| end of the line |
[Dec. 31st, 2008|10:49 am] |
1. what did you do in 2008 that you've never done before?
electrophysiology! worked with rat and mouse brain slices... and loved it. took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D starting in october and haven't had any seasonal affective problems so far this winter.
2. did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
i never really make any past the "eat healthier and exercise" business so i guess i have those.
3. did anyone close to you give birth?
yes! it was the year of people i know having babies! marjery, sadie, danni, and mariah all had the cutest little baby boys and i knit them all cozy little gifts.
4. did anyone close to you die?
nope, not this year.
5. what countries did you visit?
i went to canada with my french class. we went to one of the french quarters of winnipeg and to st. laurent and it was awesome. i definitely want to go again next year.
6. what would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
i have no idea. i'm pretty content right now.
7. what date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
i'm not good at remembering dates.
8. what was your biggest achievement of the year?
getting straight As for the summer and fall semesters. i worked my ass off for them and am very happy and proud. my cumulative GPA needed that.
9. what was your biggest failure?
keeping up with music. i'm reading everyone's 2008 lists and realizing i don't know half of the albums they're talking about.
10. did you suffer illness or injury?
i tripped on my own feet going down the stairs of the physics building in february and sprained or tore a ligament in my foot. it hurt for eight weeks. i am a dumbass. other than that i've been pretty healthy... except now, which seems to be a trend looking back at last year's list.
11. what was the best thing you bought?
yarn and my new backpack.
12. whose behavior merited celebration?
mine when dealing with kurt. it took me a long time but i've finally realized that there is nothing more i can do, no magic word i can say to make him straighten up his act. i can continue supporting him and helping him but he needs to make his own conscious decision to start acting better.
13. whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
people's. mainly kurt's.
14. where did most of your money go?
bills, mortgage, getting my house painted.
15. what did you get really, really, really excited about?
brains! brain slices! neuroscience!
16. what song will always remind you of 2008?
"construction summer" - the hold steady
17. compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier. life is good.
ii. thinner or fatter? fatter. for the first time in my life i need to lose 5-10 pounds. i weigh more now than i ever have... including when i went in to the hospital to have kurt.
iii. richer or poorer? poorer. i can't wait until i'm done with school and can have a real job again.
18. what do you wish you'd done more of?
listen to new music.
19. what do you wish you'd done less of?
procrastinating.
20. how will you be spending christmas?
i spent christmas eve with family and then christmas day i went to see my grandma eleanor in walhalla and spent a few hours with my in-laws.
22. did you fall in love in 2008?
nope.
23. how many one-night stands?
none, thanks.
24. what was your favorite tv program?
lost and battlestar galactica. grey's but it's really sucked it up this fall.
25. do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
no.
26. what was the best book you read?
great and desperate cures: the rise and decline of psychosurgery - eliot valenstein
(for those keeping track, this is the first time a non-fiction book has been my favorite of the year)
27. what was your greatest musical discovery?
portishead from a mix tape lukas gave me way back when.
28. what did you want and get?
the hardcover compiled dark tower comic series! yay!
30. what was your favorite film of this year?
"lars and the real girl" and "wristcutters: a love story" both got five star ratings on my netflix list but neither are 2008 movies. i also loved "juno" along with everyone else in the world.
31. what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i turned 30 and my friends planned a party for me at mike's pizza with about 30 or so of my friends. it was awesome!
32. what one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
kurt deciding to quit being such a little shit. even if he had just chosen one thing to do better at, like not lying about his homework... that one little difference would have helped my year be amazingly better.
33. how would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
school slob and handknits. not having a real job and gaining weight has really put a damper on my wardrobe.
34. what kept you sane?
research, whether formal or on my own.
35. which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
i don't know that i really fancied anyone this year. oh, maybe daniel faraday from LOST for awhile. ;) (i don't know the actor's name off the top of my head and am too lazy to look it up.)
36. what political issue stirred you the most?
oh, you know, the election. i'm still amazed and proud that obama will be our next president.
37. who did you miss?
jenna after she moved in august. i miss you jenna!!
38. who was the best new person you met?
everyone in the lab and susanna.
39. tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
sometimes it's better to be really poor and do well than it is to stress out at a job you no longer fully enjoy and do poorly at the things you love.
40. quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
this one never works for me. the lyric that reminds me of this year never usually has any meaning for me... in this case it's m.i.a.'s "pull up the people", not even released this year. the lyric is "slang tang, that's that m.i.a. thang, i got the bombs to make you blow, i got the beats to make you bang". yep, that reminds me of 2008. |
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| it's the end of the year? really? |
[Dec. 20th, 2007|09:12 am] |
1. what did you do in 2007 that you've never done before?
wrote a very large check for home repairs. my foundation looks like brand new now though so, you know, totally worth it.
