matthearn.com

Because I have no capacity for original thought, I usually find that stealing ideas from the webpages of others is not only effective, but a real time-saver. Accordingly, I swiped Jill‘s “40 Questions For 2004” jaunpiece and shall be getting my answers on:

1. What did you do in 2004 that you’d never done before?
Conducted a high school pit band; performed the lead of a musical in front of almost 10,000 people over 6 nights; turned 26.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I have no recollection of any resolutions from last year. (If there were any, they probably involved weight loss. They always do.) For this year, the ones I’ve made include:

• Lose the weight I gained at Christmas
• Work harder
• Stop sleeping in until 8:30 am every day

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Jodi and Todd had themselves Conner! Conner est awesomus.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Oddly enough, no, I don’t think so. I’m trying to think back, but I can’t remember attending a single funeral last year for which I didn’t get paid. Which makes for a pretty awesome year.

5. What countries did you visit?
Um…this one. Woohoo! C’mon, I barely left the state. And sadly, I didn’t even visit any NEW states. On the other hand, I did hit every state that touches the Atlantic Ocean except for the northernmost (Maine) and the southernmost (Florida). What can I say? I like road trips.

6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
A body fat percentage under 20%, and a set of rock-hard, slammin’ abs.

7. What date(s) from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Hm. This is a toughie; most of the things that were important to me last year didn’t necessarily happen on a specific date. Additionally, I’m horrible at remembering when, exactly, something happened. I guess July 29th was when we opened “Brigadoon” at Longwood; I’m not sure, though. Eh. Let’s pretend this question never happened.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Brigadoon. It was nice to do something to inflate my own ego, ’cause Lord knows I need that. (Sarcasm is a wonderful thing.)

9. What was your biggest failure?
It’s not something I’m at liberty to discuss at this particular juncture.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Of course not. I’m immortal. What kind of question is this?

11. What was the best thing you bought?
New computer. It’d been roughly 8 years since the last one, a bizarre fact for an IT professional. It’s made it possible for me to do all kinds of cool things, like edit music, track my finances, etc. Totally rad. It also supports decent games.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Lots of people. Sarah, for not divorcing me; my parents, for being awesome; the rest of my family and friends, for being my family and friends (a harder task than one might imagine).

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own, as usual.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage interest. WOOHOO TAX DEDUCTION AW YEAH. After that, probably cable TV.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Brigadoon and Christmas. I’m always excited for Christmas, though. (I sure do love me some Hot Xmas Action.)

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2004?
The Heather On The Hill

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? About the same; I’ve got things to be happy about, and things to not be happy about.
ii. thinner or fatter? A little thinner.
iii. richer or poorer? A little richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Everything. I just wish I’d gotten out more, done more things, seen more stuff, partied with friends more.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Sitting around on my butt watching TV or playing video games.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
The usual. 5 church services over 3 days, brunch with the inlaws, dinner with the parents.

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Probably a coworker of mine named Linda. I’m not a big talker, really. I use email and instant messenger more than anything else, but I did a large project with Linda so I was probably on the phone with her a couple hours a week for most of the second half of the year.

22. Did you fall in love in 2004?
Already WAS in love, you crazy kids!

23. How many one-night stands?
That’d be zero.

24. What’s your favorite TV program?
Probably Family Guy, although “Drawn Together” has turned out to be unbelievably hilarious. Heehee: “Let’s egg the trainable.” That kills me.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Not really. There’s one or two people that drive me nuts, but I don’t hate them. I just wish they would shut the #$*& up.

26. What was the best book you read in 2004?
Eek…no idea. I read a lot, some were rereads. Oh, probably A Separate Peace. I think I was supposed to have read it in school and did not, so I grabbed a copy and read it on the pot last fall. Absolutely crushing book.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Discovering that practicing the piano can be hell of fun.

28. What did you want and get?
Lead in the musical; nice payraise at work.

29. What did you want and not get?
New, better job. Although it’s not like I really worked to find one.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Jeepers, I dunno. I haven’t been to a theater in roughly 4 years. I watched Miller’s Crossing a few weeks back, though, and it was as awesome as I remembered it. Sadly, it was made in 1990 so it doesn’t count.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I were 26, yo. I don’t remember what I did ON the date (which was a Wednesday, as I recall), but I’m sure we had a wild party that weekend at which I probably took off my pants.

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

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
Queer.

34. What kept you sane?
Sarah.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Kyan Douglas Eliza Dushku

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Probably gay marriage, although my feelings on drug legalization and gun rights were always a-bubbling.

37. Who did you miss?
All the bastard friends who keep moving away from me: Kyle, Kristy, Josh, Rachel, Jodi, Emily, etc.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
This is tough, ’cause I met all kinds of people last year. Jenny and Tim Lau, Llij, Shady, and Lord knows how many other awesometastic peeps that aren’t springing to mind.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
Work hard, play harder, and don’t let friendships lapse through laziness or “he never writes me back; I’m not calling him until he calls me” BS.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas.

Yeah. I’m cryptic like that. You know how I do.