2004: Sometimes good, sometimes bad, never ugly
Liberated from
1. What did you do in 2004 that you’d never done before?
Chose a man over a cat. Met Kevin Smith. Went to San Diego’s massive Comicon. Chose a man over a job. Started voluntarily eating red meat. Became zen about the idea of having children in the next five years or so.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year my only real resolution was to never go through another family Christmas on a tropical island without having a handsome man who was madly in love with me to share it with ever again. I think I’ve got that covered.
This year? I resolve to finish my Master’s degree once and for all; to complete as much renovation on the house as JVL and I can stomach, and no more; to try desperately to return to yoga, even though there are no studios in the neighborhood where I live; to work on a comic idea of mine until at least 10 pages are inked and finished; and to pay off a large chunk of my mortgage instead of indulging in new toys all the time. Would like to reconnect with friends downtown and friends who, like me, have made the leap of faith into a house outside of downtown, like Mia and Paul and John and Tina and Chris and Erin. And especially would like to see friends living abroad like
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Friends Ciaran and Ursula, to a healthy boy, Nolan. Chris and Erin, to their son Jacob. And Carlo and Joy, to their child… Liam? I don’t recall exactly, and I haven’t met the baby yet, but I know it wasn’t ‘Ruth’ or ‘Evangeline’, because
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year. Phew! Although Christopher Reeves is so close to Dan, it was almost like a death in the family.
5. What countries did you visit?
The United States (San Diego and New York), and Vancouver, BC (it’s far enough away to be like another country).
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
More free time to devote to creative outlets. A Master’s degree.
7. What dates from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I don’t do well with dates. They’re numerical and related to time, which means they slosh around in my head and melt together until “yesterday” can mean “two months ago”. But I do know that February 13th was my first date with Justin, and our one year anniversary is coming up in about 6 weeks!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Moving in with Justin and still being able to love and be happy with him as a boyfriend, partner and now, roommate as well. Building a good relationship with my mom, and Justin’s mom, too.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Hasty judgement. Inability to acclimatize smoothly to life in the ‘burbs. Quitting the Snail. Not making enough time for my friends during the months of courtship and relocation. Not writing any new articles for Chrissy.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Very sick on trip to San Diego and just before Christmas. More obese thanks to increasing age, sedentary lifestyle, worsening diet, lack of yoga. Otherwise remarkably healthy this year.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Tie between a new bed and a new computer. Although getting JVL a surprise X-Box was a fun purchase.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Christie and Amy and Seth, for being troopers throughout Lyssa & Rob’s wedding, John & Tina’s move, and my move to Weston. Glenda and Onnie for both helping me with my move and coming to my birthday party! Dan, for being a loyal friend to Justin, for trying to quit smoking, for changing our sump pump, for buying us tiki torches, and for coming to my birthday and giving me season 2 of Northern Exposure.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I refuse to meditate upon such a dark subject at this time of year. Although the anonymous quoter in my LiveJournal really irritated me for their lack of integrity, candor and openness. Put your name to your opinions, dammit!
14. Where did most of your money go?
If only I knew, I would chase after it and force it to return home with me! Probably travel; going to San Diego and BC were expensive trips. Also, renovating the bathroom has been insanely expensive. New plants for garden, many of which I killed. New paint for house. Video gaming goodies for Justin. Computer. Bed.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Justin. Christmas. New job at work. Totoro. San Diego.
16. What song will always remind you of 2004?
Anything by the Beatnuts. Zero 7. The Fugees and Wyclef Jean.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? — happier.
b) thinner or fatter? — SO. MUCH. FATTER.
c) richer or poorer? — huh. Well, I make more money, I’ve paid off more of my mortgage, and I no longer (actively) pay rent, yet somehow I am in worse debt than last year by several thousand dollars. Funny about that.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Reading. Yoga. Inking/writing/pencilling comics. Spending time with my cats before I moved in with Justin.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spending money. Eating Wendy’s. Eating bacon. Eating.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
At Justin’s family home with his mom, dad, stepdad, brother and my mom. Ideal. Food was delicious, company was excellent, gifts were good, ambiance was amazing.
21. Did you fall in love in 2004?
Hell, yeah! Am still falling. Love love love
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Futurama wins, even though I watched it all on DVD and it was over before I started it. The O.C. was a delicious new discovery. Watched enough CSI to kill a horse. Rediscovered Twin Peaks. Introduced JVL to West Wing, now he is hooked. Was taught by
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Maybe the dudes who decided that the Georgetown GOTrain shouldn’t run after 7pm or on weekends. And possibly scientists everywhere who are failing to produce cures for cold sores and cat allergies. Otherwise, not really.
