gnu year, gnu meme
Jan. 7th, 2009 12:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jazzfishJeez. I first saw this in ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
honeychurch's back entries; apparently she does this every year, or at least has up 'til now. This year, though, it's sprouted up all over my flist. I feel so trendy, or something.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Got engaged, mostly. Visited San Diego. Met people from the internet.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't really make any resolutions. Didn't write more, which is my standard resolution.
I've got a couple kicking around in my head, mostly formalised statements of things I've been trying to do for awhile. Write more, of course, both here and elsewhere. Meet people, and have some of them make the jump from "acquaintance" to "friend." Believe that the things I do are actually cool and fun regardless of whether anyone else tells me so.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
kathleenroberts and kittenchan and redlynx; not sure how close they are. My baby sister is seven months along again.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
For the first time in three years, no. (The purpose of the forward march of time continues to be "to get us the hell away from 2005 as fast as possible.")
5. What countries did you visit?
Only this one. That's on the list of things to change for next year.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More vacation time. A better phone (hey, look at that!). A chance to seenixve more than once every three months, without having to fight her parents for the privilege.
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The first of March; see #1 above. The fourth of November; see #15 below.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Winning the International Icehouse Tournament at Origins.
9. What was your biggest failure?
A failure of communication shortly after Xmas. And, not to trivialise that in the slightest, but if that was my biggest failure for the year it was a pretty decent year.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Other than my standard sinus infections and tooth problems, not really. Even those have been less bad than in the past.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The money for my half of Secret Project Rock actually got spent in 2007, and technically the Device was a gift from my parents. So, um, new dishes, I guess.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Everyone who showed up to help me move. Fifty-three percent of US voters.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
rubinpdf's. Fifty-two percent of California voters. My own on occasion.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent and bills. Moving. Disposable income went mostly to nice dinners, plane tickets, and hotels.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
President-elect Barack Hussein Obama II. Winning the IIT. Something about a couple of rings.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Somalia, in the same way that Kenya reminds me of 2003.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? I think I'm probably a little happier right at this moment, but only a little. Overall, happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Net gain of 5-10 pounds according to the scale, but I'm not sure how much of that actually translates to extra volume that looks like "fat."
iii. richer or poorer? Definitely richer. Big raise in January, serious reduction in rent in August, and no expensive tastes apart from airplane tickets and mid-range hotels.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Traveled. Spent time withnixve (are we detecting a pattern here? I think we are). Worked out some of my personal fears and issues.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Freaking out. Causinguilos to freak out.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
I slept in, talked to a number of delightful people online, futzed with the new iPod Touch, and around five went over to Michelle Z's for Xmas gaming. Then came back and got some Irritating News. All in all, way better than going out to Martinsburg.
21. How will you be spending New Year's Eve? (How did you spend New Year’s?)
Rang in 2008 at a gaming party; rang in 2009 in Laurel with some old acquaintances.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Not even a new crush. V.sad.
23. How many one-night stands?
That would be "zero," Bob.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
That I actually saw episodes of? We started watching Due South on DVD, I guess that counts.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I can't think of anyone that I really hate at all. Certainly not anyone who's been involved in my life within the past decade.
26. What was the best book you read?
Susan Palwick's Shelter, which was so overwhelmingly good that I couldn't write it up for the booklog. Second place probably goes to eBear's Blood and Iron.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
That Dar's albums actually started going downhill not with My Better Self, but with The Beauty of the Rain. I cut that album a lot of slack for the title song and especially for "Mercy of the Fallen," but other than those two and the sweet but light "Fishing in the Morning" it's just not very good.
In terms of finding music I actually like, I started buying Girlyman CDs. Now I can listen to "St. Peter's Bones" whenever I want to.
28. What did you want and get?
An iPod Touch, and then an iPhone.
29. What did you want and not get?
More time withnixve. A smart fortwo.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I think I saw a whopping two new movies this year. Of those, Get Smart was better than Hellboy. Um, unless Persepolis came out this year, that was damn good.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned thirty-two, and I had an amazing time.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Something that's out of reach.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Hippie geek slacker. I've mostly gone off t-shirts in favor of button-down, I still wear jeans (or denim shorts) and Chacos pretty much all the time, and there's the ponytail and glasses.
34. What kept you sane?
uilos and nixve. ancientsong. Google Chat. elf and babushek, on occasion. Straylight and Munin.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ty of Girlyman, since I saw zir a lot more often than Tilda Swinton (my other choice) or Emily Watson (my other other choice).
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Specific to this year, Prop 8. In general, I guess "torture," since that's what sparked my conversion/awakening 4.5 years ago.
37. Whom did you miss?
nixve, near-constantly. Pop, on occasion.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Tough call. I didn't meet all that many new people, not that stuck around anyway. Right now it looks likesolestria, who provided good conversation and continues to pass along the occasional OKStupid anecdote.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
If I'm upset or angry, the single most effective thing I can do to resolve that is to tell whoever it is I'm upset or angry with about it. Talking about it can clear out eighty percent of my stress over the situation.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
High winds in the northern sky will carry you away
You know you have to leave here
You wish that you could stay
There's four directions on this map
But you're only going one way. . .
honeychurch's back entries; apparently she does this every year, or at least has up 'til now. This year, though, it's sprouted up all over my flist. I feel so trendy, or something.1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Got engaged, mostly. Visited San Diego. Met people from the internet.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't really make any resolutions. Didn't write more, which is my standard resolution.
