Current mood:	content
Current music:	Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love" (Superstar approaching!)

"Yes, I'm ready to jump" into 2008 and entry-level jobs.
I prove many things in this journal (like that I can go to three malls in three days, and other feats), but mostly I show, time and again, how well I steal from Anna Wiegenstein's blog. Exhibit 43D: this end-of-year recap survey I'm about to bless you with.

2007 was a nutty, anxious, fun, harrowing, and (for real)unforgettable time. I can't say that about some years. Boohoo. Let's cut the pansy crap and start doing some hardcore JOURNALING.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
God, a few things, I guess. One, I took a plane by myself (I know, can you believe it, I'm only in my twenties). Two, I paid for an apartment and all my expenses for a summer. My debit card is bruised and shit. Three, I visited somewhere west of Colorado, and four, I dated someone kind-of-actually. Other than that, Iowa owned my ass with routine.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Ugh, now that I think about it, I never got around to stabbing Ann Coulter with her own jagged heels. Um, word: My lawyer-cousin Amie had fucking lunch with Ann Coulter. Quoth the badass Amie: "Oh, she's crazy. It was a double-date. Paul and I were invited because our friend was too intimidated to be with Ann alone." Anddd I don't believe in New Years resolutions. I find if I want want to change something about myself, I do it immediately and because it's time. That said, I need to stop staying up until 6 a.m. Because I'm among the living.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I do have a couple new cousins in the McCarthy family, which is not so unexpected when your mother has 12 brothers and sisters. Otherwise, Jessica and I gave continuous birth to The Crazy from roughly January until this second.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My great aunt Eileen just died on January 1 (which is so inconvenient for this survey), but I'm glad to say 2007 stayed out of the morgue. FYI: Attended Eileen's wake and funeral this past weekend -- somber, sad occasion, yes, but it's so awkward when you're not super-acquainted with the part of the family the death most affects. One of my second-cousins told me it was "nice to meet" me. Nice to know he didn't remember me FROM MY HOUSE THIS SUMMER. Whatevz. I actually concur, it's hard to keep up on who is who, sometimes. He's no heir to the Virtel vault anyway. Probably doesn't even like Beanie Babies.

5. What countries did you visit?
Mmmm, pretty much chilled here in the U.S., but I did explore those smoky jungles of Dyersville, croikey. Then there were those paltry (in comparison) trips to California, a couple times, and that included L.A., Burbank, and San Diego. I also visited Wyoming, Iowa, where I guess is the best place to situate an RA Camp Day that requires an open field and nothing else.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
The faith in myself that I'm doing all I can to fulfill my potential and enjoy myself. A fucking job in the real world. More big opportunities.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
-June 17: The day I flew to Cali. The day I arrived, cried 30 times upon realizing I had no one to hang out with and, worse, no internet.
-July 14: The day I met Tim Gunn. I'm so sick of the occasion (because I've discussed and name-dropped it to death... ugh, I hate abusing sweet times by reflecting on them and exalting them too often). Granted, I loved it, and it was clearly the biggest highlight of my year.
-July 31: The day I left California and, subsequently, Michael. It's still pretty clear to me, the memory of the final drive to Burbank and back in the middle of the night.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Going out really far and doing what I wanted. Finding out first-hand that life is not about saving money. And getting published in only my favorite fucking magazine.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Holding on to anger in many forms and from many occasions. Expect me to cover Alanis' "This Grudge" at a karaoke night one of these days. Also: being so fucking self-conscious (and, more particularly, image- and body-conscious) that I get down on myself. I need to snap the fuck out of it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Um, I thought I had a stress fracture in my foot for a few days at Iowa. Other than that, I'm mostly just causing injury to others -- through the power of writing.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Could be the laptop. Could be my sweet ankle boots from Nordstrom. Definitely isn't "Kokomo" from iTunes. Ugh, can we keep this between us?

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Why is this question speaking in the queen's English? Let's see. Jon Sexton left University Housing, so that merited some balloons at Buffalo Wild Wings. And Kylie Minogue sang "Got to be Certain" for the first time in 18 years, so that merited dancing in my room, half-naked, still to this day. Gloria's regular stress aneurysms generally merit a pinata or two also.

13. Where did most of your money go?
California, let's not talk about it.

14. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Meeting Tim Gunn, coming home in October and randomly hanging out with Sarah and Amanda for a night in Chicago, seeing and interviewing Paula Poundstone, getting to visit Six Flags Magic Mountain, Black Wednesday with almost everyone I've ever met, visiting Galesburg to meet up with Elyse and Kaylin (and I GUESS Brent), Jessica and Gloria visiting Cali, the Advocate 40th party, shopping, and, oh, maybe even over things.

