2008 in retrospect

Plucked from Em's blog. It's kind of fun to look back and reflect on the passing year (and you know how I love a meme). Feel free to copy the questions, answer them yourself and post them on your own blog.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? I had to deal with an addict in active addiction. Not fun.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I’m not a real resolution maker and I don’t think I made any last year. This year I decided to give up daily consumption of carbonated beverages. I can’t imagine eating pizza without Pepsi, but I’m going to cut it out of my daily life.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Having a cow is a different thing, right? Then definitely no.

4. Did anyone close to you die? My dog, Lucy, died of presumed liver cancer in April.

5. What countries did you visit? I don’t think I even left the state. Now I’m depressed, dammit.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? Regular face time with Himself.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Feb. 4, 9, 10 – meltdown of a relationship; Feb. 9 – my birthday, first attempt at contact by Himself, I ignored him; April 14 – first phone call from Himself; May 30 – met Himself in person; July 26 – moved; October 9 – knee replacement surgery.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Achieving more patience than ever before.

9. What was your biggest failure? Not always having as much patience as I needed.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I guess knee replacement surgery qualifies as an injury.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Knee replacement surgery. LOL

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Mary Alice was very patient with my distress over and over and over again.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The Tall One’s – boy, that’s the source of stories to fill a blog for a year!

14. Where did most of your money go? The usual places, with too much eating out and fast food.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Meeting Himself.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Big Dog Daddy

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? About the same.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter…so maybe I’m sadder. lol
c) richer or poorer? Definitely poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Giving to others.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Crying, whining, gossiping, complaining.

20. How did you spend Christmas? Alone at home because weather interfered with my plans.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Oh, yes!

22. What was your favorite TV program? I probably watched less TV this year than ever before. I was enthralled with “John & Kate Plus 8.”

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don’t hate anyone. The list of people I really, really, really dislike is the same.

24. What was the best book you read? Delicious by Sherry Thomas. It’s a smut novel (I say it with love) but the heroine is atypical and the storyline was not predictable.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Casting Crowns

26. What did you want and get? My new home – still a rental but it’s bigger, nicer, and not an apartment.

27. What did you want and not get? Time with Himself

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Sex and the City

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 43, and I went to an a cappella concert with a dear friend.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Time with Himself (yeah, I’m a broken record)

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Comfortable and casual, not professional enough.

32. What kept you sane? Talking (read: crying, sobbing, whining incoherently) to Mary Alice, West Coast Angel**, and my sisters.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Oddly, I can’t think of one.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? The presidential election was most interesting; the Blagojevich debacle was (still is) most incensing.

35. Who did you miss? So many people.

36. Who was the best new person you met? Himself.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. A quote I just read on a blog last night – “Time discovers truth and heals what reason cannot.”

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “And when, when the night falls on you, baby, you’re feeling all alone, you won’t be on your own…I’ll stand by you” I'll Stand by You


* Yippee – my sweet west coast friend now has a pseudonym! She’ll be so excited!