End-of-the-year Meme
I’m a day late for posting this at the end of the year, but I figured I’d bring back last year’s end-of-the-year meme to sum things up for 2005:
40 Questions about 2005: An End-of-the-year meme
- What did you do in 2005 that you’d never done before?
- Made beer. I got to involve lots of friends in brewing five gallons of deep, dark stout
- Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year I said, “I don’t plan on making any this year, either.” Done and done. As for the coming year, I think I’d like to: get more exercise, travel more, and really push forward with my image annotation/semantic web development.
- Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year.
- Did anyone close to you die?
No.
- What countries did you visit?
Ireland (for the third year in a row) and England.
- What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
Last year, it was “a job that excites me.” That’s still somewhat true, although now that I’m working from home, I’m much happier with how I’m making a living. And the non-paying projects are still really exciting.
- What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory?
- Not sure.
- What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Having my MT-Redland paper published at SFSW.
- What was your biggest failure?
Not making it to SFSW.
- Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.
- What was the best thing you bought?
A new dual Power Macintosh G5.
- Whose behaviour merited celebration?
- Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My elected government.
- Where did most of your money go?
Gasoline, more traveling (another cross-country roadtrip and Ireland again), two new computers, and a much nicer apartment in Providence.
- What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Thinking about the future: applying to the University of Maryland, moving abroad, what to do more long-term. (Exciting and scary.)
- What song/album will always remind you of 2005?
The Killers / Hot Fuss
- Compared to this time last year, are you:
- Happier or sadder? Happier.
- Thinner or fatter? Fatter… need to exercise more.
- Richer or poorer? Richer.
- What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise, travel (always), and work on semweb projects.
- What do you wish you’d done less of?
Procrastinating.
- How will you be spending Christmas?
Christmas Eve dinner with parents, Kim and Matt, Christmas Eve service with family, and Christmas morning with parents, Glen, Griffin and Connor.
- Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Kat.
- Did you fall in love in 2005?
At a very basic level, I’m still not sure what that means. The phrase seems to have been robbed of meaning for me by its cultural prevalence. However, I can say that I’m much, much happier this year with how things are going.
- How many one night stands in this last year?
None.
- What was your favourite TV programme?
West Wing. Lost was pretty good, too.
- Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Don’t think so.
- What was the best book(s) you read?
- Forty Signs of Rain and Fifty Degrees Below.
- What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Postal Service
- What did you want and get?
Aperture. Paying work.
- What did you want and not get?
Can’t think of anything of any importance. Lots of frivolous gadgets and toys, but nothing I’m really upset about not getting.
- What were your favourite films of this year?
- Grizzly Man, Magnificent Desolation, and Goodnight and Good Luck.
- What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25 this year. On my birthday, I updated the look of this website. Twenty-five seemed like a pretty significant age. I’m deferring a big (gift-to-myself) event until the spring.
- What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
W not being sworn in for a second term.
- How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
My mohawk came back this year, and I’m really happy that I’ve kept it. Chuck Taylors, chains, jeans and flannel.
- What kept you sane?
Kat, Adam, and seeing Tim more often.
- Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
The Claire Danes crush just won’t go away now that she’s back in a lot of new movies.
- What political issue stirred you the most?
The mismanagement of Katrina relief.
- Who did you miss?
The samo fools, and the couch crew. It sucks that we’ve all dispersed so much.
- Who was the best new person you met?
Tom Heath, who I hung out with at ISWC.
- Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
The world is a lot smaller than it often seems.
- Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
I’m in love with the ordinary