1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Bought a big sleeper truck, watched the inauguration of the first African-American President in history, put the lights out in an entire town, saw a rattlesnake up close and in person, fell in love with an older woman, visited the Oregon Coast, saw some beautiful gulls, found Kandee, spent ten days in Key West, posted the funniest video I've made to date, and cooked in a truck (which was sometimes moving).
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't recall officially making any resolutions. That means I'm off the hook, right? As for this year, I guess Eddie and I are going to try to eat better and get some exercise in. Arrrggggh!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin and his wife had twins - a boy and a girl and my other cousin had her third child, a boy!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
Nothing outside the United States. Oh, so sad.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Time with my best friend; maybe a girls weekend or a visit to her house for a week. (Maybe I have to resort to picking a fight so Eddie will drop me off at her house without any prodding.)
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 20th - the Inauguration of President Barack Obama.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Well, it's not my personal achievement, but buying our truck was a pretty big deal since we'd been working toward it for a few years. My personal achievement was probably making some really great contacts through social networking sites, which led to my writing for this site and opened up a few other doors that may prove to be very promising in the future.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't really see too many things as failures and I don't get too upset if things don't work out; I just move on to the next thing. I guess I could say I'm not too thrilled that I didn't get around to categorizing all of my blog posts, but I don't really consider it a failure.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A sprained my ankle and a bruised hip when I tripped and fell into the sleeper in January, and a very sort throat I endured during the UPS run - I sounded like Brenda Vaccaro for a week!
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I can't recall anything great that I bought for myself this year, but I did get my three nephews slingshots and pocket knives for Christmas; which they LOVED but will probably not see again until the day they graduate college.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Eddie, because duh, he lives with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 300 days of the year in a space the size of a large walk-in closet. And, the people of the United States for electing Obama...guess they're not as stupid as I normally think they are.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I'm always appalled by most of the talking heads on FOX news, but Professional Lunatic Glenn Beck's behavior has got to be the worst. Rage much?
14. Where did most of your money go?
Mini-vacations, entertainment and the new truck.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Showing off the new truck (and the pantry in it!)
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
"I Dreamed A Dream" sung by Susan Boyle and ”Come On Get Higher” by Matt Nathanson (even though I like Sugarland's version of the song better).
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
Not happier or sadder, but definitely fatter and a little richer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Read. I have lots of books on my Kindle that I just haven't gotten to.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Complain.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
At my brother's house in Arizona with his family and in-laws, my mother and step-father and my Eddie!
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes. With Glee. Oh, and Nathan Fillion from Castle.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Duh. Gleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! Glee. Glee. GLEE!!!! If you haven't seen it, you can catch up on all the episodes here. Modern Family and Castle are after that.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope, no one new.
24. What was the best book you read?
There are two and they were AMAZING. The Elegant Gathering Of White Snows and Dancing Naked At Dawn, both by Kris Radish.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The cast of Glee and my cousin's old high school friend, Jude Hankins.
26. What did you want and get?
The President I voted for, a trip for my birthday, time in the Northeast to see Fall Foliage and gift cards to Ulta for Christmas.
27. What did you want and not get?
A trip with my best friend and a vacation in the snow.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Religulous, hands down. I know it came out last year, but I just saw it this year. The Proposal was cute, Confessions of A Shopaholic...I can't think of any others. There are some I'd like to see but it's going to have to be on video.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 42 this year and to celebrate, we spent ten days in Key West, Florida.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I had more time in the snow.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Flip-Flops.
32. What kept you sane?
Phone calls to my best friend and my iPod.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I am still IN LOVE with Barack and Michelle Obama, but I'm also a little bit in love with Kandee Johnson too.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Immigration - I'm very pro-immigration and it annoys me that most of the people who are anti-immigration seem to veil their racism with concerns for "national security". Yeah, whatever. Your fake patriotism is pathetic.
35. Who did you miss?
It seems I always only miss my father. But lately, I also miss my youth. :)
36. Who was the best new person you met?
The guys at at ARI who made our sleeper and Leif and Jenny Gryttr who also have a big truck like ours (bigger actually); they're awesome!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
This isn't something I just learned, but it was so prevalent in this past year, I have to put it at the top of the valuable life lessons list. I learned that no matter how hard you try or how much effort you put in, you can’t get people to keep in touch with you if they don't want to. In addition to that, you also can't get people to be the way you'd like them to be, specifically family.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I can't seem to get the Susan Boyle story and song out of my mind and I'm not sure that the lyrics "sum up" my year, but they are ones that I know by heart and often find myself singing:
"I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted"
And my slogan for the new year...Zen In Ten!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1 YEAR AGO: Another Year, Another 365 Days
2 YEARS AGO: All Good Things Come To An End
3 YEARS AGO: The Symphony Of A Thousand Saws
4 YEARS AGO: Suicidal Firewood