Hey, I'm kind of, not-that-late this year!

1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
Seriously took up studying a new language.
Did a couple of little wheelies in a parking lot.
Saw fireflies.
IronButt!
Went somewhere completely foreign, where I couldn’t even begin to make sense of the language.


2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t make any resolutions (never do), but I did vow to pay off my bad debt and start paying down my student loan. I did those things, but have now re-focused on savings rather than student debt.
Will I make any for next year? I normally don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions, but I have set some goals for myself financially, and hope to involve my sister so we can keep each other on track.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
Italy and China. And Vatican City (I’m trying to wipe it from my memory)

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
A new place to live.

7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Um, maybe June 11th. I rode more than you that day. I passed a cop doing a buck-twenty, got looks of pity from a bunch of beemer guys, saw a guy skiing in June, experienced Arvin at 12:00 am, and ate pizza. At 3am I watched a bunch of guys in Aerostiches running on the beach in Pismo Beach. By 5am, I had worked up an anticipation of King City after watching the sun come up over Lake Naciemento. Where were you?

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
-world travel
-learning some basic Mandarin


9. What was your biggest failure?
-not seeing friends

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
-nothing major.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
-my iBook. Finally, I joined this century.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
-Paul’s. He is so patient with me.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The gubmint’s. Here are a bunch of guys who fetishize things that aren’t necessarily alive at the expense of those that definitely are alive, and then have no problem fucking killing people and destroying the quality of life of those they wanted so desperately to keep breathing. Here are a bunch of guys who swear to uphold the constitution, but then wipe their asses with it, and say it’s for our own protection. But who is the MOST appalling? Not the scoundrels, it’s the apathetic idiotic general populous for buying what they’re selling. Kudos to you, sleepwalking America, “you’re doing a heckuva job.”


14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent. Food. Bike. Debt. Pretty boring stuff, really?

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
World travel, and my new computer, and my incredibly hott boyfriend.

16. What songs/bands will always remind you of 2005?
I hardly listen to new music anymore. I’m afraid I might catch something. (fuck you very much Sony) So nothing, I guess. I did pick up a really cool Klezmer CD for Christmas.

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

ii. thinner or fatter?
Fatter.

iii. richer or poorer?
Richer (I have less debt, and a better savings plan)

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Riding my motorcycle.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Working. It is such a waste of my limited time…


20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it with family, same as always. But this time Paul came, which was so very nice.

22. Did you fall in love in 2005?
I’m still falling in love.

23. How many one night stands?
Zero!

24. What were your favorite TV programs?
Simpsons? I hardly watch TV. I only get three channels, and they come int very poorly. There was that one night we watched Chinese television on channel 26. That was cool.


(what happened to 25?)


26. What was the best book you read?
I haven’t been spending enough time reading this year. Your Money or Your Life, of which I have only gotten through half, but it’s been a pretty good experience. I would very much like to recommend the December issue of Esquire, which is very inspiring.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
It’s not exactly a musical discovery, but now that I have an iPod, I’ve been downloading and listening to free lectures from Stanford. Mostly about Democracy and stuff. VERY interesting stuff. And free, did I mention FREE?

28. What did you want and get?
A new computer.
And that freaky Mao watch at the Silk Market in Beijing.
Oh, and a new suspension for the SV. Phil rocks!

29. What did you want and not get?
Dirt riding. No Sheetiron, even. Feh. And I wanted to see that Francis Bacon and the goddam Vatican museum. I’m still looking for the perfect cupcake.

30. What was your favorite film(s) of this year?
I don’t go to the movies much…I can’t even remember. Did I see any movies? I think we went and saw The Merchant of Venice. I can’t remember anything else, so I guess that was the best? There must have been something else…

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Paul took me to this horrible middle eastern restaurant where they had a scary band and fucked up floor show, and fezes. It was surreal. Then I think we went drinking or something? I turned 28.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More time in the hills with my friends. Or more time in Italy, but only if Paul came too.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Concept? I guess every year it gets a little simpler, more utilitarian. I used to be so much more interesting, but what’s the point these days, with nowhere to go, and the necessity of riding gear? I guess my concept now is to go to work (professional clothes), come home (lounging clothes), and occasionally go out (I still own a few skirts, but only for days when I’m being picked up in a car). Most times, it’s limited to what will fit under the riding gear, and over the boots. As of this year, I now own sneakers or tennis shoes or whatever you call them. Shoot me.

34. What kept you sane?
Paul. And my family. And my motorcycles.

35. Which celebrity/public figure(s) did you fancy the most?
I’m still pretty impressed by Bill Clinton. I don’t know about “fancy.” I’m not much of a celebrity-follower. I dug that Manxman who won the Endurocross.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
See also, “aclu.” The greatest threat right now as I see it, is the shift in values from one of the Democratic Experiment of equality and freedom and opportunity, to the rollback of civil liberties, of the very thing that makes our nation great, in order to supposedly protect ourselves from terrorists. It’s a lie, it’s a sham, and it’s tearing down the only thing that ever made this nation great. Give me liberty or give me death. No, really. I don’t want to trade in my freedom and privacy for a chance to perhaps maybe prevent a suicide bomb. I think it’s short-sighted, and I think it’s pathetic, and I think it sells out the very reason for this nation to exist.

Most of all, I think it is a lie.

37. Who did you miss?
Charles.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Did I meet any new people? I liked that little old Italian lady we met while waiting on the doorstep of our B&B in Florence. She was trying to give us a Watchtower magazine, and when she realized we were American, she rather excitedly pushed us a German-language version. It was beyond explaining, as she spoke no English. So charming, and of course I still have that German Watchtower.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
It’s worth getting in the car with someone who speaks no English, to drive and hour and a half away, who may or may not wait for you to take you back, if you get to see something amazing in a place you may never return to.
I can totally ride 1000 miles of fucked up roads in 24 hours, as long as I stop for pizza somewhere on the way.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I don’t know. Something sappy, that alludes to the fact that with Paul and my family lined up in my life, I have found freedom and foundation to do all sorts of things, like travel and learn a new language. There ought to be a really bitchin guitar solo in there somewhere too. And some beatboxing. Or maybe just something that goes "tra-la-laaaaa"