The rain falls down on last year's man
2009 in review. Compare and contrast with 2008 2007 or 2006, if you really want to.
What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Got a degree. Got a PhD place. Moved to London. Completed Expert Minesweeper in 99 sec. Went to see things I really love live. Had a flatmate. Got back in touch with a lot of old schoolfriends. Start going to the gym regularly. The number of things to write here is decreasing. I'm aging.
Did you keep new year's resolutions and will you make more next year?
1) Do my usual sit-up regime at least until half way through April, as usual.
2) Cut out Lucozade for a couple of months at least.
3) Stay clean shaven for at least the first couple of months of the year. [Due to beards really really suiting me, according to most, I've not really had a chance to try being clean-shaven for ages.]
4) Work more better.
5) Go to comedy clubs.
6) See friends more.
7) Like myself
Definitely did the first. Saw Stewart Lee, and the fringe, which more or less makes the fifth done. The sixth was rather successful, at the expense of the fourth. Second was sort of sucessful. Third was a month or so, but I had clean-shaveness for a while. The seventh ...
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope
Did anyone close to you die?
Bilbo, the family black labrador got cancer and had to be put down, which was v sad.
On the whole, though, I've known very few people who've died, which is really good. I don't know how I'll deal with it when someone close does die. I've never been good with loss.
What countries did you visit?
England and Scotland, again.
I've gone three calendar years without leaving the UK. I am currently working on correcting it - this is procrastination from packing for my three week trip to NZ: I fly tomorrow.
What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
"That's a very good question. A trite answer ... could be "stability", but, if I'm really honest, I don't know how unstable I am, and how much being more stable would be dull." - I wanted for 2008 lacking in 2007.
I'm now rather aware that I'm apparently definitely unstable, and would rather like to deal with that a bit.
Yeah, let's work on this. More importantly, not to hurt anyone, and to be able to be happy about the medication I'm taking. To see when I'm being utterly stupid.
Health and happiness for everyone I love is really the main thing I'd ask for. But I know I'm not going to get that. - still
What dates from 2009 will remain etched in your memory and why?
1st January - Kathryn and I got together.
February 27th -her 25th.
May 9th - the gig she and Burak played.
July 4th - a great weekend we had by Loch Fyne.
August 29th - Beth, my little sister, got married to her boyfriend Pete. A wonderful day. Memorable in many ways.
[After that, the year got messy, I got undisciplined and lost track of it all. Need to be more sorted.]
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting fit, I suppose. It annoys me that I seem to have become more of a fitness person this year.
What were your biggest failures this year?
Not really working that much. Betraying and hurting Kathryn and Sarah so much. [And, during this message, discovered I really hurt someone else.]
Did you suffer illness or injury?
I still throw up most days, get headaches, and colds a lot, but don't let them stop me.
As for the last ten years now. That's kinda depressing.
What was the best thing you bought?
Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Beth & Pete, for a start! Kathryn, definitely, among many.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Oh, myself.
What did you spend most of your spare cash on?
Comics, books, DVDs, Music. Trains and buses to Scotland and Bournemouth
What did you get really, really excited about?
Los Campesinos!, always. Beth's wedding. CLIMBING!
What song will always remind you of 2009?
Elvis Costello - Indoor Fireworks, or Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers
Compared to this time last year are you happier or sadder?
Sadder. Don't doubt it for a second.
Thinner or fatter?
Thinner - definitely leaner
Richer or poorer?
Richer, I think.
What do you wish you'd done more of?
"Dedicated more time to Maths."
Dedicated myself more generally.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
Wasting time on the internet. Again.
What was your favorite TV programme?
How I Met Your Mother
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I don't.
What was the last book you read?
Wow, not read any prose for a while, have I? I've started a few books lately, but last thing I finished was probably re-reading Catch-22. Rereading a book you loved years ago, but still old enough to be who you are, or a rough approximation, is great.
Since then, I've started going back to reading prose a lot. Probably too much - I need to get back into mathematics. I'm apparently doing a PhD, or so they say. Most recently read - Mother Night, by Vonnegut, on the train to London, from Aberdeen. And The Master and Margarita- which I've nearly finished.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Got back into Elvis (Costello). Dexys, definitely. Prodigy are good too. Tunng. Talking Heads
What did you want and get?
Happiness, for a while. Academic success. Friends. Fit.
What did you want and not get?
Stability. Control. Not falling to pieces over something I've been avoiding dealing with for ten years.
What was your favourite film this year?
I saw five excellent films this year. I can't choose between Up, In The Loop, Los abrazos rotos [Broken Embraces] and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parsnassus. Moon, the fifth, was great, but didn't get me as much. Loop did feel very much like a BBC sitcom, but it was good.
What did you do on your birthday and how old are you?
I am 23. On my birthday I went climbing, as I do every Monday. Then went for Fish and Chips, with a friend.
What one thing would've made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not having things in certain places fall apart. Especially me.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Light on the jeans, for once. Shorts for the summer, mostly, and some climbing trousers for the winter.
What kept you sane?
Friends, medication. Kathryn.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None, really.
What political issue has stirred you the most?
Donald Trump's continuing building a luxury golf course over my childhood and back yard, cutbacks.
Who did you miss?
Really, at this point, every single person at some point. Kathryn, most of the time.
Who was the best new person you met this year?
Alexa's pretty good. Al Litterick's decent - Nick Krempel's a comrade, Sarah, Zey, AJ, Nick. I'm getting slow at this. Kieron Gillen?
