Recap before the real recap
Dec. 19th, 2008 07:28 amI really want to make a tradition out of posting a comprehensive year-in-review entry, kind of like the one I did last year, where I posted the first sentence of the first entry of each month, and then followed it with a narrative summary of all the things I recall from that time period. But in the meantime, I thought I'd tide you over with a fun year-end survey, swiped from none other than
troubl3maker.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Ashtanga yoga? I dunno, there weren't a whole lot of firsts that I remember from this year.
2. Where did you begin 2008?
At home, I think. I honestly have no recollection of NYE, other than the fact that I worked half a day, and encountered a group of Ron Paul supporters (they were marching across the Michigan Ave. bridge, some of them wearing V for Vendetta masks) on my way back from lunch. We must have watched movies and conked out early or something. (ETA: Now that I think about it more, I think we were actually at Em and Jeff's when the ball dropped for a Guitar Hero bonanza. Don't know how in the hell that slipped my mind.)
3. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think I made any definitive resolutions, although I did keep in mind that I wanted to write more regularly. I stuck to that pretty well, even if I wasn't able to let loose with shitty first drafts as much as I would have liked. This year, I aim to continue writing more regularly, and also modify my process so that it is more playful, and not so obsessed with getting things right.
4. What was your status by Valentine's Day?
Same as usual, co-habitating in defiance of the institution of marriage. ;)
5. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
6. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandma.
7. Were you in school?
Do thesis hours count?
8. What countries did you visit?
None, and I'm sad about that because a trip to London was considered and researched.
9. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A trip to the west coast. Or somewhere I've never been. There was a wee bit o' traveling in 2008, but it was to familiar places.
10. What moments from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The election being called in favor of Obama - it restored my faith in humanity.
The weekend I spent by myself at the Hilton Garden downtown. I got a room there when I needed to put in a Saturday and Sunday at work (this was at the peak of acknowledgment writing season) and made what might have been a dreary two days feel more like a mini-vacation. I had a glorious soak in the tub, took myself out to dinner, and relished the quiet solitude that I need every so often.
Hearing Romantica cover Hallelujah at Summerfest - Ben Kyle brought so much passion to this performance and really blew me away, especially at the end when the band stopped playing, and he was singing a cappella, just radiating pure emotion. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
Singing hour upon hour of karaoke on my birthday weekend - pretty damn close to the best night ever.
Shivering in the rain at the Epcot Center shuttle depot - this experience resulted in the first of this year's two epic battles with my respiratory system.
11. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I got out a skeletal first draft of the novel.
12. What was your biggest failure?
Not making my way through a full revision of said draft. Also, not getting to see David Tennant and Patrick Stewart in Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
13. Did you have to go to the hospital?
No, but there's been a couple times in the last couple weeks when I thought it might be necessary.
14. What was the best thing you bought?
An original piece of artwork by Chris Burnham. Several copies of I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone. Also, admission to SCBWI's Prairie Writer's Conference, which was a great investment in myself.
15. Where did most of your money go?
Same place it usually goes, towards living expenses and books and food.
16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My Summerfest road trip.
Reading to a packed house at RUI in March.
Wrestling.
Finding a sense of direction and focus for my novel.
Relinquinishing my duties as an acknowledgment writer once and for all. What can I say, I'm an excitable sort. :)
17. What song(s) will always remind you of 2008?
The Season Song, by Kaiser Cartel. Bourne on the FM Waves of the Heart, by Against Me! Anything on Saturnalia by The Gutter Twins.
18. What concerts/shows did you go to?
Gutter Twins at Metro
the aforementioned Summerfest, with Stone Temple Pilots headlining
The Tossers at the Irish American Cultural Center
Rancid at House of Blues
Hideout Block Party
Against Me! at Riviera
Romantica at the Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee
The Safes at Beat Kitchen
I wanna say there were others, but these are the ones that immediately stand out.
19. Compared to this time last year, are you:
I. happier or sadder? about the same
II. thinner or fatter? about the same
III. richer or poorer? I'm making more money, but I'm probably poorer since everything costs more.
20. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Writing and traveling.
21. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying.
22. How will you be spending Christmas?
Same holiday madness routine as always.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Not a new show, but Six Feet Under.
