The moment you've all been waiting for...

No, not midnight on 31 December... the answers to Linda's questionnaire, of course! Too late to be included in her list of links, too, but hey, I like to be fashionably (cough, cough) late... Which is actually a total lie, I'm much more likely to arrive hopelessly early but well. Where was I?

As yes. The questionnaire. Here we go:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Started writing a blog instead of just reading other people's

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Never really make any serious resolutions because I seem to be pathologically devoid of any self-discipline

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not really close, but yes, I know a few people who had babies this year

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not really, but people I know (and have known all my life) died unexpectedly, it's just that they weren't particularly close to me

5. What countries did you visit?
England, Italy, Portugal

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

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August, when we went to Italy, September, when my daughters started at their new school, mid-October (my first business trip away from my daughters for longer than just 24 hours)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Taking up a physical activity (Tai Chi)

9. What was your biggest failure?
Putting on so much weight from eating so much crap

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really (thankfully)

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My new camera (FujiFilm FinePix A900) because despite being cheap, it helps me take pretty good pictures, plus also does videos with sound

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
C and L, my daughters, who've been better behaved than last year

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My MIL on occasion (not all the time, I swear)

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Lake Como - so beautiful!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Rihanna's Please don't stop the music, C's first ever favourite pop song (played endlessly, even now, one year later)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder?b) thinner or fatter?c) richer or poorer?
a) About the same,
b) Fatter (unfortunately),
c) About the same

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eating crap

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Quietly at home, D with chronic back ache, L with chicken pox, but it was quite good all the same

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
No

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Don't really watch TV

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No

24. What was the best book you read?
Jodi Picoult, "Nineteen minutes" - funny and moving

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I think I'm too old for this question!

26. What did you want and get?
The new Largo Winch episode (sorry, the link's in French as there's no English version of this French "comic book" series starring the delectable Largo)

27. What did you want and not get?
Body Shop eau de toilette, Nigella Lawson cook book

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Madagascar 2

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We had a picnic tea in a nearby park with friends. I turned 39

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not having to worry about money all the time

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
I think I look pretty cool but no one else sees it that way

32. What kept you sane?
Blogging, writing my diary and my fantasies

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Johnny Depp, always and ever

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Obama's election (even if I'm not American)

35. Who did you miss?
My friends, J and M in England

36. Who was the best new person you met?
One of the mothers in the PTA at the girls' new school

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
I'm getting older (and old, as far as most people are concerned) and should try and embrace it rather than just freak out

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Can't quite remember the lyrics, but probably most of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls just wanna have fun"

Oh, and I would just like to take this opportunity to give myself a huge pat on the back for SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THE DECEMBER NABLOPOMO CHALLENGE. Yeah me!