blamethewizard

I decided to fill out the end-of-year questionnaire meme, even though I don't usually do the "end-of-year-introspection/new years resolution" thing.

2009 Questionnaire

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? Got laid off, did several higher-difficulty kayak trips, worked in the food-service industry.
2. Did you keep the new years resolution you made last year? Hmm..I don't think I made any
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Not unless pets count. If so, my step-dog Brian (I took care of him often)
5. What countries did you visit? No big trips for me this year. I came pretty close to the Canadian border on one trip to Maine, though.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A steady job!
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory? No particular dates come to mind
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Tackling several ocean kayak trips and learning to surf in a boat. Also, signing up for graduate classes and doing well in them.
9. What was your biggest failure? Not finding another full time job, definitely.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I had food poisoning, which was no fun, but other than that nothing major besides the usual dents and dings I pick up from being outdoorsy.
11. What was the best thing you bought? I didn't buy much this year after being laid off, but probably the money I spent on school was my best investment.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My mom, probably, for putting up with me!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Politics and public figures aside, I'll go with one of my professors, whose generally flaky behavior included never giving back assignments and always going way over-time in class. I still learned a lot from him, but being told "I'll get that back to you soon" while knowing no such thing would happen gets old fast.
14. Where did most of your money go? Bills and school, nothing exciting.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Sea kayaking, planning trips and learning new skills.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009? No one song comes to mind. I listen to way too much music, and way too many different kinds of music, to single something out.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you
a) happier or sadder? probably sadder
b) thinner or fatter? thinner
c) richer or poorer? way, way poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? kayaking, cleaning, working for pay (ha)
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? procrastinating, worrying
20. Did you fall in love in 2009? I fell head over heels in love with sea kayaking, but that would be all.
21. How many one-night stands? None for me, I was attached most of the year anyway.
22. What was your favorite TV program? Merlin, hands down
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I don't think so
25. What was the best book you read? I did a lot of re-reading this year, a lot of reading for school, and a lot of reading fanfiction. The best new book I read was something light and for fun...novels from the Ladies No.1 Detective Agency series.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? A lot of great new songs, but no new acts that I hadn't already known about.
27. What did you want and get? A sea kayak (thanks mom!)
28. What did you want and not get? A new job
29. What was your favorite film of this year? Didn't see too many films, but loved Inglorious Basterds and the Star Trek reboot.
30. What did you do on your birthday? I had a final exam in the morning and spent the afternoon researching a term paper. So exciting!
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Having a clear idea of what my next step in life is going to be.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Outdoor-chic and keeping it simple with my jeans and t-shirt collection.
33. What kept you sane? Merlin, the outdoors, reading.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? The boys of Merlin, Craig Horner and...I guess that's it.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? The health care debate, various environmental issues
36. Who did you miss? My friends from NJ, especially Brooke and Danielle
37. Who was the best new person you met? Malcom, who helped me get some part time work and is a good guy all around
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009: Honesty can be tough, but the truth hurts less in long run
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: "Was this over before it ever began/Your kiss, your calls, your crutch, like the devil's in your hand"
I won't get dramatic save to say that I ended a relationship that I had known for a long time wasn't going to work out.

2009 was very up and down indeed!