get at least one article sent out, and have more dinner parties - and be open to any other opportunities for good things.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nobody really close, no, although I think a few former colleagues did reproduce.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
None. But I'm going back to London this summer!
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
A vegetable garden! Or at least the beginnings of one.
7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
As always, I'm awful with dates. The closing on my house was late May, though, and that is really the year's paradigmatic event, imprecision of date notwithstanding.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting the house ready to move into. Are you spotting a trend here? 'Cause I am. Also, I put out two good vids inside of three months. That was pretty cool.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not enough progress on the dissertation various academic projects. Once again, a continuing trend! Also, I didn't get a vid made for the VVC Premieres show, which still irritates me, perhaps unreasonably.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major; the usual colds, plus the inevitable scrapes, bruises and burns endemic to being a clumsy person.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My house.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Everybody who voted to boost state minimum wages in November's election. Also, several of my students.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Nationally? Still the Bush administration. Locally? One of my colleagues, who to my delight has moved on to a different school.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Furniture. The house itself is a big expense, but of course the mortgage is spread out over years (and years and years).
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My house!
16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2006?
Peter Mulvey, "Girl in the Hi-Tops" and "The Knuckleball Suite."
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, definitely, in the sense that I am happier with the teaching I did this past year and more confident in my teaching for the coming year, and also in the sense that I feel much more settled and much more at home in my new town.
ii. thinner or fatter? The same, I assume; my clothes all still fit the same way.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer, definitely, especially in terms of friends, and general quality of life.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Vidding. Again.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Learning to read budgets. God, I hate administration. Unfortunately, I'm good at it, which means I'm probably doomed. It's a good thing I love teaching so much - gets me through the worst of the institutional bureaucratic crap that comes with it.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Varnished shelves for my living room; cut dead wood and crossing branches out of the dogwood hedge; made a lamb burger and steak fries for lunch and winter mushroom stew with polenta for dinner, and fudge for dessert; went for a long walk with my newest close friend and her funny little dog; took a long hot bath; read a book about composting.
21. Did you fall in love in 2006?
Sure. With books and music, as usual - and my new house, and the idea of a proper garden.
22. How many one-night stands?
With people? None. With vid ideas? A few. With books? Not enough.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Sling & Arrows. I haven't been this gone on a show since... god, since Firefly, I think.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Not that I can think of.
25. What was the best book you read?
Favorite fiction: Sarah Monette, The Virtu.
Favorite poetry: Dorianne Laux, Smoke.
Favorite nonfiction: June Jordan, Some of Us Did Not Die.
Favorite play: Kevin Elyot, My Night With Reg.
Once again I had what I would describe as a very strange reading year in that I read very little fiction. After two or three years of this you might think that I would conclude that my patterns have permanently changed, but I really don't think this case; I think it's just that the crazy upheaval of the past few years has put a wrench in the spokes of my reading habits. I do think that the availability of so much good narrative TV - both on-air and on DVD - has affected my reading patterns in ways that are likely to be more or less permanent: I can get my narrative fix in more than one medium. Which is good, because there are days when the thought of dealing with another printed page, however pleasurable, just makes me tired.
26. What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?
Maritime, We the Vehicles. I always wanted to like The Promise Ring more than I actually did, so discovering that I genuinely love Davey van Bohlen 's new band was a delightful turn of events for me.
27. What did you want and get?
A house. The chance to teach some cool new classes. Time with people I care about. Time to vid. Lots of new CDs, books, DVDs. Pretty good midterm election results.
28. What did you want and not get?
Time to make a vid for the VVC Premieres show.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I saw about 25 movies this year - more than twice as many as last year - which is mostly due to having signed up for Netflix late in the fall. I think only two of the movies I saw this year were actually released this year, and of the two of them I preferred Brokeback Mountain. If we're talking about movies I saw in 2006 as opposed to movies of 2006, then it's probably a tie between Bend it Like Beckham and Before Sunset.
30. What did you do on your birthday?
Taught a couple of pretty good classes, got some nice shout-outs on LJ, talked on the phone with some dear friends, got treated to dinner by some local friends the following weekend.
31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to teach from a coursepack rather than a textbook. Oh, and having a proper budget for my little writing center. But honestly I think that's about it. This year was actually pretty satisfying, in a quiet sort of way.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Collared shirts, v-neck sweaters, jeans or corduroys, Chuck Taylors, and hair that defies gravity.
33. What kept you sane?
My friends, and the knowledge that, whatever my daily ups and downs, I have the incredible luck to be living the life I most deeply want.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Peter Mulvey, Jeff Foucault, and Kris Delmhorst: OT3, baby.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Nationally? Health care, living wage campaigns, the Iraq war, and abortion restrictions. Locally? Alarmingly racist campaigns by local Republican candidates for state office.
36. Whom did you miss?
sisabet, various friends from grad school, and renenet, who is living much too far southeast of me. Also, my beloved elected officials from my former home. I like my new senator, but she's no Russ Feingold.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
My new colleague and his awesome partner. Several of my upper-level students. Also, although we'd met before, I got to actually have substantive conversations with cesperanza, including the one in which we amused (or possibly alarmed) assorted compatriots by discussing Joyce fandom at high speed over a VividCon lunch of bread, cheese, tomatoes, and red wine.
38. What valuable life lesson did you learn in 2006?
I get a lot more done if I divide the Overwhelming Crush of Things To Do into individual manageable projects, and then break those projects down into specific tasks. I already knew this about writing papers, but I keep having to learn it again in new contexts, such as, oh, say, renovating a house.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.it's a warm summer evening; I can just hear the knuckleball suite
the clover hums along, the little rainclouds are finding their feet
this town is a talisman - it is a vanishing breed
and its song is a first-chair viola lost in the weeds....
these summer evenings are where we used to meet
oh, these warm summer evenings are where we once and again shall all meet
40. What LJ entries prompted the most conversation this year?
The vid announcements for New Frontier and Out Here; nothing else even came close. I am still a little overwhelmed, and a lot grateful, that so many people took the time to comment or e-mail me about those vids.
In sum...
I didn't fully realize just how bad a year 2005 was until I started comparing it to 2006. Which is probably just as well. 2005 was a year of big important milestones, certainly, but it was mostly a year of endings, or of unsuccessful or suspended beginnings. 2006 has been a year of making progress - not on everything I'd like, of course, and not always as much as I'd like, but progress nonetheless - and of starting projects that feel meaningful to me. And I like embarking on new things, as long as I can combine those new things with plenty of time spent sitting quietly at home. So: a pretty good year, on the whole.
I'm planning a separate post on my year in fannishness, but will simply note here that although this was not a particularly busy year in terms of general fannishness, or even in terms of vidding output, I think it was quite a good year. I'm mostly satisfied with it, anyway, which is what counts.