| Date: | 2007-10-06 12:44 |
| Subject: | Move Along |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  hopeful |
I moved. Because I'm moving!
http://carrotsnewzooreview.blogspot.com/
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It keeps telling me there's an "incorrect time value" for this post. For the record, it is about 9:30pm on Friday, September 28th. So nuts to you, livejournal.
Hmm, all the pictures broke on the last entry. Oh well. I'm road tripping west again, stopping off in Kansas before the long haul out to Cali. I always go through this horrible ten days of crippling homesickness whenever I'm in a new situation. Even moving to a different town while still attending the same college caused all kinds of stress for me. I know it's coming, but there's nothing I can do to stop it. Just gotta ride it out, I suppose. Having an apartment would be helpful, but every time I think about calling up a few places, I revert to a "get-it-overwith" mentality that prompts me to take the first place that will let me apply online. Unlike all the internships and school-related moves, this one has no set end date. That scares me a little. I don't like permanence. I will make up an end date: This job ends September 28th, 2008 with an option to extend.
I actually do feel a little better. I'm a commitment-phobe. Who knew?
Right now I'm staying in my stepgradparents' house in Kentucky by myself, hence all the introspection. My 3/4ths-year resolution is to think less. I hear either fireworks or thunder outside, and it's scaring the cat. Today on the road, I stopped in eastern Tennessee for gas and McDonalds. The building next door promised bail bonds, pawn shop, guns and ammo, liquor, and fireworks! All right there in one establishment! Talk about your one-stop-shopping. I took a picture, but you'll have to wait until I'm in Kansas to see it.
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| Date: | 2007-09-27 11:47 |
| Subject: | Cardboard Boxes |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | cheerful |
Today I am going through all the papers and clothes and boxes and hair-thingies and basically all the material possessions that comprise my past and current life (or, for brevity: "all the crap in my room"), and I'm coming across some nostalgia fodder. Now, for me, anything that happened more than a week ago can cause me to wax nostalgic. I'm going to update this throughout the day, or whenever I get bored with the sifting and cleaning, with interesting stuff. Maybe one of the three of you who read this will recognize some stuff!
The one I found just now, which inspired me to write this entry, was a busnote from a certain former roommate. The PS reads: "The most worthwhile thing [former mutual friend] has done in her life was introduce us to each other."
I just found Bamf's veterinary records. He was brought in as a stray in the summer of 2003 and died in the summer of 2006. Best Cat Ever.
Ah, the band days. Clarinets ROCK! For everyone's information, in 1994, reeds cost $1.25.
I don't know if you can see it, but both pages are covered in notes written between me and my stand mate. The whole book is adorned with such pithy comments as "Did you ever go to time-out room?" and "[band teacher] is a pervert."
This is a button they made from my team picture on the Fort Knox swim team circa 1995. I didn't swim with a cap in those days, so my hair is especially damaged and chlorine-bleached. Practices in an outdoor pool, size 26 suits, 50 Breaststroke...those were the days! If you look closely enough, you can see that my braces are blue and yellow--GVSC colors! Go Team!
This really needs no explanation. Remember how dorky/awesome we were freshman year?
The most expensive property was the Mods. Least expensive were the buildings in East. Little did we know...
Secret information!! This was written on the inside of an address book decorated with long-haired cats.
Me and my best friend from Kentucky, Natalie! We're at Mormon camp in this picture. I didn't convert, but I did make an ass out of myself on multiple occasions.
Definitive proof I wasn't the only one obsessed with Animorphs back in the day. This is a letter from one of my friends who moved away in eighth grade. I found, like, a billion letters from her even though we were only friends for 1 year.
Who remembers The Regents? Who remembers doing dozens of practice Regents?? Can I get a "Hell Yeah"??
And finally, the earliest document I could find throughout this exhausting day: an Erbine story. My best friend from 2nd-5th grade and I made up stories about a grungy babydoll her sister owned. We named him "Erbine" and showed what happened when he disobeyed the hiking and camping advice in our Girl Scout guides. In this one, he's married to our arch-enemy, a girl called Amy.
And that concludes today's trip down memory lane. Now my room is a mess, and I am no closer to packing up my little car for the trip. Tomorrow maybe I'll actually pack something. In the meantime, it's time for cheese and crackers!
