Musings of a Wench

A year surveyed, in survey

1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Got all hot and sweaty in our sauna before running in to the ice cold snow in the back year to do snow angels, and then back in the sauna to warm up. Seriously. SO COLD. We kept all the lights off, because we were naked, of course. We laughed, because with our luck, the next door neighbours probably saw us but oh well, what the hell.
Also, road tripped with John in America, saw my first American freeway and saw Redwood trees.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I actually did well this year. Last year’s resolutions were pretty basic. I read A Handful of Dust, so that’s the classic novel done. I got rid of two bags of clothes. Given how many shows, concerts, plays and dinner dates we went on… we certainly averaged more than one a month, so even if we missed a month, I think I did pretty good. Yay for reasonable resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Thank God, no. We’re far too young for that shit.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thank God, no.

5. What countries did you visit?
America. Idaho (a drive though), Washington, Oregon and California.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
More calm periods. A little more down time. A vacation involving a plane. Less insane inlaws, or at least, less insane behaviour from the inlaws.

7. What date(s) from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Um. I got nothing, I’m afraid. I mean, the 1st of December is always a good day, it’s our anniversary, but it’s not exactly new each year.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
This wasn’t exactly a banner year for that kind of thing. Maybe finishing NaNoWriMo despite having a shit plot? Getting my self published cookbook done?

9. What was your biggest failure?
Letting people get to me: my boss, my inlaws, my sister… I need to develop a thicker skin, I know that.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes, yes I did. I never did buy a helmet. I got sick a few times, had a dozen allergy attacks, needed antibiotics once and suffer through perpetual IBS or lactose intolerance or whatever it is. All in all, a healthy year though. My knee got better from all the exercise!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
No question here. A stripper pole! So awesome, you have no idea.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
John’s, for putting up with my occasional hysterical moods. My boss, for becoming a much better boss this year. Tina, for getting herself out of something unhealthy. My mother, for listening to my whine about everything.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My sister during thanksgiving. She had a lot on her plate and I forgive her, but man, she was annoying.

14. Where did most of your money go?
God. The house, no question. The house, and paying off the money his parents lent us to help with the down payment. So much money.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? (in chrono order)
Drinking. Something that I won’t talk about that almost happened but didn’t. Snowboarding. Summer vacation. The company party I threw. Opening my Christmas present – the one from John that he had to get an e-bay account to get.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2006?
Nothing comes to mind – I’m not a music-memory association person.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? Happier. i
i. Thinner or fatter? Probably fatter. This month was not a good one, food and exercise wise.
iii. Richer or poorer? Richer, over all. House richer? TOTALLY. Thank god we bought when we did, before the market went crazy. Cash wise? Still probably richer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Snowboarding. Hanging out with friends. Cooking for people. Travel. Sleeping in.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Spending time with the inlaws.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spending time with the inlaws.
But seriously. Christmas eve: his paternal family large dinner. Christmas Day: morning, us together. Afternoon with his family. Large dinner with my extended family. Boxing day: Skiing, followed by large dinner with his family. Day after: large dinner with my family. Day after: purge?

22. Did you fall in love in 2006?
With my stripper pole? *grin* I am in love with the boy, but that’s not a change.

23. How many one-night stands?
Zero. I don’t think that’s exactly the right way to keep a relationship healthy.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Heros, Doctor Who, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Corner Gas. About the only ones I watch and I love them all very much.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don’t think I actually hate anyone. Any more.

26. What was the best book you read?
God, how do I pick? I’ve read almost 200 this year. I’ll have to think about it.

27. What were your greatest musical discoveries?
Um. I really liked that one Snow Patrol song…

28. What did you want and get?
A stripper pole. A bonus. New insulation in the roof. Lululemon yoga pants. Corner Gas season 3 DVD.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn’t watch that many movies this year.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25. I had dinner with my parents one night, dinner with his parents the next and saw the play Rebecca. Then I threw a small house party the next weekend.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Knowing what I want to be when I grow up.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
I don’t know. This was a bad year for me – I can not find any pants that fit. Or, fit without looking really stupid. What’s WITH those vertical slit pockets? God.
I guess my style still is hand-me-down casual.

34. What kept you sane?
John. No question about it. Books come in a close second, though.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
If I admit I swooned when I saw PM Stephen Harper at a hockey game, just two sections away and seriously debated trying to get his autograph; does that make me a dork? Fine. It’s true. I was tickled pink by the fact that he was just sitting there with his son and a couple of Men in Suits. No security, no weapons checks to get in, no fuss other than a brief announcement between plays on the jumbotron thing. We all had a laugh at what it would be like if it had been Bush instead.
But if you’re talking fancy-fancy? Colin Firth is my eternal crush. Ignore the age and the receding hairline. He’s just yummy.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Canadian politics. So much fun. I love elections. We had federal and provincial, so it was a good year for me.

37. Who did you miss?
My grandparents, because I think they would have liked how I’ve grown up and would have got a kick out of John. But I always miss them, so that’s hardly new.
I do miss my friend Eric. We dated for about 6 minutes in high school, which ended disastrously, and we turned out to be way better friends than anything else. He’s still in the city and we chat online occasionally, but I wish we actually saw each other. He’s pretty much me in a guy’s body, it’s pretty freaky.
I intermittently missed my sister, who spent part of the year doing Katimavik, then working at a summer camp, and then went back to UBC.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
I really like the executive hostess that I work with. She's a lot of fun and it's so nice to have someone my own age around at work.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
Just do it. Even the rejection isn’t that bad. Nothing is ever as bad as you expect it to be.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I got nothing, sorry.

Labels: life

posted by peasantwench @ 9:11 AM