1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before ?
Got married. Turned 30. Visited New Orleans. Made decent money. Felt happy with my job.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't remember what they were, honestly. They were probably something along the lines of 'try to be nicer and keep making an effort to stay in shape.' I am usually pretty vague. If I'm correct, I did better on the second option than the first.
I made similar resolutions for this year. Surprise, surprise.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Annie
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My beautiful, wonderful cat, Castor was hit by a car. He had the most perfect paws and a deep, comforting purr that made me feel as though all of my troubles were fleeting and inconsequential. I think about him on the hour.
5. What countries did you visit?
Does New Orleans count? I think it almost does. (Also, Mykal's property in norther California is ALMOST like a third world country.)
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
success as a writer, fun in Mexico
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 26, my wedding date. Usually I can't answer this type of question because I rarely remember dates. But along with July 1 (the date of my dad's death) and August 27th (the day I flew to Minneapolis to be with Rich), I imagine I will remember July 26th, 2008.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Working on my book almost every day. Surviving the fallout from Shayna's death, Sam's death, and Jack's accident. Having fun on my own wedding day.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Being an asshole, as per usual.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thankfully, no.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My beautiful black coat that I bought in a garage in New Orleans.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Rich, K-mart, Tom, Becky, Cedar, Orq, Jake, Rose, Frank, Zoey, Rachel, Kat, Chris, Kevin, Irv, Eileen, Kristin, and Annie stand out for specific reasons...(But really, I think most of my friends' behavior this year merits celebration.)
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My mother's during the weeks leading up to the wedding. Sometimes my own behavior.
14. Where did most of your money go?
the wedding. food.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
our honeymoon, being in New Orleans, the election
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Ocean of Diamonds by Scot H. Birham
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer?
happier, thinner and poorer.
Not very much thinner...But a lot happier and a lot poorer. (Last year at this time, Sam and Shayna had both died months earlier and Jack had just had his accident.)
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
relaxing
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
stressing
20. How did you spend Christmas?
in Deadwood in the snow (happily)
21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
with New Orleans
22. What was your favorite TV program?
On Netflix, I enjoyed Dexter, Dead Like Me, and Weeds
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
no
24. What was the best book you read?
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hayes Carll, Amy Winehouse (ridiculous but true), Maybe the Felice Brothers and the Avitt Brothers, but that may have been last year...
26. What did you want and get?
I can not really express how greatful I am to all the people, many of them seemingly random, who made my wedding and honeymoon so much better than I could have possibly imagined.
27. What did you want and not get?
continuing happiness with my two cats
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
hmm...I am drawing a blank. It doesn't seem like a very movie-oriented year. To refesh my memory I just typed 'best movies of 2008' into Google. I hadn't seen any of the movies in the list that came up.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I dressed up like Keith Richards, drank vodka from a IV kit, and turned 30. It was great.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not letting the stress of the wedding get to me. Being a best-selling author who didn't have to worry about money.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
I was going for a classic look.
32. What kept you sane?
wine, Becky, Rich, cooking
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Apart from my usual icons such as Tom Waits and John Prine, Obama, I guess. I was clearly not spending enough time on Pink is the New Blog.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
It was all pretty stirring this year.
35. Who did you miss?
snowball. Sam. dirtrock. Shayna. Castor. My dad.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Zoie
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
You are lucky to know the people you know, luckier than you ever realized.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"You love the people that love you.
You hear the music they move to.
You give your ode to the fall through.
But you don't know you don't know you don't know you don't know."-Atmosphere
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