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| Date: | 2007-09-21 10:35 |
| Subject: | California Girl |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | optimistic |
I got a job! And not just any job. A real, bonafide, GROWN-UP JOB! With a salary above $2.50/hour and benefits and permanence! Well, pending a successful background check, I have all of these things, but I feel pretty confident about it.
So, in several weeks, I'll be road-tripping again, all the way to the west coast this time. Out of an entire summer of road trips, this will be the longest one yet, because I'm currently on the east coast.
There's so much to think about. I'll have to be a real adult for once and find an apartment, get utilities hooked up, go to work, deal with my cricket-phobia, make dinner, join a masters swim team, forge a social life...all of it on my own. It's overwhelming, but it's time to grow up.
Not quite yet, though! First I have to go have a beach party with my high school-era swim team friends!
Hello, my jungle friends!
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| Date: | 2007-09-03 23:35 |
| Subject: | |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  worried |
I just got rejected from another internship. An internship. What does that say about my chances for getting a real job? Rejection sucks. It never gets any easier. It makes me doubt myself and my decisions, and it puts me in a pessimistic mindset. Not fun. Not at all.
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Ohmigosh! Long-lost MRxL member Jen might come to the beach at the end of September! I'm just grinning from ear to ear in anticipation! Seriously, I'm kind of giddy! I reeeeaaaaallllly hope she can come!
See all these parties and reunions and whatnots and shenanigans and goings-on make it really tough to be motivated about finding a job.
I hear my obese cat hauling herself over the baby-gate and clawing at my door. That kind of effort deserves a reward. And what better reward than being allowed to be next to me? I better go let her in.
I went swimming this morning for the first time in a long time. I did 1900 yards, 900 of which was warm-up. My only set was 5x100 on 1:35. The rest was mostly kick board. Now my arms feel like they're full of lead, and I've been exhausted all day. Remember when I could swim? (I still kicked ass on all the old army dudes splashing around.)
I had an awesome birthday. Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes and presents! I feel so loved. Among the highlights: phone calls or emails from everyone (I felt so popular when I remembered to check my voicemail!), a chapter of a secret project from Rachel, a birthday song from Jackie, candy and cartoons and sensible slacks from Chrissy, and a box of Asian products and commemorative Onion issue from Dianne! Plus Dad and Elaine got me brake pads for my car! Practical AND fun!
Usually I'm not one for magazines, but lately "Shape" is where it's at for me.
So I'm doing pretty well right now is what I'm saying!
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| Date: | 2007-08-07 01:01 |
| Subject: | Rockin Robin |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | cheerful |
Mmm k, well the interview could've gone better. I just don't have a whole lotta experience. Anyone who's been a real zookeeper for even one year could beat me out for these jobs. I always feel like an ass during phone interviews. I hate job hunting.
In other news, the universe at large and I in particular would like to welcome ROBIN JAMES to the planet Earth! 7 pounds, 6 ounces, 18 3/4 inches, born today August 6th, at about 5pm. I'm a big sister! Again! For the third time! But to a little brother this time!
Let's celebrate with a road trip!
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EEEEEEEE!! Whining in LJ WORKS! Who's got not one but TWO job interviews??? That's riiiiight! Oh man, oh man, oh man! I could have a real job! With benefits and an apartment and a cat and a gym membership! And if one of them works out, free beer! Ohmigosh!
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| Date: | 2007-08-02 09:50 |
| Subject: | |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | determined |
The Life Plan (version 17.6 or something)
1) Get a permanent, full-time, animal-related job. Deadline: 1 September
2) If not, get a temporary, full-time, animal-related internship...again. Deadline: 30 September
3) If neither of these happens, get a temporary, full-time, preferably animal-related, but mostly just to make money and get out of the house job.
What if I just got really lucky falling into my last two internships? Now I'm wondering if I should have taken the full time position in Hawaii. Because taking whatever comes next has worked out really well for me for the most part. And what if I just let that amazing opportunity slip by and nothing better ever comes along? Nothing makes you more insecure in your abilities than job searching. I guess Rachel would say I'm entering phase 4...uncontrolled panic.
But hey, it's always darkest before the dawn. Right?
In the meantime: Half-Year Resolutions
1) Train for this marathon I'm supposedly running
2) Get a better attitude about the marathon I'm supposedly running
3) Get a job, get an apartment, get an answer to the question "where are you from?"
