2008 Reflection

I've heard that the key to a successful blog is to mix it up a bit from time to time, with lists, polls, pictures, etc.

So, here I am... mixing it up.

Here's a survey I stole from an entertaining blog I've started reading, which she says she stole from nearly everyone in the blog world. I don't do these very often, but 2008 has been a pretty wild year for me, so I figured what the hay! And I didn't post any of the requisite resolution posts, so this makes up for it.


1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Participated in and won NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), played squash, stopped working to pursue something different.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? My resolution is and always will be to lose weight and quit smoking… I’ve lost weight and am about to stop the smoking (I swear!)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yep – my friend Matt (well, his wife Leah, actually).

4. Did anyone close to you die? Auntie.

5. What countries did you visit? Czech Republic, Poland, France, Italy, Germany.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? Anger control.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory and why? July 8th – the day we left for Prague.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Writing a novel.

9. What was your biggest failure? Making running a part of my daily routine.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I got sick of running. Other than that, no. I did think I was getting arthritis, but we decided that was from holding my Nalgene bottle.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Seafood Gnocchi in Venice & Chef's tasting menu at Elizabeth on 37th in Savannah. (I like food. Leave me alone.)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? I really can’t think of someone.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Those freakin’ AIG suits who got the government loan and then bought the spa/vacation retreat thing.

14. Where did most of your money go? Travel stuff.

15. What did you really, really, really get excited about? Travel. (Do we see a trend for 2008??)

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? “Hey Hi Hello” by Shaun Baker. To my chagrin. (Lookin at you, crapper!)

17. Compared to this time last year are you:
Happier? Sure, why not?
Thinner? Yes! (a little – no miracles)
Richer? Absolutely not.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Exercised

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Sleep

20. How did you spend Christmas? With the Spacek family in Prague.

21. How did you spend new years? With family playing poker & drinking.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008? Yes (calm down – it was just "falling in love again" with Andy).

23. How many one-night stands? none

24. What was your favorite TV program? The Wire

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Yes

26. What was the best book you read? Middlesex

27. What was your biggest musical discovery? Mig 21 (Czech band)

28. What did you want and you got? Chanel Mademoiselle perfume

29. What did you want and not get? The Coco Chanel Lifetime movie that mom taped but forgot to burn & send to me (seriously I didn’t plan that Chanel would be the answer to both questions!)

30. What was your favorite film of this year? Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old did you turn? Turned 30. We had dinner with Carrie, Josh, Edith & John at La Flor, then a couple weeks later Andy, Carrie, E and I saw Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Having more money and suitcase space to buy more stuff from travels.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Jeans jeans jeans – at least after school was done. It’s so nice to wear jeans everyday!

34. What kept you sane? Andy for sure (when he wasn’t driving me crazy)… and writing this blog.

35. Which celebrity did you fancy the most? Michael K. Williams (aka Omar Little)

36. What political issue stirred you the most? The election, since beyond that I tune out.

37. Who did you miss? Dad.

38. Who was the best new person you met? Didn’t meet anyone new.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008: Fictional characters aren’t real, so it’s not always necessary to cry over them.

40. Quote or Song Lyric that sums up your year: I got the shotgun. You got the briefcase. It's all in the game though, right? (Omar)

The Original Auntie

Mom just called and told me that Auntie died. Auntie is my great aunt, my grandmother's sister. Her real name was Naomi, and her husband was Red (Now that I read that I wonder if that wasn't his real name...amazing how we don't question things), but I always just called them "Auntie" and "Uncle", although I've had plenty of other aunts and uncles.

I guess they were the real-deal Aunt and Uncle.

I'm sad to think of Auntie gone. She had a long life, though... I'd like to say exactly how long, but because of the big flashing question mark next to Nana's age, it's hard to figure it.

Two prominent memories I have of Auntie (and yes, both involve food):

1) The second-to-last time I visited her, Andy and I hung out with her in her assisted-living apartment and she made us an AWESOME Marie Callender (who Nana always calls "Marie Callas" - funny) Razzleberry pie. In her toaster oven. That was and still is the best pie Andy and I have ever had. Sorry gourmet-foodie-baker friends.

2)Auntie made one of the best desserts EVER (this time not frozen) - 7-Up Salad. Ever hear of it? It rocks! It's all Dream Whip, 7-Up, crushed pineapple and lime Jello. You know it sounds good! I was maybe 10 or 12 when she made it, and I begged her for the recipe. She wrote it out for me. I still have it, at home. I'm totally going to make it when I return.

Here's to you, Auntie. We love you.

An old friend

I found out this afternoon that an old friend of mine passed away yesterday. Although I was never as close to him as I have been to others, his untimely death is incredibly sad and I am so very sorry that it has happened.

Upon ending my sophomore year at high school in NYC, I was asked by the administration to leave that school (since I was never there, cutting class, and thus taking up a spot that could be used by a more deserving child). Frustrated and fed up with my delinquency, I was moved to upstate NY, to New Paltz. I spent the summer there, bored, knowing no one. In September I boarded the school bus on my road, and soon after met Jay. I was a punk rocker freaky kid, 16 years old, and he was a skater freaky kid, in my grade. We hit it off immediately, and after school, on one of those first days, we hung out. He introduced me to his group of friends in NP, and I was welcomed into the fold.

Although I grew closer to some other friends, Jay and I continued to run in the same circle, and were always in the same places, sitting around together and just hanging out.

In January of that junior year of high school, I dropped out. I moved to other places, but as my parents have a house there, and my close friends were there, I continued to visit. For a long time I still spent a lot of time with him and other friends up there. As the years went by and my closer friends moved away, I stopped seeing Jay and others up there; I lost my connection through my close, more permanent friends, who know everyone better than I do. But I still saw Jay when those close friends were in town.

The last time I saw him was last year, at an old bar that we used to all go to. Because I have moved around a lot, I have always been paranoid that people wouldn't remember me as time has passed. But over the last 13 years, including last year's meeting at the bar, Jay always remembered me, and always talked to me like nothing had changed, time had not passed.

Jay was one of the nicest people I think I ever encountered. He was always so nice to me, and friendly and welcoming, always. He was also very funny. I was talking to my husband earlier about Jay. Luckily my husband had met him on several occasions and has experienced some of my fondest and funniest memories of him, which are probably too risque/controversial to write here. But that was one of the best things about Jay, and I'm so truly sorry that I won't be able to experience more of him.

RIP J.L.