New Year's Meme I
Dec. 28th, 2005 11:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mousmeSo every year I do this meme. This will be my third year, I believe, which isn't bad, considering that this is the fourth year I've had my LJ and that I got my LJ in February of 2002. So I'm pretty consistent at least with this.
If you're interested, here are last year's answers: http://www.livejournal.com/users/mousme/458393.html
What did you do in 2005 that you had never done before?
I wrote an interactive mystery for my friends.
I learned to play the drums.
I was in two rock concerts.
I attended three rock concerts.
I performed at Tarasmas.
I danced in the Pride Parade with my country dance club.
I volunteered at my club.
I cut down my own Christmas tree.
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Uh, I sort of did. My circumstances changed considerably, which made some of my resolutions moot. But I'll be making more this year. My resolutions are not the "I will go to the gym and eat no sweets" kind, mind you. They're more a "if I want to be a better or happier person, I must do this, and therefore I will strive in that direction" kind of thing.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
owldaughter and my friend EW. Babies!
Did anyone close to you die?
My godmother.
What countries did you visit?
The U.S.A. I went to Ohio in May for a brief visit over the long weekend in May.
What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
I'd like to have a real, honest-to-goodness steady job, with a proper paycheck and benefits. It would be nice if the people who employed me respected me enough to sign on the dotted line and put their money where their mouths are and made me a proper employee.
Hand-in-hand with that goes: I'd like to have just enough more money that I can cover my bills and expenses without constantly worrying about my next paycheck for once. That would be nice.
What I'd really like is more time. But we all want more time. I want more time for sleeping, so that in turn I’ll be more rested and can use the time I have left for music and writing and knitting and seeing my friends.
What dates from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'm very bad with dates. I remember events, but not specific dates. Feelings, emotions, people, but not dates. Also, "etched" is a pretty strong word. Let's just say these seem to me right now to be important dates from this year. Let me think.
January 15th: the first annual Capricornucopia
February 19th: I move out of the festering cess-pit that was my old apartment and in above whereai731 and baronscartop live.
March 11th: the official founding of Random Colour
April 3rd: the death of Karol Wojtyla, better known as Jon Paul II
June 11th: Invisible and Random Colour in concert together for the first time, coinciding nicely with the birth of Liam, the son of our bassist.
August 31st: the day I found out about Hurricane Katrina (not necessarily the actual date of the hurricane)
October 15th: Tarasmas
October 22nd: Invisible and Random Colour in concert together for the second time.
November 1st and November 30th: Beginning and end of NaNoWriMo.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
You know, while I progressed by leaps and bounds from 2004 to 2005, I felt as though, by comparison, I sort of stagnated in 2005.
I know that this isn't true, strictly speaking. I learned to play the drums, I joined a band, I was much more social, and I was employed for 51 weeks out of the year.
So, while I stood tall at the end of 2004 and declared that my greatest accomplishment was myself, I'm feeling a little less sure of myself now. I still think that that holds true, but it feels less spectacular this year.
There's a reason I’ve changed the title of my LiveJournal to "Work In Progress." :)
What was your biggest failure?
I don't think I stood up for myself nearly as much as I ought this year. I never do.
What was the best thing you bought?
Socks. Brightly-coloured socks. I think there are better things that I bought, I just can't think of them right now. I think my mother's Christmas present is high up on the list, mind you. Musical equipment.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
Apart from migraines and the occasional bout of crazy, along with a cold or two, I was fine. *knock on wood*
Whose behavior merited celebration?
All my friends', as usual, and my mother's. She went through a very difficult time this summer and did it quietly, with dignity and without dragging everyone else down.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My own, mostly. I handled a few situations very poorly, and hopefully I'll have learned from those mistakes.
A few people I won't bother mentioning here.
Where did most of your money go?
Rent, car, chipping away at my debts, gas. Blick.
A few exciting things, like going to Ohio, books, a DVD or two, colourful socks, musical equipment, stuff like that. Not the majority of my money, though. A very small percentage.
What did you get really, really excited about?
My friends, my writing, NaNoWriMo, dancing, snowshoeing, knitting, Random Colour.