2. did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
well, i didn't officially make them but i wanted to work out more, eat less candy and eat healthier and i've done really well at one of those things. i've been going to the gym three or four times a week for the last eight weeks (not counting this week because i've been sick and worn out). and i've been eating healthier (is healthier even a word? it looks funny but doesn't come up in the spell check) when i don't have tons of homework but eating way worse when i do. my goals are pretty much the same for next year.
3. did anyone close to you give birth?
nope.
4. did anyone close to you die?
nope.
5. what countries did you visit?
none. i'm too busy to travel.
6. what would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
you know, a relationship would be nice.
7. what date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
i'm not good at remembering dates.
8. what was your biggest achievement of the year?
getting through this past semester. it was the worst. never again will i try to take three science classes and three labs in one semester.
9. what was your biggest failure?
getting a C in chemical analysis, a class i actually liked.
10. did you suffer illness or injury?
nothing new. i was actually surprisingly healthy this year. i hardly remember being sick at all other than right now.
11. what was the best thing you bought?
the foundation fixing, kurt's violin, and my zune.
12. whose behavior merited celebration?
once again, kurt’s and my own when dealing with certain frustrations at work.
13. whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
i'm not going to mention names here. let's just say it was people in my professional life.
14. where did most of your money go?
nothing new here: bills. my mortgage. :)
15. what did you get really, really, really excited about?
movies, music, and wednesday nights. i can't think of anything in particular.
16. what song will always remind you of 2007?
battles - atlas
17. compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier. life is good.
ii. thinner or fatter? fatter. i know i probably don't look any different but i gained almost 15 pounds this year and none of my pants fit. it sucks because i hate shopping but i think i need to get some new jeans.
iii. richer or poorer? poorer definitely. i haven't been able to keep up with the 20-25 hours a week at work so i've had to use more financial aid to stay afloat. it sucks.
18. what do you wish you'd done more of?
hanging out with friends. working (if only for the money).
19. what do you wish you'd done less of?
procrastinating. physics.
20. how will you be spending christmas?
family, family, family on christmas eve and then i plan to stay home christmas day with kurt as usual.
22. did you fall in love in 2006?
nope.
23. how many one-night stands?
none, thanks.
24. what was your favorite tv program?
battlestar galactica.
25. do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
unfortunately, yes.
26. what was the best book you read?
sewer, gas, and electric by matt ruff!
27. what was your greatest musical discovery?
beirut and johnny and the moon.
28. what did you want and get?
my zune... but only because i bought it for myself. that seems like a shitty way to answer this question.
30. what was your favorite film of this year?
the science of sleep.
31. what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
went out to eat with susie for lunch and kurt for supper and ended up sick in the middle of the night. but, you know, it was still alright. i was 29 this year.
32. what one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
there are so many ways i could answer this...
33. how would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
katie-fashion.
34. what kept you sane?
kurt. always kurt. also, leah, jenna, courtney, and susie. for non-people keeping-saneness: chocolate, music, and movies.
35. which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
whoever the guy is that plays chief tyrel from battlestar. okay, it's aaron douglas. i like his character and i think he is cute, yes i do.
36. what political issue stirred you the most?
you know, i'm not so political. i can't think of a single thing right now.
37. who did you miss?
no one really. i think that's a good thing.
38. who was the best new person you met?
aaron!
39. tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
i guess when you think you should quit your job... it's not always the best idea. listen to those around you when you're making huge life-changing decisions.
40. quote a song lyric that sums up your year (don't read if you'd rather not know the real lyrics to "atlas"!):
People won't be people when they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people, no
The people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
The singer is a crook
The singer is a crook
The singer is a crook
The singer is a crook
The kitchen is the cook
The scissors are the barbers
The singer is a crook
The chorus, full of actors*
*The chorus doesn't matter (last verse)
sums up my year? i don't know, i just thought it was funny. |
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| top ten and other random lists |
[Dec. 20th, 2007|08:21 am] |
i can't seem to quit rearranging this list so i might as well just post it. the battles album ended up a lot lower than i initially thought it would. it just didn't have the staying power of the others, i guess. plus, there are a few songs in the middle that just don't really do it for me so it isn't an overall front-to-back fantastic album. anyway, here you go:
10. electrelane - no shouts, no calls
09. battles - mirrored
08. feist - the reminder
07. johnny and the moon - johnny and the moon
06. beirut - the flying club cup
05. kentucky sound arsenal - destroyer of the year EP
04. bottomless pit - hammer of the gods
03. the bismarck - blood of patriots
02. shellac - excellent italian greyhound
01. menomena - friend and foe
albums that may have ended up on my list if i would have gotten my shit together and bought them already/ listened to them earlier
wishek - stopping just short
okkervil river - the stage names
bright eyes - cassadaga
songs of my year, in no particular order
battles - atlas
caroline - winter
architecture in helsinki - heart it races
electrelane - to the east
beirut - postcards from italy
beirut - nantes
the islands - jogging gorgeous summer
feist - 1234
silkworm - wrote a song for everyone
oneida - happy new year
built to spill - liar
fridge - eyelids
albums i was disappointed in
wilco - sky blue sky
spoon - gagagaga
modest mouse - we were dead before the ship even sank
movies i loved this year (not necessarily released this year)
no country for old men
the darjeeling limited
superbad
the science of sleep
water
the departed
clean, shaven
little miss sunshine |
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| (no subject) |
[Dec. 20th, 2006|02:02 pm] |
it's not my goal to post twice a day or anything but i've had this in a word document, doing a little here and there and i figure i might as well post it since it's done.
