The 2005 round-up, meme-style
Here it is: 2005 in review.
1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
Spent the better part of a week talking about coin collecting.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't remember making resolutions for 2005 per se. I suspect I won't make resolutions for 2006. I might set goals, which are different. And that's for New Year's Day, not New Year's Eve.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope. (If I have to think about it, which I did, then that's the correct answer.)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope, and thank goodness.
5. What countries did you visit?
Canada. Over and over again. What was I thinking?
6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
An iPod. A cell phone. A permanent job (I think). A better idea about who I want to be when I grow up. More time, better spent.
7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Mid-February, when my brother came to visit me in Seattle for the first time ever.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
These are in no particular order but were all important to me:
* Finishing the fitness challenge at the gym.
* Earning the scholarship to attend the American Numismatic Association Summer Seminar.
* Having that poem published in Talebones (after years of contributing only nonfiction there).
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not writing more than I did. Not continuing to go to the gym on a regular basis after the fitness challenge ended. Not getting off the North American continent.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Healthy, me.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The last thing I bought: a burgundy-colored silk and angora tank with ruffles. Actually, that's a lie. No, it's a cop-out. I don't really have a favorite thing I bought. I don't think about it much.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Personally: A friend who made a gift to me of something very expensive that I could sell on eBay for extra cash when things were so tight financially earlier this year. Don't know if he ever understood how generous that was or how much it was appreciated.
Politically: John McCain shaming Shrub into supporting a ban on the use of torture.
Philanthropically: Bill Clinton and George HW Bush putting aside political differences to do good in the world.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The President's, though you'd think by now I'd be numb.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Paying off debt and the mortgage.
15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
* My brother's visit to Seattle
* Attending the American Numismatic Association's Summer Seminars
* Attending NASFiC
* Attending the Marc Cohn concert at Woodland Park Zoo
* Attending the Dead Can Dance concert at the Paramount
* Attending that performance of "Little Women"
* Performing in the SLGC concert, "UnSung Heroes"
* Finally receiving the payout from the Microsoft permatemp class action suit
* The airing of "Doctor Who: the Christmas Invasion" (yes, I'm a geek, or hadn’t you noticed?)
16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
Sheryl Crow's "Good is Good"
17. Compared to this time last year, you are…
more physically fit (though it's not saying much).
8. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Writing
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating and television watching
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With friends.
21. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Nope, unless you count falling in love with a TV show (see #22).
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Doctor Who starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper. Never watched Doctor Who before, and now it's a necessity. I'm a geek (once again, no news there).
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope
24. What was the best book you read?
Read too many. Couldn't pick just one.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
I must admit that I haven't been adventurous enough musically to answer this question adequately. Bad me. (I sense a goal for 2006 in this answer somewhere>)
26. What did you want and get?
That ANA scholarship.
27. What did you want and not get?
A trip overseas. A permanent job (I think).
28. What were your favorite films of this year?
For someone who loves movies as much as I do, I don't actually have an answer to this question.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Had a picnic at Gasworks Park for my 43rd birthday. It was a quiet, pleasant affair.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Finding and following a direction in which I could invest my whole heart. Seems as though I still haven't found that Thing that makes me want to devote my whole head and heart to it. The writing is close. Interestingly, the singing is closer; I'm never happier than when I'm singing with the chorus or by myself. How can I make music an even bigger part of my life? There's another goal for 2006, I suspect.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Pretty, girlish, and comfortable.
32. What kept you sane?
All of my friends, music by the Dave Matthews Band, all of my friends, a little too much television, all of my friends. (Sensing a pattern here?)
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
The war in Iraq and everything connected to it.
34. Whom did you miss?
Someone who didn't deserve so much energy.
35. Who was the best new person you met?
As a category, the people in SLGC.
36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005
Ask for what you want: be direct and honest. If you don't ask, you'll never receive. And if you don't get it, at least you won't regret never having asked in the first place.
Happy new year, everyone. Stay safe tonight. I'll see you in 2006may it be a happier, healthier, and more peaceful year than 2005.
