Leap Year Survey for 2008–The Results

If you’ve been a fan of this blog for a while (and I can’t imagine many people have), you may recall a post which I wrote the last Leap Year on February 29, 2008.

At that time I was 38, Anthony was 4 and still in preschool, and I was still happily employed at Learning Tree and making decent money.

My, how things have changed as we’re about to find out. Keep in mind that many of the questions in the Entertainment section dealt with who was popular at the time so if the questions seem completely irrelevant, that’s why. And to give you another idea of this, I mention MySpace in the original post and only joined Facebook 5 months prior. Kind of scary.

Anyway, here are the results from the Leap Year Survey 2008. Let’s see how well I did.

Personal
If single now, will you be married? (N/A)

If married now, will you still be? Yes
Result: True. It’ll be 19 years this year so things aren’t going to change.

Will you weight more or less? Significantly less
Result: True. I started my weight loss blog entries on March 24, 2008 and a few days later I weighed in at 251 lbs. As of this post, I’m at 209 lbs. and focusing more on muscle mass than overall weight.

Will you have (any more) kids? No
Result: True. And I’m glad that hasn’t changed. Anthony is a handful on his own!

Will you have the same job? No–they will be moved to VA by 2010
Result: True. While most of the jobs moved to Reston, VA, there are still some lingering here in California.

If no, in which profession will you be working? Writing
Result: False. I’m proofreading which is nothing like writing.

Will you be driving the same car? No
Result: True. I can’t recall what I was driving back in 2008 but I’m sure it wasn’t what I have now, which I got in 2009.

If no, what will you be driving? Luxury sedan
Result: False. I drive a sedan but unless you consider a used Ford Fusion Kia Rio a luxury car, this one is definitely wrong.

Will you still be living in the same place? Yes
Result: True. That won’t change.

Entertainment
If Britney Spears is still alive, how many total children will she have? 5
Result: False. She has 2.

What number husband will she be on? 6 (Currently on #3 #2)
Result: False. She’s engaged to someone who will be her 3rd sucker.

Will Lindsay Lohan make it to the next Leap Day? No
Result: False. She’s still lingering but barely. And who would have ever guessed Whitney Houston wouldn’t?

What about Abe Vigoda? Yes
Result: True. The man just won’t make those rumors of his passing come true.

Will 2Pac release another CD? Yes
Result: False. His last album, Pac’s Life, was released was in 2006.

Will your favorite artist (Depeche Mode for me) have won a Grammy? No
Result: True. While they were nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Short Form Music Video, they were snubbed again.

Will your current TV show still be on the air (in production, not syndication)? No
Result: Null. I can’t even think of what I was watching back then other than The Simpsons, and that’s still going. Could go either way, I guess.

Technology
Will you own a iPod? Yes (I’ve had one for 3 years)
Result: True. Each member of the family has one.

Will an “iPod Killer” be introduced by then? No
Result: Null. It’s hard to exactly say if this is true  for several reasons. For one, the iPhone essentially has an iPod built in to it, smartphones can do just about anything an iPod can, and who ever saw the iPad, Kindle Fire or other tablets coming? Even with all those facts, iPod sales continue to soar.

The DVD Format War may be over, but will the winner (Blu-ray) still be around? No
Result: False. Sales of Blu-ray discs also continue to climb.

If you blog, will you still be? Yes
Result: True. Duh.

Microsoft: Bankrupt or not? Bankrupt
Result: False. While they were having difficulties after Apple and Google got the smartphone wars going in 2007, they are by no means bankrupt.

Will hybrid vehicles still be all the rage? No
Result: True. Hybrids continue to be popular but many car manufacturers are making fuel-efficient vehicles that can get up to and over 40 MPG – at a significantly lower price, making them a viable alternative to hybrids.

Will satellite radio still matter? Yes
Result: True. It’s still around and with many fans and despite the SIRIUS/XM merger, it only started turning profits recently.

What major innovation will cell phones feature? Ability to shoot hi-definition video
Result: True. Many phones shoot videos in hi-def.

Cost of Living
The average cost of gas per gallon will be: $4.50
Result: False. As of this post, it is $4.25 but still climbing.

The cost of a single-day, adult ticket to Disneyland will be: $109 (Currently $66)
Result: False. They are currently $77 for kids and $80 for adults, single-park ticket.

The cheapest menu item at McDonald’s will cost: $2
Result: False. You can still buy stuff for around a buck.

The average cost of a base-model, entry-level car will be: $23k
Result: False. With people straying away from gas-guzzling SUVs, compact cars are making some headway. Most manufacturers offer a base-model, entry-level car for around $15k MSRP.

Well, there you go. It looks like I pretty much failed at this survey and as such, I’m not bothering with one this year 🙂