What song will always remind you of 2005?
"Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?" by The Ramones.
Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? About the same, I think. Right now specifically I'm more depressed than at this time last year, but overall about the same.
Thinner or fatter? About the same. Maybe about five or ten pounds heavier.
Richer or poorer? Poorer.
How did you spend Christmas?
With family and friends, as always.
Did you fall in love in 2005?
Almost. It was a very near thing.
How many 1-night stands?
Bwahahahaaaaaa!
...
Seriously. You have to ask?
What was your favourite TV program?
Lessee. I didn’t own a television until a few days ago (and I still won’t actually get any channels on it, it’s for DVD-viewing purposes, mostly), so I didn’t watch much new stuff.
House was awesome. t! hooked me on 24, and I watched a few other shows sporadically, like NCIS and CSI ("Whoosh! Science happens!"), and Cold Case Files. I think that if I could ever be around a television reliably when it was on, I’d be a big fan of Lost. I also catch Desperate Housewives when I can, which is rarely.
What was the best book you read?
Not a fair question. I probably read over two hundred and fifty books this year. I discovered Michael Connelly and Charles Todd as authors, read a bunch of Iain M. Banks, am sitting on my hands waiting for A Feast For Crows to come out in paperback, and thoroughly enjoyed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Invisible. Random Colour isn't a discovery, as I already knew we were awesome.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Don't have the energy to waste on hatred. I don't dislike anybody new, though.
What did you want and get?
A number of things that aren’t really quantifiable.
What did you want and not get?
Financial security.
A number of things that aren’t really quantifiable.
What was your favourite film of this year?
Didn't see that many films, come to think of it. I liked The Chronicles of Narnia, and Howl’s Moving Castle was interesting (was that this year? I've lost track), Batman Begins was very well done, and let’s try and forget that Star Wars: Revenge of the Marketing Strategy ever happened, shall we? Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire stood out, but the movie missed the point of the book.
The year isn’t over yet, though, and I have yet to see Brokeback Mountain. Time will tell.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26, spent the day at work (they bought me a cake, which was nice of them), and then got stuck in a snowstorm on the Décarie expressway for five hours on the way home. Good thing I had no plans that day, eh?
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A pay raise would have taken away a lot of my more immediate stress, thus making me a lot easier to live with for others. In fact, just signing on the dotted line and making my job permanent would have helped.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
I have a grown-up costume for work, which is basically black slacks and whatever slightly form-fitting top I happen to have around. On weekends the tops get a little bit more relaxed and the bottoms get replaced with jeans or corduroys. I don’t have a “concept,” per se. I just wear clothes I like.
Oh, and colourful socks.
What kept you sane?
Literally? My meds.
Less literally? My friends. Creative spaces.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I didn’t really pay attention to that this year. I was too busy with other aspects of my life.
What political issue stirred you the most?
Elections! Woo!
Who did you miss?
In particular, [Unknown site tag] andshenlo and rowen26, but luckily I got to see them all over Christmas, so yay!
Who was the best new person you met?
New? New new? A bunch of people from NaNoWriMo, which is why I like that event so muc.
whiskeygirl8, who is awesome. :D
prolixfootle, although it felt like I already knew him since we'd been LJ friends for so much longer.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
I’m not entirely sure what I learned this year. I’ve learned so many things, but I think it may take more time for me to figure out what it all means.
I have learned that it’s better to make grandiose plans, and to make many of them. That way, if you accomplish even one, it’s something to write home about. If you aim small and fail, your failure is all the worse for it, but if you have ten extraordinary plans and only carry out one, then that’s immeasurably better than the one mediocre plan at which you failed.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
To each his Dulcinea
That he alone can name...
To each a secret hiding place
Where he can find the haunting face
To light his secret flame.
For with his Dulcinea Beside him so to stand,
A man can do quite anything,
Outfly the bird upon the wing,
Hold moonlight in his hand.
Yet if you build your life on dreams
It's prudent to recall,
A man with moonlight in his hand
Has nothing there at all.
There is no Dulcinea,
She's made of flame and air,
And yet how lovely life would seem
If ev'ry man could weave a dream
To keep him from despair.