Uggghhhhhh....I hate feeling this way. It's like the end of senior year all over again. No, no, positive attitude! Gotta keep the chin up! It's not like I've even seriously looked yet. Gotta get serious! Pound pavement! Be determined! Yeeahhh...
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| Date: | 2007-07-27 22:20 |
| Subject: | Yay! Quizzes! |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | happy |
 Benevolent Creator
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| Date: | 2007-07-19 08:51 |
| Subject: | |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | mellow |
Besides nearly aquaplaning into oncoming traffic on a mountain in western North Carolina, the scariest single moment of my bicoastal (if you count the Mississippi River as one of the coasts) road trip went down like this:
Me (on phone): Mom, I got lost and wound up in rural Tennessee for a few hours.
Mom (on phone): Oh well. It's an adventure. Something to write in your blog!
Me: *pause lasting several pounding heartbeats*: You read my blog?
But thankfully, it was a false alarm. Somehow, somewhere, my mom picked up the word "blog" and assumed all us kids today have one. Now, thanks to my sloppy response to her cunning interrogation, she knows I have one, but she swears she'll never read it "unless invited." I said she wasn't (and immediately felt bad for not including my mother in my life more).
The fact that I'm 23 and still worried about my parents magically becoming computer-savvy enough to read this little online list of complaints make me think. I know of several people who reveal all kinds of information to the world at large, secure in the knowledge that their parents will never figure out how to work this danged interweb machine. One of my friends came out on facebook, but he rests easy knowing his family doesn't know because his mom constantly tries to set him up in arranged marriages. With girls. My grandpa recently found out about googling people. Luckily all that comes up for me is swim times. I check every so often to make sure it stays that way.
Even technophobic Dad is becoming more computer literate, although I did receive a voicemail from him not too long ago saying he "got the iPod stuck in the machine." You mean the computer? The charger? The toaster? What do you mean "stuck"? He was going to "leave it in there until [I] got home [in seven months]" but I was able to talk him down. I know my stepdad is obsessed enough to track blogs and google people; I just kind of rely on denial there. Ah the illusion of security. Didn't someone totally awesome write a paper about this once?
Mostly I just hope this journal is too boring to interest anyone besides me and my closest friends.
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me: "When I stay in my pajamas all day, I feel gross."
Chrissy: "I just change into different pajamas."
Ahhhhh unemployment! What a great chance to do all those things that don't really need to be done while avoiding all the things you should do. Like today I organized my music on my computer and made mix CDs for three hours, but I still haven't cleaned the bathroom. Later I might work up the motivation to mail my income tax refund to my bank for deposit, but more likely I'll try on all the dresses in the closet, find old VHS cassettes in the cabinet under the TV and watch my favorite parts of them while eating peanut butter right out of the jar with a spoon.
Tomorrow I'm going actually going to be productive and start a long road trip from here to Kansas. Where I can continue my idle lifestyle in a different location.
Just so you know (and to make myself feel better), I have put in some applications. And I do have a vague agenda for the rest of the summer--mostly it involves seeing my friends and goofing off. I treasure these days!
