Whenever I am at a loss as to what to blog about, Neil always seems to have another meme handy. This time, it's the "End of Year Quiz"... much like a "year in review" in forty questions I'd imagine. Anyway, I've put my answers in an extended entry so those completely uninterested in my accomplishments (or lack thereof) this year can easily skip it. Now that I think about it, how much cooler would it have been to have regular readers of my blog fill this out for me! I wonder if the answers would be very different? Probably.

1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before? Met people who read my blog in person.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I kept one from this year and will roll the others over into 2005.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes.
5. What countries did you visit? England, Wales, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Jamaica, and probably one or two I've forgotten.
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004? Money!
7. What date(s) from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? St. Patrick's Day (is that March 17th?), which was the day I got my motorcycle back from the shop.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Writing a blog entry most every day.
9. What was your biggest failure? Once again failing to get together a trip to Australia that I've planned and cancelled a dozen times now.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just an infection, but since I am still battling it, I suppose I shouldn't dismiss it so lightly.
11. What was the best thing you bought? My Canon EOS Digital Rebel camera.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration? Betty White. Closing in on 83 years-old and she's still brilliant. Gotta love Betty! We need more Betty in 2005!

    

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? President Bush's behavior at a press dinner where he made fun of not being able to find the WMDs in Iraq, all the while soldiers he sent there were dying. Appalling doesn't even begin to describe my feelings about this profound moment of inexcusable stupidity.
14. Where did most of your money go? Bills. Travel.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My Hard Rock Run through Europe with fellow Hard-Rocker Perry.
16. What song will always remind you of 2004? Hmmm... either Stop Crying Your Heart Out by Oasis or Pictures of You by The Cure, neither of which was released this year, but had special meaning to me in 2004.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or Sadder? Same. Thinner or Fatter Same. Richer or Poorer? Much poorer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Ride my motorcycle.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Work.
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Next year?!? At grandma's for dinner, I guess. I can't plan for next week, let alone a year.
21. Who deleted question 21? Homeland Security.
22. Did you fall in love in 2004? No, but I sure thought I did for about two weeks.
23. How many one-night stands? Not nearly enough.
24. What was your favorite TV program? New this year? Either Veronica Mars or Lost.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Nope, it's the same people.
26. What was the best book you read? Eric Meyer on CSS. Again.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Re-discovering The Psychedelic Furs.
28. What did you want and get? Two weeks of solid vacation.
29. What did you want and not get? A new PowerBook Mac laptop.
30. What was your favorite film of this year? All the critics are saying either Sideways or Before Sunset, neither of which I've seen. That being said, I cannot decide between The Incredibles and Kill Bill Part 2 (with Spider-Man 2 running second).
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Nothing on my birthday, because it was celebrated 10 days earlier: friends took me to see Ron White in concert. I turned 38.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Being able to take an extended trip on my motorcycle.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004? Motorcycle jacket, T-shirt and jeans.
34. What kept you sane? Riding my motorcycle.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Elizabeth Hurley. It's always Elizabeth Hurley.
36. What political issue stirred you the most? Bush's afore-mentioned grossly inappropriate jokes about starting a war (along with the war itself, of course).
37. Who did you miss? Caroline Dhavernas, Tyron Leitso, and the rest of the cast from the most excellent Wonderfalls television show.
38. Who was the best new person you met? In person?!? Where do I start? Anna, Barry, David, Jake, Jessica, Karen, Karen, Kimono, Marcello, Perry, Rex, Ronald, Sara, Tamara, Tami, and Wyman... and I'm sure I forgot a dozen more.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004. Everybody is capable of f#@%ing you over, no matter how close you think they are to you.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "I wish I cared. Yes I really do. I wish I cared." As sung by a-ha on their most-excellent album Minor Earth/Major Sky.