call me butter.

'cause I'm a on roll!

-on Tuesday night I was doing my homework and lo! and behold! the answer in the back of the book did not match mine. I did it FOUR different ways. And kept getting the same thing. I even had Matt look at it, and he was getting the same thing. And you know what? I emailed the professor and guess what--the book was WRONG. :) I like out-smarting text books. It makes me feel good!
-At class on Thursday I got my first homework back. It was about cow farts and how the amount of methane emitted actually increases when they're fed grass...and guess who got a 100?!? I didn't get a since 100% all of last semester (though I did get a 99 on my quiz on my birthday--but still, that's no 100!) and I DID I DID I DID! Yay for hard work paying off.
-I figured out how to do some adobe stuff all on my own. And spruced up my site. Check it. And, because I'm extra happy about it, here's a screenshot.

-I am going to put "substantially exceeded" for my professional development. Because it's TRUE. WOOHOO!
-After dinner with Jennifer (mmm sushi) on Monday I decided that I really needed to, as she put it, "live more authentically." Which for me, means a lot of trusting my gut, which I really was putting to the wayside in favor of, say, justifications or appearances. To that I say, no more!
-Additionally, Bible study makes me happy. It is amazing to hear other people with different ways of experiencing God, and to hear that maybe you aren't so nuts for thinking the way you think.

The two best parts (for me) of yesterday (other than, of course, the people there!) were:

1. the realization that my whole mindset of "someone did this for me, I want to return the favor to someone else" isn't just some cockeyed concept--it's real. It's ministry. It's hospitality. It's love. People can do the littlest or the biggest things, and it's all a part of humanity. And as silly as it made me sound, it made me feel better about and understand more fully why I feel that since I got to be a Girl Scout and Youth Group Member and Kappa Delta and athlete and so many other things, I should do what I can to give that chance to someone else, because it is real and worthwhile. (note: perhaps I should do fewer at once, I realize, but still--you get it, right?) It was one of those moments where suddenly everything that was blurry came fully into focus. And I liked it.

2. these lyrics, by one o' my fave bands, The Avett Brothers. Chelsea pointed them out after and they are so applicable.

Nobody will say
Oh what a fine young upstanding man
With his ducks in a row and his 50 year plan
Complete with an ending
But it's getting harder to see
And the time between daylight seems longer to me
And the person I am and the person I'll be
Refuse to meet

Lessons to learn and things to think about, hmm?

So, as many of you have already mentioned, it's February Eve-Eve. And you know what? This year I think I'm going to be okay with it. Me and the Feb aren't going to be buddy-buddy, but I've had my slump and I am out of it! So at the risk of eating my words later if I declared something like "so take that, Feb!" or "neener-neener!" I will simply say--I am having a February-can-be-Fun party all month, want to come? We'll wear hats and drink good beer. :)

boone--aka carrie the exorcist

so, I have to say, I was a tinge nervous about boone--I mean, we didn't know everyone, we were getting there late, I didn't know if I was going to get to ski or not, and I am a monster if I get woken up early and someone expects me to be productive.

we actually had A TON of fun. I mean, I *might* have sounded a little like the exorcist when the kitchen folk woke me up to ask where the coffee was, but other than that it was great!!! Some highlights...

-apples to apples! though some didn't like it that I read the definition of every card, we determined that discovering america was quite manly (in the hey-you-get-out-of-my-way kind of way) and my new friend heather and I were SO on the same wavelength.
-claudia makes a delicious breakfast!
-and lisa makes a heck of a pasta dish. mmm!
-we ate apple pie, dammit. (trust me on that one)
-gained a new appreciation for bandaid brand products--had it not been for the medical tape that paul had I would not have been able to ski (stupid toe! long story involving stumbling sleepy carrie, meowing cats and a metal picture frame) and had it not been for their waterproof bandaids, no hot tubbing either.
-it is actually, really possible for lisa and I to have a quiet conversation. previously we figured we were even loud over email, ha! but yes, quiteness.
-murphy is an adorable doggie.
-and geocaching is fun!
-my boyfriend is a big kid. or a monkey.
-always make sure you have all your gear *before* you head to the mountain.
-ski patrol people are kind of jerky.
-forks, knives and spoons make cute cabinet pulls.
-mushrooms do not.

