Yearly Meme #6

Sixth year doing this meme. I wonder who originally wrote it? Are they in HEAVEN? Here are last year’s.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Bought a car, got hired for a full-time job, went to Japan, ~*SOMKED WEED*~.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year’s was to get a full-time job, so yep! Next year is to be more superficial, and move out of my dad’s place. (Should happen early on.)
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Don’t think so.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My stepmom, Betty, died in February.
5. What countries did you visit?
Japan
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
My own place.
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 1, when Lily called me up and told me my stepmom had brain cancer. I was walking through UW campus and walked home, talking to my roommates, considering dropping out and leaving within a month (which I did).
February 14, when I woke up and was informed by a few friends and my sister’s blog that Betty had died.
March 8, Betty’s funeral.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Creating a forum from scratch.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Dropping out of grad school and losing half of my money (that I didn’t already spend on my car) in the stock market.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I still have that ingrown toenail from last year, despite getting surgery earlier in the year. I also got surgery for a pilonidal cyst, which is now gone. Had the flu once or twice.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The price for the trip to Japan was totally worth it. The Prius was the most EXPENSIVE thing I’ve ever bought, but time will tell if it proves to be “the best.”
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Barack Obama, although I didn’t celebrate much on election day.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Israel’s, the Bush administration’s, Fox News… no one especially local, though.
14. Where did most of your money go?
My car. Runner up: thin air.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I can’t think of anything that especially excited me. Japan was wonderful but not exactly EXCITING, I can’t call myself EXCITED to be back in the Bay Area… I did have trouble sleeping last night, though, because I am looking forward to New Year’s festivities.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Party Ben – Single Ladies (In Mayberry)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner overall. I’ve been gaining a bit this past month, though.
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer by a LOTTTTTT
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I dunno, I did so much. Socialized, traveled, moved, learned, dated, created, exercised, gamed, relaxed. Maybe more flirting – that or establishing more deep friendships.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Less paying for school, in retrospect! But hey, I thought grad school would actually amount to something.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I didn’t celebrate Christmas for the first time in about 10 years. I spent it at home playing video games. It felt kind of like a long overdue period of mourning for my stepmom. I did celebrate Hanukkah with my mom as usual, though, and that was charming as always.
21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
No.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favourite TV program?
Superjail.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
N/A
25. What was the best book you read?
The Complete K Chronicles by Keith Knight. One of the actual books I read was Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, but it kind of sucked.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Xploding Plastix.
27. What did you want and get?
A car, a job. I feel like I’ve answered this question five times already. Stupid meme.
28. What did you want and not get?
A place in the city, and all the social perks that go along with it. But I did well socially anyway.
29. What was your favourite film of this year?
Wall-E. That’s two favorite films in a row being by Pixar…
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 23. Went to Sacramento, met up with my two lesbian transgendered friends, got high, watched the Fifth Element, drove down to San Francisco and watched my sister’s band’s reunion concert.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not losing all that money, not being kind of a douche while dating Margot.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
A few more fancy shirts and less jeans; slightly less worrying about my receding hairline.
33. What kept you sane?
A well-executed balance between regular socialization and gaming.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Patrick Stewart.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Elections. I remember having a good argument with my grandparents about how Obama isn’t the anti-Moses if you support Hillary. I got kind of pissed with Israel in the past few days, too.
36. Who did you miss?
Seattle friends. I will return to visit someday!
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Margot.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Calmness is a virtue, and I’m lucky that it comes so naturally to me.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
No