The 2008 meme...
Dec. 8th, 2008 06:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrphFrom various folk...
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Bought my own dinner jacket, had a piece of art exhibited in Harrods (my property, not my own work), visited Andorra, watched a roller derby bout, sent someone a dozen red roses, learned to dance, learned to snowboard, finally gave in and joined Facebook, bought a tree, went to Whitby but didn't watch any bands...
There's no one single 'new thing', good or bad, that defines the year, though.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I can't actually remember if I made any. I'll be making some this year, though.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A few of my friends did, but none of my family - geographically speaking, I think![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scaryj and cheeslord are the only new parents hereabouts, though.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My uncle David.
5. What countries did you visit?
Andorra - snowboarding with Elaine,mister_jack and Liz.
I'd vaguely hoped to visit Scotland, but that didn't happen for various reasons. There was a slightly less vague plan to visit Iceland, but that didn't happen either - although it'd definitely on the schedule for 2009.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A refurbished house and a driving licence. Looking back, they're two things that have complicated my life in all sorts of ways over the last few years. The house is fairly self-explanatory - it's cluttered and needs a lot of maintenance, which means it's not the most welcoming place for guests.
The lack of a driving licence made a huge difference when my uncle was ill - for a start, when we were told that my uncle probably wouldn't survive the day, my mother had to wait half an hour for a taxi, as I couldn't drive her to the hospital. It also made me very dependent on lifts from other people throughout the year, which I was conscious of and increasingly uncomfortable with.
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 2nd, June 26th, September 23rd, October 7th, November 1st.
The last one's whensouldier_blue and I officially started dating. :) Three of the other four weren't happy occasions, so I'll spare you the details.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Starting to sort my life out. I guess that's a bit vague, but it covers the house, the driving lessons, not letting work stress me, not letting family stress me and a few other things besides...
9. What was your biggest failure?
Spending too much time second-guessing things; waiting too long before starting to sort my life out. I think it'll all work out for the best, in the long term, but making all those changes a little earlier would have avoided a lot of pain and awkwardness.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not as such, but I managed to be exhausted, stressed and generally lacklustre for months on end. Not ideal.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Well, I'm really quite fond of my iPhone... :-)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
mhw, dmh, colfish, blooddoll3, lurkingcat and ankaret , among others.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mine, mostly. And a few people in a company I won't name (no, not my employers...) who seemingly put profit ahead of safety.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Home improvements (especially the bathroom), driving lessons, suits, cufflinks, a few nice restaurants...
I haven't actually bought many books, CDs or games this year - which is where my money usually seems to go.
15. What are you really, really, really excited about?
Really x 3? I'm not sure there's any one thing I'm that excited about. But...
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Just one song?
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Don't Come Around Here No More
(I blamesouldier_blue for playing lots of Tom Petty at me...)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
I don't actually know. If I have to sift back through LJ archives to remind myself, there's probably not that much in it, though.
b) thinner or fatter?
Thinner.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Reading, writing, listening to music, travelling.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Second-guessing.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
At home with my parents and my sister, for the first time in several years. I'm hoping to catch up with some uncles and aunts as well.
21. What was your favourite month of 2008?
February.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Deadwood, or possibly Dexter.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. There are a few people who've done things that really didn't improve my opinion of them, but there's nobody I hate.
26. What was the best book you read?
I'm not actually sure, and I really didn't read many - The Graveyard Book, possibly.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I'm not sure. I really haven't listened to much new music - possibly The Hours, but I'm not sure if I bought their album in late 2007 or early 2008...
28. What did you want and get?
I don't know. Hindsight tends to skew these things a bit.
29. What did you want and not get?
Well, I'm not going to get my driving licence this year, despite my best efforts.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
WALL-E
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 36, I was in Whitby and I was trying not to let anyone notice that I was ill and exhausted as I didn't want to spoil the day.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A driving licence might have made a significant difference.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Eclectic.
34. What kept you sane?
Friends.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I hadn't really considered this, y'know. Definitely not Sarah Palin, though.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Barack Obama's nomination and election victory.
37. Who did you miss?
Lots of people. It's been far too long since I spoke todrivenapart, for a start.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I'm not sure how many new people I've actually met - it's mostly been a year for catching up with old acquaintances, not making new friends. So I'll cheat and mentioncolfish , broom_stick and souldier_blue - I'd met all three of them before 2008, but didn't know them nearly as well as I do now, and they're all excellent people.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
"They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself"
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I'm not sure there is one - I keep thinking of Oysterband, but there's no single line that seems to fit. Perhaps it's too soon to say? Ask me again at the end of 2009.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Bought my own dinner jacket, had a piece of art exhibited in Harrods (my property, not my own work), visited Andorra, watched a roller derby bout, sent someone a dozen red roses, learned to dance, learned to snowboard, finally gave in and joined Facebook, bought a tree, went to Whitby but didn't watch any bands...
