The end of the year is always a time for reflection and looking back on the previous calendar year. To help with that, here are some 2008 related questions. Do as many or as few as you want but have fun!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?

2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

4. Did anyone close to you die?

5. What countries did you visit?

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

9. What was your biggest failure?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

11. What was the best thing you bought?

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

14. Where did most of your money go?

15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?

16. What songs will always remind you of 2008?

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

• happier or sadder?
• thinner or fatter?
• richer or poorer?

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?

23. How many one-night stands?

24. What was your favorite TV program?

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

26. What was the best book you read?

27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?

28. What did you want and get?

29. What did you want and not get?

30. What were your favorite films of this year?

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 08?

34. What kept you sane?

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most/least?

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

37. Whom did you miss?

38. Who was the best new person you met?

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:

40. Did you fall out of love?

41. Favorite concerts you went to:

42. Quote a song that sums up your year:

And my answers:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
I took an Opera class and performed the part of Lefou in a musical adaptation of the Disney version

2. Did you keep your Yew Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't bother with them. If I need to make a change in my life, then I make it at that current moment in time.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I have yet another niece.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit?
Ohio

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
I would like to trade in Charlene for a younger model with more curves, quicker pick up, and five on the column.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 26th. I’m going to Nashville to watch an NHL game and I have great tickets.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving it.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Letting a friend pick Mirrors as the movie to watch

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Are you kidding? My entire summer was spent wrapped in bandages.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
12th row tickets to the Nashville Predators – Detroit Redwings hockey game

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Vinny Lecavalier who donated 3 million bucks to build a state of the art child’s care wing at the Tampa Bay Hospital.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Sarah Palin. Seriously, John? At least the next Republican candidate knows not to pick a running mate after two quarts of corn liquor.

14. Where did most of your money go?
I can tell you where it didn’t go: the bank.

15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
Stanley Cup playoffs, The start of the hockey season in October, Buffalo unveiling their third jersey.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2008?
The fact that I can’t think of any probably means that none will.

17.Compared to this time last year, are you:

• happier or sadder? Same
• thinner or fatter? Ditto
• richer or poorer? Rinse and repeat

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Homework

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
lazing around

20.How will you be spending Christmas?
Sleeping

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Dominos, maybe?

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Nope.

23. How many one-night stands?
Ditto

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Hockey games

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope.

26. What was the best book you read?
The Bible
Humility

27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
Opera

28. What did you want and get?
I wanted to bring back one of the guard tubes from my job as a lifeguard in Ohio. Instead they let me have two.

29. What did you want and not get?
a new laptop, but looking back, I’m glad it worked out this way.

30. What were your favorite films of this year?
Get Smart
Wall-E

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went to class, 27

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If Buffalo would have made the playoffs.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 08?
I got my hair cut… twice

34. What kept you sane?
I’m sorry, what?

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most/least?
None.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The issue that political campaigns start a lot sooner than they need to or should.

37. Whom did you miss?
A pedestrian.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Whitney but she remembers me from 2007, so I don’t know if that actually counts. Talk about a weird conversation
Her: I remember you from last Summer Project.
Me: I don’t remember you being on Project last year.
Her: Oh, I wasn’t. I just came down to visit for the last week of it.
Me: Did we meet at all during that time?
Her: No, but I remember seeing you and people told me about you.
Me: O…kay. (Pause) You know, as long as I don’t have to feel bad or slightly awkward for not remembering you, we’re good.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Cutting someone from your life doesn’t mean you’ve given up on them.

40. Did you fall out of love?
No.

41. Favorite concerts you went to
None.

42.Quote a song that sums up your year:
I’m going to select snippets from three songs instead of just one complete song:

Places to Run – Jake Owen
I’ve lived all my life, with no ties that bind,
There wasn’t anything or anyone that I couldn’t leave behind,
I could always find a getaway from what I was hiding from,
It’s looking like I’ve run out of places to run.
Everywhere I go, and everything I do,
There ain’t a corner that I turn that ain’t one big deja vu,
I could always find a getaway from what I was hiding from

Better as a Memory – Kenny Chesney
I move on like a sinners prayer
And letting go like a levee breaks
Walk away as if I don't care
Learn to shoulder my mistakes
Or built to fade like your favorite song
Get reckless when there's no need
Laugh as your stories ramble on
Break my heart, but it won't bleed

No Time to Cry – Joe Nichols
I got no time to look back. I got no time to see
The pieces of my heart that have been ripped away from me.
And if the feelings start to come in I've learned to stop them fast,
Cause I don't know if I let ‘em go, they might not wanna pass.
I guess I'm older now
and I ain't got not time to cry

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?

Went out of town on my own free will without my parents (I've previously went out of town to get evaluated in order to see if I were to do military service or not).

2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Don't make New Years' resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Well, I have a cousin who became a mother (her younger sister is getting one soon too). Not that we're very close, since we never meet/speak.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Nope.

5. What countries did you visit?

None.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

More/closer friends is never wrong... Less social inhibitions would be nice too.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

13'th of July, that's when I went out of town without my parents. I went to Liseberg to meet a few friends I've met online. Haven't had as much fun in years.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Hmm... I managed to start talking about my shyness with pepole and I made an effort to break it down.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I failed breaking down my shyness. I have too high demands though, it wasn't that much of a faliure.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My new computer, probably.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Erm...

