Take the bull by the horns and make him mine all mine
The obligatory survey I do every year. . . here comes 2009:
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Like last year, I made a list.
Got flat-out hammered at bars (legally), stood up to a bitchy customer, caught a shoplifter, had someone pay for my artwork, painted in acrylics, painted a LOT, traveled extensively (Baltimore; Washington, DC; New York City; Newport; Provincetown; Hawai’i!!!), traveled outside my time zone, woke up drunk, stood up for lots of people, had an awesome semester even in the face of severe anxiety attacks, lived on my own, became addicted to texting, went to Six Flags for the first time since I was eleven, painted my nails for the first time in four years, came out as pansexual, took a science class at Smith (mistake), drank legally in the U.S., wandered around a major city by myself, flew by myself, went to a Bryant party single, met lots of celebrities (Jason Jones, the members of Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth sort of, Dan Crane, the members of Porcupine Tree, Joy Harjo) went to the emergency room in severe pain, saw Dinosaur Jr./Porcupine Tree (twice)/Amanda Palmer/the Gene Ween Band/Vampire Weekend/Badfish
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Apparently I wished for “a bikini body I'm proud of.” I think I succeeded. . . at least for a bit. My only one this year is to keep on with my Awesome Initiative.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No one within my immediate social circle.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Naw, though I did find it profoundly creepy that Hollywood seemed to implode this year
5. What countries did you visit?
None except I went outside the continental United States
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
More money, a Rush tour, a career that doesn’t involve me trapped in a job per se
What day from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Oh my Gawd, apparently a whole bunch. . .
January 17th (the 80s-themed party at Dan’s place where I drank a LOT but didn’t get a hangover, with Emily, Penny, and Will), January 25th (visiting NYC with Greg, Will, and Penny), the weekend of Jan. 30th-Feb. 1st (visiting Petie and Lance in Maryland with Greg), most of February (breaking up with Greg and started sort of going out with Chris), February 6th (the MassPIRG date auction with Ajay and Shaver), March 15th (going to Walden Pond with Chris, Maddy, Catherine, Bhags, Allie, and Sarah), April 18th (the Baldwin 90s-themed party that Greg played and freaked me out), April 26th (driving around Western Mass with Chris and the Baldwin senior banquet that ended with drunken skinny-dipping in Paradise Pond), May 13th (swimming at the Shelburne Falls potholes with the Baldwin seniors), May 21st (visiting Newport, Rhode Island with Chris), May 25th (seeing our new kitten Tiny for the first time), May 30th (Krystin cutting my hair and going round downtown, then Emily’s and my first house party), May 31st (going to Provincetown for the first time), June 2nd (where Shaver visited the store for three hours and then Ajay, Emily, Ellery, and I had a raucous party in his honor), June 7th (Becca’s graduation), June 11th-June 14th (RATCON! and all the hijinks therein), June 15th (my anti-climactic 21st birthday and non-celebration), June 19th (first legal time at a bar with Louise, Ajay, Alisa, and her cohorts), June 28th (climbing Mount Holyoke for the first time), July 3rd (Emily’s and my second house party), July 4th (seeing Margot in Williamstown and climbing Mount Greylock with Chris), July 7th (hanging out with Rachael Lynn for the first time), July 25th (seeing Steely Dan with Chris), July 28th (visiting Sam in NYC and seeing Green Day), August 6th-9th (trip to Washington, DC to see Lance the Shred and Sarah), August 15th (meeting up at Pearl Street for a night of grotesquely sweaty music times), August 17th-24th (motherfuckin’ HAWAI’I), August 28th (Shaver visiting the store again, Emily’s and my fourth house party), September 20th (seeing U2 with Chris), September 25th-27th (trip to Baltimore/Boston to meet up with Rat-cupines to see/meet Porcupine Tree), October 2nd (benefit concert for Tim and the ensuing afterparty), October 8th (going to Diva’s for the first time with Smithies), October 12th (going to the MFA with Chris), October 31st (Hallowe’en at Bryant [oh man]), November 1st (Six Flags extremely hungover), November 13th (seeing Amanda Palmer with Maddy), November 14th (impromptu Bryant partying), November 23rd (Smith power outage and drinking with Mollie and Alex), November 21st (Turkeygate 2009), December 1st (a spectacularly good night at Trivia), December 4th-6th (Clue weekend at Bryant), December 11th (Bhagavati and Margot’s Mad Men party), December 15th (massive Trivia and Yacht Club party), December 22nd (another great Trivia night), Christmas (a very small one), New Year’s Eve (drunken downtown shenanigans)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finally deciding not to care about what others think of me and coordinating a massively successful Rush fan convention and embarking on a life others could only dream about
