2011...
Snagged from eolivet :D (with whom I feel there will be much crossover here!)
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Had my own class of kids! Aaand... wrote smut. Something which I swore I would never do at all, and then... Oh look, somehow I've written the most in the M/M fandom. Oops.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
If I'm honest, I'm not sure I made any! If I did I certainly didn't keep them! I will probably make one or two for next year and actually try to stick to them.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No... No. Don't think so.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Erm... No! Yay!
5. What countries did you visit?
Somerset. That counts, right? :P No? Then no. Bah.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More self-control when it comes to fandom! And time management!
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I think... Yes, it has to be Sept 18th. Oh well! No regrets.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Successfully completing my NQT year of teaching, and guiding two classes to make more academic progress than they had done in years. On a more personal level, it has to be fanfic - I've been immensely touched by responses to my fics, and allow myself to feel a little proud of it!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Time (and life) management, certainly. Everything became a second priority to fandom, everything, and that's not the way my life should be. (To the point I was planning next day's lessons at 3am because I'd been writing/fangirling instead. Oops.)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I was ill one day. Much to the excitement of my class, who were somehow FASCINATED by the occurrence of their teacher being violently sick in the loo. :( (I went home and watched Downton all afternoon. It was fine.)
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I'm struggling to think of anything I have bought! Oh! New boots. I love them.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband and my mother. Both of whom, when I attracted the curse that befalls all teachers of headlice, each spent two hours going through my hair with gacky solution and the tiny little comb. It wasn't fun!!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mine....? :S Priorities, Claire. Learn some priorities!!
14. Where did most of your money go?
My car, without a doubt. Bah. It's not even a very nice car!!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Heeeeeee. Downton Abbey. I was literally shaking with excitement before the s2 premiere. Then THE SINGING in 2x04 (I injured my husband with flailing and screamed hysterically into a cushion), and THE DANCING in 2x08. AMAZINGNESS.
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
If You Were the Only Girl in the World :)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner
iii. richer or poorer? Richer
(Huh! Looks like I'm doing ok!)
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Everything besides fandom!! Spending time with people, spending more time with my faith, putting more into planning my lessons - everything!
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Fangirling. Now - this is an odd one. I'm not going to say writing, because I've been so happy with that. I wish I'd spent less time just idly trawling Tumblr, Twitter and LJ for updates in mindless procrastination. If that makes sense. I mean, when there's new stuff (like trailers and articles and discussion posts!) it's great, but I mean when I've just been pointlessly scanning. Bah.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Heeeeeee...
I will be spending it counting down the hours to the Downton Christmas Special. Ok, well I'll spend the morning with my husband, then we'll go have Christmas dinner with his family, then spend the evening with mine.
22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
With the amazingness of Downton Abbey. *sigh*
23. How many one-night stands?
I can't really answer that!
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Ha. Hmm. Oh, I wonder. Heeee. Begins with a D....
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, I don't! But then, I can truthfully and with complete honesty say that I don't hate anybody. Maybe myself, sometimes. But no!
26. What was the best book you read?
Do audiobooks count? :P In which case, My Dear I Wanted to Tell You. Pure amazingness. In paper book terms, I'm partway through Summer in February which I'm really enjoying!
27. What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?
Scott Joplin on the piano. It's SO much fun!!
28. What did you want and get?
A teaching job for September and then the new year! Luckily my old school asked me to stay on an extra term until Christmas, and I now also have a job lined up to start in January. Yayness!
29. What did you want and not get?
Matthew and Mary to be together by the end of series 2. The scandal to come out in series 2. But then... If you count the CS as part of series 2... THERE IS STILL HOPE!!
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Horrible Bosses. I have rarely laughed so hard in a cinema in my life. Oh, Tintin!! That was wonderful. Both of those!
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I did ABSOLUTELY NO WORK, which was pretty novel at that stage!! It was a Sunday, which was lovely. So I watched some of the original Upstairs, Downstairs, went to Castle Howard for lunch with my husband, then out for dinner with my family. I was 23! Lovely.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More satisfying? I'm not sure. I think... If I could have done more to be happier with myself. Like being able to keep the house tidy, instead of continually letting it get to a point where I was actually disgusted at it before having a huge tidy-up. It just isn't nice to live surrounded by piles of paper and stuff!
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
I.... have no idea. Relaxed? I don't know. More cardigans and scarves. I don't know!
34. What kept you sane?
My husband! And my faith, which even though I've neglected it terribly, is always still there keeping me grounded.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Heeeeeeee.
Dan Stevens. Yes. Yep. His face that is literally so perfect that I can just stare at it to the point of feeling weepy at his beauty. And with every interview, every snippet of audiobook or film or.. anything.. I just fancy him a little bit more.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I guess I'd have to say pensions for teachers. Seeing as I actually went on strike for it! But my motives for doing so were questionable. I'm bothered by it, but I wouldn't say it 'stirred' me.
37. Who did you miss?
My friends!
38. Who was the best new person you met?
So many amazing fandom people online, who have made this year so much fun! But of those, I have had the pleasure to meet epea_pteroenta in person and she's lovely and I'm meeting her again next week for tea! Wooo!
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
I suppose to be unafraid to try new things, to have confidence in myself and believe that I can actually do things!
