I think Sundry started this a few years back, and I'm in a meme kind of mood, so I thought I'd fill out this quiz for 2009.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Found bizarre, if brief, Internet Fame first by tweeting as a bear wandering around Seattle and later by becoming Amalah's "I-met-her-on-twitter-this-
2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't really make any, besides the ever present thought that I really ought to get in better shape. I do, however, set monthly goals/resolutions (so I have more frequent start-over points than annual resolutions), and a few have "stuck" and become part of my routine. I even floss now! GO ME!
3. Did anyone close to you have a child?
My best friend Gail did! And one of my college friends. So did a lot of people I stalk/read online.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Blessedly, no.
5. Where did you travel?
Besides my constant circling of the Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois), I spent Thanksgiving with my wife and one of her best friends in North Carolina.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A vacation somewhere with just my wife. Even just a weekend away somewhere.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory?
January 2nd (the day I entered the hospital), January 26th (my first half-day back at work), October 15th (my last day at the hospital). It has been a heck of a year.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
NOT DYING. I say that facetiously, but it was really a lot of work.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Despite monthly resolutions, I still don't exercise anywhere near as much as I should.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
HAHAHA GOD YES. Other than the whole hospital thing (see above), I also had an eye infection that made my whole face swell up, had an infected cyst on my backbone, had my left foot in a cast for a month, and am currently in the middle of a few months of physical therapy. I am quite a mess. Amazingly it was my wife who got swine flu and not me.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I got my iPhone in February, I think. Or was that the year before? I have a bad memory. I know I bought a new laptop last week. And we finally got around to ordering wedding pictures, 14 months after our wedding.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My wife got a promotion that involves "Dean" being added to her work title (yay!), and again, I DIDN'T DIE. Rejoice!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Internet trolls, balloon boy's parents, and probably a million other things that I don't remember right now. I have a tendency to get super drawn into things and let them affect my mood too much, but on the plus side I have no attention spa...hey look, something SHINY!
14. Where did most of your money go?
Doctors and hospitals and prescriptions, oh my!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing the midnight showing of New Moon (I KNOW IT IS HORRIBLE, SHUT UP), meeting Gail's new baby, BlogHer.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Nothing comes to mind.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Much, much, MUCH happier, no thinner or fatter, no richer or poorer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Cooking and baking new things. I have much to learn in the kitchen.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Vegging out in front of TV.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve was in Wisconsin at my aunt and uncle's farm, Christmas Day was in Minnesota at my parents' house, and we had a family Christmas the week before that in Illinois at my inlaws'.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I could go the mushy way and say I fall in love with my wife all over again every day (awww) but really I fell in love with the sexy vampires in the Black Dagger Brotherhood books. What? Too shallow?
22. What was your favorite TV program?
So You Think You Can Dance and Fringe. Most of the other stuff I watch is background noise when I'm doing something else.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a very strong word; I don't think I can say that I truly hate anyone.
24. What was the best book you read?
That is really, really hard. I mean, I read 53 books in 2009. I really liked the previously mentioned Black Dagger Brotherhood series. The Lovely Bones was also amazing, clearly for very different reasons. My book tastes are all over the board.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I never discover music; that is what I have a wife for. She tells me what new stuff I should listen to.
26. What did you want and get?
28. What did you want and not get?
A kitchen aid mixer. We just don't have room in our kitchen of tiiiiiiiiny counters, but I'm trying to change that.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I really hardly watch movies at all. I did go to the midnight showing of New Moon, and it was awesomely bad. I don't know if I saw any other movies this year.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 29, and my wife had to work late my wife was out of town with her family, and I couldn't go with due to my work, so that night I went to dinner with my friend Jennifer and had deep fried Twinkies for dessert, thus shortening my lifespan by five years, but they were SO WORTH IT.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More free time to accomplish all the stuff I want to read/listen to/write/experience. I need one of those time-turner things like in Harry Potter.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Um, I finally bought some clothes that fit? I'm really bad at fashion. I need someone to take me shopping and fix that.
33. What kept you sane?
That implies I am, or ever have been, sane. The thing that keeps me from falling completely off the deep end (again) is my imagination and being able to daydream myself a break from stress.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Taylor Lautner, which is creepy since he is 17OMG. But did you see New Moon? I could wash my clothes on his abs, my gods.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
After the year I've had, HEALTH CARE.
36. Who did you miss?
My family. I never get to see them enough, and I ALWAYS cry when I have to leave them after Christmas and I know I won't see them again for months.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
I met bunches of people at Blogher, and bunches of people online, and many new friends and acquaintances in real life. There is no way I could list all the awesomeness.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Just. Keep. Breathing. It'll all be okay.
