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... :: 2003: the review :: ...

1. what did you do in 2003 that you’d never done before?
got a job i liked, lived with a stranger, went to victoria, got drunk with nathan ross, met the jealous sound, lived with a boy and met a current best friend…on the internet.

2. did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more next year?
i don’t remember them, so probably not. i have already made some this year, and so far have kept them.

3. did anyone close to you give birth?
yes.

4. did anyone close to you die?
yes.

5. what places did you visit?
victoria, seattle (10+ times), olympia, cannon beach, san francisco.

6. what would you like to have in 2004 that you lacked in 2003?
a dependable car.

7. what date from 2003 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
realizing that my previously-thought-to-be-unrequited attraction was, in fact, requited. and then going home together.

8. what was your biggest achievement of the year?
my job, i guess.

9. what was your biggest failure?
falling in love with someone i couldn’t have.

10. did you suffer illness or injury?
strep throat, but i get that every year.

11. what was the best thing you bought?
i bought garrett an antique confederate $50 bill for his birthday.

12. whose behavior merited celebration?
this question is stupid.

13. whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
where should i start?

14. where did most of your money go?
ikea & bars.

15. what did you get really, really, really excited about?
books, movies, bands, friends, boys.

16. what songs will always remind you of 2003?
always on my mind, hey ya, the district sleeps alone tonight, sleep away your troubles, all her favorite fruit, fuck the pain away, crowned in chrome…

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

18. what do you wish you’d done more of?
screenprinting, photography, seeing movies, sending care packages.

19. what do you wish you’d done less of?
pining after my best friend, moping when he moved away.

20. how will you be spending christmas?
my parents came to portland for two days, then we went to seattle to see my sister.

22. did you fall in love in 2003?
yes.

23. how many one-night stands?
one. and three friends-who-sleep-together situations.

24. what was your favorite tv program?
smallville, family guy, aqua teen.

25. do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
no, but i pity them.

26. what were the best books you read?
stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers – mary roach
“for two thousand years, cadavers have been involved in science’s boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. they’ve tested france’s first guillotines, ridden the nasa space shuttle, been crucified in a parisian laboratory and helped solve the mystery of twa flight 800. for every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way. in this fascinating, ennobling account, mary roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries - from the anatomy labs and human-sourced pharmacies of medieval europe to a human decay research facility in tennessee, a plastic surgery practice lab and a scandinavian conference on human composting. in her droll, inimitable voice, roach tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.”

crying: the natural and cultural history of tears – tom lutz
“observing that the act of weeping is exclusively human, though its interpretation is by no means universal, tom lutz offers a fascinating, multi-disciplinary study of tears. with a fluid style and an astonishingly vast reach - encompassing history, literature, the arts and the social sciences - lutz explores how crying has been portrayed and perceived throughout history.”

shopgirl – steve martin
“filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought steve martin incredible critical success, this story of modern day love and romance is a work of disarming tenderness.”

27. what was your greatest musical discovery?
postal service. rilo kiley. peaches. yves montand. crooked fingers. emmylou harris.

28. what did you want and get?
a cool job, good roommates, boys, a dress dummy, an accordion.

29. what did you want and not get?
medical models, boys.

30. what was your favorite film of this year?
lost in translation.

31. what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
turned 24. took three days off work. drank a lot. slept very little. watched “the ring.” got an accordion. had sex. helped a friend move.

32. what one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
better roommates.

33. how would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2003?
according to my roommate, “hipster white trash.”

34. what kept you sane?
books. art. music. driving. sleeping. cats.

35. which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
gael garcia bernal, tom welling, sufjan stevens, eric bachmann.

36. what political issue stirred you the most?
where should i start?

37. who did you miss?
college friends, high school friends, stupid boys.

38. who was the best new person you met?
in what way? eric is the hottest, joel is the shaggiest, angelo is the hippest, carter is the cutest, nathan is the nicest, brad is the funniest, jason franer is the most charming, jason foster is the most beautiful, jason cobb is the cuddliest...i met a lot of new people this year.

39. tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2003:
despite what they may say, nobody is capable of keeping a secret. seriously.

40. quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
“constant quarreling, the childish fits, and our clothes in a pile on the ottoman.”