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Once we watched the lazy world go by; now the days seem to fly. ("Love", from Disney's Robin Hood)
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Had my own class of kids! Aaand... wrote smut. Something which I swore I would never do at all, and then... Oh look, somehow I've written the most in the M/M fandom. Oops.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
If I'm honest, I'm not sure I made any! If I did I certainly didn't keep them! I will probably make one or two for next year and actually try to stick to them.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No... No. Don't think so.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Erm... No! Yay!
5. What countries did you visit?
Somerset. That counts, right? :P No? Then no. Bah.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More self-control when it comes to fandom! And time management!
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I think... Yes, it has to be Sept 18th. Oh well! No regrets.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Successfully completing my NQT year of teaching, and guiding two classes to make more academic progress than they had done in years. On a more personal level, it has to be fanfic - I've been immensely touched by responses to my fics, and allow myself to feel a little proud of it!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Time (and life) management, certainly. Everything became a second priority to fandom, everything, and that's not the way my life should be. (To the point I was planning next day's lessons at 3am because I'd been writing/fangirling instead. Oops.)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I was ill one day. Much to the excitement of my class, who were somehow FASCINATED by the occurrence of their teacher being violently sick in the loo. :( (I went home and watched Downton all afternoon. It was fine.)
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I'm struggling to think of anything I have bought! Oh! New boots. I love them.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband and my mother. Both of whom, when I attracted the curse that befalls all teachers of headlice, each spent two hours going through my hair with gacky solution and the tiny little comb. It wasn't fun!!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mine....? :S Priorities, Claire. Learn some priorities!!
14. Where did most of your money go?
My car, without a doubt. Bah. It's not even a very nice car!!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Heeeeeee. Downton Abbey. I was literally shaking with excitement before the s2 premiere. Then THE SINGING in 2x04 (I injured my husband with flailing and screamed hysterically into a cushion), and THE DANCING in 2x08. AMAZINGNESS.
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
If You Were the Only Girl in the World :)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner
iii. richer or poorer? Richer
(Huh! Looks like I'm doing ok!)
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Everything besides fandom!! Spending time with people, spending more time with my faith, putting more into planning my lessons - everything!
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Fangirling. Now - this is an odd one. I'm not going to say writing, because I've been so happy with that. I wish I'd spent less time just idly trawling Tumblr, Twitter and LJ for updates in mindless procrastination. If that makes sense. I mean, when there's new stuff (like trailers and articles and discussion posts!) it's great, but I mean when I've just been pointlessly scanning. Bah.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Heeeeeee...
I will be spending it counting down the hours to the Downton Christmas Special. Ok, well I'll spend the morning with my husband, then we'll go have Christmas dinner with his family, then spend the evening with mine.
22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
With the amazingness of Downton Abbey. *sigh*
23. How many one-night stands?
I can't really answer that!
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Ha. Hmm. Oh, I wonder. Heeee. Begins with a D....
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, I don't! But then, I can truthfully and with complete honesty say that I don't hate anybody. Maybe myself, sometimes. But no!
26. What was the best book you read?
Do audiobooks count? :P In which case, My Dear I Wanted to Tell You. Pure amazingness. In paper book terms, I'm partway through Summer in February which I'm really enjoying!
27. What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?
Scott Joplin on the piano. It's SO much fun!!
28. What did you want and get?
A teaching job for September and then the new year! Luckily my old school asked me to stay on an extra term until Christmas, and I now also have a job lined up to start in January. Yayness!
29. What did you want and not get?
Matthew and Mary to be together by the end of series 2. The scandal to come out in series 2. But then... If you count the CS as part of series 2... THERE IS STILL HOPE!!
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Horrible Bosses. I have rarely laughed so hard in a cinema in my life. Oh, Tintin!! That was wonderful. Both of those!
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I did ABSOLUTELY NO WORK, which was pretty novel at that stage!! It was a Sunday, which was lovely. So I watched some of the original Upstairs, Downstairs, went to Castle Howard for lunch with my husband, then out for dinner with my family. I was 23! Lovely.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More satisfying? I'm not sure. I think... If I could have done more to be happier with myself. Like being able to keep the house tidy, instead of continually letting it get to a point where I was actually disgusted at it before having a huge tidy-up. It just isn't nice to live surrounded by piles of paper and stuff!
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
I.... have no idea. Relaxed? I don't know. More cardigans and scarves. I don't know!
34. What kept you sane?
My husband! And my faith, which even though I've neglected it terribly, is always still there keeping me grounded.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Heeeeeeee.
Dan Stevens. Yes. Yep. His face that is literally so perfect that I can just stare at it to the point of feeling weepy at his beauty. And with every interview, every snippet of audiobook or film or.. anything.. I just fancy him a little bit more.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I guess I'd have to say pensions for teachers. Seeing as I actually went on strike for it! But my motives for doing so were questionable. I'm bothered by it, but I wouldn't say it 'stirred' me.
37. Who did you miss?
My friends!
38. Who was the best new person you met?
So many amazing fandom people online, who have made this year so much fun! But of those, I have had the pleasure to meet epea_pteroenta in person and she's lovely and I'm meeting her again next week for tea! Wooo!
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
I suppose to be unafraid to try new things, to have confidence in myself and believe that I can actually do things!
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Once we watched the lazy world go by; now the days seem to fly. ("Love", from Disney's Robin Hood)