And a happy new year to you, good sirs!

I did this quiz last year, and I'm sort of surprised at how many of my answers this year are exactly the same. The more things change, the more they stay the same, I guess!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Got engaged, and did all sorts of wedding-related stuff!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I like to make a million resolutions every year, so it’s only natural that I fail at some of them.  I think that I did quite well overall, but I’ll have to see when I get out the list and go over it… and that will be a post of its own.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No.  My friends are still all in the wedding stage, no babies yet. 

4. Did anyone close to you die? No.

5. What countries did you visit? Spain, Scotland… and domestically, I also visited Vermont and Utah, among other less exotic states. It’s been quite a year for traveling!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A job that is fulfilling.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? January 20th, the day Joel proposed.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?  I accomplished my goal of working out five times a week and going to yoga 52 times  during the year!

9. What was your biggest failure?  Not doing more about #6.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing to speak of, and for that I am very grateful. 

11. What was the best thing you bought?  It’s a tie, between the Tempurpedic mattress and my Nikon D80.  I love them both to pieces.  Runners up would be wedding dress #2(can’t wait to wear it!  Squee!) and our own wireless internet (no more borrowing the neighbor’s spotty signal).

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Assistant Girl at my office.  She is truly a saint.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?  Isabella Swan’s.  I get sicker of her whining about not being able to go through with a frilly wedding every time I read Eclipse... and let's just say that's a lot of times.  

14. Where did most of your money go? Oh, where DIDN’T my money go?   Let’s see: the mortgage, the various aspects of the wedding, all of the items in #11, and the cats (kitty chemo, anyone?) are the biggest ticket items this year.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Going to Scotland, getting married.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Supermassive Black Hole, by Muse.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
(a) Happier or Sadder? Happier.
(b) Thinner or Fatter? About the same, sadly.
(c) Richer or Poorer? With the current state of my IRA and all the wedding-related expenses looming in the near future, I’d have to say poorer. 

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Hiking.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?  Fretting.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2008?  We celebrated Christmas, Observed with my family a few weekends ago in New Jersey, and then spent December 25th at home. 

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Yes, with my new camera.

22. What was your favorite TV program?  It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?  I don’t hate anyone new, but my loathing for a few individuals has intensified. 

24. What was the best book you read?  The Twilight series. 

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?  The Twilight soundtrack.

26. What did you want and get?  Many, many things.  A new bed, a new camera, and a gaggle of  happy pets that don’t fight (too much) are at the top of the list.

27. What did you want and not get?  A million dollars.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?  Twilight (I have now seen it three times… and counting).

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?  This question is always tough for me in a New Year’s quiz because my birthday was nearly a year ago.   But thanks to this blog, I can tell you exactly how I spent January 8, 2008:

For my birthday, my coworkers decked out Tiny Grim with a birthday card dangling from his clanking chains and a Happy Birthday sign taped over his sheet music.   To add festivity, they taped a clown magnet to his candle.  It was such a lovely thought that I almost cried (it was also really early in the morning).   We ordered Chipotle for lunch, they surprised me with a cake in the afternoon, and Joel and I ordered pizza for dinner (my request).   Joel surprised me with an ice cream cake and a very sweet card that featured a street gang of cats on the front.   I got more calls and emails than I could return, and I feel incredibly lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life.  We ended the night by watching the end of the American Gladiators pilot, topped off with a Law and Order rerun for good measure.   Max peed in the litterbox.  It was a lovely birthday.  

I turned 27 years old.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?  Winning the lottery.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Three words: Rogue Casual Day.

32. What kept you sane?  My mom, Joel, and my sister-wife friends for always being there for me. 

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?  Edward Cullen, as portrayed by Robert Pattinson.  (This is different from Robert Pattinson himself, mind you.)
 
34. What political issue stirred you the most? This was the first time I really, really cared about the outcome of a presidential election (all the other times I’ve been ambivalent about both candidates), so there’s that.

35. Who did you miss?  Shadow.  It’s still strange going home to New Jersey and  remembering she’s not there anymore.

36. Who was the best new person you met?  I got to meet so many cool people this year, including Laurel, Stephanie, RA, Alynda, Heidi and NPW!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. Just do it (procrastination kills)!

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.  Always thought I was a fool for no one/but oh baby I'm a fool for you (Supermassive Black Hole, Twilight soundtrack, SURPRISE!)

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Hope you all have a festive and safe holiday.  SEE YOU NEXT YEAR! (Sorry, I just can't resist saying that someone every.single.year.)

Comments

[Janssen]

I love the many shoutouts to Twilight here. Woot!

[Liz]

Love this! I might steal it for my own blog.

[Zandria]

Hey, what about me? You met me, too! :)

Happy 2009!

[Elizabeth]

I found you through All & Sundry - just wanted to say we have the same birthday!

Have fun next week!

[Lindsey]

Yeah I would say Twilight was one of the best parts of my 2008! I finished Breaking Dawn over my Christmas trip home. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!! I am irrevocably in love with Edward Cullen.

[Courtney]

You're so funny. I love that Twilight totally outranked getting engaged on this list.

[nancypearlwannabe]

Yay for meeting blogger friends! And double yay for you discovering the Twilight series. It almost makes me glad you discovered them when they were all already out, imagine the torture of having to wait in between each one?!