2008 Recapper Meme

I wanted to post this before January somehow slipped away from me.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
-- Switched career paths. Got pregnant. Worked on my commitment issues and devoted myself to my relationship with J. Lived in Buenos Aires for 6/7 weeks.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
-- I don't do resolutions, but I make annual goals. And yes, I made some goals for 2009.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
-- Yes. A couple people, actually.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
-- No. Thankfully.

5. What countries did you visit?
-- Argentina

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
-- Being more spiritually connected.

7. What date(s) from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
-- April/May: Argentina trip. AWESOME time. Professionally and personally. June 28: Took some home pregnancy tests. Was 99.8% sure I was pregnant. August 11: Saw the Flash on ultrasound for the first time at 13.5 weeks along in my pregnancy. September 26: Got the 3D ultrasound and found out we were having a girl.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
-- Commitment and perseverance

9. What was your biggest failure?
-- Not exercising as frequently as I needed and wanted

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
-- Five months of debilitating 24/7 morning sickness

11. What was the best thing you bought?
-- Geekery: the new camera (Canon G-10!) and the tv

12. Where did most of your money go?
-- Besides the usual cycle of bill payments, the other money went to getting rid of all credit card debt, dental work, all things baby, MINI maintenance/repairs, travel, and geekery

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
-- Having a baby

14. What song will always remind you of 2008?
-- Even though it's a few years old, "Everybody's Changing" by Keane

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Happier
Thinner or fatter? Fatter and pregnant
Richer or poorer? Richer and in less debt

16. What do you wish you'd done more of?
-- Work, exercise, practiced more spirituality, and relaxation

17. What do you wish you'd done less of?
-- Being sick

18. How did you spend Christmas?
-- Christmas Eve, went to Cambridge Springs, PA for celebration with my immediate family. Christmas Day, hung out at home in Cleveland, OH.

19. Did you fall in love in 2008?
-- I did.

20. How many one-night stands?
-- Zero

21. What was your favorite TV program?
-- Top Chef, Project Runway, Big Bang Theory, and all five seasons of Six Feet Under which I watched maniacally for the first time - and yes, I could see what all the hype was about

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
-- Gee whiz. Hate is such a nasty word. I don't think I hate anyone.

23. What was the best book you read?
-- Geek Love and The Road

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
-- That the baby really gets moving inside of me when I listen to Weezer, Arcade Fire, Beethoven, Chopin, and Mozart

25. What did you want and get?
-- J to get a new car.

26. What did you want and not get?
-- A chest freezer and a pair of Crocs for my aching feet while shopping on Black Friday with two of my sisters.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?
-- None of these came out in 2008, but were nevertheless my faves of the year: Ils (Them), The Savages, El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
-- I stayed in as J was out of town and the weather was pretty horrible. We got takeout and celebrated when he got back. I turned 31.

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
-- Not being so sick for several months

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
-- Comfort. Growing the Flash has been an exercise in putting total comfort first. Can we say yoga pants?!

31. What kept you sane?
-- Family, friends, the support system

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
-- None?

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
-- Economy

34. Who did you miss?
-- My Knoxville family

35. Who was the best new person you met?
-- Ana down in BA

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
-- You need to practice honesty, open-mindedness, willingness, and diligence in all aspects of your life.

iTuneage A Go-Go

I snaked this meme from my friend, Shannon, whose bloglink is conveniently located to the right on your screen. I've seen this particular meme a few times here and there, but after reading Shannon's, I was compelled to do one as well. And since I do always say that getting to know another's musical tastes/interests/etc. is one of the top five ways to really get to know someone, I thought I'd give y'all a glimpse of what's on my iPod/iTunes. So. Enjoy.