-fake deer heads are cuter than real ones.
-fires can be mysteriously lit, apparently.

after we left on sunday matt and I visited linville falls, too. pretty pretty. kind of random to see this man in pajama pants leading four little boys all through the woods. he talked like boomhauer from king of the hill. but there were fun pictures from that, too. here are some of my faves:

pensive.

that's how I'm feeling right now. pensive.

I went to a Women's Bible Study at church last night. We talked about Mary and Martha, about being women, about all sorts of stuff. It is something I'm definitely making the time for.

Something else really motivating happened today--my office neighbor, Katie, had said she could loan me books for class if I'd like and they were what I needed. I'm having a little fiasco with my books right now, but thankfully between my friend Gurdas and expedited Amazon shipping, it'll be okay. (PS, DO NOT use ecampus.com. they kind of suck)

But so, Katie did the same thing I'm doing--getting her masters one class at a time. It will take a really, really long time. Really. But she told me it is so worth it. And I needed to hear that. I've gotten some really negative comments about going for my masters--some people have told me a masters isn't worth it at all, you should go PhD or nothing. Other friends have given me a hard time because it takes up my time, or because they think I'm doing it just to make myself look good. My mom and Granny and Granddad are/were always saying encouraging things though, and I listen to them. And I have friends who encourage me too, or who've helped me think through this path. I've changed my mind a lot, and people have listened to me wonder about all of it--so if you're an encourager or supporter or listener, thanks. :)

Katie reminded me that when it's all over, it will be SO worth it. I'll get a pay raise and an increase in stature, but I'll also get that title after my name. It will mean more when I do presentations and they can talk about both of my degrees. It will qualify me for more jobs and give me "street cred." And if you know me really well, you'll understand why this sentence was the most important one she said "And it's something no one can take away from you."

I've also been thinking a lot about photography. If you've seen the blog, you'll know that Nicole and I have parted ways. And in short, it has made me pensive.

But on a happier note, I now have a new site!

This weekend, in like an hour and a half, Matt and I are heading to Boone. With all sorts of people. And it should be FUN. And I am looking forward to it. So now, time to get my stuff together and head home!

Psalm 150:5-Praise [God] with cymbals, loud crashing cymbals!

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to say about Obama's inauguration..about how he told people to put aside childish things, about how Praise Song for the Day talked about the importance of love, about how Obama and Biden probably rehearsed their oaths a zillion times and someone botched it in the delivery...

but instead I'm going to talk about music. and cymbals.

I have been a part of a choir (on and off) since I was in elementary school. I have always loved music as a part of worship--I love the hymns and the harmony and the sounds. I consider myself a choral/group singer--I can hit all the notes, I just don't really feel comfortable doing it all by myself unless it's in harmony...and because of that I have always enjoyed music in worship--at church camp, in service, heck, even the Girl Scout songs that talk about how magnificent the earth is are a form of worship to me.

But last week my choir director gave us an article that got my wheels turning--it made me think of how music isn't just a part of worship, it IS worship. Hearing the organ or piano? It's the same as a prayer, except with notes for words. I know that I sing so others can enjoy it, and that that is for God, but I think of that as a part of worship, not as worship itself, if that makes sense.

I mean, it's a very slight difference, but the kind of slight difference that ultimately makes all the difference in the world.

And I know some of you might find this as a stretch, but that's how I feel about our new President.

Considering my crazy-liberal-scientific-eco-friendly ways, I have a rather large number of Republican/pro-McCain/anti-Obama friends/acquaintances/people I know. I mean, take for instance my boyfriend, who's only 100% out of that camp because little miss palin came along--and without her I wasn't quite so far left myself, to be honest (though I still was SO voting like I did).