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

See 12.

14. Where did most of your money go?

The bank. If not that then my computer's probably it.

15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?

Liseberg.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2008?

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

• happier or sadder?
• thinner or fatter?
• richer or poorer?

Neither to all three.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Talk to pepole. School work. Playing serious video games.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Time wasting. I waste depressingly large amounts of time.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

As usual, with my family.

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?

I don't use phones.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Sort of...

23. How many one-night stands?

None. No, really!

24. What was your favorite TV program?

Don't watch enough TV for this question.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Nope.

26. What was the best book you read?

War of the Flowers by Tad Williams.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?

Supertramp.

28. What did you want and get?

A new computer.

29. What did you want and not get?

To break down my shyness.

30. What were your favorite films of this year?

V for Vendetta. (And since I saw it for the first time this year it's from this year to me.)

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

21, and I went to Liseberg to meet a couple of online friends.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

...yeah, less shyness.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 08?

Nonexistent this year too.

34. What kept you sane?

Loads of practise being miserable.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most/least?

I don't have that kind of relation to public figures.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

Don't know. Gay marriage, probably.

37. Whom did you miss?

...can't say I get the question.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

That girl I'm sort of in love with. I found her on this social network called Nerdfighters, which is filled with great pepole.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:

Shyness isn't something you break down over the summer.

40. Did you fall out of love?

No.

41. Favorite concerts you went to:

Not a concert goer. I did go to see Mark Knopfler though.

42. Quote a song that sums up your year:

The sun rises slowly
On another day
The eastern sky grows
Cold
Winter in water colours
Shades of grey

Something
Something holds me
Holds me hypnotized

I stare at the window
Stare at the window
Waiting for the day
To go
Winter in water colours
Shades of grey

Übereil

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Donated money to Charity
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn't make any last year. I've made one for this year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes.
5. What countries did you visit?
Canada, Holland, Croatia, Italy, Sicily, Greece, Turkey, a few others I can't remember.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Happiness.
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
My boss dying. Vising the Vatican. Meeting a good friend.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Made a good friend.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Drugs and alcohol.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Many.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A gift for a friend.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Several friends and my own.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Drugs and alcohol.
15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
A friends answer to a question.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2008?
Still Alive - from Portal
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

* happier or sadder? Happier
* thinner or fatter? Thinner
* richer or poorer? Richer



18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Kind acts.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Drugs and alcohol.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With family.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
A friend.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes.
23. How many one-night stands?
Four.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
South Park
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Yes.
26. What was the best book you read?
The Lathe of Heaven
27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
MGMT
28. What did you want and get?
Real friends.
29. What did you want and not get?
Happy family.
30. What were your favorite films of this year?
Tropic Thunder.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
18. Spent time with my dad and wanted to kill myself.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My dad not existing.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 08?
Started out preppy and fake, ended dorky and real.
34. What kept you sane?
Friends.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most/least?
Paris Hilton the least. Obama the most. Fancy as in like?
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Environmental concerns.
37. Whom did you miss?
A few friends.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
A friend.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
It's better to be yourself and have a few close friends than lie and have many fake friends.
40. Did you fall out of love?
Yes.
41. Favorite concerts you went to:
None. Ran away from them all.
42. Quote a song that sums up your year:


I'm not even angry.
I'm being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart.
And killed me.
And tore me to pieces.
And threw every piece into a fire.
As they burned it hurt because
I was so happy for you!
Now these points of data
make a beautiful line.
And we're out of beta.
We're releasing on time.
So I'm GLaD. I got burned.
Think of all the things we learned
for the people who are
still alive.

Amen to that.

Übereil

1. Went to a night club
2. I don't make resolutions
3. Yes, I've got another cousin
4. No
5. France
6. Nothing, looking back at 2008, I didn't lack anything.
7. September 1st, met interesting classmates. For me, this is the most interesting day of the whole year. I always look back at previous years and compare my initial feelings for people with how they affected my life. This turns out quite suprising most of the time. People I thought I wouldn't like and would never get to know tend to become close friends and have a huge impact on my life, while others which I initially like turn out to be real jerks or bitches.
8. Had fun at a party whitout getting drunk :p(and yes, this really is my biggest achievement, 'cause I get drunk very fast!)
9. Asked the wrong question to the wrong person
10. No
11. New shoes(best pair I ever had)
12. A friend's
13. My own
14. Alcohol, parties and videogames
15. None
16. Always by Saliva
17. Happier, fatter and richer
18. Spend time with my family
19. Playing videogames
20. With family
21. My mom, cause I only phone people when it's really urgent. Talking with people through a phone is very confusing for me.
22. Yes
23. None
24. I rarely watch tv-programs.
25. No
26. Brisingr
27. Rediscovery: Lords of Acid, Discovery: Sisters of Mercy
28. More allowance
29. A new computer(looking back, I'm grateful I didn't get it)
30. Can't remember
31. 16, celebrating with family
32. More interesting lessons
33. Big improvement compared to previous years. From nerdy to casual.
34. The fact that we can't fully enjoy the upside of life if we don't experience the downside too.
35. I don't care what celebrities do
36. Belgian governmental issues
37. A few friends
38. A classmate
39. Some people got really no sense of humor and are very easly insulted. So be carefull what you say!
40. Yes
41. Didn't go to any concerts
42. I think it's impossible to find a song which sums up my year :p