The annual quiz for Posterity’s Sake

January 5, 2010 | Memes

Here’s what I said last year. If you should have a blog, I recommend doing this! It’s so interesting to see what your little time capsule contains a year later.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

I became a mama! Yes, he was born in 08, but all the work was done this year.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I make resolutions on my birthday. This is not the time of year for goal setting. I will say that the holidays were extra sloth-like and debaucherous for me, and I’m making an effort to move more and eat less, without getting all resolution-y about it.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Last year, I listed 8 people! This year, just my friend Megan, who had another little boy. I know a ton of people who are pregnant right now, though.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My grandfather did, my Dad’s Dad. He was my last grandparent. He had Alzheimer’s, so he’s been gone for years, but it was still really sad. Sad to see my family grieveing. Looking at him lying there in his hospital bed, I had all these weird thoughts about Clark someday being an old man, dying, with his family gathered around him, and I just sobbed.

5. What countries did you visit?

Ha! Ha ha ha. This was not a year for international travel. We did visit San Fransisco, Las Vegas, and New Orleans, however.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

My groove. I want it back. I want to feel good in my body and I want to let go of some negative thought patterns that have been haunting me for too long.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

October 10th was the day we moved into our new house! That’s all I can think of, really. Lots of momentous stuff happened in 09, but not with many dates attached.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Starting a business! I have SO MUCH further to go, but I should probably stop and recognize that this time last year, I hadn’t even thought about Ginger Jacobs Photography. It’s crazy how much work goes into being a small business owner.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Without going into too great of detail, I messed up a photography job in the fall and I am STILL dealing with it. I hate checking my email right now.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No, thank goodness. I never even got a cold this year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

The iPhone. Resistance is futile.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

I am very thankful for police officers. Let me say that I was once quite the hippie with a healthy disdain for law enforcement. Since my sister has become a cop, however, I’ve become aware that cops are social workers for the most part. I’m thankful that when the crazy lady hears something in her attic, when a mom can’t control her teenager, or any of the many other scenarios my sister gets called to occur, that there are police officers to help.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

This one is easy for me, but I can’t really get into it.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Food, I would guess. Eating healthily is freaking expensive.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Photography. Every time I get a good image, my heart does a little dance of joy.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Probably Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus. You’re welcome for that little earworm.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier!
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter!
c) richer or poorer? Poorer!

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

Exercised. My poor horse is skittish these days. I get on, fall off, and away she goes.

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

Thought about the situation referenced in number 13, definitely. So unhealthy.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

At my family’s house, as usual. Presents followed by omelets, then lying around.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

I said Clark last year, but I didn’t know what I was talking about. The real love happened about 4 months in and has continued at an alarming rate.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

We started watching How I Met Your Mother this year. It’s such a great show. And OMG, my love for NPH knows no bounds. Thanks go to our friends M&M for lending us the first couple of seasons.

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

Hmm. No. I suppose not.

24. What was the best book you read?

To be honest, I did the least amount of reading this year than since before I learned how, I think. Nothing is jumping out at me as being earthshattering. I very much enjoyed I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith, however. Thanks, Rona!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I can’t think of anyone new this year. I’m a bit out of touch. Recommend me some new music, please.

26. What did you want and get?

A new house!

27. What did you want and not get?

I’m so stinking blessed. I have no answer for this.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

I didn’t see that many movies this year, surprise surprise. (Jeez! I’m so boring! I need to exit this cave, STAT.) Recently, we watched Away We Go, which I loved.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 33. There was dinner at my parent’s house, then SB arranged for some fun folks to meet us at The Tempest for drinks and cupcakes.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

My horse. Staying on it. Exercise is so important to my mental health, but my needs in general did not come first this year. I’m not blaming it all on the baby, but most of it anyway!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Ha. Ha ha ha. Whatever fit, decorated with various baby detritus.

32. What kept you sane?

My incredible friends. I could never say enough how much they mean to me. When something sad happened to me, my best ladies helped me to feel better about myself, helped me pick up my broken pieces. (Special shout out to Tiana, Rona, and Marguerite. HOLLA!) I even made a couple of new friends this year whom I am ever so thankful for. Making friends as an adult isn’t easy, but I managed to pick up a few new ones who I think are going to be around for a while. I’m so lucky!

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Neil. Patrick. Harris. Loooooooooooooooooooooooooove.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

The frigging Health Care debate. I know what we ended up with is nothing to write home about, but it’s a start. I am choosing to think about it like Light Rail. There’s always an ambitious plan, then something tiny actually gets built and everyone complains that it cost millions but doesn’t go very far. But you have to start somewhere. More lines will eventually be added, and future generations will be glad we made a start.