1. what did you do in 2006 that you've never done before?
i bought a house!
2. did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
i didn’t really make any last year. i’m not big on resolutions but i am hoping to work out more, eat less candy (it’s hard! it’s all over the office!), and eat healthier again.
3. did anyone close to you give birth?
my friend sadie had a little boy this summer. i knit him a sweater.
4. did anyone close to you die?
my grandpa passed away after a long struggle with his health in june.
5. what countries did you visit?
just here. i thought about going to winnipeg but never made it.
6. what would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
straight "A"s in school. i can't think of anything else i've lacked that i really want.
7. what date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
i don’t know that one will. the obvious answer is the day my grandpa died but other than the fact that it was the day before the farm auction, i honestly have no recollection of the date. we were all in a bit of a fog around that time.
8. what was your biggest achievement of the year?
figuring out what i want to study and going back to school finally.
9. what was your biggest failure?
i don’t know, i think i just try to look at things as varying levels of success not FAILURES. (you’ve gotta say the capitalized “failures” with a doom voice in your head. okay, thanks.)
10. did you suffer illness or injury?
nothing new except the horrible norovirus last month. i hope i never get that sick again.
11. what was the best thing you bought?
my house, of course.
12. whose behavior merited celebration?
once again, kurt’s. if each school year continues to get better like this, he’ll be a saint in high school!
13. whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
no ones that i can think of.
14. where did most of your money go?
nothing new here: bills and health care costs. most recently: home stuff and minor home repairs.
15. what did you get really, really, really excited about?
buying my house! the possibility of working in a research lab.
16. what song will always remind you of 2006?
black metal valentine by califone among many others. there were just so many times i drove to class in the morning and this song would come on as i creeped by the trainyards and checked out the graffiti.
17. compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier so far this winter. i’m pretty psyched that the solstice is tomorrow already and the sadd hasn’t hit me yet.
ii. thinner or fatter? thinner. i don’t weigh any less but the fitness class i took this semester definitely trimmed me up. my waist is tiny again!
iii. richer or poorer? at the moment i feel richer but my house payment starts next month so we’ll see.
18. what do you wish you'd done more of?
saved more money but bought more music. kept in touch with friends a little better.
19. what do you wish you'd done less of?
i honestly don’t know. i don’t think i did anything that i really regretted this year.
20. how will you be spending christmas?
family, family, family on christmas eve and then i plan to stay home christmas day with kurt as usual.
22. did you fall in love in 2006?
nope.
23. how many one-night stands?
none, thanks.
24. what was your favorite tv program?
lost.
25. do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
nope.
26. what was the best book you read?
honestly, though i hate to admit it, the atlas shrugged by ayn rand. i mostly don’t agree with her but it was a challenging and interesting read.
27. what was your greatest musical discovery?
did i hear about the fiery furnaces this year or last year?
28. what did you want and get?
this is funny because last year i said a real full-time job and this year i got to go to school and work part-time at that same job. and that’s what i really wanted. it’s funny how so little time can change so much.
30. what was your favorite film of this year?
i think i only went to see one or two movies at the theater this year and none top my list. from netflix though, my favorites were everything is illuminated, brick, kamikaze girls, dead leaves, monsoon wedding, the station agent, and me and you and everyone we know. not necessarily in that order. i’m assuming eragon is going to be pretty good though. we might go see it friday.
31. what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
according to my planner i didn’t do a damn thing on my birthday but turn 28. i think i went to the winter carnivale in fargo the saturday after though. i swear that was this year… there were bands, short films, and i got to see secretary on the big screen at midnight. hottt.
32. what one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
i don't think just one thing could have done it.
33. how would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
jeans, thermals and band t-shirts for school and weekends; business casual at work. lots of cardigans because i’m cold all the freaking time.
34. what kept you sane?
kurt. always kurt. without him i’d be eating junk food and drinking every night probably.
35. which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
matthew fox (jack from lost). as an aside, did you know he has pretty good taste in music too?
36. what political issue stirred you the most?
if you’re talking stirred me in a positive way, i’d have to say the democrats taking both the house and the senate. other than that, i haven’t been too politically involved this year.
37. who did you miss?
my grandpa.
38. who was the best new person you met?
jenna!
39. tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
honesty is the best policy. not something i learned this year but since i’ve used it in so many situations this year, i figure it’s a good one to share.
40. quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
in the morning after the night i fall in love with the light, it is so clear i realize and here at last i have my eyes… |
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