1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Eat snails.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? The real question is if I made any. If I did, I'm sure they had to do with going to the gym. And I went up until September.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes.
5. What countries did you visit? Jamaica. Ya mon.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A faculty position. Crossing my fingers.
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? October 31st. I defended my dissertation.
8. What was your biggest success? Defending my dissertation!
9. What was your biggest failure? Not getting the job at P.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Yes. Oy. What a summer of infection and gastric difficulty.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Cooper. He was adopted, technically. But he sure is expensive to feed.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Almost everyone! I have seen a lot of people be very, very cool this year.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Any school that doesn't send rejection letters after you've applied for its job search.
14. Where did most of your money go? Dogs. House. We had a roof done and we finished the little room upstairs. Mike also built a built-in for the study.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Cooper! Some job prospects. Going to Jamaica. Defending the dissertation.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? I don't think there is any one song. Maybe Rihanna "Please Don't Stop the Music" because I'm not fond of it and it was played on every station imaginable.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you a.happier or sadder? b. thinner or fatter? c. richer or poorer?
a. midlin b. more fat, less bloated, c. sort of in between. both slightly richer and slightly poorer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Vacationing. Exercising (more recently than before). In fact, I was planning to go to the gym this morning, but it's snowing like crrrrrazy.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Grading papers. Normally, I love it, but two writing courses and three papers with drafts was a bad idea.
20. How will you be spending Christmas? We went to my parents for Christmas. We ate Chinese food Christmas Eve and had a lovely time. On Christmas day we saw my cousins in Milton.
21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Sure. I have a silly doggy, and a silly husband I love.
22. What was your favorite TV program? Either The Office or Lost. I wish I watched less tv, actually.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I can't think of anyone.
24. What was the best book you read? Does August: Osage County count? I actually saw it before I read it.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Autolux.
26. What did you want and get? A dog!
27. What did you want and not get? That job at P. And various other jobs. :^(
28. What was your favorite film of this year? There Will Be Blood. I think I saw that this year.
29. What did you do on your birthday? On my birthday I think we went to The Flying Pig, though I'm not sure. For my birthday later on, we drove to Mohonk, hiked, ate, and had massages. I'd recommend the hiking, but not the eating or massages...unless it's not busy.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A postdoc or faculty position.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Out with the old, in with the Anthropologie. I discovered that one of the million great things about living close to NYC is that you can get those sweaters they list for $248 at $60.
32. What kept you sane? Exercising. I'm actually not sure I stayed sane.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Obama! Not in a crush way, but in a fabulous President.
34. What political issue stirred you the most? Let me think...what happened this year...hmmmmm
35. Who did you miss? Parents, friends who live afar.
36. Who was the best new person you met? A friend's boyfriend.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008? There are just some things you can't have control over or plan.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." - Network

Ah, yes. Here I am again writing much much later than I had planned. In the meantime, I've had some luck with schools -- no job yet, but job prospects seem better. I've also baked four batches of cookies and today I hope to make it an even five. I have so much to do today. I'm sure you are thinking the same thing. But perhaps you don't have a four hour drive in addition to what you have to do. In the face of it all, I think I'll take a short nap.