I did the same one in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

( 2007 away... )

I did the same one in 2003 and 2005. Here's 2006!

1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Not as many as last year...
Became a university graduate, tried curling, punted in Cambridge, drank raspberry beer, ate REAL Belgian chocolate, worked as a reception, volunteered Veggie style, Cuddled & Free Hugged, fostered two cats for a couple of weeks, went to a Leafs game, wrote a novel, got hypnotized, started Mission101, used French as a part of my job, climbed up Mount Royal, sang a solo with Penthelia, started taking yoga more seriously, went to the Zanzibar!

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I can't remember actually making one, but if I did, it was probably something like "go to the gym more and be more creative." Those are sort of vague and more of a process than actual goals so it's hard to say if I kept them or not. Next year, I'd really like to cut down on unfocused computer time (I say unfocused because using the computer to write is totally cool). I won't disappear or anything, but I feel that I'm wasting too much of my life staring at screens and I'm not benefiting from it at all. I'd like to drink the requisite 8 cups a day of water too.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year. My cousin got a puppy, does that count?

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one close to me, but someone close to people close to me who I liked a lot.

5. What countries did you visit?
England and Belgium (via France) in July. Montreal twice in October (since I like to mention the cities).

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
CL E A R H EAD SPA C E and more energy!
[Last year I said "I think, long-term direction. 2006 is going to be a year of transition for me since I finish school in April, and I don't have an inkling of what I'd like to do afterwards." I guess I've succeeded in that, because I do have a plan for the next year or so.]

7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Friday July 21st - Sunday July 23rd.
My dad and I were in England and it was the weekend of his older brother's 60th birthday party. Each of those days was truly awesome in its own way, which is why I had to pick the entire weekend instead of just that date. On the Friday we had a smashingly huge Shabbat dinner (though most of the people there were from his wife's side). My (oldest male) cousin Jason is an amazing guitarist, and we had been 'commissioned' to put together a mini-concert. We had practiced quite a bit throughout the week when I wasn't rushing off to random towns on trains, and the result was 5 or 6 Eva Cassidy songs, which then spiralled off into a sing-along for everyone. Watching the DVD that my uncle finally sent us, we were *really* good. I know that because I can stand watching myself.
Saturday was the party itself, and the moment that stands out in my mind was when my uncle blew out the candles and everyone hugged him and cheered. I've never seen a person surrounded by so much love as he was in that moment...my uncle is the richest man I know.
Sunday was spent with my other uncle (dad's younger brother), aunt and cousins in their little village on the coast, aka Absolute Paradise. We woke up to the sounds of cows mooing in the fields, and it just got more amazing from there. I don't think I'm a city girl at heart.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Definitely, definitely definitely...graduating.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I've become incapable letting people really and truly in, and to some extent, I lack the ability to let things out. That bites.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope, nothing new.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Hmm...that would be my Creative Zen MP3 player. Now music comes everywhere!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All my fellow Nano'ers for daring to get crazy! Friends who also graduated, like wolfbite, and Brian, darling_diva and psy_chobabble.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Without going into details, the collective behaviour of the "big corporation."

14. Where did most of your money go?
It went to rent/bills for the first part of the year. Now it's a combination of paying my parents back, and saving for trips and/or school. And paying other kinds of bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Taking the elevator up to the 7th floor of Social Sci, and handing in my thesis. Hard to believe that it was mere months ago.

16. What song/artist will always remind you of 2005?
The new Evanescence album.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Neither.
ii. Smaller or larger? I feel larger but that's just because I'm chained to a bloody desk.
iii. richer or poorer Richer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
More guitar!

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?20. Did you fall in love in 2006?
See number 9. Prolonged single status of last year's meme continues.

21. How many one-night stands?
No thanks!

22. What was your favorite TV program?
I've watched Survivor religiously. *hangs head* This is a stupid question.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No one new to hate.

24. What was the best book you read?
This is bloody hard. Sigh. Okay, fine. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein. It was just epic.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Iron & Wine. Not a new discovery exactly because they sang my favourite track on the Garden State Soundtrack, but I randomly starting downloading more of their stuff this year and fell in certain love. Now must buy CD's.

