2009 in review

I did this last year and thought I should do it again:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Went to Hawaii

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I do not remember making any last year and probably will not make any this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, several people did. (again!)

4. Did anyone close to you die?
John's aunt and my friend Matt Edmonds

5. What countries did you visit?
Just Canada.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Money? Motivation?

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The day my friend Matt died, the day I saw a sea turtle for the first time ever, my Blazer dying...

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Keeping my sanity lol! Working a job that I really enjoyed and actually accomplishing something!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Lack of motivation to get research started/finished. Never making it to a field area I wanted to visit.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Continued lung issues, but they have been better than last year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My new car.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband, as always.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Certain "professionals" in my field, politicians (as usual). Same as last year.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Student loan payments, sick cat, many car problems, new car

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our trips to Canada and Hawaii. My trip home to visit friends. The tauntaun sleeping bag ;)

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
What Is Life - George Harrison

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
happier, fatter and definitly poorer! lol

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Blogging, writing for my own research, research in general.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating, spending money.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We went to my parents first, then to my sister-in-laws.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes, every day more.

22. How many one-night stands?
ZERO.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Grays Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Chopped, Top Chef, Next Food Network Star, Next Iron Chef.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Not off the top of my head.

25. What was the best book you read?
I really enjoyed Water for Elephants.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I appreciate more of the music that was played at Woodstock than I really ever have before.

27. What did you want and get?
A car that runs.

28. What did you want and not get?
a larger house

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Not a particular one. I liked Fanboys, Star Trek, Avatar, My Life in Ruins, and Away We Go.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 3-0, and spent the day in the car traveling to the Munson Ranch in northeast Nebraska for the Augustana College Paleontology of the Badlands course. I worked hard to pretend it was not happening this year.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being motivated to get some research/fieldwork done for myself.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Sloppy/comfy/casual/jeans and a t-shirt/chacos

33. What kept you sane?
Sane? John. Period. If he were not here to help me keep it together and remind me I am not a complete looser I probably would have lost it.

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

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Health care and how severely messed up it is.

36. Who did you miss?
Friends. I have more in town than I did last year, but I miss my friends at home pretty bad.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Kelly Allari - awesome gal!

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Tell your friends and loved ones how much they mean to you.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"But if you don't know where you're going, Any road will take you there" ~ George Harrison