(no subject)
I seem to have survived both end-of-term desperate work and Christmas. Yesterday, I finally finished the history and culture exams, with a sigh of relief, and the constant amazement at how people can mix up time periods, historical figures, and even geography. Tonight,
graylion and I are off for New Year's celebration with friends, once I've pried him away from the malfunctioning server. No pry bar is needed to separate me from the few remaining essays still remaining among the uncorrected stuff.
And since my 2007 was unusually varied and complex, I decided to nick this from
quarr3l:
01. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Decided to get married. That's a new one indeed.
02. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make new year's resolutions unless I have unresolved conflicts - in which case I tend to try to resolve them.
03. Did someone close to you give birth?
No - the one who was due managed to sneak hers in in December 2006, a month before planned delivery ;)
04. Did anyone close to you die?
No - no one personally close to me.
05. What countries did you visit?
England, US, Ireland, Germany (and Denmark, for flight changes).
06. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
A husband. Also, a chance to catch up with work.
07. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
17 April. Proposal. And if I can remember even one date other than (mostly) my birthday, that will be a miracle.
08. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Finishing the copying of minuscule Latin text in 18th c handwriting. If I translate it correctly, that will be the achievement of 2008.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Some colds but nothing major, for once...
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Probably one of the books. Or all of them, for that matter.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
graylion's, for getting his act together and recognising what everyone else already knew...
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Well, there are always students. And the colleague who will not get the work done, although admittedly I haven't tried thumb screws yet. I think I've tried just about everything else.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Maintaining two sets of living quarters and travel.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finding more material on my research object than I had dared hope. I know, that should have been the marrying thing, shouldn't it? But that is much more comfortable and contentment-making than exciting, and anyway my work always is how I get truly excited.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2007?
Beethoven.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you ...
i. happier or sadder? much happier
ii. thinner or fatter? about the same
iii. richer or poorer? no idea. I make more money but I have more expenses, too.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Research. It got sort of interrupted by emotional thingys.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Scheduling and nagging colleagues. Not that doing less of that is an option.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent it with family.
21. What are you most looking forward to in 2008?
Honeymoon. And two conferences in the summer.
22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Yes - I think it was past midnight on New year's Eve? or maybe not.
23. How many one-night stands?
None, actually - I don't do many one-night stands. If they're good enough to bed, they're good enough to come back to. My judgement on this is rarely in error.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Did I watch any TV last year?
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I try not to hate.
26. What was the best book you read?
agh...out of all the books I read? No idea. There will have to be another entry about books of last year.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Re-discovering Michelle Shocked, I think.
28. What did you want and get?
Love.
29. What did you want and not get?
Not much, actually.
30. Favorite films of this year?
Pirates of the Caribbean - Johnny Depp can rock my boat any day.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I think I was working...
32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Nothing, really. My ex getting his act together and paying me the money he owes me would be nice, but immeasurably? no, not really.
34. What kept you sane?
Who says I am?
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
And again I will have to go with Johnny Depp, for fancying. Political or social impact - I have no idea.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
As always, various feminist issues - the praxis for rape trials here is a constant irritant, though this year saw the suggestion of a new approach.
37. Who/what do you miss?
Horseback riding. I need to take that up again.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Well, duh.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
There's a thin line between helping and enabling. There are men that are not entirely egocentric. The time you set aside for copying texts is never enough. I should not spend too much time in the US. Deep fried aubergines are edible, they just don't look it. Thinking Irish public transportation will be navigable is unwise. Trusting the Swedish train system will end up with you stranded in unlikely places. Good suitcases will survive an amazing amount of travel. Cinnamon in meat stews is a truly bad idea.
graylion and I are off for New Year's celebration with friends, once I've pried him away from the malfunctioning server. No pry bar is needed to separate me from the few remaining essays still remaining among the uncorrected stuff.
And since my 2007 was unusually varied and complex, I decided to nick this from
quarr3l:
01. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Decided to get married. That's a new one indeed.
02. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make new year's resolutions unless I have unresolved conflicts - in which case I tend to try to resolve them.
03. Did someone close to you give birth?
No - the one who was due managed to sneak hers in in December 2006, a month before planned delivery ;)
04. Did anyone close to you die?
No - no one personally close to me.
05. What countries did you visit?
England, US, Ireland, Germany (and Denmark, for flight changes).
06. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
A husband. Also, a chance to catch up with work.
07. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
17 April. Proposal. And if I can remember even one date other than (mostly) my birthday, that will be a miracle.
08. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Finishing the copying of minuscule Latin text in 18th c handwriting. If I translate it correctly, that will be the achievement of 2008.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Some colds but nothing major, for once...
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Probably one of the books. Or all of them, for that matter.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
graylion's, for getting his act together and recognising what everyone else already knew...
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Well, there are always students. And the colleague who will not get the work done, although admittedly I haven't tried thumb screws yet. I think I've tried just about everything else.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Maintaining two sets of living quarters and travel.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finding more material on my research object than I had dared hope. I know, that should have been the marrying thing, shouldn't it? But that is much more comfortable and contentment-making than exciting, and anyway my work always is how I get truly excited.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2007?
Beethoven.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you ...
i. happier or sadder? much happier
ii. thinner or fatter? about the same
iii. richer or poorer? no idea. I make more money but I have more expenses, too.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Research. It got sort of interrupted by emotional thingys.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Scheduling and nagging colleagues. Not that doing less of that is an option.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent it with family.
21. What are you most looking forward to in 2008?
Honeymoon. And two conferences in the summer.
22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Yes - I think it was past midnight on New year's Eve? or maybe not.
23. How many one-night stands?
None, actually - I don't do many one-night stands. If they're good enough to bed, they're good enough to come back to. My judgement on this is rarely in error.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Did I watch any TV last year?
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I try not to hate.
26. What was the best book you read?
agh...out of all the books I read? No idea. There will have to be another entry about books of last year.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Re-discovering Michelle Shocked, I think.
28. What did you want and get?
Love.
29. What did you want and not get?
Not much, actually.
30. Favorite films of this year?
Pirates of the Caribbean - Johnny Depp can rock my boat any day.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I think I was working...
32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Nothing, really. My ex getting his act together and paying me the money he owes me would be nice, but immeasurably? no, not really.
34. What kept you sane?
Who says I am?
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
And again I will have to go with Johnny Depp, for fancying. Political or social impact - I have no idea.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
As always, various feminist issues - the praxis for rape trials here is a constant irritant, though this year saw the suggestion of a new approach.
37. Who/what do you miss?
Horseback riding. I need to take that up again.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Well, duh.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
There's a thin line between helping and enabling. There are men that are not entirely egocentric. The time you set aside for copying texts is never enough. I should not spend too much time in the US. Deep fried aubergines are edible, they just don't look it. Thinking Irish public transportation will be navigable is unwise. Trusting the Swedish train system will end up with you stranded in unlikely places. Good suitcases will survive an amazing amount of travel. Cinnamon in meat stews is a truly bad idea.