Reflections of What Used To Be

Quiz found on my friend the Hairy Hoser's blog, with origin unknown.

1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?

ate meat I could not identify in Guatemala; climbed a volcano...there's much more...

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don't remember if I made any, but I can imagine I didn't keep them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My sister had her third child, another boy in June - he's just GORGEOUS!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

my uncle Jack died a few days before Christmas...he was one of my favorite uncles, even if I didn't see much of him. He will be missed.

5. What countries did you visit?

USA, Guatemala, and Belize in April/May...backpacking trip with my daughter

6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?

a love interest

7. What dates from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

June 26th - it was the day I said goodbye to my daughter at her own apartment for the first time...SOB!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year

avoiding admittance to the funny farm

9. What was your biggest failure?

not finding a love interest

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

OH YEAH. I fell down, twice this year and beat up my knees. Illness...no new ones, but some new diagnoses, and some on the horizon.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

The Beatles Anthology on VHS...I got so much joy out of watching the boys

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Kathleen, for taking the plunge and moving up north.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

let's not go there, but if you read my blog in the past, you might figure it out.

14. Where did most of your money go?

student loans, student loans, student loans, student loans...

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

my daughter being accepted to all three universities she applied to, and receiving scholarships from all three.

16. What song will always remind you of 2004?

She Bangs as sung by William Hung...it cracked me up.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter?

a) sadder b) fatter, dammit.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

hugged my daughter...I miss that now, being able to hug her when I want to.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

all the vices - drank, spent money, pigged out, you know...and also wish I had criticized co-workers less...bad habit

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

spent it with my lovely daughter, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

21. Did you fall in love in 2004?

ummmm, no. but wish I had.

22. How many one-night stands?

zero.

23. What was your favorite TV program?

I can't pick just one - ER, Survivor and The Amazing Race

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

I have only ever hated one person in my whole life and that still stands. She is a miserable human being and her initials are C.B.

25. What was the best book you read?

Wally Lamb's "I Know This Much is True" - I read it while on vacation in Guatemala - found an old battered copy in the hostel in Flores.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I would have to say the music channels on my sattelite dish since moving to the country.

27. What did you want and get?

a green Christmas.

28. What did you want and not get?

a green New Year's

29. What was your favorite film of this year?

Garfield, the Movie. I just want to take him home.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

38 and I had some friends over - we drank, smoked, ate...it was a fun.

31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

deciding on a career path and not being a coward about it.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?

colorful. oh yeah. the hair, the clothes...the color came ON!

33. What kept you sane?

liquor.

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

oh, the usual, Matthew McConaughey

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

the US election - it drove me insane. I was so sick and tired of hearing about it in the news, peoples blogs, wherever.

36. Who did you miss?

my daughter...she moved out to go to university.

37. Who was the best new person you met?

My friend and co-worker, M. she is very cool and a refreshing change to the workplace.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004.

not to expect too much from your family, because it sucks when they don't meet up to your expectations...no matter how low they are.

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

from Neil Young's My My Hey Hey

It's better to burn out

Than to rust.

My my, hey hey.

thanks for listening...