Tradition, Tradition!

Year-in-review (stolen from last year’s post; many answers remain the same).
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? — Worked as a manager, quit a job, seriously paid bills, stole from work, been so poor I ate food customers left at work… worked as a photojournalist, stood up for myself.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? — I never make resolutions. Maybe this year I’ll lose weight.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? — No.
4. Did anyone close to you die? — No.
5. What countries did you visit? — Does Amish Country count?
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? — Health insurance, enrollment in a graduate program.
7. What date(s) from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? — Aug 28: Matt left.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? — Freelancing for a local newspaper.
9. What was your biggest failure? — Quitting TPP instead of busting my way through the system.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? — Only the usual; I did get new glasses though.
11. What was the best thing you bought? — Photoshop/Lightroom.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration? — Many old friends who I am closer with now than before.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? — The boss who pushed me to quit, the boyfriend who left, and me for letting it all happen.
14. Where did most of your money go? — AACC, landlord, BGE.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? — My internship at The Capital.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2008? — pop music what?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder? — Happier but more cynical. ii. thinner or fatter? — Fatter. iii. richer or poorer? — I earn more income, but pay more bills.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? — Exploring my options, saying meaningful things.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? — Saying stupid things.
20. How did spend you Christmas? — Parents’ for presents, Laura’s for lunch, Chinese buffet for dinner.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008? — If anything I love less.
24. What were your favourite TV programmes? — CSI, and more lately, BBC World News.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? — Yes, and this continues to amaze me.
26. What was the best book you read? — Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? — Gogol Bordello
28. What did you want and get? — A trip to Assateague, a foot in the door of a local newspaper, and true friends.
29. What did you want and not get? —  A full-time job providing reliability and health insurance.
30. What was your favourite film of this year? — Kung Fu Panda, Milk, Burn After Reading?
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? — SNOOTY PARTY for year 22.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? — I wish I had seen things coming.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? — Dress pants, tank top, contrasting color dress shirt, all-black chucks.
34. What kept you sane? — Anti-anxiety pills to be cynical, photography to be more realistic.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? — I’m not really into famous people.
36. What political issue stirred you the most? — I voted for the winner. (The recession can’t be that bad because we sold two suits of armor last month.)
37. Who did you miss? — I can no longer tell who is worth missing and who is not.
38. Who was the best new person you met? — Please choose between: Drake,  a photographer at The Capital, or one of my Gift Shop employees.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. — Trust no one.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. — True Rulers by Common Rider. “We were born in a minefield / in a world that’s spinning like a roulette wheel, / where everybody is so scared but they can’t slow down.”