9. What was your biggest failure?
Maybe that I didn’t recognize my own feelings in time to save others’ hearts from breaking as a result. But I can’t really help that now. I think most of those issues have since been resolved. In any case, one of the good things about my mind is that it’s programmed to eventually block out bad things that happen.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Massively horrid cramps, seborrheic dermatitis, a perfect storm of alcohol poisoning/food poisoning/period cramps, a mashed pinky from swinging off a rope in Maui
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Gallons upon gallons of alcohol, so very many used books, a pair of thigh-high black stiletto boots, tickets to concerts
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My Rush Rat family’s, Rachael Lynn’s, Mary Bergman’s
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
I can think of a few
14. Where did most of your money go?
Alcohol, groceries, bills, alcohol, used books, gas, alcohol
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
RatCon and everyone involved, the U.S. Air Guitar Championship Finals, becoming a Rat-cupine, seeing Steely Dan and U2, quitting my job
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Anything by Lady GaGa or “Trains” by Porcupine Tree
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? About the same
ii. Thinner or fatter? Fatter probably
iii. Richer or poorer? Oh so much poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Dancing or reading for pleasure
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Having anxiety attacks, being hungover
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it with my family, drinking as much as possible. It was a small Christmas (going to Hawai’i was our main gift) and it was perfectly lovely as soon as I got some peppermint schnapps in me
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes.
22. How many one-night stands?
Heheh. . .
23. What was your favourite TV program?
The uje- The Simpsons, Family Guy, the Daily Show, the Colbert Report
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I’ll repeat what I said last year: “I don't hate anyone- too much energy- but strongly dislike?” Yeah. . . sadly, I do. . .
25. What was the best book you read?
Cat’s Cradle, Atonement, Wise Children, Fun Home, I’m Not Myself These Days
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Porcupine Tree, Girl Talk, Lady GaGa
27. What did you want and get?
A better understanding of myself and what I want in life.
28. What did you want and not get?
A better 21st birthday
29. What was your favourite film of this year?
Anvil: the Story of Anvil; I Love You, Man; The Hangover; Brüno
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 21; I cried a lot because I was trapped at JFK airport until 2 AM when Chris mercifully came down from Eastern MA and picked me up. I went to work four hours after I went to bed, got a huge ice cream sundae from Herrell’s, still felt like crying, went out to dinner with my family, got drunk, still wanted to cry, and passed out at 11 PM
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having an actual birthday party, writing more for pleasure
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Ultra-femme with a spell of androgynous confusion. Tights, belted waists, summer dresses worn in winter, classic red lipstick, etc. Sometimes skinny jeans with suspenders and a button-down if I was feeling saucy
33. What kept you sane?
“Lots of good music and friends” = I’ll repeat what I said for the past two years
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Geddy Lee, Steven Wilson sort of, Lady GaGa because she’s crasy, the usual “harem of 40-somethings”: Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Paul Rudd, Johnny Depp, etc.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The fact that everyone sucks and their priorities are seriously screwed up
36. Who did you miss?
A few lucky souls
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Rachael Lynn King, the new Baldwin seniors/newbies, all the Rushtards
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Life’s too short for cheap alcohol!
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
It all seems to make so much sense. . .
