new year's meme

i've enjoyed reading these new year's memes; my decision to post this one is inspired by c . . . and posted for the same reason (I got nothin).

1. what did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?

took a sabbatical! went to pitch4k! got zero balanced!  all life altering in their own little ways.

2. did you keep your 2008 resolutions, and will you make more this year?

i can't remember if i did resolutions last year. i did make a list of big goals (professional and personal) at the beginning of last school year, and i adhered to those quite well, though things always take longer than you plan. this year it's too soon to tell.

3. did anyone close to you give birth?

nope.

4. did anyone close to you die?

no.

5. what countries did you visit?

Ireland, Portugal, England

6. what would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

more hiking opportunities.

7. what was your biggest achievement of the year?

snagging the tourists' leftover crackers at the wine tour in porto. (it was lunchtime)

8. what was your biggest failure?

not snagging their leftover port.

9. did you suffer illness or injury?

i had a lot of weird back trouble this year, but ZB totally helped.

10. what was the best thing you bought?

these:

 

11. whose behavior merited celebration?

Tillie's!! And also JM rocks, but talking about his "behavior" seems a little weird.

12. whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

someone's behavior made me so appalled and depressed two years ago that i have become immune to such things and have also arranged my life so that i no longer encounter such people. so, no one's! though i think i would be lying if i said i wasn't a little of each when the eliot spitzer news hit. with blagojevich, i was depressed that my cocktail party conversation starter of "what do you think blagojevich will get arrested for?" had to be retired.

13. where did most of your money go?

into the stock market ether. but if we're talking about real money, then it's probably a tossup between traveling and amazon.com.

14. compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?

a) happier (finishing a book helps a whole lot, as does electing a smart president) b) about the same, give or take the same 5 lbs, c) richer

15. what do you wish you'd done more of?

mountain biking, trail running.

16. what do you wish you'd done less of?

eating at high-priced, mediocre restaurants

17. did you fall in love in 2008?

yes, with fleet foxes.

18. what was the best new book you read?

Joshua Ferris's And then We Came to the End. I was reading it last year at this time, and its humor really stuck with me. I was sad when it ended.

19. what was your favorite film of the year?

i really liked slumdog millionaire, despite its romanticization of poverty. the soundtrack rocks too.

20. what kept you sane?

the gym, of course.

21. tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

don't settle for the crackers, go for the wine.