I've got a couple kicking around in my head, mostly formalised statements of things I've been trying to do for awhile. Write more, of course, both here and elsewhere. Meet people, and have some of them make the jump from "acquaintance" to "friend." Believe that the things I do are actually cool and fun regardless of whether anyone else tells me so.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
kathleenroberts and kittenchan and redlynx; not sure how close they are. My baby sister is seven months along again.4. Did anyone close to you die?
For the first time in three years, no. (The purpose of the forward march of time continues to be "to get us the hell away from 2005 as fast as possible.")
5. What countries did you visit?
Only this one. That's on the list of things to change for next year.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More vacation time. A better phone (hey, look at that!). A chance to see
nixve more than once every three months, without having to fight her parents for the privilege.7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The first of March; see #1 above. The fourth of November; see #15 below.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Winning the International Icehouse Tournament at Origins.
9. What was your biggest failure?
A failure of communication shortly after Xmas. And, not to trivialise that in the slightest, but if that was my biggest failure for the year it was a pretty decent year.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Other than my standard sinus infections and tooth problems, not really. Even those have been less bad than in the past.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The money for my half of Secret Project Rock actually got spent in 2007, and technically the Device was a gift from my parents. So, um, new dishes, I guess.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Everyone who showed up to help me move. Fifty-three percent of US voters.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
rubinpdf's. Fifty-two percent of California voters. My own on occasion.14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent and bills. Moving. Disposable income went mostly to nice dinners, plane tickets, and hotels.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
President-elect Barack Hussein Obama II. Winning the IIT. Something about a couple of rings.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Somalia, in the same way that Kenya reminds me of 2003.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? I think I'm probably a little happier right at this moment, but only a little. Overall, happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Net gain of 5-10 pounds according to the scale, but I'm not sure how much of that actually translates to extra volume that looks like "fat."
iii. richer or poorer? Definitely richer. Big raise in January, serious reduction in rent in August, and no expensive tastes apart from airplane tickets and mid-range hotels.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Traveled. Spent time with
nixve (are we detecting a pattern here? I think we are). Worked out some of my personal fears and issues.19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Freaking out. Causing
uilos to freak out.20. How did you spend Christmas?
I slept in, talked to a number of delightful people online, futzed with the new iPod Touch, and around five went over to Michelle Z's for Xmas gaming. Then came back and got some Irritating News. All in all, way better than going out to Martinsburg.
21. How will you be spending New Year's Eve? (How did you spend New Year’s?)
Rang in 2008 at a gaming party; rang in 2009 in Laurel with some old acquaintances.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Not even a new crush. V.sad.
23. How many one-night stands?
That would be "zero," Bob.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
That I actually saw episodes of? We started watching Due South on DVD, I guess that counts.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I can't think of anyone that I really hate at all. Certainly not anyone who's been involved in my life within the past decade.
26. What was the best book you read?
Susan Palwick's Shelter, which was so overwhelmingly good that I couldn't write it up for the booklog. Second place probably goes to eBear's Blood and Iron.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
That Dar's albums actually started going downhill not with My Better Self, but with The Beauty of the Rain. I cut that album a lot of slack for the title song and especially for "Mercy of the Fallen," but other than those two and the sweet but light "Fishing in the Morning" it's just not very good.
In terms of finding music I actually like, I started buying Girlyman CDs. Now I can listen to "St. Peter's Bones" whenever I want to.
28. What did you want and get?
An iPod Touch, and then an iPhone.
29. What did you want and not get?
More time with
nixve. A smart fortwo.30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I think I saw a whopping two new movies this year. Of those, Get Smart was better than Hellboy. Um, unless Persepolis came out this year, that was damn good.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned thirty-two, and I had an amazing time.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Something that's out of reach.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Hippie geek slacker. I've mostly gone off t-shirts in favor of button-down, I still wear jeans (or denim shorts) and Chacos pretty much all the time, and there's the ponytail and glasses.
34. What kept you sane?
uilos and nixve. ancientsong. Google Chat. elf and babushek, on occasion. Straylight and Munin.35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ty of Girlyman, since I saw zir a lot more often than Tilda Swinton (my other choice) or Emily Watson (my other other choice).
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Specific to this year, Prop 8. In general, I guess "torture," since that's what sparked my conversion/awakening 4.5 years ago.
37. Whom did you miss?
nixve, near-constantly. Pop, on occasion.38. Who was the best new person you met?
Tough call. I didn't meet all that many new people, not that stuck around anyway. Right now it looks like
solestria, who provided good conversation and continues to pass along the occasional OKStupid anecdote.39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
If I'm upset or angry, the single most effective thing I can do to resolve that is to tell whoever it is I'm upset or angry with about it. Talking about it can clear out eighty percent of my stress over the situation.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
High winds in the northern sky will carry you away
You know you have to leave here
You wish that you could stay
There's four directions on this map
But you're only going one way. . .
no subject
Date: 2009-01-07 07:01 pm (UTC)Highly recommend their third album (Joyful Sign). The first (Little Star, I think?) is pretty good, too.
Also, per your userpic, a sneak preview of a linky post coming this afternoon or tomorrow: The
Breakfast Cereal Club.