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Thanks to a combined total of 48 hours of airport time in the last four days, I can now only turn my head to the left without prodigious pain. As a result of sleeping with my head on the tray table/leaned up against the window for a vast majority of that time.<br><br>But I don't mean to complain! I just thought it was funny. The reason for all this travel was Chrissy's Graduation Extravaganza! Not only did she graduate in style, with a motorboard covered in gold glitter, but the mini family reunion afforded my first mainland trip of 2007, and my second off-island trip of the year. It was cool to see everyone all in one place again. I feel like that won't happen anymore unless, or until, one of us gets married. Plus it made me really happy with my decision to go home in a month and a half. Both my parents made me feel OK to be taking time off (from the strenuous life of cleaning up bird crap and slicing papaya) to do a serious job search. Of course, I might just fart around all summer and take the first vaguely animal-related job that comes my way, but I'm perfectly comfortable with that.<br><br>Let's see, since I last updated this blog or sent a mass email, lots of stuff has happened! I have had lots of visitors including my mom and Chrissy, Andrew, Caitlin and Peter, and Rachel. Still to come: Dianne! With them providing an excuse for skipping work, I have snorkeled with manta rays at night, jumped off South Point about a dozen more times, gone to current-favorite-beach Hapuna, hiked to the lava at night, eaten lilikoi shave ice, nearly memorized Blake's Mauna Kea star talk, jumped off a bridge, eaten at Ken's about a dozen more times, discovered airport beach (all credit to Rachel K, Bonnie, and Jen), swam to and snorkeled at the Capt Cook monument, and said many, many sad goodbyes, wishing people would stay here or that I was going back to the east coast with them. Still on the "to do" list: surfing lesson, hike to and camp at Halape, host a slip 'n' slide party. I bought an eight dollar slip 'n' slide from Walmart. Printed in bold letters right on the slide itself is a warning not to use it if you're over 12 years old, 110 pounds, or five feet tall. I don't meet any of those requirements, but I can tell you the slide still functions perfectly well except for a tendency for sliders to go catapulting off the end and into the tall, scratchy grass in the intern house's backyard.<br><br>In other news, since I've last updated, our house acquired one new intern, Jackie, who's awesome and fun-having. We've gone dancing at Uncle Mikey's Video Dance Bar on a work night twice in a row and gone to work on three hours of sleep the next day. We're also getting one former intern back for another three months, bringing the house total to five. Rockin times. There're rumors of even more interns before half of us leave at the end of June, and it could get to eight people in a four-bedroom house. Funtastic! The more the merrier, I say.<br><br>I'm writing this in the Honolulu airport, waiting for my last flight of the weekend--a forty minute skip over to Hilo: City on the Go. I can't wait to get back to Volcano, but I miss my fam and the fun of Chrissy's grad. I don't want to leave Hawaii ever, but I can't wait to go home. I want to stay with the other interns, but I want a new job. My heart, she is torn.
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| Date: | 2007-04-02 17:51 |
| Subject: | Life's a Beach |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | cheerful |
Thinking about summer makes me happy. Working with my pals/roommates here in Hawaii makes me happy. Having my pals from college and before visit me makes me happy too. Jumping off cliffs (and now bridges!), drinking guava smoothies, going to beaches in the desert, seeing whales, swimming with turtles and dolphins, and hiking Mauna Kea all make me happy. Life is damn fine! So even though I have to work several 12-day weeks to scrape up enough free time to do all this, it's totally worth it. I might spend the entire summer being an aimless drifter/beach bum. We'll see. For right now, though, I have to go watch _Finding Nemo_ with my roommates and eat some pie.
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I had this great idea where I was going to eat nothing but fruit for ten days and lose all kinds of weight. Then I realized the main thing that gets me through a morning of work is the anticipation of lunch and all its salty, meaty, sugary, peanutbuttery, bready goodness. So that idea never got off the launching pad. I did it once in the DR. Ate nothing but pineapple and french fries for ten days. I did in fact lose all kinds of weight, but I remember being hungry almost all the time. Too hard to do when you actually have access to food.
So I've been running instead. Back in college on the swim team, we used to say, "you can either swim twelve hours a week plus meets and eat anything you want whenever you want, or you can be anorexic." Slight exaggeration, but the core message is valuable and that is: Exercize is Good For You. Write that down, kids! So on Monday I ran farther than I've ever run in my life: 8 miles. In driving rain and sub-75 degree temperatures. Granted, I ran it incredibly slowly, and granted, the original goal was 10 miles. Still, I'm proud.
I saw Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Patch Adams for the first time last weekend. The former was infintely better than the latter. I have a whole Julia-Roberts-in-Stepmom-esque rant worked up about Patch Adams, but I'll save it for another time.
Apparently Brandeis and the federal government don't want me to pay back my loans? They're not taking my money like they said they would. Should I be concerned or elated?
K, that's all. I'm geeking out on computer time right now, and that last update was eons old. Just wanted to say hi!
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I missed New Year's.
Yes, I know January is more than half over, but I still can't get over this horrible fact. Due to airport foul-ups in Dallas, I spent my New Year's Eve in the Honolulu airport, a mere 40 minute flight from the party happening across the street from the intern house. I went to bed at 8:30pm in a nasty, overpriced Honolulu hotel, frustrated and stinky from 36 straight hours of travelling wearing the same boy pants and tank top I'd been wearing for three days.
