Mortaine’s Blog

Called and left a message that I need to cancel my minivan’s insurance.

[I hate the fact that I have to document this, because my agent is so fucking irresponsible.]

1. What did you do in 2003 that you’d never done before?
Learned to play the piano.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you keep them for next year?
It seems that I did not make any resolutions last year at New Years. I have made some for this year, and plan to keep them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Um, ’s wife (my sister-in-law).

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother’s sister died in January.

5. What countries did you visit?
The U.S., where I live.

6. What would you like to have in 2004 that you lacked in 2003?
Freedom. In the political “this country is not free anymore” sense.

7. What date from 2003 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The fact I can’t think of any in particular is probably pretty telling. August 17th, my birthday, is also the day my dog nearly died.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Running the 5K Turkey Trot.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Work– I’ve lost all my motivation.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing serious, thnakfully.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My car.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband’s; he always makes me proud.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My mother-in-law’s.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Oh, probably house payments. Disposable money went to improvements on the house (carpet, solar panels), new cars for me and my husband, and toys (new computer).

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Selling the duplex and buying all kinds of nifty things.

16. What song will always remind you of 2003?
N/A

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or Sadder?
Um, about the same. Maybe a little sadder.

ii. thinner or fatter?
About the same. I gained and lost 15 lbs. this year, and am on a losing trend.

iii. richer or poorer?
Oh, gosh– poorer, by a lot.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sex.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eating.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
At home. With my husband. Quietly. Playing video games and snuggling on the sofa. It was terrific.

22. Did you fall in love in 2003?
Every day.

23. How many one-night stands?
Um. I’m married. No one-night stands.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Oooh, probably Buffy this year. There’s something weird going on with Angel. ER’s a close second.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Um. I kind of rekindled an old enmity.

26. What was the best (new) book you read?
I can’t actually answer that. But I enjoyed the new Harry Potter book very much, and Jarhead was a pleasant surprise.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I can play the mountain dulcimer pretty damn well.

28. What did you want and get?
New car. New carpet for the house. New computer.

29. What did you want and not get?
A kitten.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
LoTR.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 29 on August 17th. Went to San Francisco. Had brunch with friends. Went to a folk music store (Lark in the Morning). Took the dog everywhere. Went to Siltanen Park, where the dog had heat stroke and almost died. Everything until 3:30 in the afternoon was OK. Everything from 3:30 until 9:30, when he stood up again, sucked.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
That’s a bizarrely specific question. I have no idea. The Recall failing, or, barring that, Arnie not winning. Or, barring that, any sign that I’m not completely contradictory to the rest of the country, when it comes to politics.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2003?
Hats.

34. What kept you sane?
I’m sane?

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Orlando Bloom.

36. What political issue(s) stirred you?
The recall. The continuous erosion of my personal freedoms. Airline “security” and harassment.

37. Who did you miss?
My nephew. My sister. My neice. My grandmother.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Err…. best? Hmmm. I don’t know. I met a lot of great new people this year– a lot of NaNoWriMo’ers, and also a lot of people at the Redwood Dulcimer Day, and at DunDraCon. Probably meeting Janita Baker was a highlight, though.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2003:
If the cat is yowling at 11:00 at night, instead of peacefully jumping onto the bed, he’s probably having urinary discomfort. Lock him in the kitchen till morning, or face the consequences of waking up with wet hair.

If it persists, or he has dysurea, start him on prednisone for 3 days till it clears– if it doesn’t clear quickly, take him to the vet.

OK, maybe it’s not a “life lesson,” but it’s really valuable knowledge. Probably a life lesson would be that “you can do anything in 15 minutes” and “one hundred days of any activity will change your life.”

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I don’t know enough song lyrics to sum up my year. “What a long, strange trip it’s been” could be the anti-sum-up of my year.