Yet another New Year's meme

A New Year's meme, updated for 2008/2009 (the blog post contains 30% recycled content from the same New Year's meme for 2007/2008 - I'm just doing my part for Mother Nature). As for citing my sources, I'm sure you'll see this meme posted on many other blogs, so wherever you find it is from where I stole it.

Happy New Year!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Published over 100 posts to this blog in one year (now wasting 35% more of your time)

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make resolutions. I prefer to be surprised by what the new year brings.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Two work colleagues, but no one close to me.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness.

5. What countries did you visit?
Canada's Mexico: USA.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More confidence. More motivation for the gym.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory?
I can't remember specific dates; there were a few milestones at work that will remain etched in my memory.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving six months of work as the only member of the web team while supporting a product launch.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Bottling things up. Lack of gym motivation.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A couple of visits to the emergency room and an ultrasound (no, I'm not pregnant) but the doctors could find out what was wrong.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My iPod. Srsly, road trips are so much better with it. I don't know how I lived without it.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The marriage of Andrea and Reid. The American electorate.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The lowest voter turnout in Canadian history. Prop 4. The partisanship of Canadian politics.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Life and other miscellaneous expenses.

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

16. What song/album will always remind you of 2008?
I can't associate a single song or album with a particular year. However, if you go by the number of times I listened to it, you could say that The Killers' album, Sam's Town, will remind me of 2008.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
1. happier or sadder? Sadder
2. thinner or fatter? 'bout the same.
3. richer or poorer? mo' money, mo' money, mo' money.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Visiting friends, travelling, exercising, reading, and volunteering.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry. Bottled things up.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Quietly with Mother and the Sisters; TV DVD marathons as well.

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Again, I don't really talk much on the phone. Probably liberry skool chums. I'm more of a communiqué kind of person, both virtual and hard copy.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
No, a couple crushes. However, I was able to turn those crushes into "Just Friends" cake. You can do this too by following this simple recipe:

Take 2 parts, Lack of confidence
Take 3 parts, Complete dating ineptitude
Take 5 parts, She's just not that into you (you can also substitute "I only think of you as a friend", "Me no speak English", or "I'm not gay, but I'll learn")

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 400

Serves 1

23. How many one night stands in this last year?
Not my thang.

24. What was your favourite TV programme?
30 Rock, The Office, Sarah Connor Chronicles.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is such a strong word. I don't hate anyone; I just remove them from my life.

26. What was the best book(s) you read?
Marley and Me, The Shining were the best. I also read some okay books, including Empire Falls and that Barry Bonds biography, the title which I cannot remember.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
It's kind of arrogant to say that I "discovered" this music - it's not like the music didn't exist before I started listening to it. Anyway, this year I started listening to, for the first time, Lights, Iron & Wine, Damien Rice, Airborne Toxic Event. I'm also maintaining my daily staple of The Killers, Kanye West, and Coldplay.

28 What did you want and get?
A new digital camera and an iPod.

29. What did you want and not get?
Humidifier. Damn electric heat. If only we could harness the power of electric shocks...

30. What were your favourite films of this year?
Pineapple Express, Role Models, Tropic Thunder, WALL-E, No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Juno, (and although I will be ridiculed for it) The Happening.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
It was the first anniversary of my 29th birthday. It was a low-key shindig with Mother and Sisters.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Don't make me choose.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Background blend.

34. What kept you sane?
Liberry skool chums and my professional network.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Still Tina Fey.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election south o'the border was quite interesting. The Coalition/Status Quo melee of Canadian politics.

37. Who did you miss?
Liberry skool chums and other chums.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
II don't think I've met any new people this year. Unfortunately, I've reached my quota of friends, chums, colleagues, acquaintances and well-wishers.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Don't sweat the small stuff.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
Heaven forbid you end up alone and don't know why
Hold on tight wait for tomorrow, you'll be alright