that was the year that was

[fox]

1. What did you do in 2003 that you'd never done before?

i sang at a friend's wedding.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

i don't make resolutions. the more you commit to paper (or other means of, you know, preservation), the more evidence there is of your eventual failure.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

not this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

yes.

5. What countries did you visit?

canada. it's been a while since i've gone further; busy with school and things.

6. What would you like to have in 2004 that you lacked in 2003?

admission to a PhD program. heh. or, a job i like that pays the bills.

7. What date from 2003 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

july 12 and 13. and november 3. i don't get etched by happy days, apparently. february 15 was the day my brother called to tell me he and the fsil were engaged, but i don't feel like that day is etched.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

finishing my master's degree!

9. What was your biggest failure?

the biggest one that comes to mind is the cherry blossom. shallow, much? but this hasn't been a big year for me, failure-wise. last year, yes.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

the usual illnesses: a couple of sinus infections; a bout with the martian death flu; oh, and the kidney infection from hell followed by the nascent ulcer this summer. that was fun. injuries, just the sprained ankle right before the hurricane got here.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

hrm. probably my baby cousin's christmas gift, actually. that thing achieved more happiness per dollar spent than probably anything else i bought all year.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

um ...

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

um ...

14. Where did most of your money go?

school. rent. bills: tv, phone(s), gas, electricity. gasoline on the almost-weekly +250-mile round trip to the curling club.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

the kayser!

16. What songs will always remind you of 2003?

i'm so bad about music, about specific titles of things and names of artists. i have no idea.

17. Compared to this time last year,
i. are you happier or sadder?

a little happier, since i'm done with the MA and moving back to where my friends are, instead of having another solid year of work ahead of me.

ii. thinner or fatter?

a little thinner, i think. believe it or not. but just a little.

iii. richer or poorer?

poorer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

getting to know people where i was, instead of scurrying back to where i'd come from.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

fretting. but i always wish that.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

we'd already done the mom's-family gathering, so this was just hanging out around the house yesterday. watched pirates of the caribbean, at my mother's suggestion, since my parents hadn't seen it.

22. Did you fall in love in 2003?

i don't think so.

23. How many one night stands?

just the one. i don't get out much.

24. What were your favourite TV programmes?

west wing; vintage law & order.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

i try not to hate people. it seems, as ms. bonnie hunt said in only you, like a pretty strong emotion for someone you don't even like. i have enough to worry about without nurturing negative feelings for people who piss me off. not worth it. that said, there are people who i'm considerably less sympathetic towards than i was at this time last year, and who i'd just as soon not speak to any more than is absolutely necessary.

26. What was the best book you read?

empire falls, by richard russo.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

see above, re: me and music.

28. What did you want and get?

a master's degree. (sensing a theme here? [g] actually i don't have it quite yet, but i've finished the work for it, so i'm counting it.)

29. What did you want and not get?

oh, why dwell on disappointment? i prefer to think of things that i'd like to have gotten this year as things that i haven't gotten yet. (wow, i'm in an optimistic mood this afternoon ...)

30. What was your favourite film of this year?

bend it like beckham.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

drank scotch, played pool, had a Very Earnest (probably actually very amusing) conversation with darthrami, fell asleep on her couch. but that was just on the actual day (the day i turned 26, for the record). the birthday celebration was actually the whole weekend long, beginning with the matrix: redundant and ending with failure to acquire cream soda from the grocery store.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

well, that's a silly question.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2003?

student don't-bother-me-with-trends. blue jeans. t-shirts. sweaters. shoes i can walk in.

34. What kept you sane?

you did, as much as anything.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

that's a tough call. i don't think i can answer it for myself. anyone have a read on it for me? :-)

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

the mis-handling of nearly everything put in front of them by our current administration. we've got to remain non-hysterical so we can calmly and legitimately get them the hell out of there.

37. Who did you miss?

everybody. i was an island.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

cmshaw has become a good friend out here in the real world as well as in the box. i'm glad she decided to relocate, even though it keeps snowing on her quite abnormally.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2003

if you drive a little slower, you're far less likely to rip the belly pan off the bottom of your car.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year

i went to see the doctor of philosophy
with a poster of rasputin and a beard down to his knees

:-)