Post wherein I attempt to say remarkable things that make 2004 sound like a wonderful year and myself sound somewhat interesting. Note: attempt futile.

1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?
White-water rafting and camping with friends. Such activities had prior been fulfilled with parents and siblings only. WHYYYYYYYY? did I wait so long to break that habit?

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Yeah right. Every year, I resolve to floss daily. This year, I will not make such a resolution. I will make an even more preposterous proposal to myself and will laugh myself to sleep for most of January thinking about it.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No. Boo.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
Not applicable = boo.

6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
Balls. Both in the physical sense and in the... well, only in the physical sense.

7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 14, 2004. Why? Because it was Valentine's Day. (Ahhh, I'm so good at saying something without actually saying it!) (Wait, I didn't say anything there, did I?) (And you're all "fucking quit it with the parenthesis already bitch!")

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Hands down graduation from college. Getting ready that morning, I was doing little jigs around my room and had the biggest grin on my face. It might have been my happiest window of time in 2004 as well.

9. What was your biggest failure?
At one point before Jackie's wedding (which could win for "Longest Countdown in 2004") I promised myself I would run a cumulative 100 miles before the date. I think I got around 35 miles after a couple of weeks and then totally gave in to failure.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
My trademark 3-week cold, twice, I think.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My car, 2004 Ion 3. Leather. 6-disc changer w/MP3. Travel package. Loser driver not included. (Cuz who brags about a SATURN!?!?)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My dad's behavior of generally living to the prime old age of FIFTY thus encouraging us to blow up funny pictures of him, hang up AARP poster, invite his friends over, get wasted, and call it a party.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own, at various separate times. (Cue clip from The Grinch"eight o'clock: wrestle with my self loathing... I'm booked!")

14. Where did most of your money go?
Said car. Clothes. Bar. <-- living 2 blocks from downtown East Lansing was the best way to spend (the half that I was there) senior year. Who cares about the windchill when it's only 3 minutes away? You'll be wasted in another 7 so who's counting?

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Jackie's wedding. Everything about it. Being in it!

16. What song will always remind you of 2004?
Hotel - R.Kelly

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? honestly don't know
ii. thinner or fatter? ditto
iii. richer or poorer? poorer

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

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

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
IN MEXICO BABY!

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Karin -- oh boy, do we have some great conversations! And I can always count on her to answer the phone like this: "hellooooooo!" like she was just thinking about calling me and was about to press SEND when her phone started ringing. :)

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Six Feet Under. Got hooked once I discovered THE BEST THING OUT THERE (HBO: In Demand) (simulataneously the WORST THING OUT THERE as it pulled me in by its reins and forced me to sit on my ass for a good 24 hours straight, rising only to urinate (sick, who uses the word "urinate" on their own website by their own will?) and get another Diet Coke) and watched every single episode from Season 3 in one sitting. Then, promptly went to Video 2 Go and rented Season 1 (for $1.11 no joke) and later Season 2. That was a really good story wasn't it? If only I had comments, you could praise me on my great story-telling abilities.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Hate is such a strong word.

26. What was the best book you read?
Middlesex. It might have won by default.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Stevie Wonder

28. What did you want and get?
My summer job working as the Materials co-op in 2 plants. My very first pair of steel-toed shoes!

29. What did you want and not get?
Yeah, like I'm going to admit that here. Shit, you're probably reading this.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Garden State - the only film that made me cry

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
22 - it was a quiet night (sarcastic, disbelieving voice: noooooo) - Fajita Rita Monday

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More drunk dials. One can never receive too many drunk dials.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
Never think to myself "Does my shirt/coat/belt/shoe match my shirt/coat/belt/shoe?"

34. What kept you sane?
The thought that there are people out there who have it immeasurably worse than I do.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Chris Noth ala Mr. Big. Oh man, it's just wrong. I mean, he's FIFTY. Give me the shits, keep me out of the sun for 12 years, hand me a flask of whiskey and call me Shitbreak -- he's my very own DIFL.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Proposal 2. I didn't get it how people just didn't get it.

37. Who did you miss?
My family (when I wasn't living with them), Kare, Rox, Allison, Jack (when I was out-of-state), my co-op friends (tons after the summer), Cora, Montejam, Josh (in an opportunity-lost sort of way), my grandparents - not personally, as I never really got to know them, just the thought of having them.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Mickey - and I quote "Lindsay, we could talk about tax returns and we'd die laughing"

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
I don't believe in life lessons. They're a touch too Dr.Phil for my taste...

40. Quote a song/movie lyric that sums up your year:
"So what do we do? What do we do?"