pretty crabby

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Hey, it's that time again! The time when I write my year end post which I keep doing even though there is an echo in here lately. For New Years I am doing a contest so all four of you reading should enter! More on that to come next week.

But right now, let's do this thing!

2008: The Year

Theme of this year: Hmm. I am not sure. and I have no one to blame since I started these categories myself. I am tempted to say DEATH but that is not so cheerful. But I did think about it a lot. Three of my friends lost parents this year, including my best friend who lost her dad and then my grampa went and died unexpectedly (jerk) but he was 83 and he had a long life. As my dad said, he never got sick, he never had to wear a diaper. We are basic like that in my family.

Best Month of the Year: July (for the forth year in a row!). I spent a good part of July in the Virgin Islands. And you can't really go wrong there, I don't think.

Best Day of the Year: The day we spent going to the Grand Canyon, my dad's birthday, moving day, the day I quit my job, the few days I got to spend at Pinky's house while I was unemployed, and the Christmas Eve party just the other night were all pretty good days.

Worst Day/Time of the Year:  March was hard and then May. I hate you, death.

Favorite Person of the Year: I thought about my grampa a lot, even though I didn't see him once this year.

Favorite Moment of the Year: When I swam with a turtle.

Favorite CD of the Year: Tegan and Sara, The Con. I also listened to Rilo Kiley More Adventurous A LOT.

Favorite Movie: I didn't see many movies... I guess No Country for Old Men (although that came out in 2007, right? but I saw it this year) was the one I thought about the most. I would like to see it again but it was kind of fucking terrifying.

Live Show of the Year: Bruuuuuuce. And it was nice to see Rilo Kiley mostly because I would like to live inside Jenny Lewis's shoe.

Best Thing I Bought: Two Tano bags.

Favorite Trip: The Virgin Islands! But also going to Las Vegas was very fun. And the dude and I had a good time in New York, even though other things were going on.

Book of the Year: I am so bad about reading lately and when I do I finish the book in two days and can't remember it a month later. I read Revolutionary Road which is very depressing but good. I also liked Animal Vegetable Miracle but that might just be because I was reading it on vacation. There is a book called Only Child with essays by (duh) only children which I liked.  

And with that, we go onward into 2009. Hopefully no one dies this year. Fingers crossed!

Last year. The year before.

2007: Flashback

Wow, 2007, you were really kind of hard and sad in parts. My dad has a theory that the odd years are more, well, ODD than the even years and this was definitely true this year.

So. Anyway. I am looking forward to 2008 but first let's look back on 2007, shall we?!

2007: The Year

Theme of this year: I think it was something about TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF and the people you really love. And I know that is simple and boring but I feel like I had a lot of challenging interactions with people this year and I lost some friends for being honest but the people who REALLY matter stuck around and I peeled back the onion to the part that is the most important to me.

Best Month of the Year: July. I love summer, but it was too fast as usual. I also had a nice fall and things seemed to sort of fall into place life wise and that was a nice feeling.

Best Day of the Year: My birthday? Oh, I guess the day I moved. February 3rd. It was a little nuts and stressful but I was excited about it and it was a good move for me. Also, the day I quit my horrible job. Well done, me.

Worst Day/Time of the Year:  May 5th.

Favorite Person of the Year: My best friend, my boyfriend. I chose them and I like them a lot.

Favorite Moment of the Year: The day I was having lunch with my boyfriend and one of my oldest friends in the world and then my best friend walked by outside with her baby, which was unplanned and I hadn't seen her in 4 months. That was a really happy day/moment for me. A bunch of babies were also born this year, which is an easy thing to pick out, but whatever. Babies are awesome.

I also met some cool ladies this year, thanks to the Internet. The lovely and talented Sarah Brown and also Caitlin (of Styrofoam Kitty, who I have talked to pretty much every day for three years) and awesome Danielle. Maybe in 2008 I will get to meet some other ladies I would make out with. (Angela, Wendy, Cat, I am looking at you!)

Favorite CD of the Year: Rilo Kiley, Under the Blacklight. Arcade Fire, Neon Bible. Ben Lee, Ripe (his most grownup and sexiest record, in my opinion. I love the title song and also Blush), Feist, The Remainder.

Favorite Movie: Broken English.  I also really liked Knocked Up and Darjeeling Limited. I saw some from last year (thanks Netflix!) that I really liked like Half Nelson and Stranger Than Fiction. The other day we saw Walk Hard which was really funny. And it is not doing so well but all three of us (with very different movie tastes) all really liked it. So you should go see it too.

Live Show of the Year: Elvis Costello was great. And seeing The Smoking Popes with the dude was very fun for me.

Best Thing I Bought: New camera for Christmas!

Favorite Trip: The dude and I went to Ipswich the weekend before Labor Day and stayed in a cheap place with a pool and had ice cream at Dairy Queen by the side of the road. I liked it. Going to Michigan for my cousin's wedding was also really fun and it was nice to have my whole family all together which seems rare as time goes on.

Book of the Year: God, I just didn't get into any books this year. I started about 15 and I am still reading them all.

Here comes 2008. I am hopeful for more exciting things and more big changes in my life. I will hold on and enjoy the ride and see what happens. It is all I can do. Happy New Year.

(Here's what I said last year, in case you're curious.)

2007: The Year

Theme of this year: I think it was something about TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF and the people you really love. And I know that is simple and boring but I feel like I had a lot of challenging interactions with people this year and I lost some friends for being honest but the people who REALLY matter stuck around and I peeled back the onion to the part that is the most important to me.

