Merry Christmas, plus 3 days

You know, it just would not be Christmas without some kid crying and acting up after all the presents were opened. Too bad this year it was me. OK, not crying, but.... unhappy. Part of that no doubt due to relative uncertainty about the future. And general health ickiness due to unpleasant cold, and no sleep. I mean, I was up 23 hours between Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, what with waking up at 2 a.m. Christmas Eve morning when Christina came in, and then going to bed at 1 a.m. Christmas morning after the long Christ Mass at St. Boniface.... mostly amusing because when it was my turn to read (from Titus), the spotlight did not come up for about 90 seconds, so I just stood there and stood there and stood there.
Anyway, Christmas morning: 7 a.m., time to get up and open the loot. General happiness among the loot-openers. I received, from Steve: cool white and black Japanese print top and black pants. Interesting metal wall sculpture of pine trees and birds, meant, apparently, to remind me of the Pacific Northwest (where, I am sad to report, I am unlikely to ever live). From Mom and Dad: speakers for the iPod, box of Vespa notecards, Joan Didion's book, cloth napkins to replace ours that are all shredded and stained. From Sarah: rose quartz earrings per my request. From Christina: uh oh, can't recall! That is bad! I'm sure it's parked under the tree. From Kim: a sun-protection shirt with venting all along the sides and under the arms. Perfect for kayaking, biking.
The keyboard I got Steve is still in its box, where it probably will stay. He is hard to buy for. Boo.
So then on Monday I got an email from Jim Hayes about the SLO job, which he basically advised me to run away from as fast as possible. As I was afraid of, Knight Ridder is continuing to do its poor job there. So that's a bummer, as I had already told my parents that this was a possibility.

So, cribbing from Christina's LJ, this quiz:
1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
Swam across the Peace River. Not fun.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Sometimes I don't make them. I can't remember if I did this year, altho I did start the 101 in 1001 list and have finished some of those and kept on with the ones that should be kept on with... like flossing every day.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My friend Lauren had twins. Several other women in my office also had babies.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
New York City, California!

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
More control over my finances. Better knees.

7. What date(s) from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Nothing comes to mind.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? This is so sad. Nothing comes to mind. I started writing an audio books column at work, which is at least fun.

9. What was your biggest failure? Letting my money get away from me, still.

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury? Ongoing knee issues.

11. What was the best thing you bought? A new mattress. Yay.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? I wish someone at the national level came to mind. But locally, the people at St. Boniface who rounded up enough money and donations to move six families here from the Katrina area, get them housing and jobs and their lives moving forward again.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? George W. Bush. I mean, really.

14. Where did most of your money go? Crap I didn't need.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The possibility of quitting my job and moving to Yosemite. The possibility of moving back to SLO.

16. What song will always remind you of 2005? You'd think with the iPod that more would come to mind. Possibly "Red Haired Boy," this year's ongoign effort on the mandolin.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? Same.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Played more on the mando to the point of getting better at it.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Stressing over money.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?Spent with family.

21?

22. Did you fall in love in 2005? No, but I'm still crazy about Steve and my kids.

23. How many one-night stands? HAHAHAHAHAHAH. I don't even flirt.

24. What was your favorite TV program? 24. West Wing. Everwood.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Nope.

26. What was the best book you read? As books editor, too many to recall. I'd have to say David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? That there's a method to establishing rhythm on the mando.

28. What did you want and get? Ipod.

29. What did you want and not get? A job out west that will pay me a living wage.

30. What was your favorite film of this year? March of the Penguins. Napoleon Dynamite. I know, I'm lame.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Can't remember. 49.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Getting that g.d. job out West!

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004? Trim slacks and decent knit tops.

34. What kept you sane? I'm sane?

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? That's hilarious. I don't care much about celebrities.

36. What political issue stirred you the most? The effing war. Bush lying about it.

37. Who did you miss? My kids, even though I talk to them every single day. My mother. My grandmother, who is getting up there. Kim.

38. Who was the best new person you met? I can't recall meeting anyone new who had a big impact on me.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005: You can't always get what you want, when you want it.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: I'll have to work on this one. Songs don't define my existence like they did when I was younger.