2009 Year In Review

If you still check this blog, have it languishing in some RSS feed, or haven't blocked my notes on Facebook, congratulations! You get to read my annual answers to random questions. Don't you feel special?

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? Visited Falling Water in Pennsylvania with the wife and Eric and Emily. That house is awesome!

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't think I really made a New Year's resolution of it, but I did lose weight! Over 20 lbs! Believe it or not, I still have a ways to go, so I'll continue to hit the gym. Resolutions for this year are to write a new story every day on Ficly and to read through the New Testament. More on the Ficly aspect later.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Emily (Owen) and Pam (Andrew)

4. Did anyone close to you die? Courtney's dad

5. What countries did you visit? Just 'Murrica

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A new computer and running shoes

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Not sure of the exact date, but I negotiated a nice salary increase in July.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Negotiating my salary

9. What was your biggest failure? Not finishing reading through the Bible (got bogged down in the Old Testament) and not taking the test for the first part of my certification

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Had the flu in January, but nothing after that

11. What was the best thing you bought? The Playstation 3. Cool games + Blu-ray + steaming Netflix = EPIC WIN

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Courtney's mom.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? the V.A., Mark Sanford, Tiger Woods, Rod Blagojevich

14. Where did most of your money go? Savings of various types

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? our OBX vacation, C's new job, getting a Playstation 3

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? anything on the Glee Soundtrack

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier
ii. thinner or fatter? thinner!
iii. richer or poorer? richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? reading the Bible

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? not reading the Bible

20. How will you be spending Christmas? we spent Christmas with my family in SC

21. How will you be spending New Year's Eve? we spent New Year's with my family in Springfield watching the VT game, exchanging Christmas presents, and playing games

22. Did you fall in love in 2009? I am officially striking this question from the survey. I am happily married. You can assume I will be in love for the duration.

23. How many one-night stands? I am officially striking this question from the survey as well. I've been as witty as I can be.

24. What was your favorite TV program? Glee, Chuck, Stargate: Universe, White Collar

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I don't hate.

26. What was the best book you read? A Game of Thrones. Epic fantasy at its finest. Working on the sequel now.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? The singers on Glee.

28. What did you want and get? A raise and a PS3

30. What was your favorite film of this year? Avatar, if only for the astounding technical achievement it represents

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Took the day off for my 29th birthday, bought a PS3, played it all day.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? The housing market not sucking so we could sell our place and get a new house.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Clothed

34. What kept you sane? Lack of things that would drive me insane

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Dianna Agron

36. What political issue stirred you the most? retarded financial bailouts, retarded airport "security"

37. Who did you miss? Eric and Emily

38. Who were the best new people you met? Travis and Stacy

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009: None of us is as dumb as all of us. (See: US Government)

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: I like the one that Courtney picked: "All that I'm after is a life full of laughter, as long as I'm laughing with you. I'm thinking that all that still matters is love ever after, after the life we've been through, 'cause I know there's no life after you." - Daughtry, Life After You