1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Worked overnight shifts. D: Go to Sugar Baby's. Learn to use a web cam. Finish NaNoWriMo.

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My New Year's Resolution was to stop making abstract goals and to just set more concrete ones as I went along where appropriate. Totally accomplished. :) I think for next year my big thing will be saving money. I want to move out! I just need the funds to afford that and not die a horrible spam-filled death!!

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

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but we did lose our dear cat Blacky.

5. What countries did you visit?
USA. Fail. D:

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More financial stability. A visit to a foreign country. Even MORE fun times.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Hard to pick just a few. My year has been epic in its awesomeness.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Further establishing myself as an individual.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Lack of productivity. I've had my fun, but I've also wasted a lot of my precious time.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had a never-ending illness around October, but I'm all better now. :)

11. What was the best thing someone bought you?
After she found out we had lost Blacky, Belle brought me a darling little cell phone strap with a kitty on it. It was so sweet of her to do that, when I had never thought we were that close before. I had always kind of worried she thought me excessively lame or something, but I felt more concrete in our friendship.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Sarah. It's been so remarkable how much she has grown up in the past year. She's going to be an awesome woman someday.

I think, also Beth, because she is chasing after her dream and I do sincerely believe that everyone should have that sort of drive and tenacity. Great things can only come from spirit, and her strength and perseverance is so uplifting.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The people who voted for Barack Obama solely because they felt McCain stood no chance of winning. Similar people who voted simply because it was "time" for a black president. It's not time for a black president--it's time that people started voting for candidates based on what they stand for and not for their race or sex. Race and sex should not affect a person's decision at all.

Also, all of my libertarian friends who didn't vote because "it didn't matter." If more of you guys voted, then we might have had a libertarian president-elect!

14. Where did most of your money go?
Japan. In actual spending and saving.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Too much; not enough.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Treating life like a party. I mean, honestly this whole year has been super fab. When I look back on it, the good times shine out and it's such a vast difference from just three or so years ago when I was so focused on the negative things in my life. It feels so great to finally be able to let go of that awful beast.

More concretely: A-kon, Sugar Baby's, summer ridiculosity with Beth, baking, eating sweets, dressing up for no reason whatsoever, the BEST Halloween season I have ever worked and working the dressing rooms with Charlie and having some lady ask us: "You must really hate this, don't you? You don't have to lie to me--I know you hate it" and then being able to whole-heartedly responding in unision and quite loudly "I LOVE MY JOB" at the same time spontaneously. Gabbing about good books and movies with DJ and Dustin. Organizing the Christmas aisle with Nancers. Singing along to Spice Girls and Mika at the top of my lungs with Sarah. Ringing in the new (and almost gone) year with my Ben.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier!
b) fatter or skinner? Not sure....skinnier I think. D:
c) richer or poorer? Depends on how you look at it. Technically, I'm richer, but that money's essentially gone because of OMG JAPAN!

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Spent time with my family.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sitting on my bum.

20. How do you plan to spend Christmas?
With my super friends and family!

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Only with myself and my friends!

22. How many one night stands?
None.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Greek was grand. I also enjoyed re-watching Gilmore Girls and my brother introduced me to Scrubs. Of course, Star Trek is a given. ;)

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Stephanie Meyers. *hiss*

25. What was the best book you read?
This year? I finally finished the whole Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. That was quite enjoyable. I also liked From Bogus to Bubbly. I absolutely DEVOURED that!

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
BARRY MANILOW. (Okay, not quite a discovery!) Demi Lovato. Jem.

27. What did you want and get?
Black lamé tights.

28. What did you want and not get?
Mmmmmmmm..... Barry Manilow. Oh yeah...........

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Definitely ummm..... I can't decide! I especially loved The Rocker and Hamlet 2, however. There's something else I'm not mentioning, I know it. Whatever it is--I loved it!!!

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
For my nineteenth (nineteen! I feel so young!) I spent it playing croquet and chatting with some of my super buds.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Accomplishing more. Fun things and business things.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Wannabe punk princess intent on rescuing herself.

33. What kept you sane?
Beth. No lie. Girl, you speak jewels.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Barry Manilow.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The presidential election, gay rights. Everything No Child Left Behind screwed up and how to fix it.

36. Who do you miss?
My dad, but I think that I'll be saying that for years and years. Beth, oh my gawd--BETH. I missed you sooooooooooo much I wanted to die!

37. Who was the best new person you met?
LAUREN~! We decided that we are now married and totally in love!!! It feels so great to finally have a friend with the EXACT SAME MAJOR that I have. We can get together and geek over the proper use of a semicolon now.

38. What was the best thing you ate?
Cherry pie from Pie Town.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008?
"Stop over-thinking it. Just take action."

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"I was looking in the mirror trying to find a new reflection. Wanna take the road less traveled in a different direction, make some new mistakes, forget the ones I've made, cry some tears of joy, dress more like a boy.

[...]

I wanna meet myself as someone else just to see what it feels like. Take a walk on the other side. 'Cause you know that I just might break some different hearts, touch my different parts. I'm not gonna wait to mess around with fate."

- "As a Blonde," Fefe Dobson