shanasilver tagged me for a 2008 meme

1. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
An agent, book deal, and a kick-butt vacation, like no other.

2. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 31, 2008 because I was so excited to start 2009. Not because 2008 was a bad year, but 2009 just feels ‘right’ and like it’s going to be an awesome year.

3. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Growing as a writer and growing the programs at the library I work at to the highest attendance in the library’s history (and of course hearing from the kids that they had fun and were excited to read books!)

4. What was your biggest failure?
I was going to say not getting an agent, but I’m not sure that’s a huge failure. Because it means I might be finding a better fit this year. I’m trying to think positive here.

5. What was the best thing you bought?
My hot pink fleece-line pants from American Eagle. Seriously, these things are priceless.

6. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My nephew for the conversation we shared in the car last week:

Me: [rambling about my newest book]
Him: Are there boys in this book?
Me: There have been boys in all my books
Him: Yeah, but the last one seemed really girly. Like with that scene with the girl sticking hairspray to her butt so her cheerleading uniform didn’t ride up.
Me: That’s not in there anymore
Me: [Secretly really, really excited that he actually remembered something from my book that he read snippets of almost two years ago.]

And of course my husband for being generally awesome and accomplishing so much with his own publications this year! Yay for him.

7. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Certain people in my community who said some really nasty and unwarranted things about Barack Obama after he got elected the next President. But the fact so many people disagreed made me smile for how far our country has come.

8. Where did most of your money go?
Bills, movies, vacations, a new bike, Wii, and restaurants

9. What song will always remind you of 2008?
"I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry

10. Compared to this time last year, are you...
i. happier or sadder? Definitely happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner, and trust me I earned every one of those lost pounds (if only the holidays had not come)
iii. richer or poorer? richer (finally all those years of school and living on $5 an hour are starting to pay off)

11. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Relaxed and had fun!

12. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worry.

13. What was your favorite TV program?
How I Met Your Mother

14. What was the best book you read?
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

15. What was your favorite film of this year?
27 Dresses (an early one in the year, but no other ones topped it, although some did come close)

16. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Umm…I honestly don’t remember what I did. Maybe a movie? And I told someone last week I was 27 actually forgetting I was in fact 28 (oops).

17. What kept you sane?
My husband! And blizzards from Dairy Queen.

18. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Edward Norton. He just seems so deep and interesting. And of course he’s easy on the eyes. And Chelsea Handler. She cracks me up.

19. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
To not take myself too seriously (I’m slowly relearning this every year. And just when I think I have it figured out, I realize I don’t. I’m hoping this time will stick.)

20. Word you said often enough that it should have been your catchphrase:
kick-butt (can you tell by this post?). Or maybe “seriously.”

I tag anyone.