Year in Review... 2003
Review of the past year -- a list courtesy of ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hopeforyou...
1. What did you do in 2003 that you'd never done before?
Had sushi, as well as several other Japanese dishes, like okonomani pancakes and raw seaweed...
Tapas-bar-cruising.
Visited Asia (Japan), Africa (Morocco), and Spain. And Chico.
Hour-long video webcast from a remote mountaintop.
Won an automated drilling research grant in my own right as a PI.
English Country Dancing.
Drove a car with a manual transmission.
Rode a camel. (it was easier)
Dyed clothes in a creek, with the natural pigments in the mud.
Was smeared by the media (local tabloid in San Jose ;).
Went to a dawn May Day celebration, and saw Morris dancing.
Celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary withpatgreene. :-D
A two-footed spin and a half-flip.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I resolved to be less reclusive, and to exercise more. Both were spotty, with successful and unsuccessful periods. I also wanted to experience new things and stretch my personal boundaries, which I kept (with help).
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No. My friends all tend to either have no kids, or already have them by now.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
US, Japan, Canada, Spain, Morocco. All but the latter on business.
6. What would you like to have in 2004 that you lacked in 2003?
Better communications with those I love. Better self-esteem, and not feeling like my value is controlled by others' actions. Friends around whom I can relax and be myself.
7. What date from 2003 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 1. No contest.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Gradually pulling myself out of several bad personal scripts and habits. I'm not close to done, but I'm happier than I used to be.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not balancing my time -- neglecting areas of my life while I focussed on others. This led to friction at home and at work.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
In terms of bright-shininess, probably the new van three weeks ago. In terms of longer-term impacts... too soon to say.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
patgreene for repeatedly demonstrating her love and affection. geekchick and dawnd for helping me through a rough spring and summer. My mom's sacrifices in the name of family unity -- I don't know if I could do that. hopeforyou for both technically-proficient flashes of insight, and pulling herself out of a terrible personal hole this autumn. Nancy for being always passionate, always steadfast and loyal. CS for having a sense of humor... James for improving his grades and being more responsible, playful, and having more perspective that I'd ever expect from a 13-year-old. David's great strides in reading and behavior. And Kevin's survival after stunts like jumping out of a moving convertible ;-).
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The Boss, i.e., the White House. Warmongering media and public figures. Local bullies...
14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage payments and taxes. Everything else was minor.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
A weekend withgeekchick. Winning a research proposal. Visiting new countries and places. My kids' personal growth this year :-).
16. What song will always remind you of 2003?
Great Big Sea's "Recruiting Sargeant". Both because I first heard GBS this year, and its reminders of the effects of mindless patriotism....
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, overall. With some dark periods.
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter, I've gained eight pounds this year, most of it in three weeks in Spain. No gym and lots of good stuff...
iii. richer or poorer? Slightly richer financially, considerably so intangibly. I have good friends and family :-).
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Being present, not with my mind wandering ahead. Physical exercise. Teaching. Geophysics, instead of dealing with the NASA bureaucracy. Reading for pleasure, I've almost stopped reading novels. Sex -- 37 times in 2003 wasn't awful but wasn't enough... there were months-long gaps. Managing my finances, as I blew over $1K in overdraft fees this year. More cuddles, I often feel/felt touch-deprived.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Drama, online and otherwise. Cleaning up. Nagging my kids. Beating myself up, figuratively. Paying attention to politics...
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it at my parents' house near Atlanta, with all of my siblings and their kids.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Nancy, hands-down. ;-)
22. Did you fall in love in 2003?
Glimmerings... started to, pulled back, started to, pulled back. A couple of heavy crushes...
23. How many one-night stands?
Zero. I've never had a one-night stand. For that matter, had no new sexual contacts at all in 2003.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
A recycling program for used television sets? I watch almost no TV, videos or DVDs.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
"hate" is a relative term... but I have more enemies than a year ago.
26. What was the best book you read?
I only read a few, none of them outstanding...
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Tie between Great Big Sea and Oysterband.
28. What did you want and get?
Recognition from peers, colleagues and the front office. Adventures at home and in foreign lands. New friendships. Control of my own budget. A new, functional car. A mortgage refinance while rates are low.
29. What did you want and not get?
A better school situation for David. More face-time and cuddle-time with my LDRs. Peace. A less tense relationship with my relatives. Closer, relaxed local friendships. Self-acceptance. Completion of my kitchen remodeling and my gravity survey paper.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Master and Commander, and Amelie... the latter still makes me smile.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
On July 22, I had just arrived in the polar desert on Devon Island, to run field tests with a geologist in a prototype Mars spacesuit. At dinner, the camp surprised me with a cake with candles... I was 43.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to be myself, face-to-face with others... to put down the usual facades and barriers, and trust others enough to relax. I can do this more easily online or in very large groups than face-to-face.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2003?
Matching colors, no holes or stains.
34. What kept you sane?
The patience and love of those around me.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None, I ignore celebrities.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Imperial and fascist tendencies on the part of the current US administration. Including the pre-emptive, unethical war in Iraq.
37. Who did you miss?
I miss interacting with my father in the friendly way that we used to do. I miss the long IMs I used to have withgeekchick. I missed marsh walks with hopeforyou at work, after she moved to SF and came onsite less often.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Best in what sense? Among newly-met folks, I suppose that I've gotten closest fastest towho_is_she this year.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2003:
People don't appreciate having negative opinions pre-emptively assigned to them.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your yearlife:
"For it's over the mountains and over the seas... "
hopeforyou...1. What did you do in 2003 that you'd never done before?