But after a while
You realize time flies
And the best thing that you can do
Is take whatever comes to you
Cos time flies.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Like last year, I made a list.
Got flat-out hammered at bars (legally), stood up to a bitchy customer, caught a shoplifter, had someone pay for my artwork, painted in acrylics, painted a LOT, traveled extensively (Baltimore; Washington, DC; New York City; Newport; Provincetown; Hawai’i!!!), traveled outside my time zone, woke up drunk, stood up for lots of people, had an awesome semester even in the face of severe anxiety attacks, lived on my own, became addicted to texting, went to Six Flags for the first time since I was eleven, painted my nails for the first time in four years, came out as pansexual, took a science class at Smith (mistake), drank legally in the U.S., wandered around a major city by myself, flew by myself, went to a Bryant party single, met lots of celebrities (Jason Jones, the members of Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth sort of, Dan Crane, the members of Porcupine Tree, Joy Harjo) went to the emergency room in severe pain, saw Dinosaur Jr./Porcupine Tree (twice)/Amanda Palmer/the Gene Ween Band/Vampire Weekend/Badfish
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Apparently I wished for “a bikini body I'm proud of.” I think I succeeded. . . at least for a bit. My only one this year is to keep on with my Awesome Initiative.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No one within my immediate social circle.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Naw, though I did find it profoundly creepy that Hollywood seemed to implode this year
5. What countries did you visit?
None except I went outside the continental United States
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
More money, a Rush tour, a career that doesn’t involve me trapped in a job per se
What day from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Oh my Gawd, apparently a whole bunch. . .
January 17th (the 80s-themed party at Dan’s place where I drank a LOT but didn’t get a hangover, with Emily, Penny, and Will), January 25th (visiting NYC with Greg, Will, and Penny), the weekend of Jan. 30th-Feb. 1st (visiting Petie and Lance in Maryland with Greg), most of February (breaking up with Greg and started sort of going out with Chris), February 6th (the MassPIRG date auction with Ajay and Shaver), March 15th (going to Walden Pond with Chris, Maddy, Catherine, Bhags, Allie, and Sarah), April 18th (the Baldwin 90s-themed party that Greg played and freaked me out), April 26th (driving around Western Mass with Chris and the Baldwin senior banquet that ended with drunken skinny-dipping in Paradise Pond), May 13th (swimming at the Shelburne Falls potholes with the Baldwin seniors), May 21st (visiting Newport, Rhode Island with Chris), May 25th (seeing our new kitten Tiny for the first time), May 30th (Krystin cutting my hair and going round downtown, then Emily’s and my first house party), May 31st (going to Provincetown for the first time), June 2nd (where Shaver visited the store for three hours and then Ajay, Emily, Ellery, and I had a raucous party in his honor), June 7th (Becca’s graduation), June 11th-June 14th (RATCON! and all the hijinks therein), June 15th (my anti-climactic 21st birthday and non-celebration), June 19th (first legal time at a bar with Louise, Ajay, Alisa, and her cohorts), June 28th (climbing Mount Holyoke for the first time), July 3rd (Emily’s and my second house party), July 4th (seeing Margot in Williamstown and climbing Mount Greylock with Chris), July 7th (hanging out with Rachael Lynn for the first time), July 25th (seeing Steely Dan with Chris), July 28th (visiting Sam in NYC and seeing Green Day), August 6th-9th (trip to Washington, DC to see Lance the Shred and Sarah), August 15th (meeting up at Pearl Street for a night of grotesquely sweaty music times), August 17th-24th (motherfuckin’ HAWAI’I), August 28th (Shaver visiting the store again, Emily’s and my fourth house party), September 20th (seeing U2 with Chris), September 25th-27th (trip to Baltimore/Boston to meet up with Rat-cupines to see/meet Porcupine Tree), October 2nd (benefit concert for Tim and the ensuing afterparty), October 8th (going to Diva’s for the first time with Smithies), October 12th (going to the MFA with Chris), October 31st (Hallowe’en at Bryant [oh man]), November 1st (Six Flags extremely hungover), November 13th (seeing Amanda Palmer with Maddy), November 14th (impromptu Bryant partying), November 23rd (Smith power outage and drinking with Mollie and Alex), November 21st (Turkeygate 2009), December 1st (a spectacularly good night at Trivia), December 4th-6th (Clue weekend at Bryant), December 11th (Bhagavati and Margot’s Mad Men party), December 15th (massive Trivia and Yacht Club party), December 22nd (another great Trivia night), Christmas (a very small one), New Year’s Eve (drunken downtown shenanigans)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finally deciding not to care about what others think of me and coordinating a massively successful Rush fan convention and embarking on a life others could only dream about