1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
Spent the better part of a week talking about coin collecting.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't remember making resolutions for 2005 per se. I suspect I won't make resolutions for 2006. I might set goals, which are different. And that's for New Year's Day, not New Year's Eve.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope. (If I have to think about it, which I did, then that's the correct answer.)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope, and thank goodness.
5. What countries did you visit?
Canada. Over and over again. What was I thinking?
6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
An iPod. A cell phone. A permanent job (I think). A better idea about who I want to be when I grow up. More time, better spent.
7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Mid-February, when my brother came to visit me in Seattle for the first time ever.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
These are in no particular order but were all important to me:
* Finishing the fitness challenge at the gym.
* Earning the scholarship to attend the American Numismatic Association Summer Seminar.
* Having that poem published in Talebones (after years of contributing only nonfiction there).
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not writing more than I did. Not continuing to go to the gym on a regular basis after the fitness challenge ended. Not getting off the North American continent.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Healthy, me.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The last thing I bought: a burgundy-colored silk and angora tank with ruffles. Actually, that's a lie. No, it's a cop-out. I don't really have a favorite thing I bought. I don't think about it much.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Personally: A friend who made a gift to me of something very expensive that I could sell on eBay for extra cash when things were so tight financially earlier this year. Don't know if he ever understood how generous that was or how much it was appreciated.
Politically: John McCain shaming Shrub into supporting a ban on the use of torture.
Philanthropically: Bill Clinton and George HW Bush putting aside political differences to do good in the world.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The President's, though you'd think by now I'd be numb.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Paying off debt and the mortgage.
15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
* My brother's visit to Seattle
* Attending the American Numismatic Association's Summer Seminars
* Attending NASFiC
* Attending the Marc Cohn concert at Woodland Park Zoo
* Attending the Dead Can Dance concert at the Paramount
* Attending that performance of "Little Women"
* Performing in the SLGC concert, "UnSung Heroes"
* Finally receiving the payout from the Microsoft permatemp class action suit
* The airing of "Doctor Who: the Christmas Invasion" (yes, I'm a geek, or hadn’t you noticed?)
16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
Sheryl Crow's "Good is Good"
17. Compared to this time last year, you are…
more physically fit (though it's not saying much).
8. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Writing
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating and television watching
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With friends.
21. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Nope, unless you count falling in love with a TV show (see #22).
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Doctor Who starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper. Never watched Doctor Who before, and now it's a necessity. I'm a geek (once again, no news there).
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope
24. What was the best book you read?
Read too many. Couldn't pick just one.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
I must admit that I haven't been adventurous enough musically to answer this question adequately. Bad me. (I sense a goal for 2006 in this answer somewhere>)
26. What did you want and get?
That ANA scholarship.
27. What did you want and not get?
A trip overseas. A permanent job (I think).
28. What were your favorite films of this year?
For someone who loves movies as much as I do, I don't actually have an answer to this question.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Had a picnic at Gasworks Park for my 43rd birthday. It was a quiet, pleasant affair.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Finding and following a direction in which I could invest my whole heart. Seems as though I still haven't found that Thing that makes me want to devote my whole head and heart to it. The writing is close. Interestingly, the singing is closer; I'm never happier than when I'm singing with the chorus or by myself. How can I make music an even bigger part of my life? There's another goal for 2006, I suspect.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Pretty, girlish, and comfortable.
32. What kept you sane?
All of my friends, music by the Dave Matthews Band, all of my friends, a little too much television, all of my friends. (Sensing a pattern here?)
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
The war in Iraq and everything connected to it.
34. Whom did you miss?
Someone who didn't deserve so much energy.
35. Who was the best new person you met?
As a category, the people in SLGC.
36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005
Ask for what you want: be direct and honest. If you don't ask, you'll never receive. And if you don't get it, at least you won't regret never having asked in the first place.
Happy new year, everyone. Stay safe tonight. I'll see you in 2006may it be a happier, healthier, and more peaceful year than 2005.