long lost meaning to the story

• In 2010, I gained: insight
• I lost: sight of myself for a month or so
• I stopped: saying No to something I wanted
• I started: saying No to some people who needed to hear it, that I needed to say it to
  
• I was hugely satisfied by: friends
• And frustrated by: work
• I am so embarrassed that I: fell, again, for the nephew
• Once again, I: have resolved never to let it happen again....
• Once again, I did not: finish half of what I started simply for the sake of productivity
• The biggest physical difference between me last December (2009) and this December (2010) [was]: I had a sinus infection/bronchitis/etc. nearly the entire month this year
• The biggest psychological difference between me last December and this December is: last year I was deceived by hope; this year I saw futility
• I loved spending time: reading
• Why did I spend even two minutes: accumulating fake friends on Facebook?
• I should have spent more time: writing and taking pictures
• I regret buying: a couple of rounds in a couple of bars
• I will never regret buying: my new car
• I over-thought way too much.
• I didn't kiss enough.
• I drove my parents crazy.
• The most relaxing place I went was: a tie, between the Cat-Beast's and that stolen weekend at D&R's
• Why did I go to: work so often?
• The best thing I did for someone else was: meh. Anything I did for someone else had good enough reasons.
• The best thing I did for myself was: the toe tattoos
• The best thing someone did for me was: you know.
• The one thing I’d like to do again, but do it better: well, I'd sort of like to kiss a lawyer in a bar and have him like it, but since that's not possible... I'll keep what I've got, thanks.

AND
10 Favorites

• Favorite Season: autumn
• Favorite Color: 330099
• Favorite Time: midnight
• Favorite Food: [the first word that came to mind was 'plankton'. WTF? Abraham, is that you?] Lately: garlic bread
• Favorite Drink: rum & lemonade
• Favorite Ice Cream: butter brickle
• Favorite Place: Miami
• Favorite Sport: to watch? curling. to play? tennis.
• Favorite Actor: Peter Outerbridge
• Favorite Actress: Natalie Portman

9 Currents

• Current Feeling: sleepy
• Current Drink: water
• Current Time: 23:09
• Current Show on TV: [off]
• Current Mobile used: Verizon
• Current Windows Open: one window, two tabs (Blogger & Facebook)
• Current Underwear: black bikini
• Current Clothes: black capris, navy knit blouse
• Current Thought: "don't think I'm gonna finish this before bed."

8 Firsts

• First Nickname: [a riff on my first name]
  
• First Kiss: Earl, behind the public library after an orchestra concert
• First Crush: Brad
• First Best Friend: Jennifer (she's a Facebook friend)
• First Vehicle I Drove: a shitty little hatchback, silver with maroon interior
• First Job: bakery clerk in a grocery store
• First Date: depends how you define "date"
• First Pet: there was a fat, mean cat who apparently got around, and an adorable puppy named after a condiment

7 Lasts

• Last Drink: still that same water
• Last Kiss: Toby. Wish I could have that one back.
• Last Meal: pure salt, judging by how much water I've guzzled since it ended. (For real: chunky tomato soup & tortillas.)
• Last Web Site Visited: besides the two I'm currently using? probably my work email
• Last Movie Watched: Men With Brooms, which I really, really liked
• Last Phone Call: the Mumbler - always a surprise when he calls, but a welcome one
• Last TV show Watched: some football on Sunday

6 Have You Ever…

• Have You Ever Broken the Law: yes
• Have You Ever Been Drunk: yes
• Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn’t Know: not exactly. We'd been acquainted, however briefly.
• Have You Ever Been in the Middle/Close to Gunfire: sort of
• Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: sort of
• Have You Ever Broken Anyone’s Heart: yes

5 Things

• Things You Can Hear Right Now: fingers on keyboard; siren (internal, at the fire station); cars on the main drag outside; furnace kicking in...that's all there is
• Things On Your Bed: pillows, sheets, down comforter, knit throw, and pajama pants
• Things You Ate Today: Frosted Mini Wheats, PB&J, pretzel M&Ms, and the aforementioned meal
• Things You Can’t Live Without: friends, caffeine, hand lotion, something to write on, and something to write with
• Things You Do When You Are Bored: read, write, take pictures, watch TV, and sleep

