45 From 05: A 2005/2006 Retrospective

Who am I kidding, it’s just another survey. (A hybrid from Karen and Heather.)

1. What was your favorite moment of the year? I think it was the Moroccan dinner that the Boy took me to for my birthday, which was utterly wonderful, and then ended with a surprise group of my friends at a bar. It was several hours, not a moment, but it was lovely.
2. What was your least favorite moment of the year? Feeling exhausted and torn on Christmas.
3. Where were you when 2005 ended? At a party at the Boy’s parents’ house, wondering if he was going to kiss me or keep yelling into the microphone. I am not that awful kind of passive lump, but I have been out of sorts lately.
4. Who were you with when 2005 ended? The Boy, his siblings and their friends, my brother, Karen and Kris, Steve and his brother, and a handful of other people.
5. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions? Some, but there were over a dozen pages, so not all. You think I’m kidding.
6. What did you do in 2005 that you’ve never done before? I went scuba diving. I began the longest thing I’ve ever written. I saw Dallas. I found my first grey hair. I went to a professional hockey game. I started going to my friends’ weddings and housewarmings. I learned self-defense. I went wedding-dress shopping.
7. What was your favorite month of 2005? Usually it’s whichever one has a vacation trip in it, but there wasn’t one this year. Lake Placid in January was nice, though.
8. What countries did you travel to in 2005? Utterly depressingly, none.
9. What states did you travel to in 2005? New Jersey, New York, Washington D.C., California, Texas
10. Did you miss anybody in the past year? Myself, at times.
11. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2005? Nope.
12. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2005? None.
13. Did you hope for something you didn’t get in 2005? A bit more discipline.
14. What do you wish you’d done more of? Being active and being with people.
15. What do you wish you’d done less of? Procrastinating.
16. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year? I didn’t finish my thesis. I gained weight. I spent not nearly as much time and attention on the important people as I should have, and way too much on silly things.
17. What was the biggest lie you told in 2005? Probably something to explain being late for something.
18. What was the worst lie someone told you? “We’ll get bonuses.”
19. Did you treat somebody badly in 2005? Probably. I get very distracted and preoccupied and don’t give people enough attention.
20. Did somebody treat you badly in 2005? I honestly don’t think anybody really did. I’m a lucky person.
21. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005? More time, less distraction, more money, plane tickets out of the country.
22. What dates will remain etched upon your memory, and why? If you knew my memory, you would realize the laughability of that question.
23. What was your biggest achievement? Getting promoted, I guess I should say, but I think more than that it was just keeping working on figuring myself out.
24. What was your most embarrassing moment? There were plenty, but it’s hard to remember one. Which probably should tell me to be less embarrassed.
25. Did you suffer illness or injury? Very little. Again, I’m very lucky.
26. Whose behavior merited celebration? My dad’s and my brother’s are the ones that spring to mind first.
27. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My own, at times.
28. Where did most of your money go? Savings and graduate school.
29. How did you spend Christmas? In motion.
30. What was the best book you read? I finally read “Emma” after getting it for Christmas, but “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” made me cry like no book ever has.
31. What was your greatest musical discovery? BBC Radio 1.
32. What was your favorite film of this year? I don’t get to the movies nearly as often as I’d like. But I loved “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” when I finally saw it on an airplane.
33. What did you do on your birthday? I worked, and then went to a sushi restaurant with my family.
34. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Finishing my thesis.
35. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005? An uphill battle.
36. What kept you sane? Writing, deep breathing, crying.
37. What political issue stirred you the most? The ongoing gay marriage debate, but also the ongoing war in Iraq.
38. Who did you miss? Myself, toward the end of the year.
39. Who was the best new person(s) you met? The people at the tae kwon do studio where I take cardio karate classes.
40. Name a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005. Never even consider giving up.
41. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming….”
    
42. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer? Sadder, I think. Fatter. Richer, I guess, which is nice to realize.
43. Do you have New Year’s resolutions for 2006? Many.
44. What are your plans for 2006? Many.
45. What do you hope to achieve in 2006? Do a good job at work, finish my thesis, get married, buy a house, sort myself out, and possibly, just possibly, relax a little.

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2005
2006