And anyway, I can safely say that the vast majority of the people I know who voted for McCain (not all of them though, let's be clear! so if you think I'm talking about you and are upset then I'm probably not thinking of you at all!) did so because they were thinking about themselves. Their income. Their tax bracket. Their support/lack-thereof of Bush. Their ideas. Their mindset.

Not McCain's mindest. Not what McCain wanted for the US. What they wanted--for them.

If it sounds like I'm saying all Republicans only think about themselves--I'M NOT. But I am saying that after Obama won I heard sarcastic statements about people's mortgage and gas, or how *great* Obama will be for their pockets. But do you hear that? their. not OUR. not everyone's. Not US. Not the US.

And I think...I think it's like music. I think it's like cymbals...

Because go to hear a marching band play, and I'm telling you--by themselves the cymbals are loud and noisy and awkward. They don't seem like much, they don't seem important. But then hear that fight song, hear that beat, hear that emphasis--and then imagine what it would be like without those cymbals. Without the punctuation. Without the oomph.

And to me? That's what music in church is. It's that exclamation point. And more to the point, that's what Obama is. Anybody could have been a leader for our amazing country. Anybody. And really? I think at the end of the day/year/term, we would've been okay.

But Obama?

he's our cymbals.
he's our oomph.
and I have never, ever been so proud to be an American before. ever.

eco-texting!

a while ago my friend Patty introduced me to Ideal Bite and I signed up. Sometimes their messages are about things that I'm not particularly interested in, but I really, REALLY liked this one. I'm especially interested in the Low Carbon Diet Calculator and I will DEFINITELY be using the google one too whenever Jack (our garmin) can't find it.

more about the snow day and the election later!

Bon Appétit Eat Low Carbon Diet Calculator - text 69866 with the message lcd, followed by the name of the food (say, omelet) you're considering, and it'll send back a carbon rating and lower-carbon alternatives.

Blue Ocean Institute FishPhone - text 30644 with the message fish, followed by the variety you want to know about (example: tuna), and it'll fire back sustainability info on that species.

Climate Counts On-The-Go - text 30644 with the message cc, followed by the name of a major company (starbucks), and it'll let you know how well that organization scores on climate issues.

Bonus: Google Mobile - text google (466453), enter your starting address, then to, then your destination, and it'll send back directions - no printouts necessary

"matt, I'm sorry to wake you up, but I can't find the toolbox and I'm going to be late for work!"

~me.

This morning I was frantically ripping staples from the backside of frames. At ~1130 last night I went "oh crap! I never put them in frames!" Mind you I've had the photos ready for frames for like two weeks and I have had the frames almost as long. Oopsie! As you can probably guess, I had to wake matt up to find the damn tools, I found the WRONG toolbox. We have three, you see. Yeesh. It all worked out and I was only 15 min late, plus my boss isn't even here today so no worries!

Now my photos are for sale in a real, actual business. This one. AMAZINGLY good soup in a bread bowl, deelish wraps and awesome sandwiches. Yum. And Piper liked the photos, told me good job on getting real frames instead of cheapo metal ones AND really likes my picture from underneath the daises. I am EXCITED! (and I love it that the pink hammer handle is sticking out of my purse on the table, ha!)

This weekend was a good one. Matt and I had planned on going on a little date one of the nights, and I chose Friday so that I could make it to sushi with a few of my sisters on Saturday. We had intended to go to Babymoon, but alas, instead we spent a good bit of our night in the target pharmacy calling the on-call physician and trying to contain our annoyance. Y'see, since Friday was day number TWELVE of being sick, they decided perhaps it was more than just a virus and maybe I did have that sinus infection. And they called in an antibiotic. To the wrong pharmacy. AND I didn't know which one, and it had already been filled, so stuff with Target was messy, and thank goodness the provider on call was still at work so she could log on to the system. Yikes.

But, I have my meds and I'm definitely improving. It meant we didn't have dinner until ~920pm and had to go to Vincent's, but it was still nice. :) I fell asleep on the couch (which I rarely do) and slept untl like 11 on Saturday, it was glorious!

