1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
Nothing Earth shattering- I visited Nic in Canada for the first time in the six or so years she’s lived there and ate moose at her rehearsal dinner. I saw the Nutcracker for the first time.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t really make resolutions. When I do, I tend to make them on my birthday because that is what I consider to be the start of a new year for myself.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Umm, I guess that depends on how you interpret “close”. Several friends had babies (Rachel had Gianna in May, Brad and Jen had Sebastian in October, and Raul and Julie had Amanda in November), but no one in my immediate family or everyday circle of friends.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully no. Lolly’s dad died, and that has completely sucked. I wasn’t close to him but I am close to her- I’m not sure if that quite counts.

5. What countries did you visit?
Canada

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
A boyfriend. I know that sounds kind of shallow, but it’s what I really missed not having, especially with all of 2005’s weddings. Oh, and job I like.

7. What date from 2005 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
Two dates: March 19 and July 30. March 19th was the day ATI competed in the Regional One Act Festival in Oregon, and July 30th was the day I threw Caryn a surprise bridal shower which I managed to pull off despite living several states away.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Learning the lines for the aforementioned one act play in less than 3 days. An actor had to back out at the last second, and while my performance was far from perfect, we made a really good showing and gave a pretty darn good first impression of our little theater. Also, gathering the courage to join OA was a huge thing.

9. What was your biggest failure?
A work thing that I can’t talk bout here. But it’s fixed and did not cost me my job, so I guess that’s what is important.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope. Had a bad cold last week but nothing major.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My laptop.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Uhhhhh…. I can’t really think of anyone.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My ex-coworker. Which I can’t say much about, except to say that the reasons that they are an EX-coworker are numerous and quite justified.

14. Where did most of your money go?
The boring answer is rent. I live in one of the most expensive places in the country. The slightly more fun answer is plane and theater tickets.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Nic’s wedding in Toronto, Caryn’s shower, and her wedding, getting to see Wicked… Those were some of the biggest moments this year, but I’m easily excited in general…

16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd, because it was the song of many covers this year, including the wrongest wrong thing ever.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?
Happier, thinner by a little I think- I’ve gone up and down this year but I think for once I have stayed more down than up, financially I’m about the same.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Traveling. My friends have gone to some cool places this past year, and it makes me realize that I want to go nifty places too. Also, spending time with my best friends.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Trying to be everything for everyone and running myself ragged.

20. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?
Working the party at the theater. They’re doing drinks, dinner, a show, and then dancing til midnight. It’s gonna be fun.

21. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Nope.

23. How many one-night stands?
None.

24. What was your favourite TV program?
Survivor, Grey’s Anatomy, Related

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. Not hate. There are people who were in my life at this time last year who, due to their actions, are no longer in my life, but I do not hate them.

26. What was the best book you read?
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Wow, um… Dan Chameroy. Other musical awesomeness includes Dar Williams and Avenue Q… All of these courtesy of Charlotte, so I guess she has had the most influence over my musical tastes this year.

28. What did you want and get?
An iPod, the master bedroom, a new laptop.

29. What did you want and not get?
A raise and/or a better job

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
RENT. I’m a total RENT-head, and waited MONTHS for it to be released. They changed a few things that made me unhappy, but still.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old did you turn?
I turned 29, and on my actual birthday I went to dinner and a movie with some friends, and had a party at Keegan’s the weekend after my birthday.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Spending more time with friends who live far away. Because we are relational creatures, and spending time with friends is always infinitely more satisfying than stressing about work or finances or housemates or anything else.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
I don’t have a "fashion concept." I wear clothes and try not to look like a slob. I’ve worn more pink this year than I probably ever have in my life (I was a tomboy growing up), but my sartorial choices had little to do with trying to be fashionable.

34. What kept you sane?
I’m gonna have to steal Caryn’s answer and go with “supportive friends”- people I can vent over IM to or go have a relaxing dinner and just decompress.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Fancy? Ummm….. no? one?

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The gay marriage issue, and the kerfuffle in Indiana with the senator wanting to pass really discriminatory laws regarding assisted pregnancy.

37. Whom did you miss?
I missed Ryan, which feels weird to admit, but I did. I missed him almost daily when I let myself think about it. And I really missed Tara. I can’t count how many times I longed for the days when we used to share an office.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Nic’s husband Richard. He is completely awesome, and so right for her. (Bonn is really awesome too, but since I technically met her last year…)

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
It’s not so much something I strictly learned in 2005, but, to be myself. To quit trying to be the person I think other people want me to be. It’s much more satisfying to be the person I want me to be.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Every so often we long to steal
To the land of what might have been
But that doesn't soften the ache we feel
When reality sets back in
- Not That Girl from Wicked

7 things to do before I die (in no particular order):
1. Go to New York
2. Go to Greece
3. Celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary (my own, not one for someone else)
4. Own a house
5. That thing good girls don't do 'til they get married.
6. Adopt a baby (or several)
7. Get down to and maintain a healthy weight

7 things I can’t do:
1. Whistle
2. Parallel park on the left side of the street (one way streets)
3. Web design (thank God for friends)
4. Hit the really high E at the end of Phantom of the Opera
5. Play an instrument
6. Be intentionally cruel or hurtful
7. Play videogames. I totally suck.