24. What was the best book you read?
Hmmm, this is a tough one. I think the one that had me the most riveted was Darkness, Take My Hand, by Dennis Lehane.
25. What were your greatest musical discoveries?
Kaiser Cartel, Gutter Twins, and Pelican.
26. What did you want and get?
A promotion.
27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Mike's mom had a small gathering at her house on the actual day, but I made a whole weekend out of it by doing the much-talked about Friday karaoke outing, and seeing an ROH show with Mike that Saturday. I turned 30.
28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More travel. This year was way too much about work work work.
29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Do I ever have a fashion concept? I suppose I got a tad bit more girly and professional.
30. What kept you sane?
Writing group.
31. Who did you miss?
Quite a few people.
32. Who was the best new person you met?
Kelly
33. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Showing up is more than half the battle.
34. Did you move anywhere?
My office moved floors. The view is much better now.
35. What's the something you thought you would never do but did in 2008?
Experienced just a taste of what it might be like to suffer from chronic illness.
36. What was your best month ?
I liked November pretty well.
37. Any regrets ?
I try not to regret anything, because every experience has its value.
38. Overall, how would you rate this year ?
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the high score, I'd go with a low 7. Much less dramatic in terms of life changes, at least when compared with 2007, almost as if the universe realized I needed this year to slow down and regroup.
39. What did you like most about 2008 ?
That I finally committed myself fully to writing my novel. Now that I've relieved myself of the freelance obligations that were competing for my creative energy, I have no more excuses to avoid this thing.
40. Other than home, where did you spend most of your time ?
At work, or with people from work.
41. Change your hairstyle ?
I switched back to red hair.
42. Get a new job ?
I got promoted, so I guess that counts.
43. Do anything embarrassing ?
Hmmm....no.
44. Get married or divorced ?
Ha ha ha.
45. Did you get sick this year ?
Did I ever! Still trying to figure out why my respiratory system hates me.
46. Start a new hobby ?
I got more into yoga than I've ever been. That's about it.
47. Are you happy to see 2008 go ?
Yes! It started out okay, but gradually wore out its welcome.
48. What are you wishing for in 2009 ?
Lots of play. I deserve it to balance out all the work work work that cluttered up 2008. A novel draft suitable for pitching to agents would be nice too.
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1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Ashtanga yoga? I dunno, there weren't a whole lot of firsts that I remember from this year.
2. Where did you begin 2008?
At home, I think. I honestly have no recollection of NYE, other than the fact that I worked half a day, and encountered a group of Ron Paul supporters (they were marching across the Michigan Ave. bridge, some of them wearing V for Vendetta masks) on my way back from lunch. We must have watched movies and conked out early or something. (ETA: Now that I think about it more, I think we were actually at Em and Jeff's when the ball dropped for a Guitar Hero bonanza. Don't know how in the hell that slipped my mind.)
3. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think I made any definitive resolutions, although I did keep in mind that I wanted to write more regularly. I stuck to that pretty well, even if I wasn't able to let loose with shitty first drafts as much as I would have liked. This year, I aim to continue writing more regularly, and also modify my process so that it is more playful, and not so obsessed with getting things right.
4. What was your status by Valentine's Day?
Same as usual, co-habitating in defiance of the institution of marriage. ;)
5. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
6. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandma.
7. Were you in school?
Do thesis hours count?
8. What countries did you visit?
None, and I'm sad about that because a trip to London was considered and researched.
9. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A trip to the west coast. Or somewhere I've never been. There was a wee bit o' traveling in 2008, but it was to familiar places.
10. What moments from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The election being called in favor of Obama - it restored my faith in humanity.
The weekend I spent by myself at the Hilton Garden downtown. I got a room there when I needed to put in a Saturday and Sunday at work (this was at the peak of acknowledgment writing season) and made what might have been a dreary two days feel more like a mini-vacation. I had a glorious soak in the tub, took myself out to dinner, and relished the quiet solitude that I need every so often.
Hearing Romantica cover Hallelujah at Summerfest - Ben Kyle brought so much passion to this performance and really blew me away, especially at the end when the band stopped playing, and he was singing a cappella, just radiating pure emotion. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
Singing hour upon hour of karaoke on my birthday weekend - pretty damn close to the best night ever.
