1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
- Played craps (I won over $150 in New Mexico this summer, but came up a little short in Vegas—still, it was tons of fun)
- Went to Vegas for Thanksgiving (or Franksgiving, as they apparently call it..."they" being J's friends, not Vegas).
- Used a sewing machine.
- Changed my diet, stuck to it, lost some weight and felt better about myself. Yes, that all fell apart sometime this winter, but I did it once and I can do it again.
- Got my braces taken off!!!! Now I know what all my high school friends were talking about. It was the BEST feeling.
- Brought J home with me! We had a great time in El Paso—it's always so much fun seeing the city through the eyes of someone you love. Plus, I'm sure visiting my childhood home explained a lot to J...
From last year:
This year, I want to build on my professional goals on a daily basis, probably in the form of a journal, but definitely in a measurable way. I want to find a job - not a crappy retail job (that I love, but Jesus is it hard), but a real, honest to goodness job. I want to be closer to my existing friends. I want to be more selective about the things I bring into the house, whether it's things I buy that I don't need, like clothes or shoes I will wear once, or things that we buy that may make our lives easier, but hurt the environment in the process. I also want to learn how to sew.
- I definitely built on my professional goals this year. On a daily basis? Maybe not, but I'm in a far better position than I was last December.
- I did not find a full-time job this year, and I did fall back on a retail job for the holidays, but I also found some freelance work that was far more valuable than some job I might have taken just for the health benefits.
- I think Jessica and I spend a fair amount of time together, but I need to be better about keeping in touch with friends who don't live five blocks away.
- We definitely cut down on the amount of stuff we brought into the house, and we still recycle, but our recycling loads have gotten smaller (or equally sized but less frequent). I'd say we did a good job, although I still have a clothes and shoes addiction.
- I did learn how to sew rectangular things. I now need to learn how to sew other things.
- Cut HFCS from our diet, or severely restrict it. I guess limit processed foods in general.
- Fix my little anxiety/fear of bicycle death thing.
- Resume cooking meals at home more often
- Eat healthier foods, and by exercising more, possibly look smoking hot when I'm naked?
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Our friends Jordan and Carolyn had a baby boy in November. Our friends Sarah and Matt also had their baby yesterday, December 30th!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
None, again. Our travel this year was limited to the States again, mostly due to wedding season. We went to Washington/Idaho/Montana, Minnesota, Vegas, and El Paso/Albuquerque. J also went to San Diego and PA.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Good health insurance that doesn't cost $500/month (my crappy health insurance costs $500/month). I'm getting my wish, though, since J and I just finished the paperwork for me to be included on his health insurance. Yay, domestic partnership.
7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
The day my braces were removed!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Designing a website for someone else.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being able to get a client to pay up, and (D'OH!) putting all of the files on her hosting site, where she changed the password and stopped emailing me. Worst $600 lesson, EVAR.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I think I had the swine flu, for real. I was never tested for it, but I was OUT for two weeks and then had a sore throat for about a month after that. I think I caught it on the plane out to Montana. That was when I actually couldn't open a bottle of Ibuprofen because every muscle in my body hurt and was exhausted. If I had had enough energy, I would have LOL'd, but I mostly just whimpered a laugh, then went to sleep for 12 hours after J opened it for me.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I bought some black skinny pants that are the BEST, and I doubt I could live without my rotary cutter and giant cutting mat.
However, hands down the most fun thing I got was this bag. It is so cute, but the fact that I can carry my DSLR around with me, everywhere and look like I'm carrying a cute handbag and not a bulky camera bag? Awesome.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
- J's, whose support and devotion have never wavered.
- Sarah and Carolyn and Lesley for carrying babies inside of them for nine months!
- Laura and Steve for getting engaged, proving our theory about who would be next, and giving team awesome yet another opportunity to be together again when they do get married.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Our upstairs neighbors for being douchebags and walking around in their boots all day because "their feet are cold." You know what else keeps your feet warm? Slippers. Rugs. Go F yourselves.
United Airlines. Because, seriously?
14. Where did most of your money go?
rent, tuition, health insurance.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing Bishop Allen live at the Middle East.
Our upstairs neighbors for being douchebags and walking around in their boots all day because "their feet are cold." You know what else keeps your feet warm? Slippers. Rugs. Go F yourselves.
United Airlines. Because, seriously?
14. Where did most of your money go?
rent, tuition, health insurance.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing Bishop Allen live at the Middle East.
Missing the chance to meet John Hamm in person. IN PERSON. GAH.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Passion Pit's Sleepyhead.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder?
I am definitely about the same. I am overall happier than I have been in the past, but I also am suffering from anxiety attacks and this weird fear of death and bridges that comes and goes at the worst times. This obviously does not make me happy, but I also no longer suffer from depression the way I used to. Yey, modern medicine!
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish that I had cooked more often. I wish that I had completed more of my around-the-house projects. I wish I had punched the upstairs neighbor in the face. I mean, talked to her more nicely.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating, in general.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
In El Paso, showing J around town!
21. How will you be spending New Years?
With our friends at Jessica's apartment, playing Scrabble, because I am seriously obsessed.
22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes, I still find new ways and reasons to love J more and more every year.