7 things that attract me to blogging:
1. It gets things out of my head
2. It’s a way to express my personality
3. It’s a way to say the things I am sometimes afraid to say and lets me feel like I’m being heard
4. I’ve made awesome friends doing it
5. It gets me writing and keeps the creative juices flowing, especially at times when my life feels super un-creative.
6. It gets to be all about me in a context where being all about me is acceptable.
7. I was never good at keeping a paper diary and it lets me look back through years past and see where I was in life and what I was thinking.

7 things I say most often:
1. You’re my favorite.
2. Who’s driving?
3. Julie NO!!
4. …and stuff, and so….
5. Hate!!
6. What?
7. Dude.

7 books (or book series) I love:
1. The Earth’s Children books by Jean Auel (Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of the Horses, The Mammoth Hunters, Plains of Passage and Shelters of Stone. Yes, I know, prehistoric chick porn)
2. The Arrows trilogy by Mercedes Lackey (Arrows of the Queen, Arrows Flight and Arrows Fall)
3. Just Another Kid by Torey Hayden
4. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
5. One Child by Torey Hayden
6. Silent Witness by Richard North Patterson
7. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

7 movies I watch over and over:
1. Garden State
2. Almost Famous
3. Love, Actually
4. When Harry Met Sally
5. Center Stage
6. Mr. Holland’s Opus
7. Shakespeare in Love

7 people I want to join in, too:
none, I rarely tag people

Well gosh. I've been a terrible blogger these past few months. Work has been busy, and since work is usually when I find time to post (on my break of course), that has meant a lack of posting. Add to that the fact that all the posts would have consisted of "Working on the fundraiser. Really busy," I refrained instead.

The fundraiser, which Charlotte, Dee and I worked on for months was pretty much a success. I forgot things, and all three of our moms got sent to the store at least once, but we pulled it off. We determined that no single person can do the job I did, but, while there is a lot of room for improvement in the years to come, it could have been a hell of a lot worse.

The aforementioned great weekend consisted of getting to see my friend Joe, who lives in SoCal so I don't see him much, and going to the Nutcracker. Joe is a founding member of the Western Circle of Swordfighters and invited me to a fighting event they were holding in my hometown. I've seen him in action a couple of times before, but it was cool to go see him fight. There were several SCA fighters there too and I got to have some good conversations and hopefully made some good connections there. I might post some pictures later, I have to ask Joe if he minds. Due to the nature of what the event was, he and I didn't really get to hang out, so we met for breakfast Sunday too, and got to really talk and catch up on what we've been doing since we last saw each other in April, when we were up in Canada for Nic's wedding.

Then I went to the Nutcracker with Charlotte and Audrey and a couple of Audrey's friends. I've never seen it before, but I love the ballet so I was pretty sure I was going to like it, and it did not disappoint. I've never been an ass girl really, but when the Nutcracker Prince took of the boxy Nutcracker mask and coat... Sweet Baby Jesus. I'm pretty sure it was just the way those particular pants fit him, because yes, ballet dancers have great assets in general, but the Snow King's wasn't as good, and later, the Nutcracker prince wears a different outfit for the Grand Pas de Deux, and his ass wasn't as speechlessly awesome as in the other one.

The also aforementioned fever/cold turned into an ear and upper respiratory infection which did end up keeping me home from work on Tuesday, though I did drag myself to Target with my mother to do some Christmas shopping. One small flaw in my "no Christmas until after Thanksgiving" policy is that I can't start my shopping until the end of November, and when the end of November/beginning of December is crunch time for the fundraiser, meaning I can't truly start my shopping until December 10th, well... My mom and I had planned for a couple of weeks to shop together that day, and I made her come pick me up because I didn't want to drive on cold meds. I was back at work Wednesday since the fever had broken sometime Tuesday evening and I felt loads better, and I saw the doctor and got freaky-weird antibiotics, and by Christmas I was pretty much back to normal.

Christmas was good- quiet, but good. I went to Erica's for a couple of days, got to have the "christmas morning with a child" excitement as he ripped his way through the boxes under the tree, and I made my mom a scarf on Erica's Knifty Knitter and pretty much just enjoyed her company before going home and cooking dinner for my parents.

Which pretty much brings us current. There is another post in the pipeline, it's just not ready yet as it needs as-yet-to-be-photographed visual aids. So maybe tonight.

Happy Belated Holidays everyone!

I had a great weekend, and will post about it soon, but for now, I am SICK. I had a temperature of 100.8 when I left for work this morning. Why am I at work at all you ask? Because I do not get sick days and can't afford an unpaid day off work.

But if I still feel this way tomorrow I am going to suck it up and stay home, and work extra hours to make up the time once I'm better.

I know I'm sick, because aside from the feeling like crap, I bought a salad for lunch a little over an hour ago. Mostly I'm just staring at it. I take a bite every so often, but just can't bring myself to eat it, that's how sick I am.

make your own here.