That afternoon we went to little Luke's bday party, and then came home, watched a house and I met the girls for sushi. Mmmmmm Akashi. We got out for under $20 a piece, which I think is AMAZING. We got far too much sushi (sorry!) but still had a fabulous meal and an excellent time. Lara came over for a bit and we chit chatted, which is always a good time.

And Sunday was the day of cooking and groceries. I visited Lowes and Trader Joes and made chicken tortilla soup, baked potato soup and chicken parm. We now have food for the whole week and some to spare so I'm freezing it! AND I got to take a nap, watch ANTM and get some work done too. Hip, hip, hooray! PLUS it's supposed to snow tonight, and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. Like, snow 3-5 inches!! YAY!

I'm hoping for a snow day, a hike in the snow and some cuddling with the kitties and Matt!

also, I never showed you this, but it seems pretty appropriate considering what is happening tomorrow. it's actually a holiday decoration (did I mention our tree is still up? ha!) but I took this a couple weeks ago and I like it! It needs fine tuning and a better background next time, but it was fun to experiment with the camera!

oh and last but not least--makes and takes is giving away a free blog makeover! their stuff is REALLY cute, check them out!

"I'm sorry, I'm going to have to call you back. Apparently I'm ruining someone's evening. Funny, I thought I was in a bookstore, not a library."

~me.

Whoa. Last night I'm in Barnes and Noble. I've set a bunch of books about photography on a table AWAY FROM ALL THE CHAIRS AND READERS and I'm looking through them and talking to my friend Christy on the phone. Not loudly and not about anything offensive--we're talking about how her photographer screwed up multiple times and what she should do about it. I'm mid-sentence and this woman who was probably in her late forties comes over and yells at me "We don't care. WE DON'T CARE!" And I calmly say to Christy ""I'm sorry, I'm going to have to call you back. Apparently I'm ruining someone's evening. Funny, I thought I was in a bookstore, not a library."

I hang up, I turn to the woman and her husband, who by the way are perusing Christian Inspiration literature, and Say "I am so sorry I have ruined your experience here. Thank you so kindly for returning the favor." The girl at the table next to me said "holy crap, did you KNOW that woman?" I said nope. And she said "you handled that SO much better than I would have."

I went to replace some of my books and then had to walk by the lady and her husband (I assume) again. They glared. I smiled. I was definitely within earshot of them when I found an employee and a manager and inquired if they had a volume policy. It confused them, I explained that apparently I was interrupting another customer's shopping experience, and they said "No, no policy. We are not a library. Talk, laugh, whatever." The manager wanted to go talk to the customer, but I declined to point her out.

I decided enough was enough.

I mean, I get it. I get why she was upset. Even though I wasn't breaking any B&N rules, I was bothering her. I happened to have been there first, and she SO could have handled that better (a tap on the shoulder? a would you mind, please?) but no. Yelling. Classy.

Mind you, there are people at the table next to me talking. There are people in the cafe that I can hear from across the store. The only reason she felt she had any right to say anything was because I happened to be speaking to a person who wasn't in the bookstore with me. I really would not have minded getting off the phone AT ALL if she had politely asked me instead of yelling. Seriously.

And personally I think that's bullpucky. And also pretty damn funny. When I called Christy back after the fiasco we got a pretty good laugh about it. Some people. Yeesh.

"I brought you all here to discuss, as I must, the fate of my children of the spiders"

~a surprise to the whoever can guess the name of this song without googling. :)

One of the songs on Kelly's new cd made me think of this band I loved in college, one that my cousin introduced me to. ALL of their songs are catchy. This one is about music critics, or so they say!

After class this morning I had a funny little revelation about how much I like some of my classmates, and how thankful I am that I took an on-campus class when I did so that I can meet them. They are really interesting, genuine people. Three of us stood in the hall after class and talked about cameras and lenses and pictures and anyway, it was fun. I liked it.

