Random and Chewy
2005-01-17
3:03 p.m.

I don't think I expire until the end of the month, so here's a random survey entry.

1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?

I got pregnant and managed to not spontaneously abort it, so that was fun. I went to Eastern Europe.

2. Did you keep your new year�s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't make any resolutions last year, unless I did and I forget. My only resolution this year is to make sense of the mail coming into my house and not let bills slip through the cracks.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I have a new niece and a new nephew! Love them.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My grandmother, actually my stepgrandmother, and my great aunt died within a few days of each other last month.

5. What countries did you visit?

I started off the year by hitting England and France with a friend (spoiled housewife 2004!) and then Mexico in February (to buy lip balm and Kinder eggs). Then my husband, who works and pays for everything, finally got to go on a trip and we went to England (For layovers! Showers in first class lounges at Gatwick!), Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?

A baby. June! (Well, probably July.)

7. What dates from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

October 27!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I managed to not do anything terribly productive for 12 straight months.

9. What was your biggest failure?

See #8.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No! Lucky, lucky me.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I guess the house. It's okay. PLUS: POOL WITH SLIDE. But, really, I think the vacation.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My husband is #1 put up with sloth man.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

People that I know who voted for Bush who don't have a beginning of a clue about what's going on in any sense, and who say things like, "He seems nice."

14. Where did most of your money go?

We bought a house and a car.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

OH MY GOD I AM HAVING A BABY. IT WILL SIT IN A HIGH CHAIR IN THE KITCHEN, AND I WILL FEED IT THINGS.

16. What song will always remind you of 2004?

Probably all the stuff I've been listening to since 1995, when my musical taste froze in time.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Much happier. I'd just left my family and friends and knew no one in Tucson. Now I have friends, even though I still miss everyone back home.

b) thinner or fatter? Despite the fact that I'm 4.25 months pregnant, I weigh a lot, lot less than I did last year at this time.

c) richer or poorer? I have no idea. I don't do accounts. I think once you buy a house and pay toward the mortgage, you're almost always richer, unless your house falls into a sinkhole and you don't have sinkhole insurance.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Took photos. I never take enough photos. Like this one of Chewy.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Farting around. I'm finally trying to get my act together re: grad school, and it kills me that I could have already had a year of classes behind me sans Baby Bjorn strapped to chest.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

I went back east. There were in-laws. There were grandparents. There were car rental excitements. I'd forgotten how much I hate the pressure to see everyone just because they live, like, 4+ hours from each other.

21. What was your favorite TV program?

Arrested Development and The Office.

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

I really can't stand someone that I was able to tolerate and even thought I might be friends with at this time last year. I am all about call screening now.

23. What was the best book you read?

I loved Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Total dork up in this piece.

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I really like Snow Patrol.

25. What did you want and get?

A digital camera. I love it.

26. What did you want and not get?

A job. A purpose in life.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?

The Station Agent.

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 27 in July, and actually can't remember what I did. Oh! I flew back from a wedding/ East Coast tour.

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If I had something to show for the year, excepting a pile of read books. However, seeing that a baby and grad school are in my very near future and all of that will be very much in my past, I don't regret it at all.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?

Flip flops. Pajama bottoms.

31. What kept you sane?

My husband. He is seriously #1 husband to deranged anti-housewife jobless not ready to contemplate pregnancy again yet lady that I was for a huge chunk of the year.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Are we fancying people now? Neat.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

I enjoyed very much when Ann Coulter got very nearly hit with pies in my own lovely Tucson. Go Tucson! It was a bright spot in an otherwise depressing political year.

34. Who did you miss?

I miss my niece so much that it makes my face hurt.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

I've made some friends who have made Tucson bearable to this random outsider, and I love them for it.

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004.

Um. If you squirt toilet cleaner in the toilet and then leave it for a few hours, it's easier to clean with minimal scrubbing.