2008: a year in review

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?

I learned how to paint with acrylics on canvas by watching podcasts and researching at Hamilton Library.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make one this year?

The only one I ever make is to be myself, and I always manage to keep that pretty well, if only by default :P

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Close, but not so close that I have to babysit.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Nope

5. What countries did you visit?

Does the land of Make Believe count?

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

The physical presence of Emerald Arts in the Hunter Street mall. It hovers in front of my vision making me droolingly excited, but then it just sort of squidges around and does paperwork and has Christmas and stuff. How totally rude haha

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory?

1st June because it was when I ate an egg and thought "Hmmm, I don't really like the taste of eggs, plus they make me itchy, I'm going to stop eating these". Okay, so this is my theory... even though there are a million foods I can't eat cos they're wheat, I still don't have to eat the gross tasting ones.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

My product line for Emerald Arts. It has art kits, plush creatures, prints, zines.. blah blah blah. I'm buggered how I know how I did all that, but I'm going to credit my golden boy and insomnia.

9. What was your biggest failure?

What kind of a question is that? I mean, I'm the first person to admit that I'm not perfect... but what if my nemisis is reading this and the answer means that in years time they can thwart me before I achieve my lifelong dream Total World Domination.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Oh man, my body is so fucked at the moment. I have a fracture or broken bone in my foot (yes, it's happened before, I did ballet), my skin is like a squidgy balloon after so many Christmas salycilates, and I just tried to dance to Z-Trip cos it's what I do and my foot hurts even though I mostly danced with my foot in the air like a total dork :P

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Good paint brushes. I didn't realise how important they are. Sweet baby Jeebus are they important.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Amanda Peet, for going up against Jenny Macarthy and Jim Carrey to say that "actually, vaccines are terribly important and they will not make your child an indigo kid, whatever the hell that means in New Age Technobabble".

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Billy Ray Cyrus creeps me right the hell out. I know that kids are drama queens and want to be like totally famous, but that shot that Annie L. took of him and Miley for Vanity Fair? Way creepier and faaaar more inappropriate than the picture with the bedsheet and boysonberry lipgloss.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Everything, and anything. I do that.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

It has to be the awesome 'Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon. His voice has this slightly rough yearning to it. Totally hot.

1i. Happier or Unhappier
7. Compared to this time last year, are you:


Unlike most of my surrounding sanguines, I am happy pretty much all the time. I'm like Hurley off Lost. Ok.... I'm nothing like him, but I'm someone chilled.

ii. Thinner or fatter?

bout the same

iii. Richer or poorer?

Don't artists have to die before they get rich? That or be Damien Hurst... Ew.

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

hung out with my friends, but I had so much work to do, sorry guys.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

dancing on my very sore foot. Escuse me for two seconds while I go and get an ice brick.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Okay, I'm back. I swapped presents with Ten then drove to Hawks Nest to hang out with the fam for a bit, then spent boxing day in King Edward Park with Em Stewart & Friends.

21. How did you spend New Year?

In Sydney with Smem at his beautiful pub.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Fell more

23. How many one-night stands?

Unless you count the night where Ten hung out with the boys and I watched Horatio Hornblower...

24. What was your favourite TV program?

Sunday Arts on the ABC

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

Yes, I didn't even know who those people were who invented Proposition 8, but you're frigging idiots.

26. What was the best book you read?

Love in the Time of Cholera

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Oooohh that would be when I invented dancersize to music videos in my living room

28. What did you want and get?

Cert 4 Small Business Management

29. What did you want and not get?

EA: but soon my pretties, soon.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?

Indiana Jones 4

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

No idea... got drunk, and was twenty nine :P

32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If the theme song from "Satifsfaction" was sung by someone who could sing in tune. Cauterwailing. *shakes head*

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

As always, comfort comes first, but I have been painting my nails and playing with my hair a lot more this year, so I guess you could say that I've been more girly.

34. What kept you sane?

My enourmous brain.

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

Kanye West, unapologetically used synth technology and remained sexy whilst doing so. I didn't like it till I had a bit of a dance to it.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

K Rudd getting elected. I've always been proud to be an aussie, but now I'm finally interested in politics again too.

37. Who did you miss?

My former bestie, who ditched me for her bitchy flatmate and herbal nonsense, made up with me, showed me off to her new fiance, then ditched me again. Wtf.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

My blogging friend from the great land of Canadia, Renee. It's like we share the same brain, but she knows so much more stuff than me (so far) LOL

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:

I'm the only person who can make Emerald Arts happen.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Ugh, I am so not good at quotes


Five personally significant events of 2008:

-Publishing Book Art and Creatures & Dreams
-Running a market stall every second sunday for a year (which may not sound like much, but uugggh mornings and damn my useless lack of an immune system)
- graduating from NEIS
- three years of Ten and Em time
- Renew Newcastle involvement


Five things I want to do in 2009:

- learn to paint with oils
- Start the Anti-Scrapbooking Society
- make a logo for said society
- make a sculpture six metres high
- dance and swim every day

Five people I'd like to know better in 2009:

Stephen Fry
Dr. Stephen Novella
Jimmy Carr
The new GG
Your Mum



Well that's 2008 done, sorted, whatevah. Bring on the crazy heady days of oh nine ;)