So I am definitely still sick. Which is not fun. And Matt seems to be getting worse, so double whammy of ickness. It really stinks when they say "just let it run its course..."

Last night I stayed at work until ~815 working on things for the greenhouse gas project, matt and I enjoyed some mexican food and I got to go to target to get these elusive pens. I told myself I could get them on Sunday, and alas, they were not to be found at target OR staples, they were sold out. However, I found them at another target last night and got to use them in class today. :) I miiiiiight have picked the restaurant partially due to its proximity to target! maybe.

Oh and I meant to show you my binder. Mine is actually a steely blue/green, but it's the same thing. The chipboard part is recyclable! And the middle steel part is too, if steel recycling is available in your neighborhood (I am not sure if it is here). You just use a dime to twist the steel loose and ta-da! I was going to get one from greenroom eco, but I couldn't resist one that in addition to being 100% recycled was also 100% recyclable. Bonus!

I haven't been nearly as productive as I should have been today, so it's time to get back to the grindstone.

"so if you're gonna get made, don't be afraid of what you've learned."

~blitzen trapper

oh, kelly thank you, thank you for the new tunes. I totally needed them. and? it is always a pleasant reminder that things always end up working out--I mean, two thanksgivings ago I am totally bummed out after my very recent breakup, I am flying to portland to hang out with my awesome friend jeremy and his awesome friends kim and atanas, I am a little bit of an emotional wreck, and on the plane I happen to mention how ridiculous it is that they're playing christmas carols on thanksgiving DAY, and the two seats next to me are open, so this cool dude ends up sharing my row. we talk music, play scrabble, and for crying out loud he finally finds me through GOOGLE. (we didn't exchange info, just enjoyed one another's company) it was at a time when we both needed a friend, and here we are, still friends and still sharing music two years later. and we are both in MUCH better places in our lives. I like it. :)

anyhoodle.

so. friday night was beerage with the teacher-age. I hadn't seen matt's teacher friends in a while so it was a nice change of pace. ham's in chapel hill was the place, which honestly was a smidge sketch-er-oo until matt came and helped me find the correct parking lot, which wasn't sketch at all. we drank THREE towers of beers. there were seven of us who helped, but I think matt, lance and I had the lion's share. these guys were $10 a piece for yuengling and contained 7 beers. what?!? that's crazy cheap. I even got to talk to the non-teacher about website design.

we stayed waaaaaay waaaaaay longer than I expected to. waaaaaay. but I had a lot of fun so I am SO not complaining.

saturday was a rough day. in the morning I didn't feel so good. I didn't want to get out of bed. I didn't want to wear any of the clothes I have. I didn't want to do anything! but I had those pictures to take, so I went...and I am glad I did. I'll show you some more soon! the manager was really nice and I even got to tell him about how awesome 50 mm lenses are. :)

AND Nicole and I booked our first wedding photography gig together saturday afternoon/evening! we are both EXCITED!

after that I went to Derek and Courtney's for a bit, had Moes and interesting conversation with Courtney and Nicole, and then went home to prepare for helping with pref night stuff at Duke. I had a REALLY hard time finding the right building, and one girl took FOR.EV.ER to decide where she was going. Like, 45 min. I saw her concerns, but it definitely took A LOT of patience. Oh well. And by the time that was over I had started to feel pretty crappy again...

which is why I ended up going to urgent care on sunday. my throat was WAY swollen and I had this weird cough in my chest, and I was having trouble taking a deep breath. ibuprofen helped a little, but I was also losing my voice. the provider on call told me I needed my chest x-rayed, and I didn't it ended up that it was just part of this ick I've been having, but I was glad I went since they told me new meds to get. I was SO mad though 'cause I'd been feeling better, and I wouldn't have gone out on Saturday if I thought I was still sick and not like 85% all better. UGH.

so sunday I rested. and slept. and watched tv. and chilled the hell out. I have more of my voice today and I'm feeling a bit better, but definitely not all good, UGH!

and today has been...busy. like, three meetings, hardly sat at my desk at all busy. yeesh.

