it's only a dream

Kristen just posted her response to the annual end-of-year meme and I think ten seconds have passed, so I'm jumping on the bandwagon (like I did last year).

The point of a meme, obviously, is to pass it along, but this one is too long for me to impose on anyone.

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?

Visited the Magic Kingdom. Attended a BlogHer conference. Traveled to Geneva. Saw Social Distortion in concert (twice). Had a mammogram. Traveled to Toronto. Voted in a DC mayoral election. Got named Time's Person of the Year.

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

I made resolutions and I failed to keep most of them, but I kept two: 1) kept posting to my blog and 2) hung my curtains.

The second one might seem a little ridiculous, but I was hanging curtains when I fell and broke my leg in 2004 and, even at the end of 2005, I was still too scared to climb back on the horse/ladder. Aron came over in May and hung the rods and then I finished the job. Major triumph over pathetic-ness.

Yes, I am making more for next year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I think every woman in my office gave birth -- except me -- but I don't think anyone who is close to me did. My friends are generally not life-affirming types.

Update: I forgot! Tobi had a baby in August.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, not this year.

5. What countries did you visit?

I went to Canada, Switzerland, France and South Africa -- all for work.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?

A healthy diet and sleeping pattern. A strong desire to leave the house on weekends. A manageable workload. Love. Good unique visit stats.

7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

November 8. It was the first morning after Election Day in a long time that I actually felt like reading the paper.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

My work. Putting up those damn curtains. Posting to this blog 361 times (with 8 days still left to go). Making it to 2007.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Allowing myself to lose a great deal of the enthusiasm that propelled me through 2005.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

My attempt at a reunion with Andrew was brought down by a mysterious Parisian stomach virus, but I think that might have been it.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A plane ticket to visit Wendy in Vermont. A few pairs of really excellent shoes. Those gray velvet pants — and I'm sporting some serious headband love lately.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

I've been proud of John Edwards all year for keeping his name out there and in the minds of voters.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

I am easily appalled.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Debt. Maker's Mark. Egg drop soup from City Lights. Shoes.

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

del.icio.us. I got really excited about del.icio.us. And, oh yeah, Green My Apple. And, speaking of Apples, the Mac Genius who fixed my iBook in August. And, and -- is that enough? Tim. I got excited about becoming friends with Tim. And I got excited every time I knew I had a story to tell Steve that would make him laugh.

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?

"Out of the Blue" by The Band, "Waitin' for a Superman" by The Flaming Lips and "Ball and Chain" by Social Distortion

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

happier or sadder? sadder
thinner or fatter? fatter
richer or poorer? poorer

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

Slept. Spent time with friends. Read books. Walked around DC. Laughed.

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

Work.

20. How will you be spending New Year’s?

I'll be in North Carolina.

22. Did you fall in love in 2006?

No.

23. How many one-night stands?

They've stopped being one night stands.

24. What was your favorite TV program?

I rent TV shows from Netflix and I get great joy from watching entire seasons of shows over the course of the weekend. This year it was Monk (Season 1), Six Feet Under (Season 4), Oz (Season 5), The Sopranos (Season 5), K Street, Queer as Folk (Season 4), Entourage (Season 1), The Wire (Seasons 1 and 2), Northern Exposure (Season 1) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 2).

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I do not hate people.

26. What was the best book you read?

This year, I have written enough to fill a book and I have read enough to fill a book, but I have not read a book in a very long time. This is pathetic, I know.

I will now go read a book.

27. What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?

a (re)discovery - The Band

28. What did you want and get?

The chance to work more consistently with John.

29. What did you want and not get?

I am going to avoid writing this one down because it still infuriates me.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

In addition to not reading books, I do not go to the movies. But, again, there's Netflix. Out of those, the best this year was Murderball.

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

I am now at the point where the mere idea of my birthday depresses me. Let's not talk about it.

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

Not getting infuriated. (See #29.)

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?

Keep their eyes on the shoes.

34. What kept you sane?

Steve and — depending on the position of the moon — John. Google Reader.

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

I had an insane obsession with Heath Ledger going there for a while and there's always the Mark Ruffalo problem, but I think I was relatively in control this year.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

Ethics and transparency. Wishing and begging that political figures would catch on that we have high expectations that they will treat us with respect, tell us the truth and follow the same laws that they expect us to follow.

37. Who did you miss?

A less grumpy me.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

I officially met Steve right at the end of last year, but he became my friend in 2006 and I'll be forever grateful for that. And Tim. I knew the very first time I met him that I would like him and it turns out my instincts were spot on.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:

You're it.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

It's a dream
Only a dream
And it's fading now
Fading away
It's only a dream
Just a memory without anywhere to stay