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Old friends and stability are valuable. Also: timing is important, and can really hurt.
What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Got a degree. Got a PhD place. Moved to London. Completed Expert Minesweeper in 99 sec. Went to see things I really love live. Had a flatmate. Got back in touch with a lot of old schoolfriends. Start going to the gym regularly. The number of things to write here is decreasing. I'm aging.
Did you keep new year's resolutions and will you make more next year?
1) Do my usual sit-up regime at least until half way through April, as usual.
2) Cut out Lucozade for a couple of months at least.
3) Stay clean shaven for at least the first couple of months of the year. [Due to beards really really suiting me, according to most, I've not really had a chance to try being clean-shaven for ages.]
4) Work more better.
5) Go to comedy clubs.
6) See friends more.
7) Like myself
Definitely did the first. Saw Stewart Lee, and the fringe, which more or less makes the fifth done. The sixth was rather successful, at the expense of the fourth. Second was sort of sucessful. Third was a month or so, but I had clean-shaveness for a while. The seventh ...
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope
Did anyone close to you die?
Bilbo, the family black labrador got cancer and had to be put down, which was v sad.
On the whole, though, I've known very few people who've died, which is really good. I don't know how I'll deal with it when someone close does die. I've never been good with loss.
What countries did you visit?
England and Scotland, again.
I've gone three calendar years without leaving the UK. I am currently working on correcting it - this is procrastination from packing for my three week trip to NZ: I fly tomorrow.
What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
"That's a very good question. A trite answer ... could be "stability", but, if I'm really honest, I don't know how unstable I am, and how much being more stable would be dull." - I wanted for 2008 lacking in 2007.
I'm now rather aware that I'm apparently definitely unstable, and would rather like to deal with that a bit.
Yeah, let's work on this. More importantly, not to hurt anyone, and to be able to be happy about the medication I'm taking. To see when I'm being utterly stupid.
Health and happiness for everyone I love is really the main thing I'd ask for. But I know I'm not going to get that. - still
What dates from 2009 will remain etched in your memory and why?
1st January - Kathryn and I got together.
February 27th -her 25th.
May 9th - the gig she and Burak played.
July 4th - a great weekend we had by Loch Fyne.
August 29th - Beth, my little sister, got married to her boyfriend Pete. A wonderful day. Memorable in many ways.
[After that, the year got messy, I got undisciplined and lost track of it all. Need to be more sorted.]
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting fit, I suppose. It annoys me that I seem to have become more of a fitness person this year.
What were your biggest failures this year?
Not really working that much. Betraying and hurting Kathryn and Sarah so much. [And, during this message, discovered I really hurt someone else.]
Did you suffer illness or injury?
I still throw up most days, get headaches, and colds a lot, but don't let them stop me.
As for the last ten years now. That's kinda depressing.
What was the best thing you bought?
Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Beth & Pete, for a start! Kathryn, definitely, among many.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Oh, myself.
What did you spend most of your spare cash on?
Comics, books, DVDs, Music. Trains and buses to Scotland and Bournemouth
What did you get really, really excited about?
Los Campesinos!, always. Beth's wedding. CLIMBING!
What song will always remind you of 2009?
Elvis Costello - Indoor Fireworks, or Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers
Compared to this time last year are you happier or sadder?
Sadder. Don't doubt it for a second.
Thinner or fatter?
Thinner - definitely leaner
Richer or poorer?
Richer, I think.
What do you wish you'd done more of?
"Dedicated more time to Maths."
Dedicated myself more generally.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
Wasting time on the internet. Again.
What was your favorite TV programme?
How I Met Your Mother
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I don't.
What was the last book you read?
Wow, not read any prose for a while, have I? I've started a few books lately, but last thing I finished was probably re-reading Catch-22. Rereading a book you loved years ago, but still old enough to be who you are, or a rough approximation, is great.
Since then, I've started going back to reading prose a lot. Probably too much - I need to get back into mathematics. I'm apparently doing a PhD, or so they say. Most recently read - Mother Night, by Vonnegut, on the train to London, from Aberdeen. And The Master and Margarita- which I've nearly finished.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Got back into Elvis (Costello). Dexys, definitely. Prodigy are good too. Tunng. Talking Heads
What did you want and get?
Happiness, for a while. Academic success. Friends. Fit.
What did you want and not get?
Stability. Control. Not falling to pieces over something I've been avoiding dealing with for ten years.
What was your favourite film this year?
I saw five excellent films this year. I can't choose between Up, In The Loop, Los abrazos rotos [Broken Embraces] and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parsnassus. Moon, the fifth, was great, but didn't get me as much. Loop did feel very much like a BBC sitcom, but it was good.
What did you do on your birthday and how old are you?
I am 23. On my birthday I went climbing, as I do every Monday. Then went for Fish and Chips, with a friend.
What one thing would've made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not having things in certain places fall apart. Especially me.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Light on the jeans, for once. Shorts for the summer, mostly, and some climbing trousers for the winter.
What kept you sane?
Friends, medication. Kathryn.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None, really.
What political issue has stirred you the most?
Donald Trump's continuing building a luxury golf course over my childhood and back yard, cutbacks.
Who did you miss?
Really, at this point, every single person at some point. Kathryn, most of the time.
Who was the best new person you met this year?
Alexa's pretty good. Al Litterick's decent - Nick Krempel's a comrade, Sarah, Zey, AJ, Nick. I'm getting slow at this. Kieron Gillen?
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Old friends and stability are valuable. Also: timing is important, and can really hurt.