shanmonster | A Recap of 2004

What I did in 2004 that I'd never done before:
500 dragons in one session, more than one chin-up in a single session, full splits (left leg leading), weaned myself off propranalol, designed and created a line of jewellery, taught a children's dance class, made a hollowform bracelet, kung fu/raqs sharqi fusion performance art with sabre, took a religious studies class, studied Ashtanga yoga, tidied up the apartment all in one go, and I'm sure there are more things, but they've slipped my mind for the moment.

New Years' resolutions:
I once made a New Year's resolution to make no resolution that year. That's the only one I ever made, and in making it, I broke it. And for this year, although it's not exactly a resolution per se, I would like to keep better track of what books I read.

What I would like to have in 2005 that I lacked in 2004:
No outstanding debts. I'd like to pay everything off this year with my new job.

My biggest achievement of the year:
I have no idea.

My biggest failure:
I am still not a kung fu master.

Illness or injuries:
When don't I have any? Sigh....

The best thing I bought:
Tasty food.

Behaviour making me appalled and depressed:
My father-in-law's, but he apologized, so I guess it's ok.

Where most of my money went:
Rent, food, utilities. How very exciting.

What I got really, really, really excited about:
Realizing that as I came off the propranalol, I was recovering my energy levels.

The song which will always remind me of 2004:
Title Reconstruction by Danny Elfman. It's the song I danced to at the Morocco/Tarik workshop, and I listened to it all summer.

Compared to this time last year, I am:
i. Happier. The propranolol was making me slip back into depression, but now that I'm off it, I'm back to normal.
ii. Thinner. The propranolol was making it difficult for me to exercise, and my muscle was turning to fat. I weigh less now, but my muscle mass is greater.
iii. Poorer. I had student loan money last year. This year, I'm starting with pretty much zero money, but got myself a decently-paying job, so I expect to have more money within the month.

I'd like to have done more
Writing. Reading. Martial arts drilling.

I'd like to have done less
Waiting for other people. Stressing over money. Procrastinating.

The best book I read:
Many, but they get muddled in my mind as to what year I read them in. But here, in no particular order, are a few:

Flashman's Lady by George MacDonald Fraser
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Snake Hips: Belly Dancing and How I Found True Love by Anne Thomas Soffee (aka tupelo)
King Rat by China Mieville
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
Porno by Irvine Welsh

My greatest musical discovery:
Sigur Ros. It's beautiful stuff. I also rediscovered the music of Marilyn Monroe, Eartha Kitt, and Mario Lanza.

What I wanted and got:
To be able to do chin-ups.

My favorite film of 2004:
Again, I have more than one:

What I did on my birthday, and how old I was:
I turned 33, and had a party at my place complete with dancing, and Twister with fellow dancers/martial artists. Shawn beat me.

The one thing which would have made my year immeasurably more satisfying:
Not having to worry about health problems (my own or my loved ones').

My personal fashion concept in 2004:
Ugly jock. My clothes were all easy to move around in, and ugly because I didn't want to ruin them with torches or metal-working chemicals.

I was kept sane by:
Realizing that I didn't have to have to work myself to death in the metal studio.

The celebrity/public figure I fancied the most:
Celebrity crushes, hmm? Well, I have soft spots for Jet Li, Neil Gaiman, Rachel Brice, Jackie Chan, Benno Fürmann, Christian Bale, Alan Rickman, and Flashman, despite his fictional status.

I missed
Guylaine, cynebeah, Marquis, my horses, and my grandfather.

A valuable life lesson I learned in 2004:
Work hard, but not so hard that it endangers your health/sanity.