New Years Meme

Tagged by Toast.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Having a hard time with this one. Not exactly living life on the edge these days.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I set some goals about losing weight, getting in shape, being neater around the house...I DID lose weight, and then gained some back. Got in better cardio shape. Remained a fucking slob. For 2008 I will repeat those: 170 is the weight goal (181 this morning). I will join the new gym at work. I will throw away so much of my shit, I can't help but be neater.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? We had our second daughter, Charlotte, on January 31. A few close friends added their second as well.

4. Did anyone close to you die? My grandfather died. But, he had a good run—he was 94, and after a difficult illness, he was able to choose to go home and die peacefully surrounded by family.

5. What places did you visit? Walt Disney World (twice!), family in Connecticut, Madison WI. The new baby kept us closer to home.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? A new job that allows me to quit doing so much freelance work. Insulation in the walls of my house. Money to pay for that (see job, new).

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? January 31 (see #3). Other memorable events, but that's the only "date."

8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? Losing 15 pounds?

9. What was your biggest failure? Putting five back on. In December. Actually, my biggest failure was failing (twice) to land jobs that I had every business getting.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Something is wrong with my hand—repetitive stress injury or nerve damage from wearing my daughter in the sling? However it happened, I cannot throw a snowball without crippling pain. My wife will tell me to suck it up, but I'm concerned about it.

11. What was the best thing you bought? For me? My bike. For the family? The pool.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My daughters. Both of them. Kid for welcoming a little sister so graciously, and Baby for being so damn cute and walking at eight months.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The easy answer would be Bush, Cheney, Gonzalez, etc. but it's really the feckless Democrats who let this shit continue even though they are now in a position to stop it.

14. Where did most of your money go? Who the hell knows? Mortgage, obviously, but lots went to gas—both the liquid kind for the cars and the natural kind for the house.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Having a smiling toddler to come home to—Baby F's a real Daddy's girl. The Sox winning the Series. Bike commuting. Renewed enthusiasm for photography.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007? None.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder? Much happier—family is fantastic, even my lame job is more satisfying.
b) thinner or fatter? On balance, thinner
c) richer or poorer? Modest improvement.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Cycle and work out. Read more books, watch more movies. Time alone with Mrs. F. Sleep.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? (Direct lift from Toast) Sit in front of the goddamned computer for hours even when I've completely run out of reasons to do so. Eat total and complete shit.

20. How did you spend Christmas? Quietly at home. Nice.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007? Yes. With my baby, and again with my first daughter and lovely wife.

22. How many one-night stands? Does sex so infrequently it seems like one-night stands count? Let's put that under "wish I'd done more of" as well.

23. What was your favorite TV program? N/A. Literally watched almost NO television aside from baseball. Don't really miss it either.

24. What did you do for your birthday in 2007? Not much. Savored my delicious birthday pie. On a related note, the year being 2008 rang home the easy math on how fucking old I am. I turn 40 in May.

25. What was the best book you read? I tried to read some "real" books, but never could get to them. I have spent countless hours reading, reenacting and thoroughly enjoying Calvin and Hobbes with Kid Furious, however. Her laughter is so contagious, and Waterson really did an brilliant job of appealing to kids and adults alike.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? None. I continued to ride The Raconteurs right through 2007.

27. What did you want and get? New lens for the camera.

28. What did you want and not get? A good job.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? Probably "Casino Royale."

30. Did you make some new friends this year? Um, people from the internet I don't really know and live nowhere near me? Oh, yeah. "Normal" friends? Not so much.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Democrats having the fortitude to stop Bush's bullshit. Did I mention I want a new job?

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Thanks to some timely sale purchases my Mrs F, I've rediscovered the button-down shirt. Plus, some nice new jeans.

33. What kept you sane? My wife and kids. But if they are also a major source of insanity does it still count? Blogging helps. And therapy... And medication...

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Fancy like a crush? Can't really think of one. I hold Keith Olberman, George Clooney and David Ortiz in high esteem...but that's not really an answer, is it?

35. What political issue stirred you the most? Don't. Get. Me. Started.

36. Who did you miss? My former sports fan self. Kids, work, and real life prevent me from enjoying and immersing myself in sports the way I used to. This was probably the first year EVER that I failed to attend a baseball game. I did bouce back and join the Salary Cap League at Toast's, and enjoy the Sox v. Yanks trash talk, but sometimes kicking back and zoning out to a ballgame is all I need in the world, and that feels gone forever.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Probably Toast. Though I failed to actually meet him and Tracy in person when I had the shot, "TwoGlasses" has been a great destination for me, and his crew of misfits are an enjoyable bunch who have helped make this blog more rewarding and enjoyable as well. We got to meet the Howard family actually in the flesh at Disney World, and they were great, but Toast gets the nod here, as he was the conduit...

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. What really matters. 2006 was a nightmare for us in many ways...sick daughter, tough pregnancy, job upheaval, car accidents, a fucking hold-up, financial problems... Some of those carried over to 2007, but as a family, and a marriage, we were equipped to handle them. Every day I come home, no matter how crazy or messy the house is, or how late I have to stay up doing freelance—watching one of my daughters asleep, piling into the armchair for "booktime" or even a brief moment reviewing the day with Mrs F. puts it all back in order.


Who do I tag? Anyone with a blog who reads this. Get on it.

Happy New Year, everyone.