That Was The Year That Was 2017
1. What did you do in 2017 that you'd never done before?
1. Became a published novelist (By the Currawong's Call)
2. Edited (from scratch to publication) a poetry anthology (Carrying On: A Collection of Fan Poetry Inspired by the TV Series Supernatural)
3. Attended the AFL Grand Final in person
4. Sang along to "Up Their Cazaly" with 100,020 other people
5. Saw Richmond F.C. WIN an AFL Grand Final in person
6. Had my first ever hospital admission (and then my second ever). It's nothing to worry about, I joined a clinical trail, that's all. It required six nights in hospital, all up, and a shit-tonne of outpatient appointments. Hopefully will lead to life for chemo patients being just a tiny bit less shit.
7. Walked down Commerical Road and stood around in Fawkner Park dressed in pyjamas and slippers. (the hospital building we were staying in had an evacuation alarm, so off we went, bunch of people in PJs, another bunch in scrubs, standing around in a park, perfectly normal stuff)
8. I... took up "running" in June. It's not real running - more like that gumboot shuffle that Cliff Young did to win the Sydney-to-Melbourne back in the '80s. But I actually enjoy it, weird as that sounds. It's one of the few things I've ever found that shuts up at least one of the voices in my head. Contemplative. Whoddathunk.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Don't make 'em. Can't break 'em.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Pretty sure my newest great-neice was born this year.
And we had an "addition to the family" in the sense that Eddie, a large male cat who had lived in our backyard for about four years, came inside in late January and is now part of the household.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
The wider circle of friends is slightly smaller now, vale Lachlan.
And Patsy, a little girl cat who had lived in our backyard for about three-and-a-bit years, had to be euthanased in June.
5. What countries did you visit?
Australia. And didn't even do any travelling within it this year.
6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?
I think my answer to this question from last year - "More books out. More books finished." works pretty well for this question again this year.
And added to this - more income would be nice.
7. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
2nd April - email from publisher "...the acquisitions committee was unanimous in their decision to accept it for publication."
30th September - RICHMOND WON THE GRAND FINAL. We'd been in the wilderness for 37 years, so this was very much A Rather Big Deal[tm].
20th November - my debut novel was released
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Becoming a published novelist. Editing an anthology. Keeping the black dog largely at bay.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting more writing done.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Bugger all.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Well, D bought them actually but tickets to The Damned's most recent Australian tour, for sure. They are never not the best band on the planet. Not ever. We're not worthy.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My beloved Tigers, Richmond F.C.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The arseholes of the world, of which there are too many to name. The tories, neo-cons, fascists, nazis, oligarchs, pedagogues, evangelists, trolls, RWNJs and robber barons. Oh and Nathan Broad.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Vet bills and paying poets.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
OMG YOU GUYS A PUBLISHER ACTUALLY PUBLISHED MY FUCKING NOVEL!!!!1!
And OMG RICHMOND WON THE FUCKING GRAND FINAL!! How good does it feel? :D :D
16. What song will always remind you of 2017?
I'll never hear The Killers' "Mr Brightside" again without thinking of Richmond's star forward Jack Riewoldt singing it with them on stage after the Grand Final, still in his full playing kit replete with grass stains from the game. :D Their cover of Midnight Oil's "Forgotten Years" during the pre-game entertainment was pretty bloody special too, I have to say. Certainly makes a change to see a band absolutely nail it at the Grand Final - the musical acts chosen for the Grand Final have become a running joke in Australia for their lacklustre performances.
But my song of the year 2017 is "Matter Of Time" by Railroad Gin. It's from 1974. They were from Brisbane. I'd never heard of them until I stumbled upon this song in a Youtube setlist and was just blown away. Sadly, then discovered that their amazing leadsinger, Carol Lloyd, had just recently died from cancer. What a baller of a song. And it's queer!
Click to viewAnd here's a version from 2013. Magnificent.
Vale, Ms Lloyd.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier
ii. thinner or fatter? thinner
iii. richer or poorer? every so slightly richer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Writing. Getting along to the footy.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Not writing.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Just the two of us at home again this year. Heroic amounts of roast vegies. Probably the first xmas of my adult life that I haven't had a drink on.
21. What LJ users did you meet for the first time?
Nada.
22. Did you fall in love in 2017?
Nah.
23. How many one-night stands?
Nope.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Hasn't been a huge year for TV in our household, really. There's a lot of stuff on our To Watch list that we just haven't got around to, partly due to time constraints and partly to the can't-be-fuckeds. Endeavour: The Young Morse is probably the thing I've watched and enjoyed most consistently this year. Sad to see ABC's Book Club finish after, what, eleven years or some such.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I hated all those fuckers already.
26. What was the best book you read?
Death In Venice by Thomas Mann
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Apart from my too-late discovery of the late great Carol Lloyd...
28. What did you want and get?
A book published. It's the biggest thing I've ever wanted, my whole life, and it happened. X-)
Richmond to do well in the Finals, and my oh my did they do well. :D
29. What did you want and not get?
(My answer to this question last year was "Wads of cash. Somebody out there saying "Hey, we love this novel, we want to publish it RIGHT NOW!"." Heeeee.)
So..... wads of cash. :)
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Wonder Woman.
We were both a bit disappointed with The Last Jedi, frankly, but it was still good.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I didn't even have a drink on my birthday CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not having to worry about money quite so much, but I'm pretty confident now that things are looking up in that regard from here on out.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?
Same as always - black 'n' blokey. With added NEW BIKER JACKET in the latter months of the year. It's faux leather and it was cheap and it doesn't have an inside pocket but other than that it is exactly what I've been wanting for ages.
34. What kept you sane?
The validation that came with my publisher's acceptance and readers' reactions.
Geek Lunch with rilestar and andricongirl.
Footy.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Dave Vanian
Dan Feuerriegel
Richmond boys Dan Jackson, Ben Griffiths, Cory Ellis (when he's got his John Wick beard on) & Steve Morris
Poe Dameron
Cate Blanchette in that green suit in Ocean's 8 is pretty special, too.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
*stares into camera*
37. Who did you miss?
Too many.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I'm gonna have to say my Publisher, right? :) That's @whatkatydidinoz on Twitter.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017.
We're strong and we're bold. (like the tiger of old)
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"The hardest years, the darkest years, the roaring years, the fallen years /
These should not be forgotten years"