recapping 2007 meme

I'm a bit late on this meme, but because all the academic bloggers I like have done it, I will too! Why not? I only have a postdoc app to do by tomorrow? Perfect time for a meme!

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
2007's been a lot of same old same old--but in a good way. I think.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
To a certain extent. There were a fair number of things that were out of my control, I flaked on others. But I like making plans, to wit the very name of my blog, so I've boldly written up a whole set of goals and desires for the upcoming year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Both my gram and my abue passed away this year.

5. What countries did you visit?
Stayed within the U.S., much to my chagrin.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
A finished dissertation.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Numbers tend to swim in my head, evading inscription.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Keeping my shit together on the day to day. Seriously, working my way out of depression and keeping myself afloat moderately well since April is big for me.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I could probably come up with something failure-ish, but I don't feel like a big failure or like I've failed in any serious way, so let's stay positive while positivity's here?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing serious.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The suit and the heels to match.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The Adviser, for totally coming correct with the job app support and advice.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Oh man. Elected officials at the federal level. On a more local level, one of my students made me angry enough to spit. But that's not the same as appalled, I guess.

14. Where did most of your money go?
This is interesting. Because you see, I invariably pop open my chase account at the end of the month, the one credit card I use on the daily, and look at the numbers and say, what $15 here? $90 there? how does all this nonsense add up to $1036? But it does. So perhaps my money disappears into an inability to add as the month progresses. But really, I have to say, I don't regret any of my purchases: a girl has got to eat good food, drink her kombucha, buy watermarked paper, and go to plenty of shows. That's just how it is.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Knut, the baby polar bear who is bewitching all of Berlin!

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
Amy Winehouse's "Rehab."

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
I think I was pretty happy last year around this time, and I think I'm pretty happy now. No drastic changes in the appearance. Richer--that is, out of debt.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Fallen asleep after 10:30 at night. Particularly nights when I was at shows.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Read perezhilton.com

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With Mr. Baby's clan in the Chicago.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Nope, just stayed in love.

22. How many one-night stands?
None.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
The Closer. Via Netflix.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Uh, no. I think I might be too much of a hermit to develop enmities.

25. What was the best book you read?
Amy Hempel's collected short stories.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Leningrad, this gypsy-sounding eastern european band featured in the Everything Is Illuminated movie.

27. What did you want and get? 28. What did you want and not get?
I'm bundling these because the outcome is still not determined: a job.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
That's rough. I'm going to go with In the Time of the Wolf.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned thirty and I went to the opera--both very dramatic.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not having to deal with repeated car trubs while living in the fair metropolis of Los Angeles.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
The flip-flop.

33. What kept you sane?
Several whos, not a what: tied for first, mr. baby being on my team and my writing partners and dearest colegas.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Becks!

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Here, I have to give a shout out to my dad: prop 92, a CA state-wide measure that would limit fee increases at CA community colleges. Seriously, please go to www.prop92yes.com and, all y'all californians, don't forget to vote in February.

36. Who did you miss?
Gaby, who I have totally lost track of and been very remiss in supporting as a good friend this year.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
My office mates who are hilarious and helpful.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Making myself feel bad is not a worthwhile way of prodding forth productivity. That is, work that emerges from guilt or from a general sense of worthlessness is of little value (also generally does not actually exist).

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Let the sun illuminate the words that you cannot find--Natasha Bedingfield

And with that, back to working through the postdoc project description.