experiments with beer

tomorrow afternoon I'm taking pictures at that restaurant that I can't name, and Matt and I were discussing that it would be good to do a little research beforehand to find out what looks best. I mean, most people don't actually want to drink beer that has a lot of head, but it sure does look good in pictures!

we're wondering about what color of beer (is that even the right word?) is going to be best...and how much foam and how far down should we drink it and all that stuff. we were also discussing what things in there look the most awesome--the taps, getting a pic of a beer being poured, etc. and what would they like to have put on their website? I am also going to try for some where the logo is on the back side, but still visible. I'm excited to see what happens!

we shall see.

I am still definitely sick. And sleepy. And coughing up grossness. And my neck hurts. And I don't like it.

But I DO like it that my friend Kara and I got to have sushi for lunch, and I do like it that I got to wear my new red suede shoes today. I bought them with Courtney on Sunday, buy one get one half off!

aaaaaand that's about all, folks. I mean, there's plenty more, but I am way behind on all sorts of things, so that's all you get today. :)

it's okay, I have a system.

you see, at nighttime I take benadryl. in the morning it's sudafed. and in the middle of the day, zyrtex. did I mention I HATE taking medicine?!?

oh, and tea. LOTS of tea. and water. and cranberry flavored ginger ale. (which I can kind of thank nicole for, 'cause after I had cherry 7up at her house I wanted more...which eventually led me to try this!)

Monday night I started feeling pretty gross...Tuesday night I had a fever...Wednesday I stayed home and today I'm improving but still have a loverly raw and red nose. When I went to the doctor yesterday my primary complaint was [warning, a tinge gross] "green snot." This made her laugh, a lot.

My first day of class was today. I think my professor is neurotic. Like, seriously neurotic. He totally beefed up his policies (which were already kind of intense). eg:
-if you do not staple your papers you lose FIVE percentage points for that homework
-if you turn in your homework at 8:31 am you lose TEN percentage points
-homework groups shall be no more than three people and no less than three people
-if you ask him to regrade something (because you think you should have gotten more points on a problem) he will regrade the ENTIRE paper/homework/test/whatever, not just that one place. so your overall grade may go down.

etc.

I want to be like "dude, this is a class for seniors in college and grad students. final semester seniors. LAY OFF. this isn't some weedout class." I also feel like he must not have children and feel a little sorry for his wife. gracious.

okay, time for more nose blowing. more soon. I still have like three sets of pictures to show you, all in good time...

"I made it special just for you...with LOVE"

~dude from bruegger's who made a special better bacon cheddar just.for.me. :)

so, this weekend was extra-super enjoyable. court went just fine on friday, they gave me my prayer for judgment and it only took 35 minutes from car door to car door to have the whole thing over with. and I saved myself fifty bucks in the process. :)

I also got the chance to clean my house which, if you know me, you know that I HATE doing. But, it needed it so badly that cleaning was actually kind of enjoyable--it's nice to see my floor, y'know? I even managed to go to a bead store, take a nap AND cook dinner, which I enjoy a lot when I can take my time doing it.

Friday night my friend Matt came down from VA to visit and we introduced him to the awesomeness that is How I Met Your Mother. And I made my Mexican Casserole, and we talked, ate and drank beer. And played with his iphone. I had already decided I'd be getting one for quite a few reasons, but if there was any doubt in my mind it is now gone!

In the morning Matt and I went to Bruegger's and went to the Tobacco Campus in Durham. My Matt met us there after soccer, and the three of us walked around taking pictures and chatting. And then we went to s'relyT (name is backwards, I'll explain in a sec why!) and had lunch. Mmmmm garlic fries. And took some pool pics, along with pics of our beer and stuff. While eating I decided to ask when the owner would be in and the poor waiter flipped and sent the manager immediately (I didn't sound upset at all). I told him--I'd like to take pictures of your restaurant, for free, and in exchange I ask that I be able to put them on my site, and ask that if you use any of them you credit me.