4 Places You Have Been Today

• home, before work
• work
• Walgreens (picking up a prescription, vitamin C, and a gallon of milk)
• home after work

3 Things On Your Desk Right Now

• At home: 5 CDs; 4 shotglasses; and 2 necklaces
• At work: one large pile of confusing paperwork about "steampunk" v. "cyberpunk" v. "biopunk"; some massively outdated to-do lists; and a large pretzel M&M bag containing 4 M&Ms

2 Choices

• Salt or Pepper: salt
• Hot or Cold: right now (this is so rare) hot

1 Place You Want To Visit

• D.C. in April

+ + + + + + + + + + + + +

1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before? bought a new car
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions? didn't make any last year
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? yup, on 12-29--I just met the little peanut today, in fact
4. Did anyone close to you die? no, thank God
5. What countries did you visit? just this one
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010? light
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? 8 January, and 27 December. Why? They're just both examples of some of the best of me.
8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? remaining employed
9. What was your biggest failure? no big failures
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I've seen worse
11. What was the best thing you bought? a new car
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? some friends'
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? some people at work, a few public figures, and a couple of people I know very well
14. Where did most of your money go? bills, of course--that's why they call me a grown-up
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? 8 January
16. What song will always remind you of 2010? any of a dozen by Alkaline Trio, or "Made of Gold" by Jonatha Brooke - or "Bend and Not Break" by Dashboard Confessional...I am fairly agile--
    I can bend and not break,
    Or I can break and take it with a smile.
    And I am so resilient,
    I recover quickly--
    I'll convince you soon that I am fine.
    
    Try to understand, there's an old mistake that fools will make
    And I'm the king of them, pushing everything that's good away
    Won't you hold me now? (I will not bend I will not break)
    Won't you hold me now? (For you I rise, for you I fall)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
    
    1. happier or sadder? these are meaningless words. A year ago I was just a couple of days from thinking I was facing my heart's desire; now I know I sat across from him (whether or not he was, in fact, that) and it didn't matter enough...maybe to either of us. Was I happy then? Am I sad now? Not exactly.
    2. thinner or fatter? earlier tonight I managed to yank on a pair of jeans that I'd bought in high school. It wasn't pleasant (I wouldn't want to wear them for hours) but I was impressed.
    3. richer or poorer? both, kind of?
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? sleeping. kissing. drinking.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? indiscriminate whining. chasing. waiting.
20. How did you spend Christmas? freezing my ass off at my parents', and texting with Ulysses.
21. Did you fall in love in 2010? I loved. Is that enough?
22. How many one-night stands? sort of two, sort of none. Depends, y'know, on your definition. (Why hello, Mr. Clinton.)
23. What was your favorite TV program? NCIS, Criminal Minds, and re-run ReGenesis
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? just Megan ("the keeper")
25. What was the best book you read? Finny, by Justin Kramon, which was the best new novel I've read in years, and one of the best I've ever read, period.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? of 2010? God only knows. I don't exactly time- and date-stamp my musical finds.
27. What did you want and get? a new car
28. What did you want and not get? the lawyer
29. What was your favorite film of this year? The Expendables. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but I thought it was wonderfully entertaining.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I think I worked? And I was a handful of months younger than I am now.
31. What was one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? less of something or more of something at work
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? WTFE
33. What kept you sane? my friends. reading. writing. drinking very heavily - sometimes alone and sometimes with my friends. And regular massages.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Peter Outerbridge. I've never been able to fully explain it in a way that anyone understands, but he is absolutely perfect.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? None. Of. The. Above.
36. Who did you miss? y'know
37. Who was the best new person you met? the baby (today)
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010. "If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always gotten."
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. I long for the one who is
    Fire amongst the dreamers
    

[from The Cat, who got it here and here]