So, to remedy this grave injustice, I'm taking the advice of one of my coworkers and throwing a dance party at the intern house! We have a huge living room with hardwood floors, and said coworker has volunteered to DJ. Throw in a tray full of pizza bagels and Jello shots, the dozen people I work with (only two of whom are male, and only one of those two single), my new miniskirt and slightly risque top, and you have a recipe for a fun time. The only problem is that since we're all animal husbandry people, none of us have the same weekend, so on any given night, more than half of us have to work the next day. The answer to that dilemma? The intern house is literally 25 yards from work! Nobody has to go home! I really, really hope this is a success. We have a lot of new people, and I want them to loosen up.
In other news, my half-assed efforts to buy a shitty car aren't panning out like I hoped. We did find a dealership called "Lloyd's" that sells used cars that got rejected from name-brand dealerships, and not a one is over $5000. So we're optimistic about that place!
Tonight (in order to practice for the party) me and two of the other interns are going dancing at a place called Uncle Mikey's Video Disco. It has something called Pau Hana Fridays, which means "all done Fridays" as far as I can figure. I'm excited. Life hasn't been the same since the end of the Summer of Hobo Jim.
I discovered I'm really really bad at flirting and at telling when someone is flirting with me. Not sure what to do about that situation, but 'nuff said.
Today I taught two of the new people how to shoot a mongoose. It's amazing what kinds of weird things become the highlights of your day.
I get the vague feeling one of the new staff disapproves of me. She thinks I'm slutty. Me! I laugh when I think about it. I'm going to play up this image and tell her all sorts of sordid lies about my past. It's nice not to be known as the goody-two-shoes for once.
The boss' boss was here last week. He was sort of hinting that he would like to hire me on as full-time, permanent staff in the summer. I love it here and all, but I just don't know. It's awfully far away. But that's a million years from now. Ok, time to go get ready to live it up at Uncle Mikey's. I can't wait for people to visit me!!! I miss S2P!!!
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So today, in addition to flying back to Hawaii FINALLY, I meet the new intern. On the info sheet attached to the office door, she's listed as "Anne's replacement," so we've been calling her "New Anne." Now she'll actually have a name. And talk about first impressions. I've just spent the night in Dallas: the city that never sl--, no, the city of dre--, no...uh, Dallas: the city with the enormous airport, sans toothbrush, change of clothes, facewash, makeup, or anything I would typically use to make myself presentable for the day. All I have with me is my carry-on, which, thanks to homeland security, contains nothing of use except my laptop and some magazines.
Today is New Year's Eve! In a fit of absolutely revolutionary thought, I've resolved to get in shape and lose weight this year! Last night's binge on room service food and gummy cherries was my last hurrah. And if I can remember how I felt after eating all those gummy cherries, it'll make eating healthy this year all the more appealing. I'm going to do Shape magazine's "Get Ready for Bikini Season" series of pilates and aerobics, because in Hawaii, it's always bikini season. Other resolutions: real job yadda yadda, own apartment blah blah blah, and I want to read more brain-engaging books and go somewhere I've never been.
Chrissy got this book from Barnes and Noble by the same guys who wrote "This Book Will Change Your Life." In "Change Your Life," they give you a task to do for every day of the year. Most of them are ridiculous like "Start eating a peice of furniture," or "Get arrested." The new book tells you what to do every year of your life from zero to 100. This year I'm supposed to Travel the World. Last year I was supposed to Get a Higher Education. Next year I'm supposed to Waste this Year. But the scariest part was age 26: Start Working For The Man. See, it's funny, but it also makes you think. (<-- Name the movie and win a prize!)
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It's official. The sibling count is up again! Or at least, it will be by the beginning of August 2007. Elaine is pregnant again with half [hopefully] sister number 2! Possible name as suggested by Dad: Lana. You may recall that was almost Miranda's name.
In other more immediately relevant news, I'm writing this from a Hyatt next to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport because stupid Dallas let my stupid flight to Honolulu go without me aboard. We arrived fine but sat on the runway for over an hour during which my connection to Hawaii, apparently the only on time plane in all of Dallas, took off. The next available flight to the islands is one to Maui that leaves tomorrow. They couldn't give me a free hotel room because technically, my flight left on time. The fact that I was not on it due to their stupid delays held no sway. So I'm chilling on my king-size bed enjoying some free internet.
Should I order scrambled eggs or grilled cheese from room service? Either way I think raspberry pie is in order.