35. Who did you miss?

Heather. Again.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

I actually met Marguerite last year, but this year we got to be good buddies. She is the coolest.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

I learned to appreciate your friends every day. All the time. Tell them you love them. Tell them how important they are to you.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I got this quiz from Sundry, and she has changed this question to a quote, which is easier to think of. Given how much time I have spent obsessing about something unimportant, this quote is something I am trying to repeat often enough that it sticks:

“What other people think of me is none of my business.”

I can’t seem to find who said it first. Anyway, to me it means, stop obsessing about why someone does or doesn’t like you. You’ll never get the answer and it just leads to negative thoughts.

Well, friends, thanks for reading if you made it this far! I hope to get to posts about our trip later this week. We survived 6 hours on an airplane with a one year old, but JUST.

What day is this?

December 29, 2008 | Memes

Hello my friends! I write from the shores of Babyland which is ruled by a Tiny Dictator who forbids sleep and requires many hours a day of recliner sitting from his citizens.

Seriously, what day is this? Things are going better and better, but the days seem to go by in a blur, sometimes seeming like we totally got this, and sometimes seeming like we’re barely keeping our shit together.

Anyway, because of the all consuming sleep-fuss-change-feed-repeat nature of our lives at the moment, the bloggable moments are few. So, I’ve decided to take part in Sundry’s end of year questionnaire. This may or may not be of interest to you, but I think it’s good for Posterity’s Sake. I’d love it if you answered it too, in the comments, but also feel free to just skip this all together. Maybe come on back here in a couple of months when I’ve convinced the Tiny Dictator that sleeping at night is a good plan and that it is indeed possible to be awake and NOT fuss. I imagine the content will improve. Or not.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Grew a tiny human being in mah belleh.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I make resolutions on my birthday. This is not the time of year for goal setting.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes! Beth, Eva, Tiana, Megan, Amy, Lynne, Jess, and me. Ooh! and Kelly! (sorry, love)

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thank goodness.

5. What countries did you visit?

Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, and Belize

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

Since I spent 3/4 of 2008 pregnant, I gotta say what I want most in 2009 is beer. This is easy to say, because while beer is indeed delicious, I feel incredibly blessed. I have everything I need.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

April 20th, the day I found out I was pregnant. December 14th, Clark’s Birthday.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I fear this is getting repetitive, but growing a baby. I’m pretty proud of how strong and healthy I was able to stay throughout my pregnancy.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Hmm. I don’t know. I feel like I remained pretty positive this year. Maybe I should say I could have done a better job of not worrying so much.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No, thank goodness.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

At the moment, I am LOVING my Google G1 Android phone. Especially with all the sitting in my recliner and lactating I’m doing, I’m able to read my blogahol and keep up with the Facecrack and whatnot. I couldn’t do that with my laptop.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Obama!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Bush! (Hooray for this being the last year for that!)

14. Where did most of your money go?

Probably food? Eating out? Good thing, though. I know those days have come to an end.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Obama!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular was in a heavy rotash around here in 2008. Probably “Time to Pretend” in particular.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier!
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter!
c) richer or poorer? Poorer!

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

Home Improvements. The house and yard stagnated a bit. We had other stuff on our minds.

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

Worry.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

At my family’s house, as usual. Presents followed by Dad’s omletes, then lying around.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Yes, with Baby Clark, just under the wire.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

30 Rock

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

No.

24. What was the best book you read?

I’m forcing myself to just answer these and not obsess, and the first thing that comes to mind is Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan. I highly recommend it if you’re a fiction person.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Again with the not obsessing, recently, I’ve fallen in love with Blitzen Trapper.

26. What did you want and get?

A good pregnancy, an intervention-free birth, and a healthy baby

27. What did you want and not get?

To finish that Marathon.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Tell No One

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 32, in New York City. We had brunch near Central Park with our lovely friends Amy and Steve. It was the height of my “morning” sickness, however, and a great deal of effort was required to keep from weeping.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Seriously, so blessed. Can’t think of anything.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Oh jeez. Whatever fit!

32. What kept you sane?

The wonderful folks of the internets. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have my internet peeps (you all, my blogahol, my online community) for support, commiseration, and reality checks.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Probably Eddie Izzard. (Need I remind you I met him once?) We saw him live for the 4th time this summer and got to introduce him to some friends. I just love that man.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

The election in general. Loving me some Hillary, coming around to Obama, reveling in our miraculous victory.

