1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?
Got my license, went to prom, swam with dolphins, slept in a dorm room, inhaled Nitrous Oxide (good stuff), sang at a funeral, pulled an official all-nighter, went camping, gave blood, got in a car accident, and chose NOT to go on vacation with my family. (There has to be more…)
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Do you realize who you’re dealing with here? I’m not good at following things through, ESPECIALLY when they pertain to myself. I am, however, really going to try and keep a healthy diet going this year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope. They all happened in the end of 2003.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Frank, Pap Pap, Grandma Aggie
5. What countries did you visit? None other than the good ol’ US of A! I went to New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, and Ohio.
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
More time and less stress (If you’re talking materialism, then some composing/recording software would be nice.)
7. What dates from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 15 – Got my license
January 31 - Gained eternal freedom
April 1st-3rd – Bye Bye Birdie
April 24 – Took first steps to turning my life around
April 29th-May 2nd – VA Beach
June 28th-July 1st – Prince Gallitzin
July 15 – Ben Folds concert
July 29 – Midnight walk on Mallissee
August 9 – Like I really need to say it…
October 30th-31st – Visited BW and Case
November 19 – Hillbilly Hankerin’
December 18 – Holiday Dance
(I probably forgot a lot of things, but that’s all I can think of right now.)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting the adult lead in the school play.
9. What was your biggest failure? I know this sounds cliché, but it was probably losing myself amidst the stress and frustration of being a teenager.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not really… I still haven’t even broken a bone or gotten stitches. (Except for my oral surgery, but that doesn’t count.)
11. What was the best thing you bought? My true blue buddy, Dakota the Toyota. The digital camera wins 2nd place.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? If I had to narrow it down to one person, I’d have to say Mr. Mike Humphrey.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? There are a few, but I have to count myself, too.
14. Where did most of your money go? CDs, car, gas, food (90% of which was purchased at the infamous King’s), and a digital camera.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Florida, senior year, the play, starting new relationships, prom, seeing the ‘seniors’ when they came home from college, getting accepted into PSU (no wait-that’s a lie), and the Guster/Ben Folds/Rufus Wainwright concert.
16. What song will always remind you of 2004? Oh geez, the list would be never-ending, but here are a *cough cough* few: Amsterdam, Wig in a Box, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Last Polka, Finale from Rent, For the Longest Time, Don’t Leave Home, Such Great Heights, Dare You to Move, Somewhere Only We Know, Head Over Heels, I Just Can’t Wait to Be King, Pippin’s Song, Gone, Shpadoinkle Day, Cadillac of the Skies, O Magnum Mysterium, With a Lily in Your Hand, Light and Day, Songs of Love. (I’m telling you-those are just a few.)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Much, MUCH happier
b) thinner or fatter? Slightly fatter… OH WELL
c) richer or poorer? Richer (Working two jobs will do that to ya.)
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Being honest, putting myself first, letting people know how much they truly mean to me, and working out
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Eating, sleeping, procrastinating, over-analyzing, worrying, crying, and swearing
20. How will you be spending Christmas? It’ll be weird this year-I’m not gonna lie. Christmas Eve will be spent with Ari and my mom’s side of the family, which is usually my favorite night of the year. BUT… Christmas day will feel a little too empty because Frank won’t be there when I go to my cousin’s house, and I won’t even be going to Grandma Aggie’s for dinner. L
21. Did you fall in love in 2004? Ooooh yes… perhaps a little too far at times.
22. How many one-night stands? Um… Jackie slept over a lot. Does that count? Haha
23. What was your favorite TV program? Most Extreme Elimination Challenge and Family Guy
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No. If anything, I like certain people a lot more than I used to. But that’s just because I’ve become more laid back, or perhaps more tolerant.
25. What was the best book you read? Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? It is possible for me to write a song.
27. What did you want and get? I’m pretty selfish and spoiled, so as rude as this sounds, I somehow find a way to almost always get what I want. I will say, however, that I’m extremely blessed and grateful for all that I’ve been given in life, and I couldn’t ask for more.
28. What did you want and not get? I’m sure there were a few materialistic things here and there, but they don’t matter.
29. What was your favorite film of this year? Donnie Darko (Director’s Cut), Garden State, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Well, I turned the boring age of 17, and I went to Best Buy to get my CD player installed in my car. Then Mike took me to the Olive Garden and Borders. (Sidebar: this was the night that I discovered the wonderful Deathcab for Cutie CDs.) It was a good day, but 17 is still pretty boring.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I really can’t think of anything except to have July/August 2004 last forever. But we all know that’s impossible, so I’ll just say that I would have liked to swim in a pool of jell-o. (Maybe next year…)
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004? I’m going to pretend that this question doesn’t exist.
33. What kept you sane? Definitely my friends and music. Caffeine helped, too.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? None other than the ever-feminine Elijah Wood. Jake Gyllenhael is a close second.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? Obviously the election… and I still don’t know if I’m a Republican or a Democrat.
36. Who did you miss? Those who passed away and all of my friends who went to college.
37. Who was the best new person you met? I didn’t really MEET anyone new, just got closer to people. And there are a lot, but I think Justin Kofford, Dave Poeschl, Dane Munzek, Norma Yocco, Catie Pentrack, and Kristen Messich all win. (Pretty much the rest of the camping trip, too.)
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004: “Showing your weaknesses is a strength in itself.”
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: “How did I get here? How the hell…”
