Happy New Year

My Yearly Survey for New Year's (stolen from Terrin....)

1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
Went overseas… went cliff diving and white water rafting… did a bunch of crazy stuff in Africa that I never imagined doing… made a bunch of new friends… paid fricken $70 for a concert ticket (Pearl Jam wasn’t worth it either)…

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I’ve never been one for resolutions. It’s better to decide something and commit to it because you want to instead of calling it a ‘resolution’ and knowing it will fail… but I am a pessimist I guess.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Katrina and Stephen had a baby boy named Tyler. He is the cutest thing ever.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
This was the first year in a while without a death. I am so thankful for that, I don’t really deal with death all that well.

Actually one of my newts Annabelle died, that was really sad. I still have Dude… but he misses Annabelle…

5. What countries did you visit?
The Gambia, UK and Hong-couver : )

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
Hmmm… more time! I pack a lot into my days and I would love it if I was a bit better at time management. And I would like it if school and work didn’t take over my social life this year again, that sucked last year. And I would love to take music to the next level, I am not quite sure what that means… I guess I will find out this year.

7. What date from 2005 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
June 17th - That’s the day that I got back to Saskatoon from my two month trip. I thought that my parents would be at the airport and maybe my brother, but there was at least 20 people waiting for me, even the family that I nanny for. It was amazing. And it was really nice to be back in Canada. Also that night I was back in Canada where the internet actually works and the power doesn’t swich off all the time… and in the middle of writing a long email the power switched off… oh the irony.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting good marks in School and going to Africa. And driving to BC and back alone was great, 34 hours of driving alone was totally new.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Loosing contact with a few friends, not meeting some lofty ideas that I set out for myself.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
It’s been a good year actually. Only a few minor cuts and bruises as usual. I did have the worst migraine of my life when we were up country in The Gambia. I have to say that it was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me, I never want to go through that again, we were quite far away from a hospital so I had to tough it out. And I did break my nose, but not that bad at all.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Djembe from West Africa! I love it.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I was curious to know if old dogs could learn new tricks, my dog is 9 years old and I taught her was to crawl… Myth BUSTED!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
There was a little bit of shall we say personal conflict within my team in Africa… let’s just leave it at that shall we? And a good friend really hurt me this year, that sucked.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Africa. All of it went to travel this year. And the trip to BC as well. Other than that I would have to say CD’s and I do indulge in clothes here and there.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finishing my first year… Africa… Amanda coming home to surprise me during my first week back in Canada… Chad coming home for Christmas… Seeing everyone this fall back at CPC…

16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
Anything by Muse, Metric, the Stars, U2’s war album, Sara Harmer, Vindicated my Dashboard…. Actually a lot of music… Maybe most of all my Finals Survival CD all of those songs are a safe bet to put me right back into last year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? About the same I guess. I have grown up a lot more, so life doesn’t shake me as much as it used to.
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same I would say.
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer by far, I spent a good chunk of my saving on Africa, and one of my major investments tanked… which sucked really bad…

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I think that I need to have a lot more crazy adventures.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sleeping. If you think about it I sleep maybe seven hours a day… That’s a lot of time to be wasting.

22. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Hmmm, I want to hold out on that for a while, I don’t really want to get in to that while I am in school. Not to be negative, but it’s kind of restricting. I don’t want to be a spinster or anything, but I hope that I will happen in a few years, not now.

23. How many one-night stands?
Guess…

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I LOVE Arrested Development. It is by far the funniest thing on TV. Scrubs is also amazing. I usually download the episodes when I have time, because I never catch them on tv… Myth Busters and How It’s Made are also really great… and a little nerdy…

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I know that I dislike a person or two, but I wouldn’t say hate, and I would say that I need to get over it and grow up.

26. What was the best book you read?
Everything of my English lit. class I loved. And I did dabble in a few other English textbooks that I have picked up over the years. I also read a bunch of Shakespeare this year too. I haven’t really done much leisure reading because of school, but I did read a few Donald miller book and the jury is still out on those. Blue like Jazz was good, but a little sketchy at points.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
So man: Muse, Broken Social Scene, John Mayer Trio, Foo Fighters, U2’s 80’s stuff, Aberfeildly, Bedouin Soundclash, Damien Rice, Jams Blunt, They Might Be Giants, Ben Harper, The Postal Service, John Legend, Matisyahu, The Gorillaz, Beck’s Guerolito CD, Natasha Bedingfield, The Most Scerene Republic, The Lovely Feathers, Bloc Party, My Morning Jacket, DeathCab for Cutie… on and on….

29. What did you want and not get?
An ipod (fricken ebay… frick!) but I will live. And I want to get a laptop for school, but I am still looking around and dreading spending the money…

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Walk the Line was amazing. Rent was pretty good too, I went to it with musical junkie friends who sang along so that was fun. Watching the Machinist with Jess was great too. I got in to a lot of indie films this year and love alot of them too… but lists are boring, next question

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 20… and all of my friends forgot. I was in the Gambia and they had all been talking about it the day before, but all forgot when it actually mattered. So I spent the day doing Africa stuff, and at about 4 I said ‘does anyone want to go to the internet café so I can get my birthday emails?’ and Steve David said ‘why would you get birthday emails?!’ I laughed so hard. Anyway two days later they found some balloons and threw Mike and I a joint party… and the cake made me really sick because it had cinnamon. It was fun.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Touring with a crazy go nuts band… maybe next summer… Surfing would have been fun too...

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
I am a starving student who can’t afford to buy clothes unless the are on sale.. and I like unique clothes…

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
George Stroumboulopoulos – I love his show the hour, and he’s a pretty good looking guy too. (He has FIVE o's in his last name...)
Jay Malinowski (Bedouin Sondclash) – A white boy playing Reggae, does it get any better? I am a sucker for musicians and he’s really cute too.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Kanye West… joking… the fact that the earthquakes in Pakistan didn’t get nearly as much aid or attention as the tsunami or Katrina. Oh and basically anything in Canadian politics. I am addicted to CTV News Net…

37. Who did/do you miss?
Amanda who is in Denver, Chad in Ottawa, Jessica in Vancouver, Sheri in Sweden, Vashti at CBC, Amanda’s family who I don’t see very often anymore, My school friends during the summer, and everyone while I was away this summer.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
JESSICA MOOREHOUSE! And her family and all of her crazy friends in BC.

39. Quote a few song lyrics that sums up your year:
Who did you Think I Was – John Mayer Trio:
I got half a smile and zero shame

I got a reflection with a different name

Got a brand new blues I can't explain

Who did you think I was

Every mornin’ when the day begins

I make up my mind but change it back again

I'm a shifter of the shape I'm in

Who did you think I was

You got my number but I always knew the score

Who did you think I was

Here is a line that you won't understand

I'm half of the boy but twice the man

Carry the weight of the world in the palm of my hand

Who did you think I was

That was fun, I think this is the first survey thing I have ever done… thanks Terrin… : )