The What I Did This Year Meme, Year 6
Year 1: 2004
Year 2: 2005
Year 3: 2006
Year 4: 2007
Year 5: 2008
This year: 2009
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
- hired movers
- bought a wedding dress
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept them, mostly. (Resolution post to follow.) I have made more, too.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Dan and Jamie had Elijah. Ricevermicelli had Hotspur. My childhood friend Allie had little Alex. Angie had Gianna. I have not met any of these children.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. Very grateful for that.
5. What countries did you visit?
Just the U.S. this year. Hopefully next year when I fill this out I will have a plethora of exciting honeymoon locations to list.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A husband! But that's in progress. Um, more confidence, more time to write, and more out of town guests.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 2: F moves to PA permanently!
June: our New England road trip
July 4: we move to the new apartment!
...I guess that's about it? Wow, every other year I've had a whole long list of dates to remember. But these were pretty big ones, I think.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Coming to terms with the fact that F is here and he isn't leaving. That took months.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Taking months to finally get the fact that F is here to stay. Being worried about him dying all the time. Probably that Black Friday incident with my mom, too, although we made it up afterwards.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing a few weeks in a wrist brace couldn't cure.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A wedding dress? But my mom paid for that. Ooh, the little buddhas and the prayer flags for the yoga room! And my yellow rain coat and rain boots and the rainbow umbrella. They definitely delighted me. And the china cabinet!!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
F's, always. I hope I've mentioned that he's the best thing that's ever happened to me.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own, as always, and of course my authors.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Moving, rent, car, and SAVINGS. Savings appears on this list for the first time!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
F moving! Our New England trip. Our new apartment. Each room in the new apartment as we got them all cleaned up and put together. My new rain gear.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Home, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier! But I think about death more.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner! Hooray for the morning workout routine!
c) richer or poorer? Richer! See above RE: savings!
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Relaxing, writing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying, whining, complaining, freaking out about stupid things.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent Christmas eve eating thai food with F. We exchanged gifts at home on Christmas morning, then drove to my mom's house for gifts, snacks, and dinner. After dinner we drove up to F's uncle's house to meet up with F's parents. We spent the night there, trolled around Easton and Allentown, and then F and I and F's parents drove down to my parents' house for their holiday party. It was busy, but a nice holiday.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I fall in love more and more every day.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
F introduced me to Six Feet Under this year. Excellent stuff. I'm introducing him to Buffy and rediscovering my love for it.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
Stay tuned for a 2009 book roundup post. At some point. I read a lot of good books this year, it's going to be hard.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Also, in a completely different genre, Libby Larsen.
27. What did you want and get?
A live-in fiance! A new apartment! A wedding dress! A yellow raincoat and a yoga room and a Wii and a china cabinet and a real Christmas tree and a lot of books!
28. What did you want and not get?
There are probably a lot of trivial things that I could rattle off here, but really, nothing important. A new job would have been fantastic, but you know, I get by okay, and my life is really pretty great.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Up, with a close second to Star Trek, followed by Sherlock Holmes. And Avatar. I think actually those are all the movies I saw this year.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 30 this year. I took the day off from work and F did too. I wanted to go shopping so I made F go to the mall with me, and I used all my birthday coupons to buy several items for very cheap. We drove down to Delaware, scouted some possible wedding sites, and went for a hike in the park. Then we had a delicious dinner at PaceOne Restaurant. It was a wonderful day.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Probably a new job. But a lot of satisfying things happened this year, so I can't complain.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
I pretty much live in yoga pants and stretchy tank tops. When I leave the house... in summer, my concept was awesome dresses; this fall, I was all about cowl neck sweaters and those new three-button sweaters with the wide cropped sleeves. I have like five of those now.
33. What kept you sane?
F! Yoga! And wine.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Honestly, I can't think of any.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
When my company laid off everyone in both the production and multimedia departments. (It just says "political", it didn't say it had to be on a global scale. Office politics is what happened to move me this year.)
36. Who did you miss?
Not F anymore, because he's here! Although I did miss him a lot the few times he had to travel for work. I miss the usual suspects: Amy, Heather, Dann, Sarah (all of them). I also, oddly, miss F's friends, like Mike & Sarah and Lauren & Pierre and Molly. They are such amazingly awesome people.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Hmm. Um, Wendy. And Fred & Adrienne. Stacey at work is pretty cool. And I really hope I get to see Mo from NYE again sometime, she seemed really great.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Cooking and washing dishes are both very calming and cheering activities for me.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Home, let me go home, home is wherever I'm with you."
