Meme - The First of 2009

A Meme for the new year posted originally by Angela.



1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Swam in the Atlantic Ocean!

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Yes I did. I gave up caffeine and I believe I will greatly reduce my pork intake if not eliminate it altogether as well as clean out that entertainment room.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Why no, not in 2008 they didn't. Yesterday they did though.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Almost.

5. What countries did you visit?
None. But I'm TOTALLY cool with that. I'm not ready to die yet.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Job security. Sick pay. Vacation time. Performance reviews. Raise.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Well. Changing my mind about something. I rarely do that about major life changing decisions. Being able to do that was both challenging and gratifying.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting the yearly raises I was accustomed to since I first started working.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing really terrible I don't think. Actually I think I'm healthier than I've ever been.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Tough one. Probably some "cute" clothes for the wife. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Wife's. Just when I think she couldn't be the more perfect wife she just surprises me time and again.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Apalled, perhaps...depressed, I think not. I slayed that dragon during college. That would be humanity in general.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage and car payment. I probably spent less on entertainment this past year than any other before it.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Probably movies and games. Yeah...I can be pretty shallow but sometimes you just have to let yourself make things fun.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Anything by Kerli, Katy Perry, Metallica's new album or even Pink. Or any of the songs from the iPhone commercials.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Worried-er
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner, for sure.
c) richer or poorer? Both. ;)

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Traveled a bit more for the wife. Italy was next...

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinated. Well, maybe not that but done other things that were equally important yet somehow less memorable.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Home alone with the wife for the first and last time.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
For sure I did. Wasn't the Honeymoon supposed to be over by now???

22. What was your favorite TV program?
The Office and Family Guy. Yeah I'm late on that Family Guy thing...

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I'd rather not think about that right now.

24. What was the best book you read?
Flowers for Algernon. I didn't read much last year. Or was that the year I read Harry Potter? If so, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince would be my favorite.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Kerli probably though her second album won't be as good, they never are.

26. What did you want and get?
No comment.

27. What did you want and not get?
I didn't get a raise. I didn't get a promotion. I didn't get the pay. Therefore I wasn't able to get a new home for the wife.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
It wasn't a "great" year for films but I did find Wall-E entertaining.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We went on vacation to Miami.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I will copy Angela's response verbatim, "More time, more sleep."

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Comfortable. That's it. If it doesn't looks especially terrible, I'll wear it as long as it is comfortable.

32. What kept you sane?
That's easy, my wife and best friend. They are one in the same.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
This isn't really a question I could answer in the context intended by the author. An actor's performance that I enjoyed this year was the entire cast of Wicked at the Pantages Theater.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Prop 8 was interesting.

35. Who did you miss?
The opportunity to really get to know my Grandfather and my wife on those Mondays that I wasn't around her. Yeah, I'm a sap.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I don't know if I met any new people this past year. How odd.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
There comes a time when restraint strictly for the sake of pacifism must come to an end. Though I made and will make a few more angry family members this year, keeping quiet hasn't worked and it will stop.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Portishead: Third - Deep Water

"I’m drifting in deep water
Alone with my self-doubting, again.
Try not to struggle this time
For I will weather the storm"