Shivering in the rain at the Epcot Center shuttle depot - this experience resulted in the first of this year's two epic battles with my respiratory system.
11. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I got out a skeletal first draft of the novel.
12. What was your biggest failure?
Not making my way through a full revision of said draft. Also, not getting to see David Tennant and Patrick Stewart in Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
13. Did you have to go to the hospital?
No, but there's been a couple times in the last couple weeks when I thought it might be necessary.
14. What was the best thing you bought?
An original piece of artwork by Chris Burnham. Several copies of I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone. Also, admission to SCBWI's Prairie Writer's Conference, which was a great investment in myself.
15. Where did most of your money go?
Same place it usually goes, towards living expenses and books and food.
16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My Summerfest road trip.
Reading to a packed house at RUI in March.
Wrestling.
Finding a sense of direction and focus for my novel.
Relinquinishing my duties as an acknowledgment writer once and for all. What can I say, I'm an excitable sort. :)
17. What song(s) will always remind you of 2008?
The Season Song, by Kaiser Cartel. Bourne on the FM Waves of the Heart, by Against Me! Anything on Saturnalia by The Gutter Twins.
18. What concerts/shows did you go to?
Gutter Twins at Metro
the aforementioned Summerfest, with Stone Temple Pilots headlining
The Tossers at the Irish American Cultural Center
Rancid at House of Blues
Hideout Block Party
Against Me! at Riviera
Romantica at the Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee
The Safes at Beat Kitchen
I wanna say there were others, but these are the ones that immediately stand out.
19. Compared to this time last year, are you:
I. happier or sadder? about the same
II. thinner or fatter? about the same
III. richer or poorer? I'm making more money, but I'm probably poorer since everything costs more.
20. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Writing and traveling.
21. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying.
22. How will you be spending Christmas?
Same holiday madness routine as always.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Not a new show, but Six Feet Under.
24. What was the best book you read?
Hmmm, this is a tough one. I think the one that had me the most riveted was Darkness, Take My Hand, by Dennis Lehane.
25. What were your greatest musical discoveries?
Kaiser Cartel, Gutter Twins, and Pelican.
26. What did you want and get?
A promotion.
27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Mike's mom had a small gathering at her house on the actual day, but I made a whole weekend out of it by doing the much-talked about Friday karaoke outing, and seeing an ROH show with Mike that Saturday. I turned 30.
28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More travel. This year was way too much about work work work.
29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Do I ever have a fashion concept? I suppose I got a tad bit more girly and professional.
30. What kept you sane?
Writing group.
31. Who did you miss?
Quite a few people.
32. Who was the best new person you met?
Kelly
33. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Showing up is more than half the battle.
34. Did you move anywhere?
My office moved floors. The view is much better now.
35. What's the something you thought you would never do but did in 2008?
Experienced just a taste of what it might be like to suffer from chronic illness.
36. What was your best month ?
I liked November pretty well.
37. Any regrets ?
I try not to regret anything, because every experience has its value.
38. Overall, how would you rate this year ?
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the high score, I'd go with a low 7. Much less dramatic in terms of life changes, at least when compared with 2007, almost as if the universe realized I needed this year to slow down and regroup.
39. What did you like most about 2008 ?
That I finally committed myself fully to writing my novel. Now that I've relieved myself of the freelance obligations that were competing for my creative energy, I have no more excuses to avoid this thing.
40. Other than home, where did you spend most of your time ?
At work, or with people from work.
41. Change your hairstyle ?
I switched back to red hair.
42. Get a new job ?
I got promoted, so I guess that counts.
43. Do anything embarrassing ?
Hmmm....no.
44. Get married or divorced ?
Ha ha ha.
45. Did you get sick this year ?
Did I ever! Still trying to figure out why my respiratory system hates me.
46. Start a new hobby ?
I got more into yoga than I've ever been. That's about it.
47. Are you happy to see 2008 go ?
Yes! It started out okay, but gradually wore out its welcome.
48. What are you wishing for in 2009 ?
Lots of play. I deserve it to balance out all the work work work that cluttered up 2008. A novel draft suitable for pitching to agents would be nice too.