Year 2: 2005
Year 3: 2006
Year 4: 2007
Year 5: 2008
This year: 2009
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
- hired movers
- bought a wedding dress
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept them, mostly. (Resolution post to follow.) I have made more, too.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Dan and Jamie had Elijah. Ricevermicelli had Hotspur. My childhood friend Allie had little Alex. Angie had Gianna. I have not met any of these children.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. Very grateful for that.
5. What countries did you visit?
Just the U.S. this year. Hopefully next year when I fill this out I will have a plethora of exciting honeymoon locations to list.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A husband! But that's in progress. Um, more confidence, more time to write, and more out of town guests.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 2: F moves to PA permanently!
June: our New England road trip
July 4: we move to the new apartment!
...I guess that's about it? Wow, every other year I've had a whole long list of dates to remember. But these were pretty big ones, I think.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Coming to terms with the fact that F is here and he isn't leaving. That took months.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Taking months to finally get the fact that F is here to stay. Being worried about him dying all the time. Probably that Black Friday incident with my mom, too, although we made it up afterwards.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing a few weeks in a wrist brace couldn't cure.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A wedding dress? But my mom paid for that. Ooh, the little buddhas and the prayer flags for the yoga room! And my yellow rain coat and rain boots and the rainbow umbrella. They definitely delighted me. And the china cabinet!!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
F's, always. I hope I've mentioned that he's the best thing that's ever happened to me.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own, as always, and of course my authors.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Moving, rent, car, and SAVINGS. Savings appears on this list for the first time!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
F moving! Our New England trip. Our new apartment. Each room in the new apartment as we got them all cleaned up and put together. My new rain gear.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Home, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier! But I think about death more.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner! Hooray for the morning workout routine!
c) richer or poorer? Richer! See above RE: savings!
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Relaxing, writing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying, whining, complaining, freaking out about stupid things.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent Christmas eve eating thai food with F. We exchanged gifts at home on Christmas morning, then drove to my mom's house for gifts, snacks, and dinner. After dinner we drove up to F's uncle's house to meet up with F's parents. We spent the night there, trolled around Easton and Allentown, and then F and I and F's parents drove down to my parents' house for their holiday party. It was busy, but a nice holiday.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I fall in love more and more every day.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
F introduced me to Six Feet Under this year. Excellent stuff. I'm introducing him to Buffy and rediscovering my love for it.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
Stay tuned for a 2009 book roundup post. At some point. I read a lot of good books this year, it's going to be hard.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Also, in a completely different genre, Libby Larsen.
27. What did you want and get?
A live-in fiance! A new apartment! A wedding dress! A yellow raincoat and a yoga room and a Wii and a china cabinet and a real Christmas tree and a lot of books!
28. What did you want and not get?
There are probably a lot of trivial things that I could rattle off here, but really, nothing important. A new job would have been fantastic, but you know, I get by okay, and my life is really pretty great.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Up, with a close second to Star Trek, followed by Sherlock Holmes. And Avatar. I think actually those are all the movies I saw this year.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 30 this year. I took the day off from work and F did too. I wanted to go shopping so I made F go to the mall with me, and I used all my birthday coupons to buy several items for very cheap. We drove down to Delaware, scouted some possible wedding sites, and went for a hike in the park. Then we had a delicious dinner at PaceOne Restaurant. It was a wonderful day.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Probably a new job. But a lot of satisfying things happened this year, so I can't complain.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
I pretty much live in yoga pants and stretchy tank tops. When I leave the house... in summer, my concept was awesome dresses; this fall, I was all about cowl neck sweaters and those new three-button sweaters with the wide cropped sleeves. I have like five of those now.
33. What kept you sane?
F! Yoga! And wine.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Honestly, I can't think of any.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
When my company laid off everyone in both the production and multimedia departments. (It just says "political", it didn't say it had to be on a global scale. Office politics is what happened to move me this year.)
36. Who did you miss?
Not F anymore, because he's here! Although I did miss him a lot the few times he had to travel for work. I miss the usual suspects: Amy, Heather, Dann, Sarah (all of them). I also, oddly, miss F's friends, like Mike & Sarah and Lauren & Pierre and Molly. They are such amazingly awesome people.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Hmm. Um, Wendy. And Fred & Adrienne. Stacey at work is pretty cool. And I really hope I get to see Mo from NYE again sometime, she seemed really great.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Cooking and washing dishes are both very calming and cheering activities for me.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Home, let me go home, home is wherever I'm with you."