enormous end of year meme

I'm leaving in last year's answers so I can see the difference or how this year compared to what I thought. I cut some questions because it was way too long.

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?
Went to a fancy hair stylist, spoke at a conference, stayed out of C'land for a whole year.

This year I went to group therapy, took an ice skating class, went to a couple of new places, plus some things I'm not going to blog about.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I avoided making any because I really didn't think I had a hope of keeping them. I think I might be more optimistic this year.Actually, I did apparently resolve to leave the house each weekend, but I'd completely forgotten about that... I definitely didn't keep it.

I stuck to my Plan (pretty much)! I'm definitely continuing with that.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No

My grandmother died this year, but I don't think I'd say we were close.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just Conference Country. This wasn't a good year for travel, even within the US.

I think my idea of a good travel year got skewed by the previous couple of years. This was more like last year. I went home and on a few other trips in the US.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
Some motivation and self-esteem.

I think I got a bit of each. I'd like some more this year, and a publication or two.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Giving a talk in front of 700-ish people, I guess.

Sticking to The Plan.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting further with my research.

Same again this year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The fan for my laptop. I still frequently pause to enjoy the silence.

I got a new laptop last year, but I don't love it like I did the last one. Plane tickets and ice skates were the best things this year.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I'm going to be encouraging for a change and say mine, right at the end of the year.

I could stick with mine.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mine, also.

but less so this year.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Boring stuff like rent, transport and groceries. Also a fair chunk went on my Conference Country travels, which was a far more satisfying thing to spend it on.

The same, but I went different places this year.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I don't think I got that excited about anything, which is sad.

See #11

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
Pretty much anything from Luckybuzz's Dangerous Mood Mix

Black Cab by Jens Lekman, the vegemite song

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) happier b) thinner (I've no idea how, but I'm down a belt notch) c) richer
The year doesn't look so bad that way.

a) happier b) maybe thinner, maybe back to the same c) richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Talking to people.

That would've been good again. Maybe I should've cut more of these questions.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Hiding in my room and beating myself up about it.

I did do that less this year, but I'd like to keep hiding in my room alone less, and less beating myself up in general. Also, much less procrastinating.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Richard Buckner, I think. Thanks, Luckybuzz! Or maybe I should say emusic.com in general.

Jens Lekman. Thanks, Phantom!

27. What did you want and get?
I got a little mp3 player.

Which I've hardly used. I should listen to music more. I got lots of good things this year.

28. What did you want and not get?
I wanted non-corn syrupy glace fruit from Conference Country, but I didn't get time to buy it. I wanted a lot of books, too, but didn't buy many at all. I still want an ipod, despite the mp3 player I got, too.

I got the glace fruit this year! I don't especially want an ipod now, although it would be cool. I can't think of any things I wanted and didn't get.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
This wasn't a great year for movies for me. There was only one netflix movie I rated 5 stars, and that was The Station Agent, which I got specifically because I'd seen it before and knew how good it was. Of the few I saw in a cinema, I think I liked Friends With Money best, but I'm not sure it would get the full 5 stars either.

I watched even fewer movies this year, since I cancelled Netflix. I liked Margot at the Wedding, even though none of the characters were likeable.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I had dinner with some housemates and they made me C'landian desserts. I was 26.

I did something similar, but they made me cheesecake and I was 27.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not being so depressed or anxious.

That did make it much, much better. Even less anxiety would have been better, of course. Also, getting more work done and seeing my favourite person more.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Same boring jeans-and-t-shirt as usual, but with fancy new hair!

Pretty much the same in 2007.

33. What kept you sane?
This blog and all of you awesome readers/commenters. Thanks!

Thanks again!

36. Who did you miss?
My family and friends at home, and some friends I'm no longer in touch with.

And my favourite person.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Those of the awesome readers/commenters I got to meet in person. I think I need to work on meeting new people in real life, too, though.

I got to meet a couple of new bloggers this year. The book club people were pretty cool, too. I still need to work on meeting new RL people, though.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
Things I'm dreading aren't usually as bad as I expect (something I've been learning for a long time, but I'm hopeful it will stick soon)

I learnt that a bit more. I also learnt that structure and accountability (even if it's kind of fake) are very useful.

In 2007…
4. What will you do different in 07?
I have a plan! Or rather a Plan(tm Katie)! All will be revealed, soon.

The Plan made a big difference. I'm going to keep modifying it.

5. New Years resolution?
All part of The Plan

Again, I'll have more to say about that.

6. What will you not be doing in 07?
Hopefully not despairing so much.

I hardly despaired at all!

7. Any trips planned?
Home! For my little brother's 21st in May. Also hopefully some cool parts of the US.

I didn't go to the cool parts of the US I was hoping to go to, but I got to visit a cool person a couple of times and I went home. I'd like to do the same this year. The conference I went to in 2006 is in another very cool place this year, so I'd like to go to that, if possible.

9. Major thing on your calendar?
Just my brother's birthday, so far. If I ever manage to schedule my thesis committee meeting, there'll be that, too.

I don't think I have anything big on my calendar yet. I'm supposed to have another committee meeting, though...

11. What would you like to see happen differently?
I would like to hide less.

I think I did. It felt less like hiding, anyway, even if I was in my room alone a lot, still. I'd like to spend less time alone, I think. I'd also like to do more work.

12. What about yourself will you be changing?
A lot, I hope.

I did change a fair bit, I think, although maybe those were more lifestyle changes than changes to myself. I'd like to be more productive and confident.

13. What happened in 06 that you didn’t think would ever happen?
There was something unexpected and good, but unbloggable, I think. Oh, and feeling less guilty about S, maybe.

There was more good unbloggable stuff last year.

14. Will you be nicer to the people you care about?
That's part of The Plan.

That part of The Plan didn't work as well, but I'm going to keep trying.

17. Will you better your relationship with your family?
I hope so.

see #14

18. Will you do charity work?
Also part of The Plan.

I'm not sure. That was part of The Plan, but I dropped it at some point, because it wasn't going to happen. I'll try to give blood more regularly, at least.

19. Will you go to bars?
Probably not often.

I did go more than I thought, but not to drink. I probably won't go very often this year.

21. Do you expect 07 to be a good year for you?
I'm more optimistic than I have been for a while.

It was a good year. I'm even more optimistic about 08.

25. Major lifestyle changes?
Maybe I should have just finished working on The Plan instead of doing this meme...

I started exercising and I did more work. I don't know if the changes this year will be as major, but maybe they will be. I'd like to eat better and do even more work.

27. What will you make sure doesn’t happen in 07 that happened in 06?
I don't want to waste quite so much time.

I didn't waste quite so much time, but I'd like to wasted even less. I'm going to make sure I don't just ignore large parts of my project this time.

28. What are your New Years Eve plans?
I saw some ice sculptures and watched some fireworks with my friend from home.

My housemate had a dinner party and we ended up watching the ball drop in Times Square on TV.

30. One wish for 07?
To keep improving and feeling better.

It worked last year so I'll keep it for this year, I think.