I'll officially be an intern no more starting on the first of January! You may call me her all-mighty yet not-responsibility-bearing highness SEASONAL EMPLOYEE Carrie! Didn't even have to finish the three months!
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Here's a current list of my favorite baby names:
Girls
1) Cassandra. Origin: Greek. Meaning: "Prophetess"
2) Hokulele. Origin: Hawaiian. Meaning: "Shooting Star"
3) Loki. Origin: Scandanavian. Meaning: "Trickster," "Norse God of Mischief."
Boys
1) Gabriel. Origin: Hebrew. Meaning: "Archangel"
2) Remy. Origin: French. Meaning: "Taken from Rheil [which was not in the baby name book]" whatever that means. I think it could also be short for Jeremy, right?
Either
1) Morningstar
Ok, go ahead and laugh. But you can't say any of these potential kids would have to deal with being one of five in their class with the same name!
So I'm home in Kansas for Christmas. That flight from Hawaii to...anywhere, really...is SUCH a pain in the ass! Literally and figuratively. It takes forEVer, but it's totally worth it because I did not have to spend my Christmas cleaning bird aviaries and chopping mice in half.
Miranda's learning to talk finally. She's experimenting with consonant noises and can say "Mama," "Dada," and "Uh-oh." The lattermost comes in handy a lot.
I miss my college friends. I came online tonight with the express purpose of talking to them on AIM--a big treat since I don't have AIM access on the Big Island. Yet none of them are online. How selfish of them. I didn't realize how important it was for me to talk to them every day. With only an hour window between getting off of work and calling the East coast at a reasonable hour, plus exorbitant cell phone rates and limited internet availability, I feel all the more cut off. I feel like they're all happily leading Carrie-free lives that I know nothing about. Weird to think only two years ago a mouse-click told me where they were every second of the day. What did we ever do before computers?
I'm reading the DaVinci Code right now. I think the plot is OK, but the character development could use some work and Brown's writing style is a little ham-handed. He repeats his plot points a lot and uses the cliffhanger too often. I'm going to write a novel. Actually I already started one, but it has no plot and no setting. Only poorly developed characters with no names (I can't use my baby names because I want it to be believable). It's a long term process. A marathon, not a sprint, as my dad would say.
Speaking of marathons: Kansas City. October. Who's in? Rachel? Chrissy? Andrew? When I swam, whenever I got new stuff, like new goggels or a new cap, I'd always think practice would somehow be easier. "New pink goggels? Now practice will be easy!" And as long as I thought that, it usually would be. Well now I have an mp3 player (Anyone who knows me knows I get into new technology trends a little late), but I really do think it'll make running easier. I used to sing when I ran because my route was pretty isolated so no one would hear me, I had to distract myself from the fact that I was running, and I heard that if you talk while you exercize, you burn more calories. Well now I can sing more songs! To actual music! It'll be a breeze.
I'm really into the stars lately. I think it's because you can see so many of them from the KBCC. I only like the myths and constellations. The sciencey stuff is OK, but not that interesting to me.
I'm thinking about applying to vet school in the not-too-distant future. Like 2008 or 9. When I get a real job, I'm going to retake orgo and calc 10b (for a third time! yikes!) at the local university. Because once you owe as much as I do in college loans, what's a hundred grand more?
Ok, time for bed. It's only 7:15 Hawaiian time, but when in Rome...
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1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Went to Alaska! Got a Masters Degree, defended a thesis, danced the Hula, drove to Canada, saw the aurora borealis...lots of things!
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My New Year's Resolution was to exercize every day. I did pretty well with that except for most of the summer. In 2007 I will run a marathon, get a real job (for REAL this time) that I love, and travel!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I guess the closest would be one of my step-relatives. Actually, the birth of my roommate's sister's child was slightly more significant.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My ex-Aunt Connie and Bamf.
5. What countries did you visit?
Canadia!
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
A stable job close to my friends and family. My own apartment.
7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 7th: Handed in my master's thesis, May 25th: Arrived in Alaska, October 16th: Arrived in Hawaii, September 10th: Saw _Snakes on a Plane_
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Becoming more independent (spreading those wings, you might say...), getting my master's.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Failed to spend more time at home like I planned, failed to remember all the words to MmmBop during late night karaoke.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
In May after finishing grad school but before I went to Alaska, I got something we call "the barfing flu." I threw up so much and so violently my ribs were sore for a week. I also lost my left big toe's toenail.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
plane tickets and gasoline.
