Sunday, January 01, 2006

Happy New Year — Death Star Style

What's a New Year's bash without a few blown-up planets and dead Jedi? *pow, zzzzz, bang, boom, "NOOOO!!!!!"*

Anyway, it's officially 2006 (and I hope that mom isn't upset that I'm up this late . . .). Now, I regret being unable to quite nail down what I wanted to do for my year-in-review post, but I knew I had to do SOMETHING, so . . .

. . . So I stole something else from Megan. Although I'm pretty sure that she stole it from someone else, so I don't believe she has any right to be annoyed ("You're trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen" . . . *slap*). But it seemed to fit. In any case, it's a little survey/quiz thingy-ma-jigger . . . so I'll shut up now and just do it.

A look at 2005...

~January~
1. Did you have a new year's resolution this year?
Yes, to read 50 books . . . but I lost count somewhere along the way.

2.Who kissed you at midnight?
Um . . . bleeaach!

3. Does it snow where you live?
Alas, no.

4. Do you like hot chocolate?
Does anyone NOT?

5. Have you ever been to times square to watch the ball drop?
No . . . nor do I have any particular desire to.

~February~

1. Who was your valentine in 2005?
Um . . . bleeaach!

2. What did your valentine get you?
See above answer and try to figure it out.

3. When you were little, did you buy valentines for your whole class?
Why would I buy a valentine for my brother??

~March~

1. Are you Irish?
1/4, yes. And proud of it!

2. Do you wear green on St. Patty's Day?
I don't remember . . . I think so.

3.What did you do for St. Patty's Day in 2005?
I don't remember . . . let's see . . . I think I had rehearsal.

~April~

1. Do you like the rain?
Yes.

2. Did you play an April fool's joke on anyone this year?
I wanted to, but he didn't call . . . accursed Uncle, always foiling my plans . . .

3. Do you get tons of candy on easter?
Usually.

~May~

1. What's your favorite kind of flower?
*odd look*

3. Do you like the spring?
Yep.

4. Finish the phrase: April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Um . . . the phrase is finished, buddy. But since I know what you meant . . . stupid questions.


5. What would you think of as a spring color?
Uh . . . I wouldn't, but I guess Green and Blue . . . possibly Yellow, too . . .

~June~

1. What year did you graduate from school?
If this is referring to High School, I haven't yet . . . 2008 will be here before I know it, though, I'm sure.

2. Did you go on any vacations last June?
I think so. Might've been July . . . can't remember.

~July~

1. What did you do on the 4th of July?
Stood up on the porch and enviously listened to my friend gloat about the Martinelli's she was drinking while watching the fireworks.

2. Do you go on any vacations during this month?
Not usually.

~August~

1. Did you do anything special to end off your summer?
Technically . . . I threw shoes at two of my friends *evil grin*

2. What was your favorite summer memory of '05?
Throwing ballet shoes out of my window . . . good times.

3. Do you go swimming a lot in the summer?
I wish.

4. Do you go to the beach a lot?
Nope. Once a year at the most.

~September~

1. Did you attend school/college in '05?
I did.

2. Who is/was your favorite teacher?
Um . . . well, I could probably give a whole thesis on this topic. 'Cause TECHNICALLY my Mom is my teacher, but I do also have other teachers, and lately Mom doesn't do a whole lot of actual teaching, she just grades stuff and helps me when I need it. Which leaves me (for 2005) with Dr. C, Mrs. Perry, Mr. Arcadi, Mr. Burton, and kiiinda Mrs. Lane. I'd have to say that Dr. C and Mrs. Perry tie on this one.

3. Do you like fall better than summer?
Yes and no. I prefer the Fall weather, and in places other than California, I prefer the Fall foliage. But I REALLY like not having school.

~October~

1. What was your favorite halloween costume ever?
Um . . . probably my Ninja costume years and years ago (didn't hold a candle to the four T-shirt Ninjas, of course). Next year's is gonna be the best, though, 'cause I'm going to borrow the Tumnus costume from Lifehouse . . . *shifty eyes*

2. What's your favorite candy?
If it contains Chocolate, I like it. Usually. (Turkish Delight leaves something to be desired, but I've heard that it doesn't usually include chocolate anyway.)