Total Length:
5078 songs, 19.28gb

First & Last Songs (sorted by title):
- A-Team Theme (John Swihart)
- 90% of My Mind Is With You (Prefuse 73)

Shortest & Longest Songs:
- For the shortest, it's a tie with a bunch of Napoleon Dynamite intros, but the first one is: Pull In Town (Dialog)
- Decline (NOFX)

First & Last Albums (by title):
- Abbey Road (The Beatles)
- '80s Gold (Compilation)

First & Last Artist:
- a-ha
- 50 Cent

Top 5 Most Played Songs:
1. Fake Palindromes (Andrew Bird)
2. Very Loud (Shout Out Louds)
3. Discotraxx (Ladytron)
4. Little Lover's So Polite (Silversun Pickups)
5. Coma Girl (Joe Strummer)

Search for the following words. How many songs show up?
~Sex: 15
~Death: 21
~Love: 340
~You: 631
~Home: 18
~Boy: 93
~Girl: 124

First 5 songs that come up on Party Shuffle:
1. Supernova (Liz Phair)
2. And I'm Gone (Prefuse 73)
3. Danger! High Voltage (Electric Six)
4. Meat and Potatoes [bonus track] (Belle & Sebastian)
5. One Of Us (Leonard Cohen)

Now for the questions. The Rules:
1. Put your music player on shuffle
2. Press forward for each question
3. Use the song title as the answer to your question
4. NO CHEATING

Q: What does the next year have in store for you?
A: Commissioning a Symphony in C (Cake)

Q: What does your love life look like next year?
A: Pump It Up (Elvis Costello)
Aaaahahahahahahaha!

Q: What do you say when life gets hard?
A: Cloud On My Tongue (Tori Amos)

Q: Song that reminds you of the good times?
A: Bukowski (Modest Mouse)
I'm not sure if cross-references and religion and debating and life meaning and death would necessarily remind me of "good times," but it does appeal to my cerebral side.

Q: What do you think of when you get up in the morning?
A: Little Red Light (Fountains of Wayne)
Whatta randomata choice by the computer.

Q: What song will you dance to at your wedding?
A: After Hours (Velvet Underground)
Interesting.

Q: Song that reminds you of your first kiss?
A: Sound (James)

Q: Your favorite saying?
A: Anorexic Beauty (Pulp)
Not so much anymore. Although it is quite catchy.

Q: Favorite place?
A: Radio Free Europe (R.E.M.)

Q: Most missed memory?
A: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Wham!)
Say whaaat?

Q: What song describes your best friend?
A: The Ballad of Jimmy & Johnny (Rancid)

Q: What song describes your ex?
A: Dilate (Ani Difranco)
Wow Bob Wow. Not just one ex. And perhaps something to do with me.

Q: Where would you go on your first date?
A: Tony the Beat (The Sounds)
Oh man, according to this, I'm a total slut! Yeah, well, I suppose we all have our days.

Q: Drug of choice?
A: Baby, I Need Your Lovin' (Four Tops)
Hey, lovin isn't such a bad drug of choice. :) But is this a trend being set by my music player?

Q: What song best describes you?
A: Everest (Ani Difranco)

Q: What is the thing you like doing most?
A: Cream Soda (Supercar)

Q: What song best describes the president?
A: Measuring Cups (Andrew Bird)

Q: Where will you be in ten years?
A: The Color Of Tempo (Prefuse 73)
How interpretive.

Q: Your love life right now?
A: All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem)

Q: What is your state of mind at the moment?
A: My Generation (The Who)

Q: How will you die?
A: Walking On Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves)
That's what I'm talkin' about.

***Several Hours Later***

So after going back and reading this, I am surprised I had no special appearances from Pink Floyd, Belle & Sebastian, Stevie Wonder, Liz Phair, Beatles, Harry Chapin, Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Ben Folds, Springsteen (who is in my opinion one of the best poets from Jersey), Ladytron...I could go on and on. I guess I'm just a bit shocked there weren't more cameos from artists I have multiple upon multiple tracks and albums from over the years. And after doing this, it kind of makes me want to actually follow through with putting my tuneage onto another hard drive and then finally finish importing the approximately 1200 cds I have hidden from public view in the bottom drawer of my filing cabinet in the home office as well as the boxes under my bed.

What is that saying where a man is worth his weight in...? I'm so bad with euphemisms. Anyways, I suppose you could say Karoline is worth her weight in music and books. I'm not even sure if I am using that correctly or not, but when I think about the material items of which I probably have more than a ton, the items are likely music and books. Clothes might come in third, but I did recently clean out my closets and give away all the clothes I wore during my suprema-extrema eating disordered days. I have no need to be that tiny anymore. I still, to this day, really can't believe I was actually that small. Kind of gross. But that's a whole different post for another time and date. Word.