Year End Meme

This is a very long meme and dinner's on the stove, so here we go...

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Road trip with Toast, went to a spring training game, broke my record for time spent at a job (5+ years)

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any last year, but I did for 2009

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Toast's cousins had babies

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother

5. What places did you visit?
NYC, the Outer Banks, Myrtle Beach, St. Augustine, Key West, Tampa Bay, Savannah, LV

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A job that I really like, a nice garden, a tan

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
November 4th, because I got hope back

8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
It's a small thing, but I completed a hike that I would've ordinarily given up on

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not working on getting a better job

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just some back pain, but it came at really inopportune times, like in Vegas for my husband's 40th

11. What was the best thing you bought?
There wasn't one thing - Ozzie, our parakeet, heavenly red corduroys, Calm conditioner by Rusk, good gifts

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Christopher Buckley

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
John McCain, Sarah Palin, John Edwards, George Bush (I went back and forth putting McCain, then Palin first - she appalled and depressed me more, but she's his fault)

14. Where did most of your money go?
Whatever Toast said; he's the money man and he has a pie chart

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our road trip and the election

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Beautiful Day by U2

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder?
Happier.
b) thinner or fatter?
Exactly the same.
c) richer or poorer?
Richer.

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

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Watch TV, although I love all of our shows, so this is a dilemma

20. How did you spend Christmas this year?
We were home and my family and Toast's Mom came for dinner - I'd never cooked for 11 before - it was a very good day

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
I think I'm a little bit in love with Ozzie

22. How was work?
Worse - it's turning from customer service to heavy sales, which are not my comfort zone

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Lost

24. What did you do for your birthday in 2008?
We were in Key West for my birthday, it was absolutely awesome

25. What was the best book you read?
Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil and I say this over LOTR only because I am not yet done with the latter

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Irish music, I heart clover notes

27. What did you want and get?
Lots of stuff as I have a list at Xmas, just like when I was a kid

28. What did you want and not get?
A new job and replacement windows

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Dark Knight

30. Did you make some new friends this year?
Not really, but there are a couple of coworkers that I want to have over

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

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
I actually busted out a little bit and bought some crazy stuff like a leopard print sweater and red cords and in general things with color, so eclectic comfy is what I'll call it

33. What kept you sane?
Toast

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Barack Obama, Daniel Craig and Stephen Colbert

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Barack's very existence

35a. What political issue stirred you the least?
It flew too far under my radar for me to even notice

36. Who did you miss?
I miss my Uncle Ron and Debbie, not the Debbie that I had a falling out with earlier this year, but the Debbie of a few years ago

37. Who was the best new person you met?
I physically came in contact with the Howards and Litbrit, although I knew them from before - does that count?

38. Burn any bridges?
No

39. Best new restaurant you went to?
Pisces, in Key West, for my birthday - eyes rolling in your head good

40. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Never give up hope.