2008 meme
Best 5 things I think I achieved in 2008
* Kept at least a small part of my brain sane in the face of a lot of life upheaval & hecticness
* Found & moved into a lovely new flat
* Pulled together the Chairman's Dinner event, including a lifesize horse puppet walking between the dinner tables, for work
* Made decor for Paul's Sci-Fi party, for fun and love
* Squeezed in a course in Event Management, alongside the day job
Best 5 things I’ve seen at the cinema
Don't think I've been to the cinema at all this year, partly due to having a projector & screen set up at home. The best film I've seen was In Bruges
Best 5 works of fiction I’ve read for the first time
(Having no TV for most of the year has meant I've started reading properly, for the first time in ages. A good change, I think :-))
* Vurt - Jeff Noon
* Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
* Principles of Angels - Jaine Fenn
* The Integral Trees - Larry Niven
* The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
A couple of non-fiction highlights were Freakonomics, and Richard Eyre's National Service, which my dad bought for me about 5 years ago when I started working at the National Theatre.
Best 5 things I’ve been to
*...some trace of her at the National
* Sonic Boom Six gig
* Beautiful Days festival
* To Be Straight With You by DV8
* EnDorset festival
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Felt like a grown up
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think I made any resolutions last year. I have been particularly rubbish about making progress on my 43 things list as well - must try harder this year. New resolutions to be noted there
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not anyone very close. An amazing number of people I know are due to give birth next year though. 2009 may be the year to practise baby-sitting :-)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No
5. What countries did you visit?
Germany & Hungary
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More time, or the focus to spend the time on the things that are really important
7. What date(s) from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I've never been very good at remembering dates...
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
See list up top
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not spending more time with all the people I love
10. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Not really
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A beer fridge :-)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I am fortunate that those close to me have remained amazing as ever, with particular points to John, Helen, Richard, Zuzi & Paul
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
This year has brought me into closer contact with people whose actions I sometimes find hard to understand, but I hope it will prove a good learning curve
14. Where did most of your money go?
A scary proportion of my income has been spent on booze
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My new flat. Kittens.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Any tracks from Sonic Boom Six's The Ruff Guide to Genre-Terrorism
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? - about the same , although that could just be the hangover talking :-)
ii. thinner or fatter? - fatter, hopefully to be improved over the coming month or two
iii. richer or poorer? - about the same
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Spent time with the people whose company I really enjoy
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stressing about work. Making polite conversation
20. How did you spend Christmas?
In my own place, for the first time ever. Would be nice to do something similar next year, but with more visitors, now I've practised on a single guinea pig :-)
21. How many people did you snog in 2008?
Two
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes
23. How many one-night stands?
None
24. What was your favorite TV program?
There was limited choice, as I can only watch downloads and DVDS. Of those, Firefly has been the best (and most disappointingly short!) series
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book you read?
See list up top
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I've been introduced to loads of new bands this year - Skindread & Sonic Boom Six stand out - and have also discovered classics like The Pixies & Carter. Wonder what next year will bring? :-)
28. What did you want and get?
Fun
29. What did you want and not get?
My dream job
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
In Bruges
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Ran my first conference. Had sushi with some of my favourite people. 29.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Hmm, i wonder...the ability to prioritise, in my personal life, as well as at work
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Confused
34. What kept you sane?
The belief that things can always be improved
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Usually i can't bring myself to fancy any celebs, as I think they fancy themselves too much, but after meeting him a few times for work I have to say Jeremy Irons - he's a complete charmer, and he did the voice for Scar in the Lion King, which is one of my favourite films :-)
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Recycling. My god, I need to follow politics more!
37. Who did you miss?
This has not been a good year for spending time with the people I like to see, but particularly missed are my Top Chick, Helen, and Richter.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Don't feel I've met many new people, but certainly got to know some people a lot better
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
I need to schedule in more downtime
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Can't think of one right now...
* Kept at least a small part of my brain sane in the face of a lot of life upheaval & hecticness
* Found & moved into a lovely new flat
* Pulled together the Chairman's Dinner event, including a lifesize horse puppet walking between the dinner tables, for work
* Made decor for Paul's Sci-Fi party, for fun and love
* Squeezed in a course in Event Management, alongside the day job
Best 5 things I’ve seen at the cinema
Don't think I've been to the cinema at all this year, partly due to having a projector & screen set up at home. The best film I've seen was In Bruges
Best 5 works of fiction I’ve read for the first time
(Having no TV for most of the year has meant I've started reading properly, for the first time in ages. A good change, I think :-))
* Vurt - Jeff Noon
* Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
* Principles of Angels - Jaine Fenn
* The Integral Trees - Larry Niven
* The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
A couple of non-fiction highlights were Freakonomics, and Richard Eyre's National Service, which my dad bought for me about 5 years ago when I started working at the National Theatre.
Best 5 things I’ve been to
*...some trace of her at the National
* Sonic Boom Six gig
* Beautiful Days festival
* To Be Straight With You by DV8
* EnDorset festival
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Felt like a grown up
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think I made any resolutions last year. I have been particularly rubbish about making progress on my 43 things list as well - must try harder this year. New resolutions to be noted there
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not anyone very close. An amazing number of people I know are due to give birth next year though. 2009 may be the year to practise baby-sitting :-)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No
5. What countries did you visit?
Germany & Hungary
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More time, or the focus to spend the time on the things that are really important
7. What date(s) from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I've never been very good at remembering dates...
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
See list up top
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not spending more time with all the people I love
10. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Not really
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A beer fridge :-)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I am fortunate that those close to me have remained amazing as ever, with particular points to John, Helen, Richard, Zuzi & Paul
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
This year has brought me into closer contact with people whose actions I sometimes find hard to understand, but I hope it will prove a good learning curve
14. Where did most of your money go?
A scary proportion of my income has been spent on booze
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My new flat. Kittens.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Any tracks from Sonic Boom Six's The Ruff Guide to Genre-Terrorism
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? - about the same , although that could just be the hangover talking :-)
ii. thinner or fatter? - fatter, hopefully to be improved over the coming month or two
iii. richer or poorer? - about the same
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Spent time with the people whose company I really enjoy
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stressing about work. Making polite conversation
20. How did you spend Christmas?
In my own place, for the first time ever. Would be nice to do something similar next year, but with more visitors, now I've practised on a single guinea pig :-)
21. How many people did you snog in 2008?
Two
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes
23. How many one-night stands?
None
24. What was your favorite TV program?
There was limited choice, as I can only watch downloads and DVDS. Of those, Firefly has been the best (and most disappointingly short!) series
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book you read?
See list up top
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I've been introduced to loads of new bands this year - Skindread & Sonic Boom Six stand out - and have also discovered classics like The Pixies & Carter. Wonder what next year will bring? :-)
28. What did you want and get?
Fun
29. What did you want and not get?
My dream job
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
In Bruges
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Ran my first conference. Had sushi with some of my favourite people. 29.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Hmm, i wonder...the ability to prioritise, in my personal life, as well as at work
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Confused
34. What kept you sane?
The belief that things can always be improved
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Usually i can't bring myself to fancy any celebs, as I think they fancy themselves too much, but after meeting him a few times for work I have to say Jeremy Irons - he's a complete charmer, and he did the voice for Scar in the Lion King, which is one of my favourite films :-)
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Recycling. My god, I need to follow politics more!
37. Who did you miss?
This has not been a good year for spending time with the people I like to see, but particularly missed are my Top Chick, Helen, and Richter.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Don't feel I've met many new people, but certainly got to know some people a lot better
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
I need to schedule in more downtime
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Can't think of one right now...