a mini year-in-review

Since April returned from her conference, I’ve been a little busy with family stuff and being social and all that jazz so haven’t had time for the seemingly obligatory New Years post. But now we’re sitting still for a few minutes, and I thought I’d take that time to post a little Year-in-Review...in the form of eight questions and answers:

1. What countries did you visit?
Canada, England, Germany

2. What states did you visit/drive through?
Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming

3. What was/were your biggest accomplishments?
Passing my qualifying exams in May (ABD, baby!) and receiving my 1st black belt certificate in November (I passed my black belt testing last year, but you don’t receive the certificate until you’ve trained for a full year as a black belt).

4. What was your most embarrassing moment?
Plant and pool-sitting for my professor for three weeks and turning her pool bright algae-green the day before she returned (it turned out to not be completely my fault, but I was still mortified).

5. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Hanging out with friends (though I did quite a bit of that). Reading.

6. Any new favorite television shows?
30 Rock (Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin are my heroes), Criminal Minds (it gives me nightmares, but I just can’t stay away from the compelling storylines and Paget Brewster) and Murder in Suburbia (even though it’s cheesy as heck and only lasted 12 episodes). I’m rooting for The Sarah Connor Chronices as my new favorite show of 2008, but only time (and the writer’s strike) will tell.

7. What was the best book you read?
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

8. What was/were your favorite film(s) of this year?
Eastern Promises, in the drama category, and Lars and the Real Girl, in the comedy category; also, in the honorary category of not-the-best-film-but-I-loved-it-anyway:

The Brave One.

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We started off the New Year with a blast last night with an excellent dinner at a restaurant with April’s parents, brother and partner, and two friends of theirs, and then headed into the casino in the same hotel as the restaurant. April and I each brought $50 which we lost fairly quickly playing nickel slots. April’s mother, however, provided hours of entertainment as she proceeded to win what amounted to at least $1000 at a nickel slot machine. Minus the money she put in and the money she spent on our drinks, etc., she probably walked out of that casino when we left at 1am with a profit of $750! I was very impressed.

Her victorious mood was infectious, and she saw her winning streak as a good omen for the new year. When April asked what our losing streaks said about our prospects for 2008, I countered that $50 could hardly be considered a huge loss in the grand scheme of things and we shouldn’t read too much into it.

In lieu of resolutions, here’s what I took away from the evening: Know your limits and find enjoyment sharing in the triumphs of others.

And don’t leave things up to chance!

Happy New Year, everyone!