Survey 2009

I honestly love surveys like this. They are very similar to listography books and I love making lists.

1.What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Travel to another country with friends, let myself be open to a relationship

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't quite remember my New Years resolutions and I cannot seem to find them written down anywhere (weird), but I think that I kept them for the most part.

3.Did anyone close to you give birth?
YES! Beautiful Jen had beautiful baby Audrey!

4.Did anyone close to you die?
Puce, my last puppy.

5.What countries did you visit?
SPAIN! Quite possibly the greatest 2 weeks of my life.

6.What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
No stress, a bicycle, better short term memory, a cleaner bathroom, more dresses, better knitting skills, a paying job etc.

7.What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 18-day we left for Spain
October 6-a scary (MYSTERY) thing happened
April 19-my golden birthday
July 15-Harry Potter premiere
June 22-Caitlin’s Old Person/Bingo party

8.What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Letting go of certain neuroses that inhibited my ability to live life to the fullest.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Probably the way I've treated a few people in the past. I should be nicer and more mature about uncomfortable situations.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just the common cold/flu.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Tickets to Spain/my iPhone (though that was a gift).

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All of my friends. They are just hilarious. ("How can I make this HILARIOUS!?")

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Those are very strong words. There are a few people whose behavior has made me slightly upset but I'm not naming names. I think I will say that there are 3 of them though.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Food and booze and nail polish.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to Spain! Going back to Temple! Seeing baby Audrey for the first time!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
There are SO many! Probably Bad Romance or I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho). I know, popular songs, but they kind of define my year in terms of fun levels.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? I think I am happier.

b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. I mean, not by a lot but I've definitely changed my eating habits to include cookies for dinner/fried cheese for breakfast.

c) richer or poorer? Poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Painting, drawing, movie production, sewing etc.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Procrastinating, waiting, spending money frivolously.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I will be in my dad's cozy Washington Heights apartment wearing slippers and an oversized sweater, drinking English Breakfast tea out of my purple star mug and opening/giving out presents. The next day is still Xmas in my eyes and that will be spent upstate (Woodstock) hanging with my beloved hippie family (Jim, Naomi, Emma, Charlotte, Lucas).

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I think I did. It's tough to explain because I really thought I was in love but if I was, I fell out of love very quickly. Maybe I wasn't IN love but I loved the person. Either way, I had never felt that way or had been so patient with someone until I became involved with that person.

22. How many one-night stands?
1, and I actually don't regret it anymore. I mean, I understand why one night stands aren't a great thing to do, but it was a learning experience and kind of empowering. I know some people might judge me for it, but it's nothing other people haven't done in the past and it's most likely that the people who will be doing the judging are going to experience a one night stand some time in the future.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Glee has been really fabulous. It started this year and it has become the show that brings all my Temple friends together at least once a week.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No, I don't particularly hate anyone. It's such a strong emotion and I try to avoid it.

25. What was the best book you read?
I really loved Sigmund Freud's Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis. It was a tedious read but extremely interesting and enlightening.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Pretty much all punk music (Ted Leo, Bomb the Music Industry!, Minor Threat, Bad Brains etc.) I had never really listened to the genre before and I started thanks to Uncle Phil.

27. What did you want and get?
Brown granny boots/a summer job.

28. What did you want and not get?
Super powers/a letter from Hogwarts.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
(500) Days of Summer

30. What did you do on your birthday?
Looked for a party that didn't exist, played an Arrested Development drinking game in 1300, got showered with homemade confetti, accidental Jack hookup.

31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I have something in mind but I'm not going to say it because it is not entirely PG.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Definitely more eclectic than last year. High waisted everything, no more jeans, lots of leggings/skirts/dresses, less jewelry, granny boots galore.

33. What kept you sane?
My friends (especially the Soph Year BFFall thread) and my mom.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Lady GaGa I guess.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
NY state not passing the gay marriage bill WTF?

36. Who did you miss?
Foster, Barlee, Puce, my friends when I'm not with them.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
I met some truly lovely people who have become really good friends and have helped to boost my confidence. Not naming names.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Be open to anything, don't have regrets, be able to laugh at yourself.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend."
"Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Joleneeeee. I’m beggin of you please don’t take my man."
"Ohhhh, we're half way there. Ohhhhhh, livin' on a prayer!"