1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Had a pet cremated, for one.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn’t make any last year; I’ll probably at least match that this year.3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Charlotte, Angela, and Melissa’s friends Stephanie and Sybil.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Bob and Ogan.
5. What countries did you visit? Mexico.
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? A new car.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? The ones I’ll make public: Oct 31 – taking Logan to the vet for the last time; Opening Day in November; May – making the final turn on the switchbacks and seeing Havasu Falls after hearing its roar for the ten previous minutes and making the leap into Blue Hole. From February – spending the weekend camping by myself in Oklahoma as a squall line moved through.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Either painting the study or climbing up the side of the canyon at Havasu.
9. What was your biggest failure? Let me pass on some Jenny Lewis lyrics: “…I’d rather not celebrate my defeat and humiliation here with you.”
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just the semi-annual sore throat/cold.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Either my hunting license or my tent.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Melissa’s.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My own behavior still often puzzles me. At many times during the year, however, was I repeatedly appalled, but never depressed.
14. Where did most of your money go? As usual, into the house.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The OML. For at least four months, I weighed everything to the ounce at least twice, read the same topo maps until they appeared in my dreams, kept track of weather conditions and rain fall, and planned a ten-meal menu with two hot meals per day.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2006? Nothin’ Better to Do, Get Me Bodied.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Substantially happier.b) thinner or fatter? For the first time in my life, I moved past a buck ninety.
c) richer or poorer? The same. Still poor.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Doing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Planning.
[As much as I may wish, that is just not my nature, however. Please refer to Questions #15 and #21.]
20. How will you be spending Christmas? We spent Christmas Eve in Waco and spent Christmas morning at our house.
21. How will you be spending New Years? In a tent at campsite #41 in Big Bend obsessing over the singular thought that has consumed the greater part of the past four months: I hope the springs are flowing because I don't want to carry that much water.
22. What was your favorite TV program? Rome.23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
More Jenny Lewis lyrics:
Cause I can't remember why I hated you
Can't remember why I still do
But I'm as sure as the moon rolls around you
That I could be happy, happy
Oh, so happy, happy
Oh, so happy, so happy
24. What was the best book you read? Desert Cadillac by Marc Reisner
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? A Fine Frenzy.
26. What did you want and get? Full participation vis-a-vis the Second Amendment, for one. 27. What did you want and not get? I got everything I wanted this year. 28. What was your favorite film of this year? Into the Wild
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 34 this year. Other than the date, I don’t recall anything but getting a Jetboil.
30.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Taking yoga classes.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? The same preppy style I've had for over 20 years.
32. What kept you sane? Escaping as often as possible.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? LeAnn Rimes
34. What political issue stirred you the most? What a let down. I had genuinely anticipated for eight years casting a vote for Guliani. Then, Perry goes and endorses him and is doing everything in his capacity to be named his VP nominee. Since that is a chance I cannot take, I switched my vote to somebody else.
35. Who did you miss? Boomer.
36. Who was the best new person you met? This is silly. When my sister-in-law got married, there was some guy there who is a former roommate of the groom. We spent the better part of the weekend talking about hiking and camping and the better part of the wedding checking the Texas/OU score on our phones. I’ve since forgotten his name and will, in all likelihood, probably never see him again; that is my favorite kind of friend.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007: Perhaps I never formulated the concept into a lesson per se but it has something to do with a deeper understanding of friendship.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Life ain't hard but it's too long to live it like some country song."
