3 January 2008

I did this questionnaire at the start of 2007 and I thought it might be interesting to do it at the start of 2008 and see how the two years compare.  Some answers I just copied from 2007 because they were exactly the same.

1. Was 2007 a good year for you?

It had real highs and real lows.  I think in the grand scope of things, it was more a bummer of a year than a banner year, despite the highs.

2. What was your favorite moment(s) of the year?

First would be hearing Tom say that he and Laurel are expecting a baby in 2008.  Second would be any one of the Cousins Days that we had.  Third would be hearing Peggy's report about her trip to Africa.

3. What was your least favorite moment(s) of the year?

Attending the memorial service for our friend Michele.  We're never ready for the death of a loved one, but when it comes so young (and I still think 65 is young!), it's especially painful.

4. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?

Moved in with my mother to be her caretaker while she was incapacitated by her broken ankle.  In truth, she didn't need all that much caretaking, but she did need someone to do the things that she was unable to do.

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

I gave up making new year's resolutions years ago because it's too demoralizing when I find myself cheating on them before noon on January 1.  However, this year I am determined that Walt and I will set up a Living Trust, to make things easier for the kids when we are gone, and that we will have a family meeting to go over finances -- what is where, who has what, what to do when and that sort of thing.

6. Where were you when 2007 began?

At our friend Charlotte's house.

7. Who were you with?

A small group of wonderful people from the Davis Comic Opera Company.

8. Where will you be when 2008 ends?

Probably in the same place.

9. Who will you be with when 2008 ends?

The same people.

10. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not anyone close, but my cousin's son and his wife gave birth to a little boy.

11. Did you lose anybody close to you in 2007?

I've discussed them in depth in Journal entries, but several people I knew well died this year (the latest of whom was my old grammar school teacher, Sister Johnetta, whose death I just learned about a couple of days ago. We exchanged Christmas cards for many years).  The two that will always stand out for 2007, though, are the Lamplighters' Jean Ziaja and our friend of 40+ years, Michele Havel.

Fortunately, we had no puppy deaths this year.

12. Who did you miss?

The same people as last year.  I miss Paul and David.  I miss all the female friends who are no longer around any more, including Peggy, Lynn, Barb, and the whole gang at Women's Health.  I also miss the closeness I used to have with Steve.

13. Who was the best new person you met in 2007?

I did an interview with actor/director Jack Lynn back in February.  Absolutely fascinating guy.  You can read that interview here.

14. What was your favorite month of 2007?

Probably July because we always travel to Santa Barbara for Tom's big barbeque and get a lot of "family time" in.

15. Did you travel outside of the US in 2007?

To the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.  We were just there one evening and one morning/afternoon, but it was something I'd wanted to see forever and now I've seen it.

16. How many different states did you travel to in 2007?

I think only New York

17. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?

A healthy granddaughter!

18. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

January 3, the day Walt retired, because it was such a huge shift in our way of life around here, suddenly having Walt around 24/7.

19. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I finally wrote the article about David Gerrold I'd always wanted to write.  I don't know if he liked it or not since I never heard from him after I sent him a copy.  I also absolutely loved the article I did about the Davis Children's Nutcracker.

20. What was your biggest failure?

My biggest failures are always the same:  failure to get the house clean and failure to get control of my eating.

21. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Fortunately, no.

22. What was the best thing you bought?

Probably my new laptop, a gift from my mother.  Finally having a speedy laptop, with wi fi, was very exciting, though the nightmare of buying it was not much fun at the time!

23. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Tom's, of course.  He's made me an expectant grandmother!  I also celebrate Jeri, who is glowing these days and that's so nice to see!

24. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Consistently, the man in the White House, who continues to destroy the country that I love and who seems to be unstoppable.  Add to that most of the members in his administration, especially Cheney and Rove.

25. Where did most of your money go?

I don't think I spent an inordinate amount of money this year, but probably other than the essentials, the bulk of the "impulse purchases" went, again, to Amazon.com.

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

The upcoming new baby!  Second would be finally ending my employment by the Psychiatrist.  Knowing that I have NO stack of transcription waiting for me at all times has been incredibly freeing.

27. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2007?

More this year than previous years.  I still rarely drink and my drink of choice is water, but I do let down my hair on Cousins' Day!

28. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2007?

I have never done drugs, unless you count aspirin.

29. Did you treat somebody badly in 2007?

I hope not.

30. Did somebody treat you badly in 2007?

Things hurt my feelings from time to time, but basically, no.

32. What do you wish you'd done more of in 2007?

Organizing.  Not so that the house would be neat, but so that when I start a project, I don't have to spend an hour getting things ready to work.

33. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Worrying because I can't control my weight or keep a neat house.

35. What was your favorite TV program(s)?

Grey's Anatomy, House, The Amazing Race, and Monk.  A marvelous TV discovery was a Canadian show called Slings and Arrows (about a Canadian Shakespeare company), which I got from Netflix.  The show has now ended, but it was absolutely marvelous.  I recommend it highly.

36. What song will always remind you of 2007?

I can't think of one.

37. How many concerts did you see in 2007?

I think we only went to one musical concert in 2007 (but a lot of theatre!).  That would be the 40th anniversary concert for the Davis Madrigal Choir.  An absolutely fabulous event.

38. Did you have a favorite concert in 2007?

The aforementioned Madrigal concert, since it was the only official "concert."   But it might also be the Wizard of Oz film, with musical background by the San Francisco Symphony.

39. What was your greatest musical discovery?

iTunes.  I've purchased more music off of iTunes ever since Tom gave me a gift card last Christmas (which I used up in the first month!)

40. What was the best book you read?

A book nobody has ever heard of which isn't available anywhere called "Edwina the Invincible," written by our friend Marie Goff.

41. What was your favorite film of this year?

We only saw four movies this year -- Hairspray, Ratatouille, The Martian Child, and Sweeney Todd.  My favorite of the lot was Martian Child because I've been waiting for this film for so many years -- and they did a fairly good job of it.

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

I was 64 and we took a trip to Los Angeles that weekend, to go see another taping of the radio show Says You.  It was our second time going there and it was so much fun that we will return in 2008 and go to both days of taping (4 shows).

43. What did you want and get?

The "want and get" would have to be Christmas and everybody was very kind.  Tom & Laurel gave me a webcam so I can follow the baby's progress after she's born; Walt bought me a book I wanted (James Lipton's "Inside Inside"), Phil gave me the heavy duty Gorillapod for my camera and, unexpectedly, Peggy bought me a wonderful new camera.

44. What did you want and not get?

World peace and a clean house.

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

For Congress to stand up to Bush and try to turn around some of the destruction that he has wrought. 

46. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?

"Fashion concept"? You mean something other than "does this sweatshirt have too many stains on it" and "you mean I need to put on shoes to go to the theatre?"

47. What kept you sane?

Writing. As I look back over my life, writing seems to have kept me sane for most of it!

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

I don't think I "fancied" any particular celebrity this year.

49. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.

"The world goes round and round and if you wait long enough, it's finally your turn." and "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

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

Given that most of our weekends have been spent in the theatre, last year's lyrics are just as applicable this year:

Another op'nin, another show
In Philly, Boston, or Baltimo'
A chance for stage folks to say hello!
Another op'nin of another show.
....
The overture is about to start
You cross your fingers and hold your heart
It's curtain time and away we go -
Another op'nin
Just another op'nin of another show