Best Month of the Year: July. I love summer, but it was too fast as usual. I also had a nice fall and things seemed to sort of fall into place life wise and that was a nice feeling.

Best Day of the Year: My birthday? Oh, I guess the day I moved. February 3rd. It was a little nuts and stressful but I was excited about it and it was a good move for me. Also, the day I quit my horrible job. Well done, me.

Worst Day/Time of the Year:  May 5th.

Favorite Person of the Year: My best friend, my boyfriend. I chose them and I like them a lot.

Favorite Moment of the Year: The day I was having lunch with my boyfriend and one of my oldest friends in the world and then my best friend walked by outside with her baby, which was unplanned and I hadn't seen her in 4 months. That was a really happy day/moment for me. A bunch of babies were also born this year, which is an easy thing to pick out, but whatever. Babies are awesome.

I also met some cool ladies this year, thanks to the Internet. The lovely and talented Sarah Brown and also Caitlin (of Styrofoam Kitty, who I have talked to pretty much every day for three years) and awesome Danielle. Maybe in 2008 I will get to meet some other ladies I would make out with. (Angela, Wendy, Cat, I am looking at you!)

Favorite CD of the Year: Rilo Kiley, Under the Blacklight. Arcade Fire, Neon Bible. Ben Lee, Ripe (his most grownup and sexiest record, in my opinion. I love the title song and also Blush), Feist, The Remainder.

Favorite Movie: Broken English.  I also really liked Knocked Up and Darjeeling Limited. I saw some from last year (thanks Netflix!) that I really liked like Half Nelson and Stranger Than Fiction. The other day we saw Walk Hard which was really funny. And it is not doing so well but all three of us (with very different movie tastes) all really liked it. So you should go see it too.

Live Show of the Year: Elvis Costello was great. And seeing The Smoking Popes with the dude was very fun for me.

Best Thing I Bought: New camera for Christmas!

Favorite Trip: The dude and I went to Ipswich the weekend before Labor Day and stayed in a cheap place with a pool and had ice cream at Dairy Queen by the side of the road. I liked it. Going to Michigan for my cousin's wedding was also really fun and it was nice to have my whole family all together which seems rare as time goes on.

Book of the Year: God, I just didn't get into any books this year. I started about 15 and I am still reading them all.

Here comes 2008. I am hopeful for more exciting things and more big changes in my life. I will hold on and enjoy the ride and see what happens. It is all I can do. Happy New Year.

(Here's what I said last year, in case you're curious.)

2006: About

Wow, Another year gone. They seem to speed the heck up as you get older, that is for sure. I tried to explain to someone how that is because they are a shorter amount of your life (when you are 10, a year is one tenth of your life. When you are 30th, it's 1/30th. And so on.) - they did not understand me. And that is nothing new.

Anyway, let's do this thing.

2006: The Year.

Theme of this year: Wow. I don't know if I even bothered to think about a theme for this year. Looking back I see my intended motto was DON'T GET BOGGED DOWN IN THE DETAILS, and I think I did manage that. Honestly though, this year was just sort of a tidal wave that picked me up and tossed me around.

But in the best possble way.

Best Month of the Year: July. I didn't know how to feel about turning 30, but it ended up feeling more like BEING MYSELF than I thought it would, if that makes any sense at all. I don't know, I have always been friends with people older than me and even though I feel 12 on most days, I also felt like I was catching up to myself somehow. 

Best Day of the Year: My birthday was a really good day, from beginning to end. This was just one happy moment. (you can totally see my boobs in that picture but whatever. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!)

Worst Day/Time of the Year: There was a blip around Presidents Day and that kind of sucked. Otherwise, things were pretty good. I know, you hate me.

Favorite Person of the Year: Wendi was awesome and we spent loads of time together but I must give it up to my new awesome friend, Sarah. I was so glad to meet her and hang out with her and the bf totally found a new pal in her husband. We totally became one of those gross couple foursomes! I hate those people! Fantastic!

Favorite Moment of the Year: I might have to come back to this. Or maybe it is not fit to print...hmmm.

Favorite CD of the Year: I loved Discover a Lovelier You by the Pernice Brothers, which actually came out in 2005. Also, Rabbit Fur Coat by Jenny Lewis (thanks, Wendy!) and Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple was played a lot in the start of the year. Now Pernice Brothers have a new CD and I have been getting into that.

Favorite Song of the Year: Another one I need to come back to. Have to check my MOST PLAYED on iTunes.

Favorite Movie: Even though The Squid and The Whale came out in 2005, we didn't see it until 2006. We were the only ones laughing and at the end I said to my boyfriend "children of divorce!" Everyone else there must have come from un-broken homes.

Live Show of the Year: I saw Frank Black who I love love love but I think I was most excited to see Smoking Popes, and they were truly fucking great. I think I almost cried like 10 times from happiness.

Best Thing I Bought: I got a beautiful white leather bag for my birthday which was love. My mom bought it but I actually picked it out. Also a new camera which takes videos, and that has been fun. 

Favorite Trip: The Cape for my birthday was great.

Book of the Year: I read a ton of memiors this year. I liked the Glass Castle, and Jesus Land. And then over Thanksgiving I read Time Travellers Wife and that has been in my head ever since.

So, here comes 2007. I remember being little and thinking about the year 2000 and wondering where I would be. I don't remember thinking past that honestly and now, here we are. It's not really meaningful to write, but it hasn't happened yet. So I don't know... I guess we'll see where I end up when it all evens out.

You just never know now, do you?

I hope your new year is happy and safe! See you in 2007!

(Here's what I said last year, in case you're curious.)