2007 in Review Meme

(c) 2008 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

Ok, I saw this over at Kashka_Z's, and then All-Knowing Jen's, and now at Syl's, so I think I'll baa like a sheep and follow the herd...


1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Brought my toddler to the emergency room - twice

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Ok, I discussed that at length right here.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Why yes, yes I did!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, I'm glad to report.

5. What countries did you visit?
Not so much "visited" as "lived in" this year - both Ireland and the good ol' US of A.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
A vehicle of my own to save the hassle of sharing one with Mr. Kluges

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 1 - we moved back to the US
May 1 - Penguin's birth
July (ok, something right near the 4th, guess it's more pencilled than etched) - sold house
August 30 - bought & took possession of the House of 42 Doors

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Survived the various stresses and difficulties relating to #7!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Um, see #1?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Well, the indignities of the whole labor and delivery business

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Time will tell if it's the best thing, but the most life-changing for this year was probably the House of 42 Doors. Also life-changing: the plane tickets back home.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Pumpkin becoming potty trained! Woo-hoo!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Pumpkin's occasional "being three" behavior

14. Where did most of your money go?
Without question, The House of 42 Doors

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Penguin being born!

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
Ok, woe-woe-woefully out of touch with pop culture and whatever's playing on the radio as mine's usually tuned to NPR. Therefore, the song that will remind me of 2007 is probably the Dance in Smarty Pants song from Between the Lions. ("It's very, very spunky! You can do it with a monkey.") Not because we watch it very often at all, but because we like to pretend Penguin is dancing to it and/or we make up other words to it.
(Here it is on YouTube - poor video quality, but still fun!)
(And now it's going to be stuck in my head all, all day.)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) um, about the same, I guess - just the sources of the happy/sad have changed
b) thinner! (Of course, last year at this time I was like 6 months pregnant.)
c) maybe a bit poorer over all, especially when I think of the $ we've already put into the house

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Playing outside with the girl(s)

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry, stressing, fussing at Mr. Kluges

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Hmmm, I guess this is meant to be done before Christmas, huh? We spent it here at the House of 42 Doors, enjoying the day with just our little family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Yes, with my new baby girl aka Penguin

22. How many one-night stands?
None. (I think college students designed this meme.)

23. What was your favorite TV program?
When we lived at the furnished apartment, we had cable, and I got a tad bit obsessed with the various CSIs. Now we don't, and we can't get that channel in. But I do sometimes enjoy watching the soap opera that is ER.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate last year?
Don't think so. I still hate our first renter from our old TC house.

25. What was the best book you read?
See, I usually read what a college roommate of mine called "candy books." Light, escapist, fun, but not really quality. I did read Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry series, in which I don't think he hit his stride until the end of the first book or into the second, but then I really enjoyed it.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Musical discovery, um, yeah, remember that whole "no pop culture to speak of?" So this is a stretch to answer the question, but when we were at Strawberry Fest this summer, we listened for a while to a hammered dulcimer player, Paul Imholte, and got his CD of Christmas/winter songs, Through the Winter Night. I really liked listening to it during the holidays when I wanted something peaceful, seasonal, and instrumental in the background.

27. What did you want and get?
A new house, a new LR rug, LR end tables, LR lamps, new electricity for the house, a new washer and dryer!!! (Thanks, TNGreatAunt), a rug each for Pumpkin and Penguin's room, a rug for the office (yay for Craig's List), guest room furniture (on order) (Thanks, Mom & Dad!), a working sewer system... yeah, lots of house stuff, huh?!

28. What did you want and not get?
Bedside lamps - but I requested them from Mr. Kluges for my birthday/Christmas present, with the stipulation that if we didn't pick some out together by Valentine's Day, I can choose and buy them myself.

29. What was your favorite film this year?
Got Dear Frankie from the library after seeing a preview on some other movie. Liked it a lot. Can't really remember any other movies we watched, but we did get the entire series of Firefly from the library (like Syl, watched it for the 1st time) and L.O.V.E.D. it. So sad there aren't more!!!

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 35, and I, uh, turned 35? Let's see, I went furniture shopping with Mr. Kluges, the girls and my parents. Here's my birthday post.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Winning big in the lottery would have helped with a lot of money worries, and would have put a new roof on the House of 42 Doors and put in a second bathroom... but it would have come with its own problems, I'm sure. However, a master bathroom with a 2-person whirlpool tub, a fireplace, and in-floor heating under the lovely stone-tiled floor would've felt very satisfying!

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept for 2007?
Maternity wear followed by just-post-maternity wear followed by still-hiding-the-remains-of-the-saggy-post-maternity-belly wear

33. What kept you sane?
This blog and y'all reading it.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Does Mr. Kluges count? He's the star of House of 42 Doors? Otherwise my 2007 was woefully celebrity-crush-free. (Not that I'd turn Brad Pitt out of my bed pretty much any day.)

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Ug. I don't want to talk politics on this blog. Like religion and sex, it's not something to be discussed in mixed company!

36. Who did you miss?
Pumpkin's best friend from Ireland, and all of our friends from there.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Um, Steve the Electrician?

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
Pushing feels like pooping. (And I think I should get a bonus point for learning it on-line.)

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Ch-ch-ch-changes"!