Wednesday, December 31, 2008

The 2008 Meme

As seen at New Kid's and Profgrrrrl's:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Well, I got ABD status and started a dissertation! I ran a conference. (Now I'm running through the archives of this blog and finding other firsts.) I made a soufflé. I used a neti pot. I helped a friend give birth. Drove from Victoria to Regina (I've done the reverse, but never that trip.) Attended a Roughrider game with my in-laws. Found a spider in my teakettle. Owned a barbeque. Made birthday cakes from scratch. Roasted a turkey. Spent the entire Christmas break away from Saskatchewan.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't bother with New Year's Resolutions. Well, I guess I accomplished almost everything I intended to accomplish this year (other than the trip to Germany, which will happen next year), so that's something.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Meg and Karl had Andrew at the beginning of the year, and then Mark and Terra had Elora at the end of the year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
I nearly made it a year without anyone close dying, and then Anna died just before the year was over.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just the US.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Mastery of the German language? Funding for a trip to Germany? Some real progress on my dissertation? Some form of self-discipline?

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'm terrible at dates. I guess one that sticks out for me is January 30th, the day that Andrew was finally born. I guess also April 21st: the day I finished my comps exams.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finishing my comps exams!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Well, my lack of progress would be one.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major, beyond the usual colds, and the usual clumsy minor injuries. (This was the year I got injured while mini-golfing!)

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Either clothes that fit, or a subscription to Rosetta Stone.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Ky and LynnieC! They both moved out of the province for the first time, live on their own, and started intimidating school programs. I'm so proud of both of them, because that's some scary stuff. (Now I'm worried that their sister Bronwyn will feel left out! She always deserves celebration.)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Too many public figures to even begin naming. 2008 has been a gong show.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Tuition and debt payments

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Well, all these elections sure got me fired up. If you didn't notice. Also, moving everyone to the West Coast!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
I guess the whole Once soundtrack. I'll say "Falling Slowly," since that was the first one I heard (at the Oscars).

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Well, compared to last year at this time, a.) I'm a little sadder, b.) a bit fatter, and d.) a touch richer, or about even?

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I'd been a bit more active. I started off running, but then I fell off with that.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Procrastinating. I've lived up to my name a little too much.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent Christmas with friends.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Well, I stayed in love!

22. How many one-night stands?
Of course not!

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Either Chuck or Battlestar Galactica.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I try to avoid hate.

25. What was the best book you read?
Considering how many books I read this year, you'd think this would be easier to think of. I'm going to pick a non-academic one, the only new-to-me-non-academic-book I read all year: Home from the Vinyl Cafe by Stuart McLean.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Did I make any musical discoveries this year? I guess, since I was behind the trend on hearing Glen Hansard and now I'm listening to him quite a bit, that would be one.


27. What did you want and get?
ABD status. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. on DVD. Ky living in the same city as me.

28. What did you want and not get?
Greater financial security?

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Mamma Mia!

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
On my actual (28th) birthday, I went to a nice restaurant with Christopher and we tried to spend as much of our $100 gift certificate (which we won) as possible.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Already knowing German by now. If I could have spent less of the year paralyzed by anxiety.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Trouser-legged pants have changed my life.

33. What kept you sane?
Christopher, of course. Well, he kept me the right kind of insane. Also tea. Litres and litres and gallons of tea. And the Vinyl Cafe podcasts, which were what would keep me calm when I was feeling panicky about my exams.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Why can't I think of this one off the top of my head? I need Ky around for this one. Considering the series of movies that Chris and I just watched, apparently it would be Colin Firth, or maybe Alan Rickman. Chris says "Tina Fey," which is I think his answer for what I would say?

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Apparently the coalition issue?

36. Who did you miss?
My family.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Hm. Who did I meet in 2008? I'm going to go with wee Andrew. Because he's ten kinds of awesome.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
I'm happiest when I work deliberately and take breaks deliberately, without the fuzzy in-betweens.


39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

What the h? I have to come up with a song lyric? I guess since this has been the year I've been working on and facing my anxieties:

Be still, my soul: your God will undertake
to guide the future, as in ages past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
the Christ who ruled them while he dwelt below.

4 comments:

The Blog Fodder said...

That looks kind of neat but I could not answer any of the questions seriously. Did anyone near you give birth - does the neighbour's cow count?

Anonymous said...

that lyric is beautiful. I cried a little. of course, I'm pregnant. :) but still...lovely.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh, Uncle Al, I would love to read you answer these questions.

Anastasia: Be Still My Soul always makes me a touch weepy. And I don't have pregnancy to blame. :)

DC Power said...

Be Still My Soul is a wonderful hymn. I looked it up on www.cyberhymnal.org and saw that it was originally written in German in 1752 "Stille, meine Wille, dein Je­sus hilft sie­gen" and later translated into English in 1855.