1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before? Parented a 2-year old. Bought a car. Went to Paris. Possibly had a miscarriage.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? No, in retrospect they were pretty challenging. I mean, drinking more water what was I thinking?
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My good friend Robin had a baby, Hannah. Hannah and Anna, the palindromes. That's going to get more and more annoying.
4. Did anyone close to you die? No thank goodness, but crikey I had to come closer to thinking about it in 2007 than at any other point in my life. When Mum was rushed to hospital while we were visiting in May and they told us they'd found an abdominal mass but they couldn't tell us anything further we were forced to face the unthinkable. I don't think I realized at the time quite how terrified I was. I actually slapped LK across the face at one point, full-on bitch slap, I can't honestly remember why now, except that I was so scared and strung out. It really brought it home how I'd been in the immensely privileged position of not having to worry about the health or safety of those who meant the most to me. That being turned on its head threw me for a loop. I did a lot of growing up in 2007.
5. What countries did you visit? England, ostensibly to help my Mum celebrate her 60th birthday, in actuality to visit her for 2 weeks in hospital. Oh, and Paris. Neither of us had ever been before, the weather was dreary and bleak, but waking up each morning and heading out the door with coffee and only the vaguest idea of where we were headed each day, that was brilliant.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? Financial security, and maybe a second child. I am laughing as I write this as I realize they are pretty much mutually exclusive.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Again I would have to say my Mum's 60th birthday:
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I suppose I should say getting a personal best in the triathlon, getting final ABR approval for our construction project, or even completing NaBloPoMo (ha!), but in actual fact it was probably getting Anna in to the preschool we wanted. That makes me sound like one of those nobbers who put their fetus down on the waiting list at Eton, but it was so hard to find a decent preschool here that managing to go seamlessly from nanny sharing to a great preschool, with no loss of childcare in between is still amazing to me. The fact that this is my biggest achievement of 2007 just shows how much my priorities have changed.
9. What was your biggest failure? Probably failing to keep my cool when challenged about my 'hugging issues'. I think my classic composure-failure came with me yelling 'I don't have a problem hugging, I just have a problem hugging you'. Nice.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I'm sick as a dog right now thanks very much 2007.
11. What was the best thing you bought? My brand new Honda Pilot. I can't even tell you how long I'd needed a new car. Oh, and a carpet steam cleaner which has already saved us hundreds of dollars in carpet cleaning thanks to a toddler/white carpet death combo.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Anna, on so many levels, but not least because she took 10 flights in 2007 and didn't spack out once. She is an amazing traveler.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? For fear of being Dooced I'd better not say.
14. Where did most of your money go? 99.9% went to the bloody mortgage companies, and the rest to Baby Gap.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My brother getting engaged. Obviously because he'd landed himself a winner, but I can't deny a large percentage of the excitement came from knowing I'd have an excuse to fly home in 2008.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007? Wonder Pets Wonder Pets we're on our way!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? Happier and more content. I've no idea why, but I have a sneaking feeling it has something to do with our project moving towards fruition, oh and Anna's 3-hour naps haven't hurt. b) thinner or fatter? Pretty much the same, fitter than I was last year although Christmas has wreaked havoc. c) richer or poorer? Hard to say, 2008 is going to be the decider though. Literally make or break.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? I wish I'd had more date time with LK. I also wish I'd looked after myself a bit better, more yoga, fewer 5th glasses of wine at dinner parties, more time by myself.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Worrying. Without a doubt.
20. How did you spend Christmas? At home in SB with my Mum and Dad. A perfect Christmas, even without the roast turkey and Christmas pud.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007? Not in the literal sense, but being re-proposed to on or 10th anniversary could certainly count. The Tiffany ring didn't hurt either.
22. What was your favorite TV program? I know I'm several years behind the times on this one, but I'd have to say Grey's Anatomy. I've been ploughing through each series on Netflix and can't remember when I've enjoyed a TV series as much.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Hate's a strong word, but not strong enough when it comes to Verizon customer service.
24. What was the best book you read? I read a lot of really good stuff in 2007, and some pretty whacky stuff too courtesy of my 'It's not about the Book Club', but they came up trumps with 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini. I haven't enjoyed any book as much as this one in a long long time.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Anna singing Trinkle Trinkle ittle star.
26. What did you want and get? Honda Pilot. Honda Pilot. Honda Pilot.
27. What did you want and not get? Building permits and a construction loan. Keep your fingers crossed for us.
28. What was your favorite film of this year? I'm embarrassed at how few films I saw in 2007, despite starting 'Film Club' in the latter half of the year. I would have to say 'Knocked Up' with the caveat that I really need to get out more.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 34. We were supposed to be at LK's Dad's cabin in Utah waking up to utter peace and tranquility halfway up a mountain. In the end, things didn't quite pan out, courtesy of our aged cars, and I ended up going to work instead.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Sad to say, but large amounts of cold hard cash, and being able to jet to and from the UK on a whim.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Denying myself a new pair of jeans until I'm done popping out sprogs.
32. What kept you sane? Sleep.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Daniel Craig. Woof!
34. What political issue stirred you the most? The sup-prime mortgage crisis probably had the greatest personal bearing for us, but what stirred me the most was the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. I saw that headline and immediately had the strongest feeling of icy dread. The BBC is warning about the increasing Talebanisation of Pakistan, that this is a country with nuclear weapons and a large population in the UK scares me tremendously.
35. Who did you miss? Obviously my family. Every day, particularly when Mum was readmitted to hospital and I was back in the States. Also, my friend C, my first friend in California who moved to Tex-arse this summer. Damn her.
36. Who was the best new person you met? I'd have to say baby Hannah, my friend's daughter who made her appearance in February. She has the biggest baby grin I've ever seen.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. I wish I could trust in this with all my heart, but I would have to say learning that financial security is not the be all and end all. That you can always start over, but you can never replace those people in your life who mean the world to you.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Wonder Pets Wonder Pets we're on our way!
4 comments:
Very nice, good reflection time. I am debating whether to do this myself, since I am having a little new years, post-holiday, post-vacation blues...... was it therapeutic to go through all of these questions, or just a pain?
I loved reading through these - I have to come back and finish them - DH is giving me the evil eye for WAY too much tv time :)
My Mum is coming here from Ireland next week, and she will turn 60 when she's here :) Hope your Mum is well on the mend. It's scary to face serious medical stuff when it involves people you love.
Thank you so much for your recent comments on my blog :)
happy new year to you. been a while since i checked in, but i hope all is well. thanks for sharing. this was fun to read! take care.
I enjoyed reading through these. You are the first person (that I know) that is as shook up as I was when I read the headline about Benazir Bhutto's death. My thought was and still is; the world is not a safe place anymore. On a brighter note, enjoy 2008. I hope it is happy for all of us.
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