2010 In Review
Jan. 1st, 2011 02:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rinue1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Married Ciro in a restaurant. Wrote my first feature script. Directed my first feature film. Wrote textbooks.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I said I would shoot a feature, and I did. I said I would work on the Digby manuscript, and I didn't really. This year, I need to finish postproduction on Hayseeds, make a few music videos I've promised people, and ideally make some friends in Boston. I may or may not get together a band. And I should try to go to at least a movie a month, since I can afford it and it's important.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Our friend Summer had a kid, and sort of disappeared so that all we hear from her is facebook status updates about the baby. (Who we haven't met.)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Close to close; James's dad died after the extended decline of Huntington's, maybe two days after we wrapped shooting. And although I never met historian Tony Judt, he felt close to me.
5. What countries did you visit?
Just the U.S., I think. Although I'm told many people don't realize New Mexico isn't part of Mexico.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Distribution.
7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 24, Ciro and I married each other in a middle eastern restaurant, in the company of a few close friends. October 31, Reflection's Edge published its final issue (at least for now).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting out of Dallas.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I meant to have a going away party, but ran out of time. In general, I feel like there was a lot of unnecessary stress and disorganization.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A few months of depression.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A good pistol mic.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Val. She bought her first house and then entertained just about everyone in the world. She wrote and ran and gardened and trained a small and puffy dog.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Representative Mitch McConnell, et al.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The film, followed by moving costs.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I asked Ciro, and he says Inception and also learning that ancient samurai told stories very similarly to the way I tell stories.
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Probably La Roux and Chris Blacker's Another Red Night.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Happier, at least right now.
ii. thinner or fatter?
Thinner? About the same?
iii. richer or poorer?
Richer. Still heavily in debt. Working on it.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Paid down loans. Done more teaching. Written more songs.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Arguing. Worrying.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Playing Dance Central, mostly. Singing in the choir as usual.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Caprica, alas canceled before its time. I'm obsessed with the BBC Sherlock, but at only three episodes so far, it doesn't feel like television exactly.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Specific politicians, mostly, and various media figures. I'm a captioner. I spend a lot of time with these people.
25. What was the best book you read?
I don't remember when I read what. Probably Little, Big. I enjoyed the various Suzanne Collins books.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I've been singing forever, but I hadn't really listened to many recordings of myself singing, so it was kind of interesting to find out what I sound like in different ranges. It's different than I thought. It's changing the way I approach songwriting.
27. What did you want and get?
Married to Ciro. Moved to Boston. Volunteer crew and cast for Hayseeds.
28. What did you want and not get?
A literary agent.
29. What was your favorite film this year?
Inception by a mile. I expect to like True Grit when I see it.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 30. I was pretty exhausted after the film, and James's father's funeral, and trying to log all the footage before I turned it over to the editor. Ciro took me out to a nice Italian restaurant a few days afterward; the day of, we hung out at Half Price Books and went to Metro Diner with Chad and Merlin.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Literary. Agent.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Layers. The office was very air conditioned, and the climate of Texas was not. Cardigans and leggings entered my wardrobe for the first time.
33. What kept you sane?
Ciro, as much as possible. But I didn't really make it through the year sane.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Obama. Still. This goes beyond politics and personal magnetism. Other captioners already understand: Obama speaks at exactly the right speed, with perfect grammar, no stumbling, and punctuation you can hear. Any time he comes on television, it's like Christmas.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Immigration. It's tricky. Where you're born is just a matter of luck, and it isn't fair. At the same time, practically, you can't quite afford open borders, because most of the people who will want to cross them are the people who aren't doing well. It's the emergency room problem, basically. I don't know what to think about it. I don't know what a rational and moral immigration policy would look like. I do know it's not what we have.
36. Who did you miss?
Val most of the year. Jessie once the film was over. Merlin and James after the move to Boston.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
We'd met before, obviously, but I got tight with Acevedo, and also with Lia. And Koko the dog is not a person. I hope I get a chance to work with Cindy again; she was an invaluable presence on Hayseeds, a solid, kind, competent bulwark. Honestly, all our contacts in Whitney, TX surpassed not only my expectations, but my highest hopes.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Once they have enough money to feel safe, people look for something more than that, and if you can give them something that transcends - an art project, for instance - they will be humblingly generous with their time and resources.
