The Destiny Manifest

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009...

Where did you begin 2008?
At the house that I shared with Craig & Kristin & the girls... watching the ball drop alone, by choice.

What was your status by Valentine's Day?
Still single... buying a new car, learning to drive a 5-speed manual transmission

Were you in school anytime this year?
Yes, I started school in August 2008 at the Art Institute, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Web Design and Interactive Media.

How did you earn your money?
Freelance web design... and child support :P

Did you have to go to the hospital?
Nope, I managed to avoid all hospitals in 2008.

Have you taken a shower with the opposite sex?
Yep...

Did you have any encounters with the police?
I got my first ever traffic stop the day after my birthday... November 3rd, speeding... 75 in a 55 coming into downtown Clemson. Ouch.

Would you relive 2008 over and over again?
It wouldn't be the worst year ever to live over and over but I wouldn't choose to do so, no.

What did you purchase that was over $1000?
My car... $2100

Blacked out from drinking?
Yes... happy 29th birthday to me!

Did you know anybody who got married?
My little sister got married in April. :)

Did you know anybody who passed away?
Not in 2008.

Did you know anyone who had a baby?
Yes, my best friends Kristin & Craig had a beautiful baby, Miss Isabel Hannah, on April 18. :)

Had a major crush on someone? :)
Yes!

Did you have love?
Yes... somehow it's managed to sneak up on me right here at the end of December. ;)

What concerts/shows did you go to?
Counting Crows w/Maroon 5 and Augustana - October 1st - completely awesome show!

Are you registered to vote?
Yes of course

Do you still have the same job as you did in 2007?
Yes I do.

Has anyone betrayed you in 2008??
Yes, more than a few someones... though no one truly important.

Where do you live now?
Greenville, South Carolina

Describe your birthday?
I hung out with my oldest guy friend, David... decided to get "a little bit drunk" and ended up partaking of an entire bottle of Jagermeister alone. I woke up midway through the next day with no clear recollection of what had happened after tipping up the bottle to polish off the last. Good times, good times. Had a family dinner the next day and then my dad took me out to breakfast the day after that. :)

What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2008?
Commit to an exclusive relationship.

What has been your favorite moment?
My younger daughter hugging me on Christmas morning and saying "This has been the best Christmas ever and you are the best mom ever." :)

What's something you learned about yourself?
That sometimes people are just assholes and it has nothing to do with me... it's so hard to do and so easy to say, but sometimes - sometimes, you just have to walk away.

Any new additions to your family?
Nope...

What was your best month?
December... after that I'd say October was pretty decent.

Were you in a relationship this year?
Yes.

What music will you remember 2008 by??
"Love and Addiction" by Counting Crows and "The Best of What's Around" by Dave Matthews Band

Who has been your best drinking buddy/buddies?
Craig for the first half of the year... Chris Edwards always...

New friend?
Yes... many.

Favorite Night out?
March 8th... a girl's night out with friends that are no longer... lots of drinking, lots of laughter... TGIFriday's for hours with a movie afterward. :)

Would you say you've changed since the beginning of this year?
Yes, quite a bit.

Do you think 2009 will be better or worse?
It's been a long December but there's reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last.

Kissed a picture?
Can't say that I have.

Have you ever hated the way you looked in 2008?
At times... doesn't everyone?

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't do?
Yes... more than one thing, more than one time.

Been told you're hot by a complete stranger?
Yes :)

Laugh so hard you cry?
Oh yes, that's status quo at Chris Edwards' house. ;)

Snuck out of your house?
Nope... I'm a little old for that.

Did you lose any close friends?
Yes I did... 4 of the closest friends I ever thought I'd have.

Favorite movie made in 2008?
I'm not even sure what all movies came out this year... saw Penelope in the theater and it was pretty good.

What was your best accomplishment in 2008?
Standing up for myself... it's a work in progress, but I've done it successfully several times this year.

Looking forward to most in 2009?
Being someone's girlfriend... moving on the major-related courses in school... turning 30... and another year watching my girls grow into amazing people. :)

Most Played on iTunes...

A meme I'm grabbing from the Counting Crows forums...

