Tis the season for a meme!
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
I moved to England, moved in with monkey_don_dan and the 'in laws'.
2. Where did you study/ work?
January-March I worked in St Andrews in a school, as part of the Out Of School Club. I gave this up to work in West London for the National Autistic Society as a trainee practitioner (which is posh speak for support worker).
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nobody properly superly close to me, no. Some LJ friends gave birth, which Im sure counts on some level or another.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. Someone that I knew when I was young who had dementia went wandering and died under a bridge, my beloved Iris died in her sleep and Dave, someone who worked for my Mum and who I worked with and knew for years died on the 21st and I attended his funeral today.
5. What countries did you visit?
England and Scotland. Next year I'm hoping to go to Paris, which will add France to the list in the 2010 meme!
6. Did you move anywhere?
Yes, I moved precisely 453 miles to Watford. I long to move back, but now the family home is in Cupar I am less impressed. St Andrews is my home town and I feel its where I belong, so I'm not as devastated to be returning to Watford on Monday as I thought I would be. The new house is wonderful and my Mum is really happy and I love the house too, I just don't love the location. But St Andrews is stupidly expensive, I won't be returning any time soon :(
7. What sporting events did you go to?
None. Sports is not my thing. monkey_don_dan went to the cricket and the NFL game, so he did much better than me!
8. What concerts did you go to?
I went to approximately a million. Without being in my bedroom in Watford looking at my noticeboard covered in ticket stubs, there is no way I will remember who I have seen this year! Ah wait, by the power of last.fm, I will try and list all my gigs! Here, in chronological order (hence repeats)
Bat For Lashes
PJ Harvey
Camera Obscura
Beirut
Hawksley Workman (Best!)
Placebo
Chad VanGaalen
Deerhunter, HEALTH, Crystal Antlers (Worst!)
Bat For Lashes
The Proclaimers
Camera Obscura
Tegan & Sara
We Were Promised Jetpacks
The Decemberists
Skunk Anansie
Placebo
Modest Mouse
Devendra Banhart
I was supposed to see Tom McRae but the gig was postponed to March 2010. I was also supposed to be at *that* Amy Winehouse gig which she bloody pulled out of. My first gig was in April, making it a gigtastic year! I also went to the theatre three times, on my birthday to see Entertaining Mr Sloane, in the summer to see Waiting for Godot and towards the end of the year to see Prick Up Your Ears. Loved all three.
9. Who was your Valentine in 2009?
monkey_don_dan
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I was shunted off to hospital after a routine eye test showed my optic nerve was swollen, nothing serious though, it was probably viral. I got the worst virus I've ever had and lost my voice for 3 days, I've suffered a few beatings in my job and Im being referred to a specialist to be checked out for endometriosis, so I've had better years health wise, but all in all I've been just fine!
11. What was your best month?
Hmmmm, touch call. No month was OMG AMAZING, but really, no month was absolutely terrible.
12. Where did most of your money go?
Moving house and buying furniture and then just gallons of shite that I've bought to make me feel better! I have spent so much money in the post-Christmas sales despite being mostly stuck indoors snowed in. The internets are dangerous.
13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I got excited about coming home for Christmas because I was exhausted and generally had had quite enough of everything. Otherwise... I don't know.
14. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Short Bursts by We Were Promised Jetpacks.
15. What did you do on the 4th of July?
Probably the same nonsense I do every Saturday. Unless that was when my Mum was visiting, in which case I did the sort of things one does when one's mother comes to visit you and see London!
16. What were the best...
i. books you read?
Im not convinced I've actually read a whole book this year. Bloody hell. I've just started Zadie Smith's White Teeth and I am much less impressed than I thought I would be. Maybe I read Joe Orton's Head to Toe this year (or was it 2008?) THAT was a weird book!
ii. movies you saw?
Im not entirely convinced I've managed to sit through many films this year without sleeping! Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa was pretty good!
iii. CD's you listened to?
I don't know what these CDs you speak of are. I loved Skunk Anansie's greatest hits album, also love the We Were Promised Jetpacks album. Not a big fan of the new Placebo album and even the new Tegan and Sara album didn't exactly make me feel all warm inside. Otherwise I spend my time listening to radio stations at work, which station depends on the service user!
17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Healthy eating, relaxing, sleeping.
18. What do you wish you'd done less of?
eating shit, smoking, worrying myself sick over things.
19. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it in Cupar with my Mum and monkey_don_dan and it was very nice.
20. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I remained in love:)
21. How many one-night stands?
0
22. What was your favourite TV program?
Erm....I've ended up watching endless hours of QI on Dave! Ditto Family Guy on BBC3
23. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier
ii. thinner or fatter? fatter, although some people reckon I look like I've lost weight. Fools.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer as I now work full time and my in laws kindly take only a teeny weeny amount of money off me.
24. What was your favourite summer memory of 2009
Taking service users to a farm on the day the temperature got above 30 degrees and we all sweated together in a big heap. That there is bonding time!
25. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 24 and I was waking up on my first day in Watford after the move. I opened my amazing presents and did some unpacking and sorting out of all my stuff. We went into Central London and ate dinner at Albannach, a scottish restaurant, then went round the corner to Trafalgar Studios to see Entertaining Mister Sloane. We then went back and ate cake. Good times!
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
We Were Promised Jetpacks. I loves them.
27. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Nobody, I'm not really that sort of person.
28. Who was the best new person you met?
I've met loads of great people through work.
29. Where were you when 2009 began and who were you with?
In St Andrews at home with Mum and Monkey. I'm not big on all that New Year stuff.
30. What are your plans for 2010?
To try and further my career somehow
To not let work stress me out
To perhaps go to Paris in February
To attend my cousin's wedding and the wedding of my oldest friend Sam
To pray for a lottery win to enable Monkey and I to get our own place