1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Became Pescatarian
Pickled + Made jams/preserves and canned them
Hiked Machu Pichu (something I never really imagined I’d ever do, so kind of surreal)
Spoke nothing but Spanish for several days to communicate in Peru. Typical American, I thought English would be spoken everywhere by everyone. Wrong.
Let someone go at work (awful)
Attempted to take semi-professional portraits
Socialized at the local Elk’s club…contemplating joining
Flew first class
Ate guinea pig
Befriended a cab driver, took a road trip on the backroads in another country.
Shared a beer w/a mayor of a town
Stayed in an artist’s studio
Had Boston clam chowder in Boston
Bought a fishing license
Took photobooth photos on the Santa Cruz boardwalk
Won a prize at a fair (shoot the red star game — ok, that wasn’t me, but I think I should get some credit for randomly finding that place)
Held a lamb
Visited Bronx Zoo (checking that off the list)
Went to the top of the Empire State Building (finally — another check in the box)
Took a business trip alone
Watched snow fall around me while sitting in a natural hot spring
Had a nutella-filled croissant
Bought liquor at Meijers at 3am (or was it 4?)
Had dinner at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island (another check off my list of things I’ve always wanted to do)
Saw snow in the desert (Joshua Tree)
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Not really. Is that a surprise?
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Birth? No. Pregs? Yes.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but I think a lot about Michelle Maykin. I had been following her blog for the longest time since hearing of her through work/working on some charity/donor collateral for her. When she passed away, we received a company-wide email notifying the office of her death. The entire office went silent, save for some sniffs. I’m not usually inspired or even impressed by other people’s lives, but her life/death has haunted me since. I think it’s because her goals in life were so simple and so attainable — things I take for granted every single day.
5. What countries did you visit?
Peru
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
I’d like my old jeans to fit.
7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Becoming debt-free
Canceling my cable
Only socializing with people that don’t annoy the shit out of me
9. What was your biggest failure?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Other than the several times I really thought I was going to strangle someone, no.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Wide angle lens
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Idiot Co-workers/company, NARC friends, Unsentimental Mom, Fat lady in line at the SF Opera in the Park who used her baby Bjorn as a chest shield, else I would have decked her in the kisser.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Weekend escapes from SF
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
See #14
16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2009?
1901- Phoenix
Blame It – Jamie Foxx
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier, not as black and white as that, though
ii. thinner or fatter? same fatty
iii. richer or poorer? richer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Wish I saw more of my family and old friends
Yoga (or any form of exercise)
(these were carried over from the past few years, which is kind of sad)
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stay late for work
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Back in Houston, with family
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Love is always an ebb and flow
23. How many one-night stands?
seriously?
24. What was your favourite TV program?
I don’t even know. All the shows I used to like, I started detesting. I guess Mad Men or True Blood?
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Fat lady in line at the SF Opera, This lady we call “Terdy” at work. I’ll leave it at that before I open up a whole new can of worms.
26. What was the best book you read?
Elegance of the Hedgehog
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Phoenix, Au Revoire Simone, MGMT
28. What did you want and get?
some semblance of stability and sanity
29. What did you want and not get?
job fulfillment
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Up
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
32 (fuck I’m old). Actual bday = the boy made me dinner (hot wings, milkshake), and we just chilled. That following weekend we celebrated w/my sis and her bf in NYC. Great weekend.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If people other than myself knew how to do their jobs
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Lazy and chubby
34. What kept you sane?
Knowing I can find pockets of sanity w/in various friendships I have w/people
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Patrick Swayze? I don’t know. He seemed like a nice guy, its too bad he died.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Healthcare
37. Who did you miss?
My family and friends. I wish we were closer geographically. I wish we had more time together.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I rekindled a friendship with someone I hadn’t seen in years, but who I used to work with. It’s cool that friendships can rebound like that, after so much time has passed. Gives me hope.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
