Meme snagged from the always lovely

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Had a baby, tried sushi, stayed in a hospital for more than 36 hours, and helped put on a con!

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t make any, but I asked other people to make them for me and I mostly kept them. 🙂 I don’t know that I will make any this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
It’s remarkable how many people are in that stage of life.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes and I am really not done grieving.

5. What countries did you visit?
None, this was a stay-around-home sorta year. Except for Portland, which is almost home.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Hmmmm… A masters degree?

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory,and why?
Of course May 24th, but also January 8th. Francesca’s death will affect me forever.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting through 49 hours of labor and managing to have a vaginal birth. I got fairly worried.

9. What was your biggest failure?
The comp exam. 🙁

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing serious. Cold/flu sorts of stuff while pregnant.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Plane tickets for New Zealand? I’m pretty thrilled about that.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Always Noah. Otherwise: Bailey for the ongoing cheering cards, they make me happier than I probably express. My Sarah for doing something tremendously hard for her. My friend D for being willing to ask for help when she needed it. Hmmm… I’m sure there are more but I’m not thinking of them quickly.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one in my personal life. A number of people have annoyed me, but that’s not real hard. 🙂

14. Where did most of your money go?
Baby stuff has the highest rate of expenditure after mortgage.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Shanna, the comp exam, New Zealand, six straight weeks of time with Noah. It’s been a good year.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
“All American Girl”

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter
c) richer or poorer? Poorer (stupid stock market)

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Hm. I can’t come up with anything.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Getting frustrated about stupid things.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Noah, Shanna and I will probably be staying home.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
With Shanna

22. How many one-night stands?
I’m almost to two full years of monogamy. (like, less than three weeks away) This is my longest complete monogamy stretch ever. I’m… mixed on this. It’s good, but interesting.

23. What was your favourite TV program?
Nada. No tv.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Naw. I don’t deal with many people and it takes a really lot for me to hate.

25. What was the best book you read?
For the first time? Hm. His Dark Materials trilogy?

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Barenaked Ladies kids album. 🙂

27. What did you want and get?
Shanna, a kitchen table, and good health.

28. What did you want and not get?
A passing score on my comp exam and a home birth.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Maybe Big Fish? I didn’t get out to movie theatres. Yay for Netflix!

30. What did you do on your birthday?
Had dinner with good friends.

31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
That’s a tall order. Probably if I had won the lottery and Noah could stay home all the time. Too bad I never bought a ticket. 🙂

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Boring.

33. What kept you sane?
Nothing much tried to make me crazy. It’s a good life.

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

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Probably Obama’s run. I realize that is nearly heretical and it should have been Prop 8. Man Obama is compelling though.

36. Who did you miss?
Francesca. 🙁 Julia. Crystal. Sarah H. Bailey. Ali. Deborah. Wow. What happened to my life that all of the people I yearn for the most are female? That’s a big change from earlier in life.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Yeah, that’s Shanna. It helps that I didn’t meet many new people. 🙂

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Read the damn question and don’t wander in your answer.