15. What song will always remind you of 2007?
What a perfect time to serve up my "Songs of 2007" list. Thank you, survey, for everything. Disclaimer: I simply associate these songs with last year, even if they came out before, like, the invention of the light bulb.
1. Rihanna "Don't Stop the Music"
2. Janet Jackson "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song is About You"
3. Sinead O'Connor "I Don't Know How to Love Him"
4. The Dixie Chicks "Mississippi"
5. Fergie "Big Girls Don't Cry" (GAG, but a shout-out to Michael <3)
6. Kelis "Blindfold Me"
7. TLC "No Scrubs" (to be fair, I associate this more with 1999, but it took until 2007 to realize I was born to rap about "diamond-like precision" and "steppin' on your Filas"... always with respect for the deceased).
8. Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" (Did you know I'm gay?)
9. Rihanna "Umbrella"
10. Mariah Carey "Honey"

16. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Sadder? No. I'm not freakishly happier, but I'm not worse off. I'm more anxious, however, and that's certain. Granted, does anyone really live in a perpetual state of happiness or sadness? I'd prefer to think we're all less static than that.

Thinner or fatter? I'm a smidgen more muscular, so I guess that's "fatter" for me. God, survey, you really know how to woo a man.

Richer or poorer? In some ways, both. Right now I don't have a ton of money, but I have far more things. Funny how that works.

17. What do you wish you'd done more of? Writing for myself. Sleeping.

18. What do you wish you'd done less of? Worrying. Dwelling. Wasting time.

19. How will you be spending Christmas? Um, welcome to today, survey. I spent it with the usual fam, except we went and saw Juno, which I felt was slightly overrated even though I really enjoyed it.

20. Did you fall in love in 2007? I fell in like with a nice boy who wears whatever polo shirt the day calls for.

21. How many one-night stands? Jesus. Three I think.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Jeopardy, Project Runway, but most of all, for this year, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. And as of two weeks ago, 30 Rock.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I'd love to tell you I'm above that, but I'm so not. Yeah, I can think of someone. Not that I ever really "liked" him, but I think I'm almost done realizing that "John" (I use pseudonyms now; I'm trying for "classy" in this journal) is a fucking asshole. I don't think that's just a judgment; I think it's calling a spade a spade. Doesn't mean I won't end up fucking him, but whatever, I'm not the one on trial here.

24. What was the best book you read?
Mmm, fucking love Michael Musto's La Dolce Musto. He is suchhh a bitch and a role model. I think my favorite of his columns is the one where he rips on John Paul II. Here it is: http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0515,fmusto,62868,6.html

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Well, along with the rest of the world, I think I discovered the sweetness of Rihanna. And I'm rooting like hell for the success of her new single "Don't Stop the Music," my absolute favorite new song from 2007.

26. What did you want and get?
A chance to venture out and discover a different world. Also: Starbucks.

27. What did you want and not get?
Hmmm. Complacence. Though I guess I also fear that the most.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Tough call, I really don't see too many movies. I enjoyed Knocked Up and Juno, but my real favorite was Shut Up and Sing. The Dixie Chicks are some hard-ass broads, I'm still in love with them.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned the mystical age of 21, and I toured Lemont with my x-treme posse. And I might've been dressed like a cowboy villain, sort of.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Spending the summer with someone instead of waiting around for new friends to spring up.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
HA. Um, did Nina Garcia write this question? Does she question my taste level? Gonna quote that famous bastion of sanity, Project Runway's own Elisa, on this one: I'm "a disturbing, Gretel-like figure." What the HELL was that? I enjoyed Elisa and all, but she really lost me with the fucked-up references. For real, my "fashion" style is tailored, sharp, colorful, and smart. I will make a fine businesswoman someday.

32. What kept you sane?
Laughing at it all. Friends. Kathy Griffin. Being proud of my work. And lastly, Valerie Bertinelli's re-emergence as a Jenny Craig spokesperson.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Fancy? Man, survey, we're getting a little vulgar here. Next thing I know you'll ask me what celebrity I found... jolliest. Um, anyway, I have serious crushes on really serious people like Danny Pintauro and Zac Efron.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gonna go with gay marriage on that one.

35. Who did you miss?
Everyone all the time. I missed my home friends at school and at California. And my family. And Tim Gunn since the middle of July.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Michael. He was certainly the most welcoming. Don't tell him that or anything. He's a fucking Avril Lavigne fan. I could lose a job over this.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
As I stated earlier: Life is not about saving money.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"I'm not afraid of what I'll face, but I'm afraid to stay."


There. Happy 2008, let's own the fucker.

Love, love, love, xoxo,
Louis