There's no one single 'new thing', good or bad, that defines the year, though.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I can't actually remember if I made any. I'll be making some this year, though.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A few of my friends did, but none of my family - geographically speaking, I think
scaryj and cheeslord are the only new parents hereabouts, though.4. Did anyone close to you die?
My uncle David.
5. What countries did you visit?
Andorra - snowboarding with Elaine,
mister_jack and Liz.I'd vaguely hoped to visit Scotland, but that didn't happen for various reasons. There was a slightly less vague plan to visit Iceland, but that didn't happen either - although it'd definitely on the schedule for 2009.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A refurbished house and a driving licence. Looking back, they're two things that have complicated my life in all sorts of ways over the last few years. The house is fairly self-explanatory - it's cluttered and needs a lot of maintenance, which means it's not the most welcoming place for guests.
The lack of a driving licence made a huge difference when my uncle was ill - for a start, when we were told that my uncle probably wouldn't survive the day, my mother had to wait half an hour for a taxi, as I couldn't drive her to the hospital. It also made me very dependent on lifts from other people throughout the year, which I was conscious of and increasingly uncomfortable with.
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 2nd, June 26th, September 23rd, October 7th, November 1st.
The last one's when
souldier_blue and I officially started dating. :) Three of the other four weren't happy occasions, so I'll spare you the details.8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Starting to sort my life out. I guess that's a bit vague, but it covers the house, the driving lessons, not letting work stress me, not letting family stress me and a few other things besides...
9. What was your biggest failure?
Spending too much time second-guessing things; waiting too long before starting to sort my life out. I think it'll all work out for the best, in the long term, but making all those changes a little earlier would have avoided a lot of pain and awkwardness.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not as such, but I managed to be exhausted, stressed and generally lacklustre for months on end. Not ideal.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Well, I'm really quite fond of my iPhone... :-)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
mhw, dmh, colfish, blooddoll3, lurkingcat and ankaret , among others.13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mine, mostly. And a few people in a company I won't name (no, not my employers...) who seemingly put profit ahead of safety.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Home improvements (especially the bathroom), driving lessons, suits, cufflinks, a few nice restaurants...
I haven't actually bought many books, CDs or games this year - which is where my money usually seems to go.
15. What are you really, really, really excited about?
Really x 3? I'm not sure there's any one thing I'm that excited about. But...
- Driving licence
- Shiny revamped house
- Opera - Salome
- Theatre - David Tennant + Patrick Stewart in Hamlet
- Opera - Doctor Atomic
- Reykjavik
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Just one song?
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Don't Come Around Here No More
(I blame
souldier_blue for playing lots of Tom Petty at me...)17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
I don't actually know. If I have to sift back through LJ archives to remind myself, there's probably not that much in it, though.
b) thinner or fatter?
Thinner.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Reading, writing, listening to music, travelling.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Second-guessing.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
At home with my parents and my sister, for the first time in several years. I'm hoping to catch up with some uncles and aunts as well.
21. What was your favourite month of 2008?
February.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Deadwood, or possibly Dexter.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. There are a few people who've done things that really didn't improve my opinion of them, but there's nobody I hate.
26. What was the best book you read?
I'm not actually sure, and I really didn't read many - The Graveyard Book, possibly.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I'm not sure. I really haven't listened to much new music - possibly The Hours, but I'm not sure if I bought their album in late 2007 or early 2008...
28. What did you want and get?
I don't know. Hindsight tends to skew these things a bit.
29. What did you want and not get?
Well, I'm not going to get my driving licence this year, despite my best efforts.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
WALL-E
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 36, I was in Whitby and I was trying not to let anyone notice that I was ill and exhausted as I didn't want to spoil the day.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A driving licence might have made a significant difference.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Eclectic.
34. What kept you sane?
Friends.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I hadn't really considered this, y'know. Definitely not Sarah Palin, though.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Barack Obama's nomination and election victory.
37. Who did you miss?
Lots of people. It's been far too long since I spoke to
drivenapart, for a start.38. Who was the best new person you met?
I'm not sure how many new people I've actually met - it's mostly been a year for catching up with old acquaintances, not making new friends. So I'll cheat and mention
colfish , broom_stick and souldier_blue - I'd met all three of them before 2008, but didn't know them nearly as well as I do now, and they're all excellent people.39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
"They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself"
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I'm not sure there is one - I keep thinking of Oysterband, but there's no single line that seems to fit. Perhaps it's too soon to say? Ask me again at the end of 2009.
