2005 in review

As mentioned the other day, here is my attempt to reflect over the past year:
1. What did you do in 2005 that you’d never done before?
Got married, in March. It was also the nicest party I’ve ever held. (I’m not the party sort, normally. At our work Christmas do, we talked about the difference between extroverts and introverts. The question was: what do you do when you go to a party where you don’t know many of the people there? The few extroverts in our group immediately started talking about what they do to start a conversation with relative strangers. The rest of us sat there thinking, “Would you want to go to a party where you don’t know people??” After a few seconds us introverts, having processed the implications of the question, admitted that we probably wouldn’t even GO to such a party! As you can imagine, my shy, retiring attitude affects my party-giving.)

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t remember making any for the year! Some years ago I gave up on New Year’s resolutions as pointless, because I didn’t keep them. For 2006, though, I feel like making a resolution. I’m still thinking about it so I won’t write it down just yet. More in the coming days, I hope.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. My cousin AM had a baby girl. DH at work also had a baby girl.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
A couple of people who were close to people who are close to me (does that make sense?) died.

5. What countries did you visit?
Singapore and Malaysia – where we went on our honeymoon.

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
Tough one – I don’t think I lacked anything in 2005.

7. What dates from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
7 March, the day we got married. It’s the only date that comes to mind – I’m sure I can find other dates that should be memorable, but I’d have to look in my diary, and that would be cheating. (Having said that, I did take a look through my diary, which reminded me that: on 26 March Paul Hester (ex-Crowded House drummer) committed suicide, 3 April Pope John Paul II died, 23 April Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen died, SuperNova Bookshop closed down in July, and so on…)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting into the habit of early rising. I didn’t realise what a big difference it would make to my life, but getting up early has meant more time to write and ponder. Having all the extra time in the mornings has also meant that I am less rushed and less stressed. It helps that I am a ‘morning person’, of course. Now if only I could change my (lack of) exercise habit, and my eating (too much crap) habit…

9. What was your biggest failure?
Holding stupid grudges over perceived wrongs.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Happily, no. Well, apart from a few wrenched ankles.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A $9 Inoxcrom cartridge-fill fountain pen, dug up from a bargain bin at the chemist’s. A very smooth writer.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Baubles the Cat’s. Okay, maybe not celebration, but much amusement.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
John Howard’s.

14. Where did most of your money go?
The wedding. Paying off the credit card. Buying a house.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Civilization IV. I know it was an incorrigibly nerdish thing to get excited about, but I did.

16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
See answer to #39, below.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
(a)Happier or Sadder?
Happier. And sadder.

(b)Thinner or Fatter?
Fatter, I think.

(c)Richer or Poorer?
Much, much richer. And I’m not talking about money!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I’d cooked more this year. The call of the fast food ‘restaurant’ is very strong after a long day in the office.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
I wish I’d worried less about inconsequential things, like trying to please everyone.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With family. Relaxing, eating, catching up.

21. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Yes – with my husband, again and again. M saying our wedding vows. Watching bit-torrented telly (Lost, Veronica Mars, Smallville) while lying on the sofa bed with M. Watching M learning to ride his unicycle.

22. How many one-night stands?
What’s that?

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Veronica Mars. Little Britain (apart from Maggie’s projectile vomiting).

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t hate anyone. I intensely dislike the behaviour of some people, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I hate them.

25. What was the best book you read?
According to my diary I have read 51 books this year – that’s almost a book a week! Best one for 2005? Northern Lights, by Philip Pullman, I think.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
More like a rediscovery, but I started listening to the Penguin Café Orchestra again this year, and really really like their music. Rest in peace Simon Jeffes.

27. What did you want and get?
Lots and lots of books.

28. What did you want and not get?
A better exercise regimen. It’s entirely up to me, so I can’t complain.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 35, and spent the day sightseeing on the roads of Western Australia. See also Tambellup, or bust.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Better time management. Still working on this one.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Comfort over form.

33. What kept you sane?
M, the Voice of Reason in our household. I rant and rave, and M will say, quietly, “Did you think about the fact that it could have been …?” and all becomes clear.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I never fancy celebrities or public figures – they are too unreal, and I don’t know them!

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
This question should be “what political issue didn’t stir you?”, as so many things that happened in the political realm this year made me mad. I suppose the one that got me out on the streets was the Australian Federal Government’s changes to our industrial relations laws.

36. Who did you miss?
Old friends I’ve lost touch with over the years.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
All those bloggers out there!

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
Almost anything is achievable if you have a plan and take small steps.

9. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
…If you knew that you would be alone
Knowing right being wrong
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you knew that you would find a truth
That brings a pain that can’t be soothed
Would you change?
Would you change?

How bad how good does it need to get?
How many losses how much regret?
What chain reaction
What cause and effect
Makes you turn around
Makes you try to explain
Makes you forgive and forget
Makes you change
Makes you change…

Change by Tracy Chapman

Inspired by Jenica.

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

Categories: meme, meaning-of-life, navel-gazing