One year ago today, Megan Goodchild walked into the Hammock Publishing offices to stories of great Christmas parties, movie reviews, and the truth about how our dogs actually run the place. We stopped her today on her way to the annual Hammock Publishing Christmas soiree to get her thoughts on the past 365 days.

1. December 7 is your Hammock Day. How long have you been with Hammock Publishing? One glorious year.

2. What do you remember most about your first day here? That it took me more than an hour and a half to get here and just as long to get home. Luckily I was able to adjust my schedule so that it only takes me 45 minutes to an hour each way now, if there are no wrecks. (Or oil spills, like last night!!)

3. What is your favorite Christmas carol? You know, I’m not too big on Christmas songs (I think working in retail for eight years ruined all seasonal experiences for me.) But if I have to choose, the two I am least sick of hearing are Carol of the Bells and Greensleeves (the latter isn’t technically a Christmas song, I guess, but I tend to hear it more around this time of year.)

4. If you didn’t work at Hammock Publishing, what would you be doing? Crying in the welfare line. No? Well, I would probably still be in the communications department of my previous corporate job, watching all the talented, long-time employees around me get fired because some new CEO decided he didn’t like it that they had a good relationship with the CEO before him. And I would still be looking for a more fulfilling, less hostile job than that place.

5. What is your favorite, can’t-miss television show? I don’t really watch too much TV, but I do love CSI (the Las Vegas one) and House. That guy is so crotchety, but it’s brilliant.

6. Where did you grow up? Go to college? I grew up in Des Plaines, a suburb just a few minutes outside of Chicago. I moved to Murfreesboro to go to college at Middle Tennessee State University, where I majored in mass communications and Spanish. I liked it well enough here that I’ve lasted almost 10 years!!

7. What is your dream vacation destination? My last semester in college was spent studying in and around Madrid, Spain, and I would love to go back. People always tell me I should vacation someplace that I’ve never been before, but I loved the culture and my experiences there so much that I would go back in a heartbeat. I miss it every day; I can still remember what the air smelled like and how I felt walking down the streets.

8. What has been your most memorable day at Hammock Publishing so far? I guess so far it’s been my first day because I had no idea what to expect, but people keep telling me that the Christmas party will be an experience I’ll never forget. I’m excited, but a little nervous, too!!

9. What is the one thing you won’t leave home without? My cellphone. I know it sounds lame, but I am such a worrywart and I feel like if I don’t have it with me, something bad will happen. Murphy’s Law, I guess.

10. If you could switch places with any other Hammock employee for a day, who would it be and why? Carrie Wakeford, Kerri Davis or Lynne Boyer. It was always my secret dream to become a professional graphic designer, but I never really knew how to go about getting good training and therefore never seriously pursued it (I did some design at my previous job, but nowhere near the level of what these folks do). I’m definitely not one with natural talent in the arts, so my money was probably better spent studying what I did. It probably would have taken a looong time for me to get any good.