25. What was the best book you read?
Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. Ghost in the Mirror, by John Bellairs. Blacksad 1 & 2. Yukiko’s Spinach.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex opening credits score.
27. What did you want and get?
Justin. Love. A house. A Mystery Science Theatre boxed set. Power tools. A spa day. A new job. Some amazing, unreplaceable memories of time spent with Chrissy and Joe at the Den, at parties, or just at their homes.
28. What did you want and not get?
A cat. More LJ credits. A safe neighborhood. More quality time with the folks at Casa del Fab.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Tied for best new film of 2004 are ‘Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence’ and ‘I Heart Huckabees’, both of which I caught at the film festival. ‘The Incredibles’ was worthy of it’s title, and ‘Shaun of the Dead’ was also quite excellent.
In terms of older films that I saw for the first time… watching ‘Wet, Hot American Summer’ with JVL was a great night (he bought a toothbrush to stay over at my place). Saw ‘Hero’, ‘Shaolin Soccer’ and several Studio Ghibli movies for the first time (although they’re all older films) – unbelievably awesome. Also went to the AMC and discovered do-it-yourself butter and moveable arm rests, and for home viewing, sweet popcorn. Waiting for Serenity in 2005.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 27, and I tried (and failed) to have a party at my house in Weston on the coldest day of the year. Watched ‘Day After Tomorrow’, discovered the magic of ‘WildBoyz’, cleaned, drank wine, played Cranium. No cake, no pinatas.
31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
The invention of the teleporter, or all government jobs becoming “at home” positions.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
“Reluctant Businesswoman”
33. What kept you sane?
Sane, eh? Not sure this question applies.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hmm. Seth Cohen, I guess? Haven’t been grooving the imaginary boyfriends much this year. Colin Firth was looking pretty Hottie Von Hottenpants in ‘Girl with the Pearl Earring’, though!
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Helping launch the Domestic Violence Action Plan for Ontario and aiding in the birth of the newly revamped Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities act. I kind of wish the election in the US had gone differently, but that’s their own problem to deal with.
36. Who did you miss?
My cousin,
37. Who was the best new person you met?
All of Justin’s friends have been awesome – really good people with an unending desire to help and be positive; Glenda, Onnie, Dan, Rainbow, Nick, Greg P, Mike, Asia… too many to mention. At work, my new manager, Anne-Marie, has been very helpful and fun to work with. My director Bernie helped me to change careers. My summer boss, Peter, was very encouraging and informative.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
Given how I am lacing into the house in Weston with the ol’ hickory stick, I learned that I really wasn’t screwing around when I said that my personal philosophy was to try to leave my environment better than when I found it. I also reinforced my belief in the conclusion I made when I first moved to Toronto that proximity is the main ingredient in activity for me. Distance = sloth. Weston = lazy. Hard to work out, go to work, visit friends, shop, do anything. Location, location, location is my catchphrase.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
When somebody loves you, you feel it in your heart
When somebody loves you, you know it from the start
Every kiss becomes more than a kiss
Each look, each touch, they mean so much
And that’s when you discover
how it feels to be a lover
When somebody loves you, it shows every in smile
When somebody loves you, your life becomes worth while
Always caring, always sharing everything you do
When somebody loves you like I love you
40. What would you like to do or see happen in 2005?
Go to my cousin’s wedding and introduce JVL to my aunt & uncle. See my friends enjoy happiness and love and success. Travel somewhere exotic and cool with JVL. Do more serious reno on the house. Finish my Master’s. Make my Totoro garden ornaments. Create more user icons (also, pay for more, since my subscription runs out in 3 days, eek!) See my friend Livie get hitched. Complete 10 pages of my comic. Have another year of happy and fruitful relations with my mother. See my father healthy and at peace. Get a magic kitten that JVL isn’t allergic to. Read more and learn more stuff, particularly how to make stained glass windows. See more quality films. Get a new job that pays me enough that I will only have to work a year to finish my mortgage and then never work again. Get a sparkly finger ornament.
The way you’ve launched into the renovations and the constant stream of ideas (finished and not) that you seem to have fascinates me. You’ve had quite a year.
yes come visit me please! ‘twould be fun indeed. maybe in the march/april, for cherry blossom season? that would be so great.
happy new year, and good luck with your resolutions!
Sparkly finger ornament?
And hell yeah, come and visit. But not until the spring.
-DL