2006 in 39 questions

I borrowed this from All & Sundry's blog archives (link to the right) who borrowed it from someone else's blog who probably borrowed it from someone else's blog. These things spread like viruses. Since I haven't got much else to write about today, I will indulge my inner teen and, like, tOtalLy dO a qUIzz!!1! omg!!! (Although I think the official name of this is a "meme.")

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1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
I got married, and I used the FPLC all by myself. Also, I went to some cool places.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Um...New Year's resolutions? Crap. I don't think I made any this year, and I probably won’t make any for 2007.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my sister-in-law had twins. I'm an aunt!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My betta fish, Sharkbait, died. Probably that's making light of a serious question, but I'd rather it be a fish than a person that died, you know?

5. What countries did you visit?
Australia. New Zealand. The Netherlands Antilles. And I sat in an airplane on a runway in the Dominican Republic. I’m so counting that.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
A new iPod maybe? My Creative Zen died in a tragic treadmill accident when it was, ahem, inadvertently drop-kicked into a wall.

7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
Corny as it sounds, probably the day that Steve Irwin died. And also the day I got married. They weren't the same day, though. For the "why" part: Well, the day I got married will stay etched in my mind for the obvious reason that it was the day I got married. And Steve Irwin was my hero and I was so very sad when he died.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Landing my first "real-world job."

9. What was your biggest failure?
I let things get to me too much—being unemployed, the stress of planning a wedding, etc.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Aside from a couple of garden-variety colds, I was pretty healthy this year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
It's a tie between our new bed and our new kick-ass dining room table. I suppose that means I'm a real adult now.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Though things ended tragically for him, I'd have to go with that James Kim fellow who walked through the snow and ice in Oregon to find help for his stranded family.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Those vocal, psycho-conservative Christians who get too involved in politics, act completely in contradiction to what they say they believe in, and give the rest of us a bad name. Shut up, already. [Side note: shouldn't that say, "Whose behavior appalled and depressed you?" Sounds better that way, I think.]

14. Where did most of your money go?
One word: wedding. And another word: furniture.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Um…the second "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie? Also: ending my three-month stint at my parents' house and moving into a new apartment.

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
Bollocks, can't believe I'm gonna go with a pop song on this one: "Over My Head (Cable Car)," by The Fray. Ugh, I feel like I should go wash the teeny-bopper off me now.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Hate to say it, but sadder. I wouldn't say it's been a bad year, but it's certainly been a hard one.
b) thinner or fatter? Oh dear. Can I plead the fifth on this?
c) richer or poorer? Well, if you count the debt that I’m currently paying off, my net worth is probably slightly less that it was this time last year. But it’s close. And this time last year, I had no income at all, thanks to stupid Georgia Tech. These days I'm actually getting a paycheck so my financial outlook is better.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Scuba diving. I really, really, really miss it. Really.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sitting around doing nothing.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With my in-laws in Augusta. Probably playing with my new nephews (as much as you can play with babies who are only a few weeks old).

21. Did you fall in love in 2006?
If I wanted to be really sappy, I'd say I fell in love with Josh more, but the mush factor of that makes me want to vomit. Let's just move on, shall we?

22. How many one-night stands?
Silly question. 0. Duh.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
At the beginning of the year, it was "LOST." At the end, "House." Wedged in between: "Dirty Jobs."

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Not that I'm aware of. There are one or two people who used to be good friends of mine that, well, aren’t anymore because I purposely dropped contact with them. I don’t hate them—people change sometimes. Relationships change. It's life.

25. What was the best book you read?
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists, by Gideon Defoe

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hmm. Imogen Heap? Chris Thile (a bluegrass guy)? Hard to say, really. Oh, also Ivy.

27. What did you want and get?
I wanted to get married. Wish granted. I also wanted a job. That taught me to be more specific with what I wish for.

28. What did you want and not get?
I have an answer for this, but it’s personal. But I hope to get it soon. And NO, it is NOT a baby. Geez, people.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Honestly, nothing really sticks out in my head. "Little Miss Sunshine" was pretty good, I guess. I don’t recall seeing many movies in the theater this year.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Absolutely nothing. 25.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I had eloped instead of doing the traditional wedding thing. And thinking about the previous question, I should've celebrated my birthday instead of sitting around moping about the state of my life (which is what I actually did).

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Frumpy and fabulous. Hee!

33. What kept you sane?
Knitting, knitting, knitting. And also writing.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Um, "fancy?" Was this written by a British person? What does this mean exactly? If it's "fancy" as in “crush,” I (weirdly enough) would pick the Janitor from “Scrubs.” And I mean (even more weirdly) the character, not the actor. If it's just a famous person to meet, um…I’ll go with Terri Irwin. She's my chick scientists idol.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
See #13.

36. Who did you miss?
My friends--the ones who moved away and also the ones I don't see everyday anymore.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Probably Josh’s friend T and his girlfriend J--fun people to hang out with.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
You can’t do everything on your own.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"It’s been a long December, and there’s reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last."

Also, it bugs me that this quiz only has 39 questions instead of a nice, round 40. Grr.