I showed the guy the pic of my beer and he was quite impressed. I definitely upped my street cred by showing him the pic--I went from "random girl who likes to take pictures" to "wow!" And he just called me back--and as long as I don't put their name anywhere it's all a go. :D I.Am.Excited!

I also practiced taking artsy shots like this. It took a lot of attempts, but I think I better learned how to do 'em. I'd only tried taking these of inanimate objects, and I'd never tried pool shots before. These were necessarily part of his session, per se, though I did take some less artsy guitar and pool table ones--but it was great getting to mess around with the camera since he's my friend and was a very patient subject!

Saturday after a nice nap we went on a quadruple date--Uno's and bowling. I was, once again, The Hammer, and had a fantastic finish, I must say. I'd granny-bowled the last three frames because my thumb had started to hurt, but on the tenth I had the 8 and 10 left after my first throw, so I actually bowled the second throw to get a spare. And I finished on a strike. :)

and Sunday was a fabulous afternoon of bargain-shopping with Courtney. We hit up all of the important shops--y'know, HomeGoods, TJMaxx, Ross and Rack Room Shoes. Other than taking their engagement pictures I'd never really hung out with just Courtney (and even then the boys were there) so it was a real treat! We learned that we shop well together, and I had such a good time!

and then--Sunday evening I started putting together the framed photos I get to hang up at Piper's. I am SUPER excited about this too. I will definitely take a picture once they are all up on the wall there!

aaaaaaand...now it's the first day back at work with NO holidays between now and, what, Memorial Day? Yuck. But I still have quite a few trips to go on between now and then, so at least I'll get some little breaks (Atlanta, Florida twice and then Wilmington, and I think maybe South Carolina? Yikes!) It is definitely the year o' the wedding for me!

I stole this from a blog I read...

In my 2008...What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
bought a house!

Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
see: previous post. mostly.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
nicole did!!

Did anyone close to you die?
shannon and I weren't close, but we were friends...

What countries did you spend time in this year?
the united states. per usual.

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

What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
april fools day--when I was published and when I started my new job.

What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
getting published!

What was your biggest failure?
getting organized

Did you suffer any serious injury or illness?
sinus surgery counts as both, right?

What was the best thing you bought?
my camera!

Whose behaviour merited celebration?
my sister's. she has been doing very well at work.

Whose behaviour made you appalled and/or depressed?
Those that I used to call my friends. I learned they weren't my friends after all. [the person before me put this answer--and it applies to me too]

Where did most of your money go?
my house

Compared to this time last year, are you,
a) happier or sadder? happier.
b) thinner or fatter? I think I weigh like 3 lbs more?
c) richer or poorer? richer. raise + award + photography = :)

What did you get really, really excited about?
buying a house
taking and selling photos and having one published
moving in with matt
traveling. a lot!

What do you wish you'd done more of?
cooked. read. slept.

Did you fall in love in 2008?
nope.

How many one-night stands?
not a one.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
hate? no. other negative words? yes.

What was the best book you read?
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver

What did you want and not get?
to park in my garage. to see some of my kd sisters. and a new bed.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 28. I celebrated for like two weeks--dinner with Matt, a housewarming/bday party, a trip to the Carolina Balloon Festival, a massage and haircut, etc. :)

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
not always feeling rushed.

What political issue stirred you the most?
global warming, obvs. next up, prop 8.

Who did you miss?
my granddaddy. I miss him pretty much every day. but it's getting easier to remember him fondly instead of sadly wish he were still here. it's only hard anymore when there's a joke to tell or an accomplishment to share.

Who was the best new person you met?
Christy M. I think we will be friends for a long time.

Tell us a valuable life lesson(s) you learned in 2008.
people are not always what/who they seem.
sometimes people take things in ways I never would have imagined, much less intended.

What sums up this year? (a word, a quote... ?)
shakespeare is always helpful...
"and this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything."
"if you want to win anything - a race, your self, your life - you have to go a little berserk."
"poor and content is rich, and rich enough."