To each his Dulcinea...
Though she's naught but flame and air!
(From Man of La Mancha)
If you're interested, here are last year's answers: http://www.livejournal.com/users/mousme/458393.html
What did you do in 2005 that you had never done before?
I wrote an interactive mystery for my friends.
I learned to play the drums.
I was in two rock concerts.
I attended three rock concerts.
I performed at Tarasmas.
I danced in the Pride Parade with my country dance club.
I volunteered at my club.
I cut down my own Christmas tree.
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Uh, I sort of did. My circumstances changed considerably, which made some of my resolutions moot. But I'll be making more this year. My resolutions are not the "I will go to the gym and eat no sweets" kind, mind you. They're more a "if I want to be a better or happier person, I must do this, and therefore I will strive in that direction" kind of thing.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
owldaughter and my friend EW. Babies!Did anyone close to you die?
My godmother.
What countries did you visit?
The U.S.A. I went to Ohio in May for a brief visit over the long weekend in May.
What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
I'd like to have a real, honest-to-goodness steady job, with a proper paycheck and benefits. It would be nice if the people who employed me respected me enough to sign on the dotted line and put their money where their mouths are and made me a proper employee.
Hand-in-hand with that goes: I'd like to have just enough more money that I can cover my bills and expenses without constantly worrying about my next paycheck for once. That would be nice.
What I'd really like is more time. But we all want more time. I want more time for sleeping, so that in turn I’ll be more rested and can use the time I have left for music and writing and knitting and seeing my friends.
What dates from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'm very bad with dates. I remember events, but not specific dates. Feelings, emotions, people, but not dates. Also, "etched" is a pretty strong word. Let's just say these seem to me right now to be important dates from this year. Let me think.
January 15th: the first annual Capricornucopia
February 19th: I move out of the festering cess-pit that was my old apartment and in above where
ai731 and baronscartop live.March 11th: the official founding of Random Colour
April 3rd: the death of Karol Wojtyla, better known as Jon Paul II
June 11th: Invisible and Random Colour in concert together for the first time, coinciding nicely with the birth of Liam, the son of our bassist.
August 31st: the day I found out about Hurricane Katrina (not necessarily the actual date of the hurricane)
October 15th: Tarasmas
October 22nd: Invisible and Random Colour in concert together for the second time.
November 1st and November 30th: Beginning and end of NaNoWriMo.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
You know, while I progressed by leaps and bounds from 2004 to 2005, I felt as though, by comparison, I sort of stagnated in 2005.
I know that this isn't true, strictly speaking. I learned to play the drums, I joined a band, I was much more social, and I was employed for 51 weeks out of the year.
So, while I stood tall at the end of 2004 and declared that my greatest accomplishment was myself, I'm feeling a little less sure of myself now. I still think that that holds true, but it feels less spectacular this year.
There's a reason I’ve changed the title of my LiveJournal to "Work In Progress." :)
What was your biggest failure?
I don't think I stood up for myself nearly as much as I ought this year. I never do.
What was the best thing you bought?
Socks. Brightly-coloured socks. I think there are better things that I bought, I just can't think of them right now. I think my mother's Christmas present is high up on the list, mind you. Musical equipment.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
Apart from migraines and the occasional bout of crazy, along with a cold or two, I was fine. *knock on wood*
Whose behavior merited celebration?
All my friends', as usual, and my mother's. She went through a very difficult time this summer and did it quietly, with dignity and without dragging everyone else down.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My own, mostly. I handled a few situations very poorly, and hopefully I'll have learned from those mistakes.
A few people I won't bother mentioning here.
Where did most of your money go?
Rent, car, chipping away at my debts, gas. Blick.
A few exciting things, like going to Ohio, books, a DVD or two, colourful socks, musical equipment, stuff like that. Not the majority of my money, though. A very small percentage.
What did you get really, really excited about?
My friends, my writing, NaNoWriMo, dancing, snowshoeing, knitting, Random Colour.
What song will always remind you of 2005?
"Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?" by The Ramones.
Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? About the same, I think. Right now specifically I'm more depressed than at this time last year, but overall about the same.