9. What was your biggest failure?
Maybe that I didn’t recognize my own feelings in time to save others’ hearts from breaking as a result. But I can’t really help that now. I think most of those issues have since been resolved. In any case, one of the good things about my mind is that it’s programmed to eventually block out bad things that happen.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Massively horrid cramps, seborrheic dermatitis, a perfect storm of alcohol poisoning/food poisoning/period cramps, a mashed pinky from swinging off a rope in Maui
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Gallons upon gallons of alcohol, so very many used books, a pair of thigh-high black stiletto boots, tickets to concerts
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My Rush Rat family’s, Rachael Lynn’s, Mary Bergman’s
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
I can think of a few
14. Where did most of your money go?
Alcohol, groceries, bills, alcohol, used books, gas, alcohol
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
RatCon and everyone involved, the U.S. Air Guitar Championship Finals, becoming a Rat-cupine, seeing Steely Dan and U2, quitting my job
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Anything by Lady GaGa or “Trains” by Porcupine Tree
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? About the same
ii. Thinner or fatter? Fatter probably
iii. Richer or poorer? Oh so much poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Dancing or reading for pleasure
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Having anxiety attacks, being hungover
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it with my family, drinking as much as possible. It was a small Christmas (going to Hawai’i was our main gift) and it was perfectly lovely as soon as I got some peppermint schnapps in me
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes.
22. How many one-night stands?
Heheh. . .
23. What was your favourite TV program?
The uje- The Simpsons, Family Guy, the Daily Show, the Colbert Report
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I’ll repeat what I said last year: “I don't hate anyone- too much energy- but strongly dislike?” Yeah. . . sadly, I do. . .
25. What was the best book you read?
Cat’s Cradle, Atonement, Wise Children, Fun Home, I’m Not Myself These Days
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Porcupine Tree, Girl Talk, Lady GaGa
27. What did you want and get?
A better understanding of myself and what I want in life.
28. What did you want and not get?
A better 21st birthday
29. What was your favourite film of this year?
Anvil: the Story of Anvil; I Love You, Man; The Hangover; Brüno
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 21; I cried a lot because I was trapped at JFK airport until 2 AM when Chris mercifully came down from Eastern MA and picked me up. I went to work four hours after I went to bed, got a huge ice cream sundae from Herrell’s, still felt like crying, went out to dinner with my family, got drunk, still wanted to cry, and passed out at 11 PM
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having an actual birthday party, writing more for pleasure
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Ultra-femme with a spell of androgynous confusion. Tights, belted waists, summer dresses worn in winter, classic red lipstick, etc. Sometimes skinny jeans with suspenders and a button-down if I was feeling saucy
33. What kept you sane?
“Lots of good music and friends” = I’ll repeat what I said for the past two years
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Geddy Lee, Steven Wilson sort of, Lady GaGa because she’s crasy, the usual “harem of 40-somethings”: Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Paul Rudd, Johnny Depp, etc.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The fact that everyone sucks and their priorities are seriously screwed up
36. Who did you miss?
A few lucky souls
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Rachael Lynn King, the new Baldwin seniors/newbies, all the Rushtards
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Life’s too short for cheap alcohol!
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
It all seems to make so much sense. . .
But after a while
You realize time flies
And the best thing that you can do
Is take whatever comes to you
Cos time flies.