35. Who did you miss?

Gah! Heather Liv.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Jess! She found my blog somehow, then we met IRL. She was the same pregnant as me (Viola was born today! Hooray!) and we met about once a month to talk non stop about being pregnant, something no one else could tolerate.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

Um…hmmm. I guess I was once again reminded to just breathe and believe that everything is going to be okay. It’s really the only thing you can do. It’s so much healthier to believe in positive outcomes than waste precious life pondering tragic possibilities.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

The first thing that popped into my head. Cheesy. Sorry!

“Singin don’t worry about a thing. Cuz every little thing is gonna be all right!’

I’m Clark. I’m sleeping because it’s day time.

The Great Interview Experiment

May 21, 2008 | Memes, Navel Gazing

Neil at Citzen of the Month had this fabulous idea, that everybody is somebody and should be interviewed. This was in response to how there are “famous bloggers” who get all sorts of fame and fortune, but they’re essentially doing the same thing as the rest of us. Just writing about stuff on the Internets. Hence, The Great interview Experiment began. In the comments of that post, you left a comment and pledged to interview the person who commented after you. Hundreds of bloggers have signed up and it’s still going. I commented after this guy who never contacted me, even after I emailed him and asked him what was up. Boo! I interviewed Rachel and her interview is here. After I whined to her about how my guy dropped the ball, she kindly offered to interview me instead. Then I was a slacker and didn’t finish it until 2 months later. Better late than never, RIGHT, LAME GUY?

Why did you begin to blog?

I don’t have a deep reason for starting to blog. Really, I was just reading a lot of blogs, and Blogger wouldn’t let you leave a comment unless you started one. I had a really boring job at the time, and lots of time online, so I was like, ah what the hell. Now, though, I love having a bit of a creative outlet, and the historian in me likes the forum for documenting adventures and such. I also love the little online community blogging creates and how I’ve met so many people I otherwise wouldn’t have, and that I’m keeping in touch with folks far away.

Who do you write for?

I sort of already answered that, I guess. For me, mostly. But I like for my blog to be accessible for anyone stumbling across it, as well as friends and family. I like to share Tacoma things and Pacific Northwest-y things with my Imaginary Internet Friends. I like to read that kind of stuff on other people’s blogs, to learn about their little corners of the world. 

What are your favorite posts?

Hmm. That’s hard. I like my travel posts a lot, like this one about the scary gondola ride in Hong Kong or this one from our Mayan ruin adventure in Belize. It’s also nice when I share something embarrassing and y’all have my back, like this one from a bad day at yoga, (I just realized this was before I lost all my comments when I switched to WordPress. You were really nice, though!) or this one from when I got poo on my purse. I don’t know! That’s a hard question. It’s like, “Let’s see! When was I most witty and entertaining?” I suppose I asked Rachel that in her interview though, so I should shut it.

Name three weird things about yourself.

I did a meme about my weird things once, and my IRL friends are still teasing/secretly admiring me about my Sunday Night Clothing Habit. I hesitate to own up to other anal-retentive activities. Well, here’s one. I keep a lot of logs. I keep a work out log. I can tell you how much and which kind of exercise I’ve done each day over the past 3 years or so. I do it to make myself feel good, or feel like a slacker, depending on how I’m doing. I also log my gas mileage. (I know! So nerdy!) I can tell you that I’ve gotten better at driving my Prius and maximizing her potential. At first I was averaging *only* about 47 or 48 miles per gallon, but now I’m getting between 50 and 53. Booyah! Because of my careful logging, I can also tell you that when I bought the car in October of last year, it was about $27 to fill up and now its $39.

Another weird thing, I wake up with what I call “hot guts”. AS SOON as I get up, I MUST guzzle a cool glass of water, followed by a glass of orange juice, and then my “fruit cycle”.

I am very picky about pens. I know that’s not too weird, everyone is particular about pens. But I hate writing with black pens. This is lame because all free pens (and we get a lot of cool ones from SB’s mom who is an NP) are always black. I also hate pens that are too wet that bleed through the paper.  My very favorite pen? These old school Bics.

Who is on your list of celebrity crushes?

George – so smooth! so classy!

Matty – I don’t know. He had me at Jason Bourne. And those forearms!

Jakey-poo – Oh, those sensitive eyes. And again, with the forearms. 

Eric Bana – um, he’s just beautiful.

