I was reading All & Sundry recently, and found that Linda had handed me the subject matter for my next blog entry in a neat (albeit not so little) bulleted package, just primed for the taking. She provided a questionnaire for a year in review. I think it’s a great idea, and I thoroughly enjoyed taking some time to capture my memories of 2008. I encourage you to do the same. With her permission, I am posting my answers to Linda’s questionnaire below.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? I started my own blog. It has been an adventure, and to say the least therapeutic.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Last year I didn’t make a New Year’s resolution. I did make a mid year resolution to lose weight. Having had much success, I will continue my resolution into 2009 to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My friend Vicky and my cousin Nicola both gave birth in January. My friend Sharon is due in a couple of weeks.
4. Did anyone close to you die? We lost Nonnie (my husband’s grandmother) and my great aunt Angie this past year.
5. What countries did you visit? Does South Carolina or Pennsylvania count? That’s the extent of what we could afford for family vacations.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? More sleep.
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? 09/07/08- Tom Brady injured playing against KC and out for the season.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? My biggest achievement was definitely managing life with a newborn (born tail end of 07) and toddler, and still maintaining a great relationship with my husband.
9. What was your biggest failure? My inability to curb my potty mouth around my kids. Luckily “fuck”, “shit”, and “crap” seem to have escaped my daughter’s vocabulary. “Jackass”, was totally not my fault.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I did not suffer illness, but my children were not unscathed. Colds were rampant, and 1 very nasty stomach bug landed my son in the hospital. I’d have traded with them in a heartbeat.
11. What was the best thing you bought? My Weight Watchers and YMCA memberships.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? I’m going to take credit on this one. Losing 26 lbs in 6 months.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Tom Cruise, because he’s just gone fucking weird, and now I have to admit with shame that I used to adore that crazy loon.
14. Where did most of your money go? Day-care.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Our new dining room set, and our trip to Myrtle Beach.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? It probably came out sooner, but all summer long I loved that Hey Delilah song by the Plain White Tees
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? THINNER!!!
c) richer or poorer? Richer from a life perspective, but if we’re talking about finances, then I’m definitely poorer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Sleep
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Snap at my toddler when she became antagonistic. It couldn’t have been easy for her to go from adored “everyone loves me and only me the single child”-dom to, “hey, who’s that little dude stepping in on my turf”-dom.
20. How did you spend Christmas? Christmas Eve was spent with my husband’s father at my sister in law’s, Christmas Day was spent at home with my dad’s side of the family, the Saturday after Christmas was spent with my mother in law at my sister in law’s house again. Divorced families create extended Christmas celebrations.
21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Yes, with my baby boy.
22. What was your favorite TV program? Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I really try not to hate anyone. Wouldn’t “Did you forgive anyone that you didn’t forgive this time last year” be a great question? That one I can own up to.
24. What was the best book you read? I didn’t read much, but loved the Twilight series.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? That they Might Be Giants wrote the theme song, and the Hot Dog song for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Who knew!
26. What did you want and get? My own Zumba DVD’s.
27. What did you want and not get? Some sort of totally impractical surprise jewelry gift from my husband. A girl can always dream.
28. What was your favorite film of this year? I don’t think I went to any movies this past year. I can tell you what it WOULD have been….Harry Potter if it had come out when it was supposed to, and Twilight if I could have gotten anyone to go see it with me. I heard it wasn’t that great, but if my plans fall through with my sister in law on Friday- I’m going alone.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 35 and went to a nice dinner with my husband (I think).
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More sleep.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Non existent…spent the first half of the year still wearing maternity clothing even though no longer pregnant, and then the second half of the year in clothing that was falling off me. I still need to go shopping.
32. What kept you sane? Blogging, and many useless late night hours on Facebook.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I became an Ellen DeGeneres fan while out on maternity leave, and will always totally adore Michael Shanks. I was psyched to see him guesting on Stargate Atlantis.
34. What political issue stirred you the most? I never talk politics. I never feel educated enough to be worthy of debate. I have opinions, I vote, but I always feel like I’m missing some crucial piece of history, or I haven’t read the fine print. That would be a good New Years Resolution…to better understand the fine print.
35. Who did you miss? I miss my friend Paul. We were close friends for almost 20 years, and it’s been almost a year since we’ve spoken. The only written communication has been his baby boy’s birth announcement, and the Xmas card signed by his new wife. Total suckage.
36. Who was the best new person you met? I haven’t really met anyone new, but I’ve really enjoyed reconnecting with several grade school friends over Facebook. I spend WAY too much time on FB.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
· The best and hardest thing I will ever do is be a mom.
· Milk puke smell is really hard to get out of the couch if you don’t clean it right away (Hey, I tended to my kid first, so sue me).
· There are more Weight Watchers points in a Taco Bell SALAD then are available in my total daily point allotment. Fast food is BAD, mmmkay?
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog
It’s a brand new day, whatcha waiting for
Get up, stretch out, stomp on the floor
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog.
(Hot Dog Song from Mickey Mouse Club House)
Thanks for this Linda! I think it’s a fantastic year end tradition.