3. What did you dress up like this year?
Episode I Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was going to be Mark Twain, but . . . well, you've all read the story, no doubt.

~November~

1. Whose house do you usually go to for Thanksgiving?
Didi's.

2. Do you like stuffing?
Bleeeeaaaaaaach!!!!!! No.

3. What are you thankful for?
Whew, boy, I could go on for a while here . . . I think I'll save my answer to this question for the end of the entry. ;-)

~December~

1. Do you celebrate christmas?
Last time I checked.

2. Have you ever been kissed under mistletoe?
Um . . . bleeaach!!

3. What do you want this year for christmas?
Well, it's past . . . my most wanted gift was a video game (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance), but my favorite gift that I got was my cell phone.

4. What's the best present you ever got for Christmas?
(I would like to take this moment to point out that Megan, your answer here was cheesy . . . true, perhaps, but cheesy.) Probably my cell phone.

5. Do you like cold weather?
Very much. Especially with a good book, hot chocolate, and a crackling fire (from which AJ can derive a song).



And there you have it. Now, I suppose I COULD do the listy-thingy to list experiences from 2005 . . . but probably that would take a long time. Instead, I shall summarize the year.

First, 2005 in a word: Full.

Now, 2005 in a few more words: 2005 was an interesting year. In some ways, it was the best year of my life. In some ways, it was the worst. On the whole, the good parts outweighed the bad, but when I was in the midst of the bad they seemed awfully heavy. But some really good things came out of those bad times. For one, I discovered a best friend in all the people I hung around with. When the next bad time rolled around, I found another really good friend among the people I hung around with. That process repeated itself every time a bad time rolled around. Turns out I hang out with some pretty cool people. A tentative plan for my future education was also decided upon, and I discovered that I already have a connection (of sorts) in the college I plan on attending *evil grin*

And, of course, all of it was topped of with the various ways I've made an idiot of myself. At times they were embarrassing, at times they were fun . . . and, more often than not, they were both. Everything from dressing up like a faun (complete with a terrible make-up job and mohawks on my legs), to dropping a girl I was dancing with (a total of FIVE times, not the eight she will tell you about . . . and none of them hurt her anyway), to having a guy who I just met thinking I had recently tried to commit suicide (although, to me, the scars looked an awful lot like licorice), to an hour of trying and miserably failing to learn how to flip (despite the apt teachings I was given), to hanging out at Denny's until 5 AM (which is what prompted my mom to get me a cell phone for Christmas), to watching my brother telepathically throw cows around. And everything in-between.

And so we come to my answer to that question earlier: what am I thankful for? Obviously, there's the basic stuff . . . a house, food, a bed, lightsabers, etc. And then there's the cheesy but true stuff . . . and the "who"s that I am thankful to.

First and foremost, I'm thankful to God. For everything, basically. And what more can I say?

I am thankful to my wonderful family, for loving me, for providing for me, for always being there for me, and for STILL loving me after having seen me at my worst.

I am thankful to Wayne Scott for founding Lifehouse Theater, a place without which my life would have virtually no meaning and a place without which I would have virtually no friends.

And finally, I'm thankful to my friends, for always being there for me, for caring, and, of course, for being willing to put up with me in the first place.

I'd like to close out this entry, and in essence 2005, with a quote from the broadway musical Wicked:

"I couldn't be happier, no,
I couldn't be happier, though
It is, I admit, the tiniest bit
Unlike I anticipated.
But I couldn't be happier,
Simply couldn't be happier. . . . Well, no, not simply . . .
'Cause getting your dreams,
It's strange, but it seems
A little, well, complicated . . .
There's a kind of a sort of . . . cost.
There's a couple of things get . . . lost.
There are you bridges you cross
You didn't know you'd crossed until you'd crossed. . . .
Still, with this perfect finale,
The cheers, and the bally-hoo,
Who wouldn't be happier?
So, I couldn't be happier."

And thus endeth 2005. And ya know what? I can't wait to see what God does with 2006 . . .