My Top 25 Most Played Songs

1. Forever ~ Monks of Doom (Immy!)
2. Cowboys ~ Counting Crows
3. We Both Go Down Together ~ The Decemberists
4. 40 Years ~ Counting Crows
5. Drink Me ~ Anna Nalick
6. Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect ~ The Decemberists
7. Washington Square ~ Counting Crows
8. Precious Things ~ Tori Amos
9. Buildings and Bridges ~ Ani Difranco
10. Greening of America ~ Counting Crows
11. Holiday in Spain (Live) ~ Counting Crows
12. Then I Did ~ Rascal Flatts
13. A Cautionary Song ~ The Decemberists
14. Hang Me Up to Dry ~ Cold War Kids
15. Bleed ~ Adam & Immy (w/The Negro Problem)
16. Wild World ~ Cat Stevens
17. You Can Call Me Al ~ Paul Simon
18. Pictures ~ Sheryl Crow & Kid Rock
19. Yeah You're Right ~ Glider
20. These Days ~ Jackson Browne & Warren Zevon
21. The Late Greats ~ Wilco
22. St. Robinson In His Cadillac Dream (Live) ~ Counting Crows
23. The Pretender ~ Jackson Browne
24. God Says Nothing Back ~ The Wallflowers
25. Brighter Then Sunshine ~ Aqualung

Mememememe

1. Flip to page 18, paragraph 4 in the book closest to you right now, what does it say?
"Damn it!" He tossed his shotgun aside and reached to the machete at his belt. Unhitching the weapon, Nathan lunged forward -- but as he neared, the snake rolled and pulled the girl under the black waters of the river. Her screams ended and bubbles followed her course. --- Amazonia by James Rollins

2. If you stretch out your left arm - as far as possible, what are you touching?
Air. There is a table with my knitting machine on the opposite wall, about 3 feet past my outstretched left arm.

3. What’s the last program you watched on tv?
I watched James play some racing/driving game on X-box last night.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
2 pm? (I just looked, it's 1:49pm so I was pretty close.)

5. Except the computer, what can you hear right now?
The hum of the electric heater & the dog snoring quietly.

6. When was the last time you were outside and what did you do?
I walked the dog about 2 hours ago.

7. What are you wearing?
Jeans, long-sleeved red tee-shirt, hand-knit Hufflepuff socks, navy blue Crocs

8. Did you dream last night? If you did, what about?
I dreamt that I was at a party with a bunch of friends, drinking and laughing and having a great time, which is actually what I did last night before I fell asleep. Go figure.

9. When was the last time you laughed?
Last night. Laughed so hard my sides ached.

10. What’s on the walls, in the room you’re in right now?
L's drawing, my clapotis on the window, a walking map of Washington, DC, Counting Crows concert tickets stuck above my desk, a magnetic board with poetry that Andy and I wrote together years ago, a picture of my girls and our family picture from Christmas 2004.

11. Have you seen anything strange lately?
Like? I see pretty strange stuff on a regular basis actually, between my neighbors and work.

12. What’s the last film you saw?
Shaun of the Dead... I would have to say that movie well qualifies for "have you seen anything strange lately?"

13. If you became a multimillionaire, what would you do with the money?
GIve some to Andy, some to my parents, some to my siblings, open savings accounts for my girls, buy a new car (not a minivan, probably something like a Subaru Outback, in the Newport Blue Pearl color), pay my rent and utilities in full for the rest of the year while I figure out if there are any houses for sale in this area (because I would not want to leave this neighborhood/area/school district), go to Charleston for a couple weeks in the spring, quit my job, buy lots and lots of yarn, invest the hell out of the rest so I would never have to stay up late nights worrying over how I am going to buy bread and milk.

14. Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
I'm okay. Most people don't believe that after my hit-the-bottom spring and summer but I really am okay now.

15. If you could change ONE THING in this world, without regarding politics or bad guilt - what would it be?
I'll just be selfish and say that I would make money easier to acquire in MY world. I could make a lot of good changes in my life, my children's lives and the lives of my family members, if I only had the Powerball winning numbers at hand.

16. Do you like dancing?
I love to watch professional dancers dancing. I suck at dancing but I do enjoy it, especially when the music is powerful and loud.

17. George Bush?
Anyone but...

18. What do you want your children’s names to be, girl/boy?
My daughter's names are Lakin Leigh and Addah Shannon and if we had had a son, his name would be been either Rory Patrick, Patrick Cuen or Patrick Andrew.

19. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Andy and I talked about it a lot during the last few years. We seriously looked into what would be involved in moving to England at one point but obviously it didn't pan out. As a single mother with two children, I would not consider it now.

20. What do you want God to tell you, when you come to heaven?
I don't believe in God or heaven, so in the extremely unlikely situation of me being brought before God in heaven, I think I'd be quite speechless and wouldn't think to ask any questions until much later.

21. Who should do this meme?
Anyone I suppose? Maybe... Tiffani and Steph? Joyce? Go for it ladies... tag, you're it. ;)