1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Spent a week wandering around and gaping at the beauty that is Barcelona.
Scouted music acts for West Coast Live.
Helped my grandma celebrate her 95th birthday in person with my family.
Threw a record party for my 33 1/3rd birthday.
Wrote essays for The Present Group #12 and group show My Certain Fate.
Explored the urban oilscape of Los Angeles with the CLUI.
Danced to Animal Collective at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur.
Saw it snow on the first day of spring in New York.
Had minor surgery for purely cosmetic reasons.
Bought a Noise Pop badge and used the hell out of it.
Finally branched out into a different department at KALX.
Managed six direct reports at work all at the same time...for a couple months anyway.
Put a pet to sleep.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make 'em.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Welcome to Sami and Luke!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My kitties Cardiff and Orson. I still miss Cardiff every morning.
5. What countries did you visit?
Spain, and then Heathrow Airport in England.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
I didn't exactly lack extra-curricular projects in 2009, but I would love even more of them in 2010.
7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 20. I watched the inauguration in the board room at work and cried tears of joy.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
All the writing I did for this here blog.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Too much time spent on Facebook when I could have been, like, sleeping.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major this year thank goodness.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Stacks and stacks of 7-inches and CDs from Aquarius.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Every single one of my brave, courageous, amazing friends.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The debate around health care in this country again revealed so much idiocy and willful ignorance.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Therapy.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
An evening of ghost stories out at the Headlands with Clare Rojas was a definite highlight of my year.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
"Sleepyhead" - Passion Pit
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i.happier or sadder? Sadder
ii. thinner or fatter? Same
iii. richer or poorer? Richer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Eating at Mission Street Food.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Over-analyzing every damn detail in my life.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Lunch with my family, and then dinner with my clan.
21. How did you spend NYE?
DJing the last shift of the year at KALX.
22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Exciting crushes and good company galore, but not love as such. My heart did get knocked around a little though.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Mad Men
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Some old hatreds go on and on. My disgust for Quentin Tarantino, for instance.
26. What was the best book you read?
What It Is - Lynda Barry
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I could not begin to list them all, but just for starters: High Castle, Grouper, Erika M. Anderson, Talk Normal, Black Tambourine
28. What did you want and get?
An end to a particularly long dry spell.
29. What did you want and not get?
A guy who sticks around.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Hunger
The Hurt Locker
Goodbye, Solo
The Beaches of Agnès
Drag Me To Hell
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Screened my three favorite films at my place (Red, Antonia's Line, F for Fake) and served pizza and beer, just like at the dearly departed Parkway. I turned 33.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Better health during my trips to NYC and Barcelona. Being sick on vacation sucks ass, though I didn't let it slow me down much in either case.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
eBay and Buffalo Exchange finds mixed with local designers, worn with jeans and Converse sneakers and cheap vegan shoes.
34. What kept you sane?
Richter-cat, especially when curled up in my lap. Visits to the Headlands. DJing. Local art. Loud music. Sunday brunch at Sea Salt.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Michael Fassbender
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Marriage equality.
37. Who did you miss?
My more far-flung friends and family.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
No one person, but the many excellent peeps I met through Club Sandwich.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Never drop your car keys through your friends' mail slot at 4 in the morning unless you've already gotten your bags out of said car's trunk.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
And I want to walk around with you
--Animal Collective