Sunday, January 1, 2006

Farewell 2005

Don't let the door hit you... No, not really!

It's been a year of extreme ups and downs (and the downs were particularly rough), but the end result has been relatively positive. For the most part. I'm too lazy to shoot from the hip like Salomé did, and I already covered the comics side of things over at CBC, so here's a meme to wrap things up here:

1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
Dealt with an autistic child and the death of a close friend.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't recall making any specific resolutions last year, but I certainly acheived a couple of goals I set forth myself, while falling woefully short on several others. Probably do something similar this year, though with a few more lofty goals.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I've lost track, but Angelica was born this year, yes?

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, Peter.

5. What countries did you visit?
None.

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
A new job, and a little more time to focus on my own writing. A house, perhaps.

7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 2nd, the day India was officially diagnosed as autistic.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Taking over as Buzzscope's Senior Editor back in October.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Getting very little of my own writing done.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
That armpit thing that brought 2004 to a screeching halt and kicked off 2005 on the wrong foot.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A print of Klimt's Salome, which I had framed, and gave to my Salomé for her birthday.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
India, for her rapid response to ABA therapy, and Isaac, for his handling of having to grow up a little bit quicker than he should have had to.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Anti-Union reactions to the TWU strike from NYers who should know better.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills. And the kids. And comics.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Taking over as Buzzscope's Senior Editor back in October.

16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
"Shake it Off," Mariah Carey

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier
ii. thinner or fatter? fatter
iii. richer or poorer? about the same

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
My own writing.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Already passed, but ideally, with Salomé and the kids alone for at least the first three hours.

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
I don't like talking on the phone, so probably Salomé.

22. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Again, yes.

23. How many one-night stands?
As I said last year, with two kids, it's always like a one-night stand!

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope. Hate's too tiring these days.

26. What was the best book you read?
Men of Tomorrow, Gerard Jones

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Rediscovering my favorite songs from the early 90s.

28. What did you want and get?
An MP3 player and Vs. cards.

29. What did you want and not get?
World peace.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Mad Hot Ballroom and Batman Begins

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 36 and hung out with some close family and friends here at home.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Doing more of my own writing.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Simple and easy.

34. What kept you sane?
Comic books.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Fancy? I think George Clooney's a rather fascinating guy, but I "fancy" Shakira.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Hurricane Katrina

37. Who did you miss?
Peter, though I realized that too late.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Jon

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
Being resilient isn't an option, it's a requirement.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"You can be the President, I'd rather be the Pope.
You can be the side effect, I'd rather be the dope."
--"Pope", Prince

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's JD again, forget what I said earlier, I just read some of your fiction and it's terrible, you have no idea what fiction is about. All you know is bitching about other writers' novels, which may I say, you have no novels to your credit. So I'm sorry, stick to blogs, bitching and spoken word. You will never be a NOVELIST or a writer other than a blog man.

J.D.

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez said...

quit this bullshit which is masturbation...

Well, masturbation does have its merits, but it does make me wonder what random blog comments are akin to, though. Peeping toms?

A quick look at my Site Meter shows you came across my blog in search of "Chango's Fire," a novel I reviewed rather unfavorably a while back, so I guess I'll take your criticism with the slightest grain of salt. Never mind that a mere 10 minutes passed between your first and second comments, in which you read two whole pages of my fiction blog, so I'm sure you missed the fact that what you read was part of 2004's NaNoWriMo (Google it), and some D&D character sketches. :-O

Thanks for stopping by, though - that makes 21 readers! - and for the astute advice on writing. Email me your address and I'll send you a copy of my novel whenever I get around to writing it. Happy new year!