Borrowed from voxangelus . I'm also going to post this at my other blog on Blogger. Because of the length of this post, I'll place it under an lj-cut.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you've never done before?
This one is easy. I became a professional church musician when I took my joint organist position with St Joseph's and the Episcopal Centre at Duke.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any last year, and I won't be making any this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I had some good friends give birth this year, yes, plus some of my Facebook friends gave birth, one as recently as a couple of weeks ago.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not so close, but there was one death which shocked a university community because of its brutality, and ... well, Student Body Presidents just don't die. RIP, Eve Carson.

5. What countries did you visit?
Didn't visit any this year. I did, however, leave the Lower 48 when I played a wedding in Wahiawa, Hawaii last May.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A full-time job, complete with benefits.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 6 - the day the UNC community found out that the person who was found shot to death the day before was Eve Carson, student body president.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Hmmm. Well, I'd say teaching my two Chemistry classes, one for majors and the other for non-majors, and knowing that the students got some benefit from my blathering, thanks to their mostly positive feedback.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Can't really think of any, really. Unless my not having a full-time job qualifies.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Suffered from laryngitis twice this year; the first bout lasting for three months. It got to the point where I forgot what my voice sounded like, and I had to listen to my voicemail message to remember how I sounded like!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
I didn't really have any large purchases this year. Most of what I got for myself were organ scores, second-hand.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The record number of voters that turned out for the US presidential election. Way to go! <----- I agree with voxangelus .

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Those heartless kids who took away an innocent life, and for what? At least one of them was also involved in the murder of a Duke University graduate student.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to Hawaii to play at Iris and Jared's wedding, and to bask in the care and hospitality they and the Obispos offered whilst I was there.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
None that I can really think of.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Neither, I think.

b) thinner or fatter?
I'd say about the same.

c) richer or poorer?
Not as well-off as last year, that I can say for certain.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Practicing. One can never practice enough.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Not using my time very efficiently.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Well, seeing how as we're in the seventh day of Christmas as I write this ... I spent it relaxing with the Zaballeros, after having played a couple of services and sung at a Midnight Mass.

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

23. How many one-night stands?
Me? One-night stand? Ha!

24. What was your favourite TV program?
I don't really watch much TV, but I would not be opposed to seeing Ace of Cakes every once in a while.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate. Life is too short to hate.

26. What was the best book you read?
The Tales of Beedle the Bard

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hmmmm. I guess it's a self-discovery, really - that I could really play movements out of Langlais' Suite Médiévale and live to tell the tale.

28. What did you want and get?
See #26 above

29. What did you want and not get?
A complete set of The Oxford Book of Flexible Anthems for my choir. However, thanks to a very generous choir member, we are obtaining, slowly, copies of The Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems for the choir library (thanks Joel M.!)

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I only saw one film in the theatres this year, and that was Bottle Shock. I was very disappointed when I realised I missed Nobel Son.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Gosh, even though my birthday was back in September, I don't really remember what I did. I know a couple of friends took me out for dinner ... I may have been at the organ bench, practicing.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having a full-time job.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Fashion? My fashion sense really hasn't changed much from year to year.

34. What kept you sane?
As in previous years, my music.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
This one is a no-brainer: Alan Rickman.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I don't even live there, but the crap in California with prop 8. <---- Have to agree again with voxangelus .

37. Who did you miss?
My family

38. Who was the best new person you met?
In person: people from both St Joseph's and the Episcopal Centre at Duke. Virtually? All of you on my flist, both at LJ and Facebook.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Where there is life, there is hope. Always a good thing to remember ... St Joseph's has an active ministry to the homeless, and it's a lesson I see every time I see the fellows who live on the streets surrounding Ninth Street in Durham.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

Can't really think of one ... oh, unless this one that Fr Roderick Vonhögen plays a lot whilst uStreaming might qualify ... the song is "Be Okay" by Ingrid Michaelson. It's awfully catchy, and the lyrics while a bit depressing, speak of hope around the corner.

I just want to feel today, feel today, feel today
I just want to feel something today
I just want to know today, know today, know today
Know that maybe I will be ok

♥♥♥

And then, which basically same thing in different clothes.

University:
Well, it's been 8 years since I finished my university education, although it would be nice to think I could teach in a university setting. Scratch that, I know I can - I've been an adjunct at Campbell University in the Extended Education department.

Family:
It's been a while since I've last seen them.

Love:
I know it's there. The family's so far away, but I feel their love from the distance.

Friends:
I made a lot of new friends this year, mainly through my new position as Organist-Choirmaster. And I know there are some who are definite keepers. The same could be said for those on my flist as well. ***huggles***

Health:
If I can keep my voice, I'll be very happy. It was very difficult teaching without a voice!

Manga/Anime:
Haven't seen any new ones lately. But those that will always hold a special place in my heart: Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbour Totoro.

Other things:
Not much I can add to this, really. I've had quite a break from the world of academia and research. I'm not sure I want to go back to academia (or if I do, it will be to teach only) but I feel like I'm ready to consider a return to the research world. I'm not sure if I'll be able to break in as I've taken essentially a 2-year hiatus from it all. But we'll see.

Have a Happy and Healthy 2009, everyone!