Adam Levine – hot and sexy. love his music.

Alex Rodriguez – for old time’s sake. When he was a Mariner, a friend and I literally stalked him.

What is your drink of choice?

If we’re talking non-alcoholic, I love sparkling water. It is my all-the-time beverage of choice. For booziness, I’m a beer gal these days. I only started drinking beer at 30, and now it seems to be the only alcohol that doesn’t make me want to DIE in the morning. Oh, red wine, how I miss you. Vodka, tequila, we had our good times, why have you forsaken me?

Tell me an embarassing story.

That’s a hard one. I write about all my embarrassing things on the blog now. It diffuses them, somehow. Anything else embarrassing I can think of are highschool stories that were of course TRAGIC at the time but now, I’m like, meh.  Here are a few I’ve written about here: Private Bathroom Behavior and an extremely poor choice of words.

If you could go anywhere in the world that you have not been, where would it be and why? 

South America. All over. Peru! Machu Pichu! Buenos Aires! Chile! The Galapogos! Argentina! Paraguay! (I know where you are) Why? Because, damn! There’s so much to see and do and for some odd reason, I’ve never been down there. I speak Spanish for godssakes. Yes, I know, that won’t do everywhere, but it’s a good start.

British or American version of The Office?

Brittish. I’ve only seen the first two seasons of the American one, though. 

What would you do if you won the lottery tomorrow?

Quit my job, pay off debt, take a long tropical adventure and pay to bring whomever could join me, then come home and figure out how to invest what was left so that I could coast on it as long as possible. Oh, and give some to Planned Parenthood, the NRDC, and something local.

If you made it through this whole thing, you are a dear, dear friend. Here is a bright shiny medal for you:

7 Things Meme, pt 1

December 7, 2007 | Memes

JayAre, a frequent and appreciated commenter here at Zesty Enterprise, has tagged me with the 7 Things Meme. I’m going to do it in 2 parts because I don’t think you can handle so much weirdness in one go.  

Weird Thing the First:

I have a thing for even numbers. I appreciate their roundness and their symmetry. I don’t know what it’s all about, but I just feel better about even numbers. I’m not sure it really would have influenced such a huge decision, but I was relieved when the house we bought had an even address. I always set my alarm for an even number, as well as the thermostat. If we are going to a show, and I have both tickets in my hand, I will hand you the one with the odd numbered seat. If I am buying fruit or bagels, I will always buy four or six, never five or seven.

Weird Thing the Second:

I am super super organized. I do not say this to brag. When certain things aren’t organized, I feel like my life is in chaos and then I get unhappy in various ways. See exhibit A: 

Every Sunday night I set out all 5 outfits for the week on the guest bed, including undergarments, accessories and shoes.

Weird Thing the Third:

In the back of my mind, I always think I probably have a fatal illness. My usual obsessions are skin cancer and MS. (I know a ridiculously high number of people with this disease) This isn’t necessarily hypochondria, however, because I don’t ever want these suspicions confirmed. I would never go to the doctor for any of my perceived symptoms because I’m afraid I would be right, and then I would be dying for the rest of my life. If I actually do have a fatal illness, I don’t want to know.  

Weird Thing the Fourth:

IRL friends are familiar with these stories, but I once was a spy. Well, not really. But close! I responded to an ad in the paper that read, “Bilingual Office Help Needed’. I was then contacted by a grim, government-type character who mysteriously requested I come in for a test. I was so desperate for a job at the time, I just jumped through all the hoops without knowing exactly what the job actually was, just that it involved translation somehow. A year or so later, my incredibly extensive background check was finished and they called me in to start. With great joy, I quit my waitressing gig, and showed up at the huge, unmarked, bunker-type building downtown the next day. I tried to act like this was all normal as I was shown through 3 security checkpoints and then seated in a meeting where the US Attorney began laying out the case. Again, I tried to pretend this was all very routine as I attempted to take notes and tried not to gawk at the pictures of the suspects lining the walls, the whiteboards with clues and codenames, and all the agents with guns and badges milling about. Shortly after this presentation, I was sent to fill out some paperwork. There was another guy there doing the same thing, and I whispered to him, “Dude! Where ARE we? What are we DOING here?” and he goes, “Have you ever seen the movie, Traffic?” I nodded solemnly, my eyes widening to abnormal proportions. “You know the guys in the van?” he asked, “That’s you, only there’s no van.” And thus began my short career translating and transcribing surveillance for the DEA.

That’s enough weirdness for one day, don’t you think?