12. Where did most of your money go?
food and shelter, also plane tickets.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Summer movies...like _Snakes on a Plane_, my road trip to see all my college pals, white water rafting, skiing, the winter Olympics.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
Carbon Leaf's "What About Everything?" Didn't even have to think about that one. The Hobo Jim repetoire, "Who Says You Can't Go Home?" Fallout Boy's "Sugar, We're Going Down." ****NEW! I finally figured out the title of this song: Don Hedley's (or the Ataris') "Boys of Summer."
17. Compared to this time last year, are you
happier or sadder? Happier, oh God yes, happier. No more school stress.
older or wiser? Both, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially.
thinner or fatter? About the same, but healthier overall!
richer or poorer? Poorer. Say what you will about tutoring compared to zookeeping, it brings in the rent money. Also now my college loans are due...eeeee.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Dancing, swimming, singing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Whining and complaining, stressing, sitting in airports.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With my Dad, stepmom and half-sister! NOT alone, crying in Hawaii!
21. Did you fall in love in 2005?
I fell in like. I also fell out of love. I fell in love with chocolate bunny grahms!
22. How many one-night stands?
zero, but the year's not over yet.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Boston Legal! Because I love when they do the exterior shots and I can say "I've been there!" The (American) Office!
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
That chick who starred in _The Devil Wears Prada_.
25. What was the best book you read?
Looks like it's going to be _Black Swan Green_. The Christopher Moore books were great too!
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Oh Carbon Leaf, easily. I actually have a favorite band now! Also Green Day's _American Idiot_.
27. What did you want and get?
My two internships, health insurance, tons of movies, some unforgettable new friends, to see my old friends, a master's degree, a ski vacation, an Ipod six days before the end of 2007, I hope...
28. What did you want and not get?
All my college loans did not magically disappear. I did not get a permanent zoo job, but I got the next best thing.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
_Snakes on a Plane_. Also _Beerfest_. You think I'm kidding? I told you I'd lose brain cells once I stopped going to school! Ok but seriously: _Little Miss Sunshine_, and _Borat_.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nobody likes you when you're 23! No, no, they do. That was a song lyric. On my 23rd birthday, I got a mysterious bunch of flowers from a still-unidentified secret admirer while at work. On the weekend of my 23rd birthday, I went to the state fair, played with fireworks, and stayed up til 3am looking at the stars. I also saw _Miami Vice_ (I do NOT recommend it), and went jellyfishing next to a glacier. It was a great birthday.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I can't think of anything except big-ticket items like an end to the war in Iraq. On my own personal level, this was the most satisfying year ever!
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
It started with jeans, a nice sweater, makeup, and styled hair then went to bleachy jeans, long-sleeved tee shirt, short-sleeved work shirt, hoodie, boots, and a ponytail, and is now bleachy jeans, muck boots, and a bleachy tee shirt.
33. What kept you sane?
Letters from home. Knowing people cared about me even if they weren't where I was.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Zach Braff! Comedy Central plays "Scrubs" at 6am here! Right before work! Also Matt Damon for some reason.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The country finally realizing what a loser they have for a President and electing a Democratic legislative branch! The tide is turning!
36. Who did you miss?
Just about everyone. You want them by name? Chrissy, Rachel, Rachel, Dianne, Jared, Caitlin, Meghan, Andrew, Jen, Kristine, Scott, Yousuf, Kris, Anna, Lindsey, Mom, Dad, Elaine, Miranda, Stephanie, Jeremy, Tasha, Nicki, Mike, Amy, the swim teams, the history nerds, and John. And I'm probably forgetting a few dozen too. It was a big year for missing people.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Everyone at the ASLC, Hobo Jim, Everyone at the KBCC. It was a big year for meeting new people too.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
You have to get out and do things. Nothing worth having ever comes easy. If you act confident, you become confident. There's life beyond Brandeis.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"What about aliens?
What about you and me and
what about gold beneath the sea?"
"Unicorns don't exist of course
But every girl in this world has a horse." -- both Carbon Leaf
"I can tell you my love for you will still be strong/after the poison summer is gone." ~"Boys of Summer.
See you in 2007!!
I supposed I ought to do a real update now.
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