26. What did you want and get?
I got my England trip! The one that was my answer for "what did you want and not get" back in 2003's meme.

27. What did you want and not get?
A laptop. It was supposed to be a graduation present from my mom, but I figured it would be better to wait until the new Operating System comes out at the end of January.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
V for Vendetta. Second is An Inconvenient Truth, the Al Gore movie on Global Warming. And, on the other end of the spectrum, third would probably be Snakes on a Plane.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 24 and I went quietly off to work. After work, I went out to dinner with my birthday twin, [Bad username: phoenix uprising], and then we were joined by wolfbite, upsidedownjim, and others for Snakes on a Plane, opening night.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
See number 6.
[Last year I said "Singing in a group, I haven't since May and I miss it." That got done this year!]

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Not all that, but definitely better than it has been in the past. This is because I was forced to go out and buy a new wardrobe for work. I could be oh so fashionable if I loved shopping and could search through vintage stores for hours at a time, but malls make me dizzy, so oh well.

32. What kept you sane?
The thought that I'm going to do something better with my life once I make the money and FOCUS.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
This guy. No wait, hear me out. He's the host of Metro Morning on CBC Radio 1, and we listen to him every day on the way to work. I admire him because he doesn't make nice with his interviewees, but asks the stabby questions that I as a listener want to ask. It's very thought-provoking, plus hearing 'em swirm is marvelously entertaining.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
So many. I spend a lot of time screaming at the radio in the mornings. I'll say Global Warming, specifically the Bush Administration's blatant denial of it. Now let's all go shoot ourselves in the head.

35. Who did you miss?
*hums innocently*

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I met so many amazing people this through Nano (they're all the best)! If I have to go with just one person, I will say MY AUNT, Diana. She's been my aunt for something like 15 years now, but this past summer in England was the first time I met her. She's absolutely loads of fun and never stops for a second, and she's a Lord of the Rings fan to boot! She also has an appreciation for real letters just as I do, so we write back and forth (often, she sends letters from places like Hong Kong, as she's a flight attendant).

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
Hope springs eternal.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
And I'm still waiting for the rain to fall.
Pour real life down on me.
'Cause I can't hold on to anything this good enough.
Am I good enough for you to love me too? (Evanescence, Good Enough)

I did this Meme for 2003 and forgot about it for 2004. I thought it might be a cool one to do again to look back on, and as I did it I kind of remembered where I as at about two years ago about now.

( Here we go... )

take the first sentence of your first journal entry for each
month of the year so you can reflect on your year, blog style!

January - many posts with pictures to come later...but i was wondering if anyone had a windows 98 second edition upgrade CD, or a windows 98 2nd edition one that was bought retail (because the one that robert lent me came with his computer already and is not working).

February - This news bit is *so* cool. I can't even remember what this was talking about now, the link is broken

March - Well, I guess I have not gotten off that easy ;) ladyjutea has requested I write about Day 2 and 3 in Ottawa...

April - Nooooooooo! Has Cookie Monster given up sweets?
'Sesame Street' advocates healthy eating habits link to article

May - in lieu of a real entry (ya it's been a while, back and forth between cities and Star Wars stuff is getting hectic)...

June - I am in Cusco now with my mom, which is at at very high altitude of over 11 000 feet.

July - Hey all, I'm under 12 hours from the start of my jaunt to Quebec (I'm spending 5 weeks in Trois Pistoles) and just thought I'd pass on my snail mail address if anyone feels like writing. I'll even write back - just email me your address (lelila@gmail.com).

August - SHOUT OUT FROM TROIS PISTOLES, QUÉBEC, TO TEL-AVIV ISRAEL! It was Shoshannah's birthday and she was in Tel Aviv at the time

September - Well, since assetic tagged, here we go...Write 20 random facts about yourself then tag the same number of people as minutes it takes you to write the facts.

October - wolfbite: arllia?
linden_tree: arllia?
wolfbite: pic
linden_tree: ariel oO

November - Now before anyone jumps on me over this, I'm not trying to say that every person in Thornhill is characterized by this.

December - Every fucking week...