2011 in review
1. Was 2010 a good year for you?
I'm not sure. Maybe it's one of those blessings in disguise jobs?
Actually, it's making me think of the allegory of the Taoist Farmer.
2. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Played an MMORPG.
Modelled for photos for a portfolio. In my wedding dress.
Drove a nice car all the way through France, and pick up a French lift-share.
Managed a team of invigilators marking SATs papers.
Gone on dates.
Learnt to scuba dive.
3. What was your favourite moment of the year?
Diving.
4. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
It is hard to hold an entire year in your head at once! There were many low moments, however.
5. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't, and I won't.
6. What are your plans for 2011?
None so far, apart from getting to the bottom of my health issues and hopefully resolving them.
7. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Errr, yeah, think so. It's not really on my radar.
8. Did anyone close to you die?
Nobody very close, but Colin's grandmother, whom I admired, died in Feb.
9. How many weddings did you go to?
Michelle & Gavin, 27 Mar.
Casee & Gemma, 22 Oct.
10. What countries did you visit?
France, 8 Apr visiting my Dad for a week that turned into 12 days or so because I got caught out by the volcanic ash, which in turn made me miss LIFF, which I'd been working on for the best part of a year.
France, 11-18 Sep - the big Poly Holiday.
Thailand, 8-20 Dec - learning to dive with Col, Paul, Claire, Grietkin, Tony, Robin and Oodie.
11. What dates in 2010 will remain etched in your memory?
Depeche Mode gig, 20 Feb.
Weekends in Southampton, 13-14 Mar and 9-10 Jul.
Demo for Democracy, 8 May.
Breaking up with Benjy, 8 Jun.
Edinburgh, 6-8 Jul.
Gorilla perfume launch / Brendon Burns gig, 15 Jul.
Cornwall holiday, 22-29 Jul.
InFest, 27-29 Aug.
Club Decadence, 10 Sep.
AP social, 22 Sep.
5Rhythms, 7 Oct.
Einstürzende Neubauten gigs, 16 and 17 Oct.
High Tea, followed by noise gig, 20 Nov.
My second sea dive, 15 Dec.
12. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Maybe working when I really wanted to socialise.
Else, PADI Open Water Diver certification.
13. What was your biggest failure?
I don't think I delivered everything I promised to.
I didn't write as much as probably should have, or stayed in touch with people as well as would have been desirable.
14. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Lots of low-back pain, either stress or posture related, which I tried to get fixed through acupuncture xmas 2009 and again in March.
It's back again, so I saw an osteopath in December, who casually mentioned something might be wrong with my thyroid.
That is now under investigation, and I've just had a course of antibiotics for various diving injuries.
15. What was the best thing you bought?
Holidays and train tickets. Music and gig tickets.
16. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My friends. Event organisers. Everybody who protested about politics.
17. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Those apathetic about politics (myself included, at times). Those who did not communicate when they should have.
18. Where did most of your money go?
Living.
19. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Holidays.
20. What lyrics will you remember most from 2010?
None had particular significance.
21. Compared to this time last year are you:
a) Fatter or thinner? Fatter. Thank you, thyroid.
b) Happier or sadder? Sadder.
c) Richer or poorer? Not sure.
22. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Stayed in touch with friends. Written. Knitted.
23. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Wasted time on the Internets.
24. How did/will you spend Christmas?
With Col's family in Birmingham.
25. Which LJ/DW users did you meet IRL for the first time?
I can't remember, sorry.
26. Did you fall in love in 2010?
No. I met some interesting new people, but have also been very insular.
27. What was your favourite month of 2010?
I couldn't say off the top of my head, but it looks like I was most social and outgoing in the summer.
28. How did/will you see in the new year?
At a party with friends.
29. What was your favourite TV show?
I didn't watch enough to have a preference.
30. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Does anyone, ever, say yes to this question? I think we're all too polite!
31. What were the best books you read?
Those by Neal Stephenson, Stieg Larsson, George RR Martin, and Clive Barker.
32. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Electro, in various forms. Not sure whether it was this year or the end of last that I declared electro the future of clubbing, but I still think it's true: it's everywhere, from the charts to swing clubs.
According to last.fm, my top artists of the year were:
Innerpartysystem
Telefon Tel Aviv
Nitzer Ebb
Andreas Vollenweider
Architect
Depeche Mode
Heimstatt Yipotash
Skinny Puppy
Gorillaz
Rammstein
(Bold = new band, italic = new album).
33. What did you want and get?
Work.
34. What did you want and not get?
Health. Money.
35. What was your favourite film this year?
I'm struggling to remember what I saw, as usual.
36. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
Went to the Queen's Head pub in Rye, because I hadn't made any plans and so joined Marcus' birthday celebrations. I was 36.
37. What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
See 34.
38. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Whatever fits and I can cycle in.
39. What/who kept you sane?
Music. EVE.
40. Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
Erm, let me flaunt my ignorance here...
41. Which political issue stirred you the most?
Proportional Representation, and the General Election.
42. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
I've spent most of this year internalising. I don't think I'm at the right stage yet to vocalise what I've learnt - but I will, when I can.
43. What would you like to have in 2011 that you didn't have in 2010?
Health. Money.
