Halfway Hip: Late New Year meme post

I've done these for the past few years, and they're fun, so here's another one.

1.What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Taught 8th graders.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't make them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No.

5. What countries did you visit? No other countries, but I went to Texas, New Mexico, Colorado (for about an hour!). It wasn't much of a traveling year for me.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? More time for fun stuff. A life free of diapers.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Probably the day I found out that I got the job. Our life was set to change in a huge way.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting past those first few crazy weeks of work/getting the kids to school/paperwork, etc. which I did all alone b/c Matt was gone on a trip. I was exhausted, and we probably didn't eat very well during that time, but we made it through in one piece!

9. What was your biggest failure? I can't recall any huge failures! Is that bad?? I haven't found a way to continue my exercise schedule while working, but I don't consider that a huge failure.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I didn't, but my mom had major heart surgery back in February to repair two leaky valves. She also had a long episode of illness this fall, which led her doctors to believe she might need a heart transplant. Thankfully, in December, she had lots of tests and it was concluded that whatever is wrong with her can be controlled with medicine and the various machines she already has installed. Scary stuff!

11. What was the best thing you bought? New clothes for work, plus a Michael Kors purse off of Ebay and a nice leather tote for work.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Aidan made the transition to public school much better than I thought he would. In general, the kids have handled the drastic changes in their lives wonderfully. They are coping very well during the times Matt's been gone, too.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I don't feel comfortable answering this here. The good thing is that it wasn't anyone in my family or my close circle of friends.

14. Where did most of your money go? Child care!

15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about? My two trips! I went to New York City with Kristen in March and then to Miami to visit Matt while he was in training.

16. What song will always remind you of ‘08? "Human" and "Neon Tiger" from The Killers' new album. Anything from The Kills b/c I saw them in June.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

I. Happier or Sadder? Happier! Things are looking up for my mom, health-wise. Matt and I both got the first jobs for which we interviewed. Matt's job probably wasn't ideal, big-picture-wise, but we're so grateful and lucky that he got it. Kids are getting older and more capable all the time. We have summers to look forward to. When Matt is off work, he's really OFF. He's getting a lot done around the house as a result.

II. Thinner or Fatter? Maybe a few pounds heavier. I can never trust the scales at the Y. I'm working out less and eating more sweets now...trying to get out of the holiday mindset. Since I read Rethinking Thin last year, I don't stress about weight as much. The goal is no longer to lose a lot of weight, but to maintain where I am and to feel energized. Eating more healthfully is something I continue to struggle with, and that's an area of my life that's taken a hit in a year when I've been squeezed from all directions. I spent *a lot* of time as a SAHM thinking about, researching, shopping for, and preparing all those great meals we were eating. That takes time and energy, and I didn't realize how much til I went back to work. I'm done with seeing eating poorly as a character flaw, but I still believe in eating local, fresh, and wholesome foods. I would say that we eat better than most American families, but there's still room for improvement.

III. Richer or Poorer? Poorer!!! More debt!!!! We've taken a hit b/c Matt left the Air Force, where he was very nicely compensated. Things will get better from here, but I wish we had prepared ourselves a little more for this change. It still sucks to think about how our two new incomes don't add up to equal Matt's old income.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Writing it all down, reading, learning more new things like how to take better digital pics and how to play my guitar.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Grading, especially during my vacation time!

20. How will you be spending Christmas? We spent it together here at home with Matt's parents.

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with? My mom and Stephanie.

22. Did you fall in love in 2007? Not with anyone new.

23. How many one-night stands? At this stage in the game, that would get me in big trouble.

24. What was your favorite TV program? Big Love, The Real Housewives...(don't judge!), What Not to Wear, Project Runway, Lost, Daily Show/Colbert. We hooked up cable for the first time in years and finally got a DVR. We love it!

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Life's too short.

26. What was the best book you read? The Paradox of Choice and, as mentioned before, Rethinking Thin were life-changing. Rethinking Thin may not interest or apply to everyone, but I think Paradox of Choice should be required reading! I'm trying to get back in to reading more Young Adult novels so that I can keep up with my students. I'm having trouble getting through the Twilight series, but I guess I can't beat myself up too much over only taking 2 months to read four 700-page novels. (It took most of my friends only a week! I like to sleep, what can I say?)

27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery? The Kills, Arcade Fire

28. What did you want and get? My job! Matt's job! To go to Miami, without kids, to visit Matt while he was there for training. It was a wonderful anniversary gift. When and if you ever have the means, I highly recommend even a weekend getaway when your kids are old enough. Barack Obama as president.

29. What did you want and not get? More work done on our house and the yard.

30. What were your favorite films of this year? I enjoyed Atonement, The Freedom Writers Diary, The Business of Being Born, and Margot at the Wedding. Sadly, we are watching less movies these days b/c of the DVR.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 34. We got a babysitter and went out for a champagne brunch and to see Atonement.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If I would have spent less of my off-time on work. I plan to remedy that in the coming year. Some English teachers resign themselves to hours and hours of paperwork, but I don't think it HAS to be that way. If spending hours grading is the way an ideal teacher should behave, then I say that we need an extra hour of plan time worked into our days. That's not going to happen! My goal for this year is to find a way to meet the same objectives, but in a way that requires less of my precious at-home time. I'm in this for the long-haul, and I have to think about what I want to do for years on end. Teaching kids? Yes! Grading papers for hours at home? No!

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Funky, colorful, and comfortable. I'm trying to dress more professionally, and to dress more for my age and station in life. It's a work in progress. I don't have much $$ for anything that's not found on the clearance rack at Target these days. :)

34. What kept you sane? Coffee, good sex, camping with the kids in the summer, exercising, my wonderful friendships, two trips without kids,one to THE BEACH

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most/least? I got on the HATING Sarah Palin bandwagon. O.M.G. Can't. Stand. Her. I hope she goes away for good. I crushed on Peter Sarsgaard and James McEvoy (but not enough to see Wanted!)

36. What political issue stirred you the most? The election, of course! What got me really hot under the collar was McCain's infamous air quotes when describing "the health of the mother."

37. Whom did you miss? My brother, Jason, who has been in Iraq as a contractor since May. He's making a lot of $$$, but I know he's not happy that his life's on hold again.

38. Who was the best new person you met? All of my new colleagues. I'm already scared that some of them may leave me (yes, I'm self-centered like that) next year.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I learned that I am okay with being the size that I am. I also feel more settled in my lack of spirituality. I do feel a little weird and outsider-ish that I don't share something that is so important to so many.

40. Do you have any lost feelings of others? Probably, but I'm okay with that.

41. Quote a song that sums up your year. Ch-ch-ch-ch changes Turn and face the strange Ch-ch-ch-ch changes Pretty soon now you're gonna get older To all who read this: consider yourself tagged, yo.