39. Quote a song that sums up your year:
"Remember we were the volunteers." -- My Rights Versus Yours, the New Pornographers
Married Ciro in a restaurant. Wrote my first feature script. Directed my first feature film. Wrote textbooks.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I said I would shoot a feature, and I did. I said I would work on the Digby manuscript, and I didn't really. This year, I need to finish postproduction on Hayseeds, make a few music videos I've promised people, and ideally make some friends in Boston. I may or may not get together a band. And I should try to go to at least a movie a month, since I can afford it and it's important.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Our friend Summer had a kid, and sort of disappeared so that all we hear from her is facebook status updates about the baby. (Who we haven't met.)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Close to close; James's dad died after the extended decline of Huntington's, maybe two days after we wrapped shooting. And although I never met historian Tony Judt, he felt close to me.
5. What countries did you visit?
Just the U.S., I think. Although I'm told many people don't realize New Mexico isn't part of Mexico.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Distribution.
7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 24, Ciro and I married each other in a middle eastern restaurant, in the company of a few close friends. October 31, Reflection's Edge published its final issue (at least for now).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting out of Dallas.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I meant to have a going away party, but ran out of time. In general, I feel like there was a lot of unnecessary stress and disorganization.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A few months of depression.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A good pistol mic.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Val. She bought her first house and then entertained just about everyone in the world. She wrote and ran and gardened and trained a small and puffy dog.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Representative Mitch McConnell, et al.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The film, followed by moving costs.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I asked Ciro, and he says Inception and also learning that ancient samurai told stories very similarly to the way I tell stories.
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Probably La Roux and Chris Blacker's Another Red Night.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Happier, at least right now.
ii. thinner or fatter?
Thinner? About the same?
iii. richer or poorer?
Richer. Still heavily in debt. Working on it.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Paid down loans. Done more teaching. Written more songs.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Arguing. Worrying.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Playing Dance Central, mostly. Singing in the choir as usual.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Caprica, alas canceled before its time. I'm obsessed with the BBC Sherlock, but at only three episodes so far, it doesn't feel like television exactly.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Specific politicians, mostly, and various media figures. I'm a captioner. I spend a lot of time with these people.
25. What was the best book you read?
I don't remember when I read what. Probably Little, Big. I enjoyed the various Suzanne Collins books.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I've been singing forever, but I hadn't really listened to many recordings of myself singing, so it was kind of interesting to find out what I sound like in different ranges. It's different than I thought. It's changing the way I approach songwriting.
27. What did you want and get?
Married to Ciro. Moved to Boston. Volunteer crew and cast for Hayseeds.
28. What did you want and not get?
A literary agent.
29. What was your favorite film this year?
Inception by a mile. I expect to like True Grit when I see it.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 30. I was pretty exhausted after the film, and James's father's funeral, and trying to log all the footage before I turned it over to the editor. Ciro took me out to a nice Italian restaurant a few days afterward; the day of, we hung out at Half Price Books and went to Metro Diner with Chad and Merlin.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Literary. Agent.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Layers. The office was very air conditioned, and the climate of Texas was not. Cardigans and leggings entered my wardrobe for the first time.
33. What kept you sane?
Ciro, as much as possible. But I didn't really make it through the year sane.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Obama. Still. This goes beyond politics and personal magnetism. Other captioners already understand: Obama speaks at exactly the right speed, with perfect grammar, no stumbling, and punctuation you can hear. Any time he comes on television, it's like Christmas.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Immigration. It's tricky. Where you're born is just a matter of luck, and it isn't fair. At the same time, practically, you can't quite afford open borders, because most of the people who will want to cross them are the people who aren't doing well. It's the emergency room problem, basically. I don't know what to think about it. I don't know what a rational and moral immigration policy would look like. I do know it's not what we have.
36. Who did you miss?
Val most of the year. Jessie once the film was over. Merlin and James after the move to Boston.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
We'd met before, obviously, but I got tight with Acevedo, and also with Lia. And Koko the dog is not a person. I hope I get a chance to work with Cindy again; she was an invaluable presence on Hayseeds, a solid, kind, competent bulwark. Honestly, all our contacts in Whitney, TX surpassed not only my expectations, but my highest hopes.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Once they have enough money to feel safe, people look for something more than that, and if you can give them something that transcends - an art project, for instance - they will be humblingly generous with their time and resources.
39. Quote a song that sums up your year:
"Remember we were the volunteers." -- My Rights Versus Yours, the New Pornographers
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-04 01:41 am (UTC)