For anyone still reading this thing: have a wonderful 2011!
I'm not sure. Maybe it's one of those blessings in disguise jobs?
Actually, it's making me think of the allegory of the Taoist Farmer.
2. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Played an MMORPG.
Modelled for photos for a portfolio. In my wedding dress.
Drove a nice car all the way through France, and pick up a French lift-share.
Managed a team of invigilators marking SATs papers.
Gone on dates.
Learnt to scuba dive.
3. What was your favourite moment of the year?
Diving.
4. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
It is hard to hold an entire year in your head at once! There were many low moments, however.
5. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't, and I won't.
6. What are your plans for 2011?
None so far, apart from getting to the bottom of my health issues and hopefully resolving them.
7. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Errr, yeah, think so. It's not really on my radar.
8. Did anyone close to you die?
Nobody very close, but Colin's grandmother, whom I admired, died in Feb.
9. How many weddings did you go to?
Michelle & Gavin, 27 Mar.
Casee & Gemma, 22 Oct.
10. What countries did you visit?
France, 8 Apr visiting my Dad for a week that turned into 12 days or so because I got caught out by the volcanic ash, which in turn made me miss LIFF, which I'd been working on for the best part of a year.
France, 11-18 Sep - the big Poly Holiday.
Thailand, 8-20 Dec - learning to dive with Col, Paul, Claire, Grietkin, Tony, Robin and Oodie.
11. What dates in 2010 will remain etched in your memory?
Depeche Mode gig, 20 Feb.
Weekends in Southampton, 13-14 Mar and 9-10 Jul.
Demo for Democracy, 8 May.
Breaking up with Benjy, 8 Jun.
Edinburgh, 6-8 Jul.
Gorilla perfume launch / Brendon Burns gig, 15 Jul.
Cornwall holiday, 22-29 Jul.
InFest, 27-29 Aug.
Club Decadence, 10 Sep.
AP social, 22 Sep.
5Rhythms, 7 Oct.
Einstürzende Neubauten gigs, 16 and 17 Oct.
High Tea, followed by noise gig, 20 Nov.
My second sea dive, 15 Dec.
12. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Maybe working when I really wanted to socialise.
Else, PADI Open Water Diver certification.
13. What was your biggest failure?
I don't think I delivered everything I promised to.
I didn't write as much as probably should have, or stayed in touch with people as well as would have been desirable.
14. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Lots of low-back pain, either stress or posture related, which I tried to get fixed through acupuncture xmas 2009 and again in March.
It's back again, so I saw an osteopath in December, who casually mentioned something might be wrong with my thyroid.
That is now under investigation, and I've just had a course of antibiotics for various diving injuries.
15. What was the best thing you bought?
Holidays and train tickets. Music and gig tickets.
16. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My friends. Event organisers. Everybody who protested about politics.
17. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Those apathetic about politics (myself included, at times). Those who did not communicate when they should have.
18. Where did most of your money go?
Living.
19. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Holidays.
20. What lyrics will you remember most from 2010?
None had particular significance.
21. Compared to this time last year are you:
a) Fatter or thinner? Fatter. Thank you, thyroid.
b) Happier or sadder? Sadder.
c) Richer or poorer? Not sure.
22. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Stayed in touch with friends. Written. Knitted.
23. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Wasted time on the Internets.
24. How did/will you spend Christmas?
With Col's family in Birmingham.
25. Which LJ/DW users did you meet IRL for the first time?
I can't remember, sorry.
26. Did you fall in love in 2010?
No. I met some interesting new people, but have also been very insular.
27. What was your favourite month of 2010?
I couldn't say off the top of my head, but it looks like I was most social and outgoing in the summer.
28. How did/will you see in the new year?
At a party with friends.
29. What was your favourite TV show?
I didn't watch enough to have a preference.
30. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Does anyone, ever, say yes to this question? I think we're all too polite!
31. What were the best books you read?
Those by Neal Stephenson, Stieg Larsson, George RR Martin, and Clive Barker.
32. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Electro, in various forms. Not sure whether it was this year or the end of last that I declared electro the future of clubbing, but I still think it's true: it's everywhere, from the charts to swing clubs.
According to last.fm, my top artists of the year were:
Innerpartysystem
Telefon Tel Aviv
Nitzer Ebb
Andreas Vollenweider
Architect
Depeche Mode
Heimstatt Yipotash
Skinny Puppy
Gorillaz
Rammstein
(Bold = new band, italic = new album).
33. What did you want and get?
Work.
34. What did you want and not get?
Health. Money.
35. What was your favourite film this year?
I'm struggling to remember what I saw, as usual.
36. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
Went to the Queen's Head pub in Rye, because I hadn't made any plans and so joined Marcus' birthday celebrations. I was 36.
37. What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
See 34.
38. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Whatever fits and I can cycle in.
39. What/who kept you sane?
Music. EVE.
40. Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
Erm, let me flaunt my ignorance here...
41. Which political issue stirred you the most?
Proportional Representation, and the General Election.
42. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
I've spent most of this year internalising. I don't think I'm at the right stage yet to vocalise what I've learnt - but I will, when I can.
43. What would you like to have in 2011 that you didn't have in 2010?
Health. Money.
For anyone still reading this thing: have a wonderful 2011!