Even More 2008 Reflections

The high-schooler in me still loves a good meme [courtesy of Musings of a Housewife]; they make me think more directly than I might otherwise and hands me an easy and quick, informative post for the day without requiring creative inertia. Voila!

Oh yeah, grab a Diet Coke and get comfortable, this one isn’t short.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you had never done before?

Traveled to Ireland. Learned a lot about corporate law (merger and acquisitions, private equity and such). Raised a puppy. Lost my job.

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

I don’t like to make resolutions because they seem like a cliché for inevitable failure. Somehow “goals” is a much more palatable term to me. I didn’t achieve all of my, um, goals for last year, however – my work situation deteriorated when I had been aiming for an improvement, but that one was out of my control. Within my control? The ten pounds that I still want to lose.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nope. Although 2009 and beyond are set to be fertile years among my friends … its getting to be the baby-making time of life, it seems.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thankfully. But I was aware of deaths that deeply affected others close to me, which made me extra thankful for the health and safety of the people I love.

5. What countries did you visit?

Ireland for our first anniversary.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

An emotionally balanced dog. An easy-fitting size 6 frame. A fulfilling job. More girl friends who “get me” to share life and laughs with. Proper bedroom furniture, as opposed to the current plastic drawers and wicker baskets from our college days. I don’t ask for much, right?

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Our first anniversary (October 13^th), the day we got Flutie (February 17^th) and the day we closed on our condo (April 15^th).

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

House-training a wily puppy. Buying our first home. Not succumbing to a total nervous breakdown when I lost my job.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Being laid off, even though this was far out of my control – so not really my failure, but certainly the biggest let-down of 2008. Beyond that, I’ll go with not losing the ten pounds that I very much wanted to slough.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No, thank heavens. Just a nasty cold the week of Christmas, otherwise fit as a fiddle.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Our condo. Our dog. Pretty much any bottle of wine from Brix.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Dan’s – he is the greatest husband ever and a very dedicated and talented lawyer. Also, Flutie’s – when he stopped peeing on the couch.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

It had something to do with the November elections, but I’ll leave it at that…

14. Where did most of your money go?

Mortgage, paying down two sets of law school loans, food (groceries + restaurants) and dog-related expenses.

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

Going to Ireland, moving into our new house, going to Nashville to see Annie and Sam being pregnant!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

All of Adele’s album “19”.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?

a) Sadder. I don’t mean to sound like a whiner, but its been an especially tough month.

b) Fatter – d’oh!

c) One income poorer, but still very fortunate.

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

Gotten more exercise. Taken more pictures.

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

Eating. Wallowing.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

At my maternal grandmother's just outside Knoxville, Tennessee with my parents, brother, sister-in-law and niece - including a visit with my aunt, uncle, cousins and future cousin-in-law :)

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Yes, with my puppy, Flutie. And more in love with Dan (yeah, yeah, corny but true).

23. What was your favorite TV program?

Mad Men, it was a bit of an obsession in our house.

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

Nope, so not my style.

25. What was the best book you read?

“Revolutionary Road” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife”; but I really need to do more quality reading this year (another goal!).

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Bon Iver, Adele and the new Coldplay, The Killers, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals albums.

27. What did you want and get?

A trip to Ireland, a new sofa, lots of time with my husband.

28. What did you want and not get?

A new job. A bunch of other material stuff that I am better off without.

29. What was your favorite film this year?

We only saw one movie in the theater in 2008; “There Will Be Blood” last January, which both Dan and I disliked. Watched a lot of DVDs through out the year that were overwhelmingly a disappointment. Wait – I think we saw “Gone Baby Gone” in 2008 and it was amazing (but not for the squeamish).

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

I turned 26 on April 28th and just went to work then hung out at home with Dan and Flutie. It was not exciting.

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

While I am extremely blessed for my (and my family’s) health and safety, a roof over my head, a Puggle to snuggle and enough food and wine to satisfy my cravings – I must admit (and sorry to sound like a broken record) that last year would have been ten times better if I’d had a more secure, satisfying job. Can’t have it all, I guess.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

I would say somewhere between "challenged" and "dressed by a blind person" - I tend to feel as though I lack the body, patience or budget for the exact Look that I am going for. Let's see, I was mostly "business casual" M-F at work, followed by gym clothes or PJs after 6pm. Weekends were mostly jeans, flats and some kind of dressy or casual top – its really tough in Boston because so much depends on the schizophrenic weather.

32. What kept you sane?

My husband, he is a saint.

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

Hmmm, mostly I don’t care about all that. But I was (and am) pretty fond of Barack Obama.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

THE ELECTION(S)

36. Who did you miss?

My mother, my niece, Sam in Prague, Annie in Nashville and … too many others to list. There are so many people important to me so far away.

37. Who was the best new person you met?

I did not meet enough new people in 2008! I need to work on that in 2009, try to be more open and actively seek real relationships with new people. But, over the last year, I did become better friends with a few of my (now no longer) co-workers.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

That I shouldn't value my self-worth by the relative “success” my career; being this or that out in the working world is not really who I am, its just something that I get up and do every day and, if I am lucky, can keep doing to help support my family and, if I am even luckier, enjoy and grow from.