23. How many one-night stands?
Fail.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Mad Men, Parks and Recreation, Flight of the Conchords, 30 Rock.
25. Do you "hate" anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I think that I've come to decide that "hate," even the mild pretend "hate," is a completely wasted emotion. This doesn't mean that there isn't anyone that could have made this list, just that I choose not to participate in this question anymore.
26. What was the best book you read?
I read a whole bunch of Tudor literature this year, both fiction and non-fiction. The best book, by far, was The Sisters Who Would Be Queen by Leanda de Lisle. Not only did it seem to be the most factually accurate book I've read so far, but it focused on some oft-forgotten characters in the battle for the throne after Henry VIII's death. If you're into this sort of thing, I highly recommend it.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Either Fanfarlo or the Harlem Shakes. Both albums are fantastic. I would say Phoenix, but basically Mercedes commercials ruined that for me. However, the rest of that album is also really good.
28. What did you want that you also ended up getting?
An "A" in my Foundations of Graphic Design class.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Passion Pit's Sleepyhead.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder?
I am definitely about the same. I am overall happier than I have been in the past, but I also am suffering from anxiety attacks and this weird fear of death and bridges that comes and goes at the worst times. This obviously does not make me happy, but I also no longer suffer from depression the way I used to. Yey, modern medicine!
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish that I had cooked more often. I wish that I had completed more of my around-the-house projects. I wish I had punched the upstairs neighbor in the face. I mean, talked to her more nicely.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating, in general.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
In El Paso, showing J around town!
21. How will you be spending New Years?
With our friends at Jessica's apartment, playing Scrabble, because I am seriously obsessed.
22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes, I still find new ways and reasons to love J more and more every year.
23. How many one-night stands?
Fail.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Mad Men, Parks and Recreation, Flight of the Conchords, 30 Rock.
25. Do you "hate" anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I think that I've come to decide that "hate," even the mild pretend "hate," is a completely wasted emotion. This doesn't mean that there isn't anyone that could have made this list, just that I choose not to participate in this question anymore.
26. What was the best book you read?
I read a whole bunch of Tudor literature this year, both fiction and non-fiction. The best book, by far, was The Sisters Who Would Be Queen by Leanda de Lisle. Not only did it seem to be the most factually accurate book I've read so far, but it focused on some oft-forgotten characters in the battle for the throne after Henry VIII's death. If you're into this sort of thing, I highly recommend it.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Either Fanfarlo or the Harlem Shakes. Both albums are fantastic. I would say Phoenix, but basically Mercedes commercials ruined that for me. However, the rest of that album is also really good.
28. What did you want that you also ended up getting?
An "A" in my Foundations of Graphic Design class.
An electric blanket! My feet have never been so warm!
A deluxe edition of Scrabble with the rotating board and everything—it is so awesome.
29. What did you want that you did not end up getting?
Basically everything on my Amazon wishlist. I always forget to show that to people before the holidays. Dang.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
By and far, Away We Go was the best movie I've seen in a long time, and not just because JESUSCHRIST does John Krasinski look like the split image of J in that movie. J could have been his double. But also because Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski played so beautifully off of each other, and even though it's such a sad story, it feels like home.
A deluxe edition of Scrabble with the rotating board and everything—it is so awesome.
29. What did you want that you did not end up getting?
Basically everything on my Amazon wishlist. I always forget to show that to people before the holidays. Dang.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
By and far, Away We Go was the best movie I've seen in a long time, and not just because JESUSCHRIST does John Krasinski look like the split image of J in that movie. J could have been his double. But also because Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski played so beautifully off of each other, and even though it's such a sad story, it feels like home.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25. There were a lot of sidecars, and Ryan Gosling cupcakes which were WONDERFUL.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Actually applying to grad school instead of just thinking about it.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Pretty much the same as last year. More sweat pants.
34. What kept you sane?
Medication, therapy, and J.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ryan Gosling, John Kraskinski.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Health Insurance
37. Who did you miss?
Our friends Dan and Lydia moved to the D.C. area, and life in Boston is not the same without them.
Ever since I lost my office job, I waste less time on gmail chat, so I miss Laura's face a lot, too.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
The bartender and trivia Tim. We were searching for a place to do pub trivia this year. Our old plan of the Harvard Square Tommy Doyles on Wednesday wasn't working out as well as it used to, so one week we went to the Tommy Doyles in Kendall, near MIT, and the bartender remembered me and Jess from this one time months before that we had stopped in for a drink before dinner. Random. So we started going every week, and now we're BFFs with the bartender and the trivia dude. It's great.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
The bartender and trivia Tim. We were searching for a place to do pub trivia this year. Our old plan of the Harvard Square Tommy Doyles on Wednesday wasn't working out as well as it used to, so one week we went to the Tommy Doyles in Kendall, near MIT, and the bartender remembered me and Jess from this one time months before that we had stopped in for a drink before dinner. Random. So we started going every week, and now we're BFFs with the bartender and the trivia dude. It's great.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Always, always, ALWAYS use a contract!
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"This will be a better year
Make a little money, take a lot of shit
Feel real bad, then get over it, oh,
This will be a better year"
—Harlem Shakes, Strictly Game
—Harlem Shakes, Strictly Game
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