2004 vs. 2018 // I Have No Witty Title for a Quiz

The internet is nothing if not nostalgic.

I don’t know what to use as a photo for this so here I am in my room circa 2004. Note the DDR pads folded in the back.

 

I’ve mentioned before that my love for blogging came from years and years spent on LiveJournal. And with two or three posts per day fairly common for me then—I can’t tell if this should sound horrifyingly overwhelming now OR if I should be pissed I worry so much about posting ‘finished’ work now—I was thrilled to use any pre-formatted content like quizzes and surveys. At the risk of sounding ancient, I’d argue my generation was in an odd spot with the internet because we had the ability to post everything without realizing none of it ever truly went away. That dangerous combination made it the perfect place to overshare and quizzes were the ideal outlet. Cue the nostalgic cringe.

I’ve actually had a hard time posting lately, if ya couldn’t tell. I don’t like using the internet to complain, but things have been tricky the last few months. Fuck, even the last year. Fertility treatment has screwed with my head and body and soul so much I wake up feeling, and looking, like a different person some days. Self employment is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me, but it comes with a new type of anxiety (and schedule) I’m still learning to balance. We lost two important family members in the last few months, hence so many trips back to Denver. There are days when sharing these things with you is cathartic, and there are days a shitty comment about a personal topic makes me wonder why I even entered a field like this in the first place.

Recently a friend of mine, seemingly joking, posted about how much she’d like to do a MySpace quiz. In an instant the ridiculous formatting and invasive questions came back and the little LiveJournal-er in me screamed “FIND THE QUIZZES, STAT.” It sounded like an easy smile and a quick blog post to kick myself into gear after skipping the last two weeks. So thanks for the inspiration, Amanda; this was one of the only quizzes I found from my LiveJournal that contained questions adult me would dare to answer.

Complete with weird spelling, I bring you a quiz from my 2004 journal with updated answers.

A – Age

2004: 14

2018: 28

B – Band

2004: The Clash, The Rolling Stones, Less Than Jake, Taking Back Sunday..

2018: Rancid, NOFX, Less Than Jake, Suicide Machines, Nekromantix…

C – Choice Of Meat

2004: Uhm.. prolly chicken

2018: Steak

D – Dream Date

2004: It’s not really the date, it’s the person you’re on the date with. But something with looking at stars would be nice, or having Tiny Dancer by Elton John sung to me, heh heh. I sound so girly now, oh my.

2018: Well that’s an adorable answer. My dream date now would include a nearly abandoned arcade (no lines!) followed by drinks at a (small, ideally) punk show and dessert after. Here in St. Louis that would be Start Bar, then Fubar, then The Fountain on Locust. Yes. Lance, take notes.

E – Excites You

2004: You

2018: Still you—it’s just that you is now about 10,000 more people than when I originally started taking surveys on blogs. And that makes me really, really excited. And also astonished. And also mildly horrified. But mainly excited.

F – Favorite Food

2004: Banana cream pie, coffee, or sandwiches

2018: Can Thanksgiving dinner count as one food?

G – Greatest Gift

2004: My dad got me a Belle Barbie doll once when I was sick, it wasd pretty awesome.

2018: My mother gave me her lucky bracelet when I graduated high school.

H – Happiest Day Of Your Life

2014: There have been a few

2018: Hmm… likely the day Lance proposed.

I – Internal Conflicts

2014: Ya know what? I’m getting kinda okay with myself. Fuckin right.

2018: Aww, that’s so cute that teenage me had a moment of confidence! In honor of my former days of LiveJournal oversharing, here are a few very real things that mess with my head: the uncertainties of fertility treatments and trying to get pregnant; irrational fears (bugs, things involving eyes/teeth, flying, falling, small spaces, the list gets longer with each passing year) that I feel I should be able to outsmart but, to date, cannot; the low-key structure of my form of self-employment and the worry it will fail now that I’m finally enjoying my work; the balance of wanting to stay in and keep to myself versus a fear of death and a life wasted inside; everything about post-cancer life, as a whole… Should I stop before I bum you out too much? Or should I take another page from the LiveJournal playbook and add some emo song lyrics? BRB, finding a Brand New record to quote…

J – Jealous

2004: What about it?

2018: Rarely

K – Kool Aid

2004: Eh, it’s okay. I haven’t ever had very much.

2018: Overrated. Don’t @ me.

L – Love

2004: Looks nice

2018: Is nice

M – Most Valuable Thing You Own

2004: Pictures

2018: Technically? My house. Emotionally? My pets.

N – Name

2004: Julia Ann Margarette Christensen

2018: Julia Ann Margarette Cain

O – Outfit

2004: Striped pants, blank tank, Wendell’s shirt

2018: Leggings, clearance tank top, sports bra

P – Pizza Topping

2004: Supreme

2018: Pepperoni and mushroom

Q – Question I Want To Ask

2004: Why?

2018: Why doesn’t Flint have clean water yet?

R – Roots

2004: I’m Danish! Woot

2018: Honestly not even sure anymore that I’m Danish. Ha!

S – Sport To Watch

2004: Stock car unprofessional train races

2018: Football (but the aforementioned sport is the best shit show on wheels)

T – TV Show

2004: South Park

2018: Ah, how TV was different in 2004. Now I have all the shows! ALL THE SHOWS! But right now I mainly watch Law & Order reruns because I’m painfully basic.

V – View From The Window

2004: Stars and moon at night, another house and trees.

2018: An empty house that some of our best friends are about to move in to!

W – Weather I Love

2004: Rain or nice and warm or snow

2018: Chilly fall weather. See my aforementioned basic explanation.

Y – Yesterday’s Best Meal

2004: Coffee and a Reeses

2018: Avocado toast with Red Hot Riplet seasoning and a Vess and vodka, as I’m clearly trying to be as St. Louis as humanly possible.

Z – Zodiac sign

2004: Pisces

2018: It’d be weird if that one changed.

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