i may be a bird in a cage but at least it's your cage

Some years I do this; some years I don't. This year I sort of want to collect myself before starting 2009, you know?

Also I'm bored and TJ Yates sucks.


1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Voted for a winning president, used an SLR camera, stayed single for an entire calendar year.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I resolved to be less hateful. I was not less hateful. As for next year? I have some things I want to do -- I have a lot of things I want to do -- but I try not to call them resolutions. They're just things I want to do.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not to the best of my knowledge.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year, which I think is good.

5. What countries did you visit?
Sadly, no matter how much I lobby for it, Durham is not actually another country.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More balance in my life -- this year it felt like I was constantly running all or nothing, and I'd like some kind of life in between that next year.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
November 4. I mean. Duh.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I took some goddamned good photographs. I voted for Barack Obama.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I was selfish and mean a lot, and I was a total failure at boys in multiple ways, some of them really awful embarrassing ways.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had a bunch of colds.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Quantaray 70-210mm lens, on ridiculous sale at Wolf.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Anyone who put up with me and didn't kill me in my sleep, so mostly shep. and A.; Carolina QB Cameron Sexton's.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own; the Republican party's; TJ Yates'.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, gas, concert tickets, film.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
OBAMA. Taking pictures. The music scene down here.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Portastatic's cover of "Oh My Sweet Carolina". The Hold Steady's "Stay Positive".

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? So much much much happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner, barely.
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer, but with better money management skills!

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Saying no, standing up for myself.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sulking, letting myself be pushed around.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
shep. and I went to the beach and hung out with my folks for two days.

21. How will you be spending New Year's?
The Kebloki/Red Collar/Hammer No More The Fingers show at the 506 with triskellita, New Year's Eve, but the DC crew is coming down and EZ coming up the Friday after for the real celebration.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Repeatedly, and rarely with anyone who knew my name, much less knew I was in love with them.

23. How many one-night stands?
I kissed boys at two different Drive-By Truckers shows, but that was it.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
College Game Day. I am really that lame.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Not really.

26. What was the best book you read?
Blue Dixie: Awakening The South's Democratic Majority by Bob Moser, which I read the week after the election and cried like a bitch at.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Reckless Kelly, the Truckers.

28. What did you want and get?
OBAMA.

29. What did you want and not get?
Less pudge. Laid.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I honestly have no idea. Iron Man, I guess.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Day of, my dad flew down, took me and SisCat out to dinner, and then he and I went to see the Carolina baseball team play Princeton, his alma mater. Observed, the girls got me hammered on Jack and Cokes and took me to see Jason Isbell and Browan Lollar play an acoustic set, at which the American Aquarium boys got me even more hammered and Jason played "Thank God For The TVA" for me. I turned 28.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To have spent less of the year frustrated by various things.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Jeans, t-shirts, flip-flops, sundresses, accessorized with cameras.

34. What kept you sane?
shep. Live music.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jason Isbell, by a mile.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
OBAMA.

37. Who did you miss?
My high school ex. Most of the members of the Axis who don't live here anymore.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
The American Aquarium boys, who we met in 2007 but got to know in 2008.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Stop and take the goddamn photo.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
there's no sorrow that the sun's not gonna help