The thought of writing about myself is boring the hell out of me, and I question my motivations for doing so in this forum, so I think I'm going to stop for the foreseeable future. Still may do some writing, but I'm tired of logging my journey here. Until I'm not.
Anyway, here's a little personal zoe to round things up, for the few of you who like hearing about her hackneyed crap (I mean that with all due respect; we like zoe, we just don't need to indulge her, do we?)
40 Questions about 2008: An End-of-the-year meme
- What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
went to Nicaragua; memorized a lead role in a week, and performed it with one rehearsal; climbed a volcano; gave up refined sugar; bought myself my own damn home
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
sort of. sort of.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
physically close? no. emotionally close? yes.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My former father-in-law died. I was less close to him than any of the other adults in my former family, mostly because he's been less than his full self for so many years. I felt a little like I knew him, through the stories of my formers, but mostly I just wished that I truly had.
5. What countries did you visit?
Nicaragua; the vast expanse of my own inner world; my absolute territory
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
sex from a realiable, nearby source
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory?
I think I'm supposed to say November 5th.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
hmmm. That one-rehearsal play, maybe? Giving up all refined sugar for 45 days? Making the spontaneous decision to fly to Atlanta for Tom Waits and pulling it off? Doing 6 plays in 12 months? Not killing the director of Shrew?
9. What was your biggest failure?
definite hmmm. Letting some people get to me, I guess.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Really bad, consistent back pain, which may be gone for good.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
my condo (see also this)
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
the voting public, I suppose; Steph, for getting through all the mandatory difficulties with a sense of humor and a zero bodycount
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
a few who shall remain unnamed (lying to yourself may seem like a good idea in the short run, but in the long run it's just sad and self-destructive); John McCain and countless other politicians, yadda yadda
14. Where did most of your money go?
condo; organic food, particularly raw nuts
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
fringe. fringe. once and forever, fringe. And Nicaragua. And Amazons (the play, not the people, though they're pretty exciting too).
16. What song/album will always remind you of 2008?
Come on, Feel the Illinoise, Sufjan Stevens
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
- Happier or sadder? happier
- Thinner or fatter? about the same, but stronger
- Richer or poorer? poorer, but only because I bought a condo
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
meditated, kayaked
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
spent time on the internet, worried about my back, smoked (though I was smokeless for most of the year)
20. How will you be spendingdid you spend Christmas?
in Nicaragua with Nancy's family, mostly at the museo numismatico in Ometepe, which her Jewish cousin owns: wonderfully non-Xmas
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Jason. Or Steph. The only people I really talk to on the phone.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
with myself - a few times
with the world - often
with someone else - a little
23. How many one night stands in this last year?
zero. or one. depending on how you define that
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Didn't have a working tv all year, but watched old Weeds, Dexter, the Office, and 30 Rock on netflix instant downloads
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope. Some people freshly annoyed me this year, but i think I'm over it.
26. What was the best book(s) you read?
House of Leaves; The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao; No Country for Old Men
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Countless bands on the Current whose names I forgot as soon as I heard them. Other than that, I'll have to be boring and redundant and say Sufjan Stevens. I've been hearing songs for years, and bought Illinoise in 2007, but I haven't had a lot of time to listen to CDs in the last few years, so it wasn't until it was forced upon me during fringe that I became attached to/ haunted by this album. Wish the boy would get off his ass and get to work on An Iota of Minnesota or I Got Lucky in Kentucky or whateverthehell state he's supposedly deconstructing next.
28. What did you want and get?
I think I should keep that to myself, to protect the innocent.
29. What did you want and not get?
self-actualization
30. What were your favourite films of this year?
Didn't see much in the theatre, as usual. Loved No Country For Old Men & Milk. Of the things I rented, I was quite fond of Into the Wild, The Constant Gardener, Born Into Brothels, Network (haven't seen it in decades), and After Life (a Japanese film about a bureaucratic way-station where everyone who dies has to choose one memory to take with them into the afterlife). All told, those probably account for more than half of what I watched this year. Not a lot of time for it.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
not much really; I know I got the night off rehearsal ... I think it was a Tuesday at the Tower? I'm going to nonchalantly skip part 2 of that question.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
immeasurably? ummm ... having Prophet alive? being paid to quit my dayjob and do only things I find spiritually fulfilling? what kind of a question is that?
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
orange.
34. What kept you sane?
sleep.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Fancy? Adrien Brodie, usually. I don't pay much attention to celebrities of public figures.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
racism vs. sexism
37. Who did you miss?
the usual suspects, and a few new ones
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Didn't meet that many new artists at fringe this year, as the out of towners seemed to keep to themselves more than usual, but I was a big fan of our first-time house managers on the whole. Met some groovy actors in some of the plays I did, but no overwhelming stand-out. Good folks, in general.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
#1 Open my heart. Even if there is no measurable benefit. There's so much more to lose in closing it off.
#2 Never underestimate the mind's ability to, like an overzealous parent, fuck you up in an attempt to protect you.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I don't know if this honestly sums up my year, but it's how I'll choose to remember it.
Running down to a central reservation
In last night's red dress
And I can still smell you on my fingers
And taste you on my breath
Stepping through brilliant shades
Of the color you bring
But this time, this time, this time
Is whatever I want it to mean
If this is where memories are made
I'm gonna like what I see
And everything I ever took for granted
I'm gonna let it be
I step through every shade
Of the color you bring
But this time, this time, this time
Is whatever I want it to mean
And everything and nothing is
As sacred as we want it to be
When it's real
Make it real
Compared to what?
It's like living in the middle of the ocean
With no future, no past
And everything that's good about now
Might just glide right past
I'm stepping through brilliant shades
Of the color you bring
But this time, this time, this time
Is fine just as it is
Am I one of those first-time house managers? See, unlike you, I can't get enough of talking about myself. heh heh. I'm going to copy and post too!
Posted by: Courts | January 09, 2009 at 08:44 PM