Had sushi, as well as several other Japanese dishes, like okonomani pancakes and raw seaweed...
Tapas-bar-cruising.
Visited Asia (Japan), Africa (Morocco), and Spain. And Chico.
Hour-long video webcast from a remote mountaintop.
Won an automated drilling research grant in my own right as a PI.
English Country Dancing.
Drove a car with a manual transmission.
Rode a camel. (it was easier)
Dyed clothes in a creek, with the natural pigments in the mud.
Was smeared by the media (local tabloid in San Jose ;).
Went to a dawn May Day celebration, and saw Morris dancing.
Celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary with
patgreene. :-DA two-footed spin and a half-flip.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I resolved to be less reclusive, and to exercise more. Both were spotty, with successful and unsuccessful periods. I also wanted to experience new things and stretch my personal boundaries, which I kept (with help).
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No. My friends all tend to either have no kids, or already have them by now.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
US, Japan, Canada, Spain, Morocco. All but the latter on business.
6. What would you like to have in 2004 that you lacked in 2003?
Better communications with those I love. Better self-esteem, and not feeling like my value is controlled by others' actions. Friends around whom I can relax and be myself.
7. What date from 2003 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 1. No contest.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Gradually pulling myself out of several bad personal scripts and habits. I'm not close to done, but I'm happier than I used to be.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not balancing my time -- neglecting areas of my life while I focussed on others. This led to friction at home and at work.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
In terms of bright-shininess, probably the new van three weeks ago. In terms of longer-term impacts... too soon to say.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
patgreene for repeatedly demonstrating her love and affection. geekchick and dawnd for helping me through a rough spring and summer. My mom's sacrifices in the name of family unity -- I don't know if I could do that. hopeforyou for both technically-proficient flashes of insight, and pulling herself out of a terrible personal hole this autumn. Nancy for being always passionate, always steadfast and loyal. CS for having a sense of humor... James for improving his grades and being more responsible, playful, and having more perspective that I'd ever expect from a 13-year-old. David's great strides in reading and behavior. And Kevin's survival after stunts like jumping out of a moving convertible ;-). 13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The Boss, i.e., the White House. Warmongering media and public figures. Local bullies...
14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage payments and taxes. Everything else was minor.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
A weekend with
geekchick. Winning a research proposal. Visiting new countries and places. My kids' personal growth this year :-). 16. What song will always remind you of 2003?
Great Big Sea's "Recruiting Sargeant". Both because I first heard GBS this year, and its reminders of the effects of mindless patriotism....
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, overall. With some dark periods.
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter, I've gained eight pounds this year, most of it in three weeks in Spain. No gym and lots of good stuff...
iii. richer or poorer? Slightly richer financially, considerably so intangibly. I have good friends and family :-).
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Being present, not with my mind wandering ahead. Physical exercise. Teaching. Geophysics, instead of dealing with the NASA bureaucracy. Reading for pleasure, I've almost stopped reading novels. Sex -- 37 times in 2003 wasn't awful but wasn't enough... there were months-long gaps. Managing my finances, as I blew over $1K in overdraft fees this year. More cuddles, I often feel/felt touch-deprived.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Drama, online and otherwise. Cleaning up. Nagging my kids. Beating myself up, figuratively. Paying attention to politics...
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it at my parents' house near Atlanta, with all of my siblings and their kids.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Nancy, hands-down. ;-)
22. Did you fall in love in 2003?
Glimmerings... started to, pulled back, started to, pulled back. A couple of heavy crushes...
23. How many one-night stands?
Zero. I've never had a one-night stand. For that matter, had no new sexual contacts at all in 2003.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
A recycling program for used television sets? I watch almost no TV, videos or DVDs.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
"hate" is a relative term... but I have more enemies than a year ago.
26. What was the best book you read?
I only read a few, none of them outstanding...
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Tie between Great Big Sea and Oysterband.
28. What did you want and get?
Recognition from peers, colleagues and the front office. Adventures at home and in foreign lands. New friendships. Control of my own budget. A new, functional car. A mortgage refinance while rates are low.
29. What did you want and not get?
A better school situation for David. More face-time and cuddle-time with my LDRs. Peace. A less tense relationship with my relatives. Closer, relaxed local friendships. Self-acceptance. Completion of my kitchen remodeling and my gravity survey paper.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Master and Commander, and Amelie... the latter still makes me smile.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
On July 22, I had just arrived in the polar desert on Devon Island, to run field tests with a geologist in a prototype Mars spacesuit. At dinner, the camp surprised me with a cake with candles... I was 43.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to be myself, face-to-face with others... to put down the usual facades and barriers, and trust others enough to relax. I can do this more easily online or in very large groups than face-to-face.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2003?
Matching colors, no holes or stains.
34. What kept you sane?
The patience and love of those around me.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None, I ignore celebrities.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Imperial and fascist tendencies on the part of the current US administration. Including the pre-emptive, unethical war in Iraq.
37. Who did you miss?
I miss interacting with my father in the friendly way that we used to do. I miss the long IMs I used to have with
geekchick. I missed marsh walks with hopeforyou at work, after she moved to SF and came onsite less often.38. Who was the best new person you met?
Best in what sense? Among newly-met folks, I suppose that I've gotten closest fastest to
who_is_she this year.39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2003:
People don't appreciate having negative opinions pre-emptively assigned to them.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your yearlife:
"For it's over the mountains and over the seas... "
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Neat list.
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:)
I also enjoyed learning more about you.
I should do this meme but right now have no time.
:)
I like your 'valuable life lesson', I think you are a very thoughtful person. I also like your 'personal fashion concept'.
you are cool.
:)