Thinner or fatter? About the same. Maybe about five or ten pounds heavier.
Richer or poorer? Poorer.
How did you spend Christmas?
With family and friends, as always.
Did you fall in love in 2005?
Almost. It was a very near thing.
How many 1-night stands?
Bwahahahaaaaaa!
...
Seriously. You have to ask?
What was your favourite TV program?
Lessee. I didn’t own a television until a few days ago (and I still won’t actually get any channels on it, it’s for DVD-viewing purposes, mostly), so I didn’t watch much new stuff.
House was awesome. t! hooked me on 24, and I watched a few other shows sporadically, like NCIS and CSI ("Whoosh! Science happens!"), and Cold Case Files. I think that if I could ever be around a television reliably when it was on, I’d be a big fan of Lost. I also catch Desperate Housewives when I can, which is rarely.
What was the best book you read?
Not a fair question. I probably read over two hundred and fifty books this year. I discovered Michael Connelly and Charles Todd as authors, read a bunch of Iain M. Banks, am sitting on my hands waiting for A Feast For Crows to come out in paperback, and thoroughly enjoyed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Invisible. Random Colour isn't a discovery, as I already knew we were awesome.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Don't have the energy to waste on hatred. I don't dislike anybody new, though.
What did you want and get?
A number of things that aren’t really quantifiable.
What did you want and not get?
Financial security.
A number of things that aren’t really quantifiable.
What was your favourite film of this year?
Didn't see that many films, come to think of it. I liked The Chronicles of Narnia, and Howl’s Moving Castle was interesting (was that this year? I've lost track), Batman Begins was very well done, and let’s try and forget that Star Wars: Revenge of the Marketing Strategy ever happened, shall we? Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire stood out, but the movie missed the point of the book.
The year isn’t over yet, though, and I have yet to see Brokeback Mountain. Time will tell.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26, spent the day at work (they bought me a cake, which was nice of them), and then got stuck in a snowstorm on the Décarie expressway for five hours on the way home. Good thing I had no plans that day, eh?
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A pay raise would have taken away a lot of my more immediate stress, thus making me a lot easier to live with for others. In fact, just signing on the dotted line and making my job permanent would have helped.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
I have a grown-up costume for work, which is basically black slacks and whatever slightly form-fitting top I happen to have around. On weekends the tops get a little bit more relaxed and the bottoms get replaced with jeans or corduroys. I don’t have a “concept,” per se. I just wear clothes I like.
Oh, and colourful socks.
What kept you sane?
Literally? My meds.
Less literally? My friends. Creative spaces.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I didn’t really pay attention to that this year. I was too busy with other aspects of my life.
What political issue stirred you the most?
Elections! Woo!
Who did you miss?
In particular, [Unknown site tag] and
shenlo and rowen26, but luckily I got to see them all over Christmas, so yay!Who was the best new person you met?
New? New new? A bunch of people from NaNoWriMo, which is why I like that event so muc.
whiskeygirl8, who is awesome. :Dprolixfootle, although it felt like I already knew him since we'd been LJ friends for so much longer.Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
I’m not entirely sure what I learned this year. I’ve learned so many things, but I think it may take more time for me to figure out what it all means.
I have learned that it’s better to make grandiose plans, and to make many of them. That way, if you accomplish even one, it’s something to write home about. If you aim small and fail, your failure is all the worse for it, but if you have ten extraordinary plans and only carry out one, then that’s immeasurably better than the one mediocre plan at which you failed.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
To each his Dulcinea
That he alone can name...
To each a secret hiding place
Where he can find the haunting face
To light his secret flame.
For with his Dulcinea Beside him so to stand,
A man can do quite anything,
Outfly the bird upon the wing,
Hold moonlight in his hand.
Yet if you build your life on dreams
It's prudent to recall,
A man with moonlight in his hand
Has nothing there at all.
There is no Dulcinea,
She's made of flame and air,
And yet how lovely life would seem
If ev'ry man could weave a dream
To keep him from despair.
To each his Dulcinea...
Though she's naught but flame and air!
(From Man of La Mancha)
