2009 Meme
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? I'm sure there's many things - I hope there's many things - but all I can think of is that I have just learned how to syringe ears.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I tend to have themes to do with acheivement, and for about the past few years the goals have been Book, Bidi Bidi, Business, Baby - finish one, facilitate the next, do something to make life more sustainable in terms of workload with the other and to concieve and birth the last one. I've made process on Book and Bidi Bidi but neither of them are 'done'. I do have a firm publication date and Royalty payment though - but the book will have one more polish before it is printed. Bidi Bidi is 'Go' but will need a lot of caring for. All workloads for Austin Partnership members remain insanely high, and will now be complicated by the purchase of more land and buildings near Geraldton. Oh well. Baby - will try this year once I'm healthier.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? A friend and my two sisters, each producing a beautiful little son.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Pet goats, which has all been pretty painful. Another today, after many efforts to help her make it. But no people. No dogs - but Melba spends her life tied up (compulsory long walk daily though) and I panic if she ever gets off.
5. What countries did you visit? I went to Melbourne, still in an agony of indecision over leaving. However it was the right decision to go as the write-up of the conference (anyone is welcome to this, btw, it was a very good conference) became an outstanding tool for bringing people along with us within Bidi Bidi.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Same as last year - I'd really like to see more of all of you, I'd like to see my folks have more time away too - more time, a business which is sustainable personally as well as ecologically sustainable. More time. A fitter, stronger body - though 2009's body is an improvement on 2008's, there's a long way to go.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I don't remember dates. Lots happened - M& B's wedding, deciding to leave the school, my ex-principal going nuts with a hammer, hearing about Mike's brain tumour, the birth of my nephews, hearing D&T's baby was coming, the second brain tumour...
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Hard to tell from this close in time. I guess I don't know about the book or Bidi Bidi so I guess it must supporting the children to become the people they want to be.
9. What was your biggest failure? Worrying. You never know ahead of time what to worry about so it is pointless. I wonder if I'm getting some kind of secondary gain from it? Can't work it out. Getting angry, too, has been a big waste of energy.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? General fatigue brought on by too much sitting and writing and getting angry and worrying. Overcoming it with massive morning walks.
11. What was the best thing you bought? I love Endnote. I've not done too badly with clothes purchases this year. MBT Boots - not got to wear them really yet, but I'm hopeful. Bit dairy farmer come 22nd Century hooker.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? The boys have just been great through a very turbulent year, particularly the nearly month long stretch where their father was away in Cairns and their grandfather required an emergency eye operation and they had to pick up station duties on top of schoolwork at the same time as Mum and I had gone full-time at work. Martin is holding it together remarkably at a very sad time too.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The ex-principals, much of my management.
14. Where did most of your money go? Food, fuel - the essentials.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Heaps of things - ideas (Stuart Hill's in particular), a reopening of communication with part of the family, new nephews - too many to list. I think I may be exhausted after a very emotional year - swinging from excitement to depression to anger....
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier as I'm a bit more confident of the road ahead with the purchase of a home near Geraldton. Can't wait to make it all welcoming and productive. It's a really old, big cottage.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer in most ways I think.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Laughing, reading aloud to the kids (MUST get Grimbold's Other World), seeing friends, going to parties (always feel a bit low round NY because of not seeing people).
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Getting angry and pointless worrying. Still, less anxiety than 2008.
20. How did you spend Christmas? Loudly with party games with the boys, reflecting as I cooked alongside Mum, happily as Martin is home - and not too hot, on 37 degrees!
21. Who did you meet for the first time? A big year for meeting people.
22. Did you fall in love in 2009? Stayed in love - 17 years of marriage apparently! - but we both forgot the anniversary rather typically. Asked recently what it was like being with the same person for so long - of course, I haven't. He keeps changing.
23. How many one-night stands? No one night stands.
24. What was your favourite TV program? Still very happy with the decision to remove the TV from our lives, as is Martin.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No hating happening, just a bit of loathing. Trying to remember this at all times in every context:
“See no ‘enemies’ - recognise such ‘triggers’ as indicators of woundedness, maldesign & mismanagement - everyone is always doing the best they can, given their potential, past experience & the present context - these are the three areas to work with.”
28. What did you want and get? Bidi Bidi funding (it finally and definitely came through after 2008's funding disappeared overnight), a pathway for the boy's teen years, a financial pathway for Martin and I, my three healthy boys to stay healthy, lose no more dogs to baits, for the people I want to have babies to have babies, all to go well for Pearl, better quality education for the boys.
29. What did you want and not get? I wanted Martin's Mum to stay well.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Felt smug that 41 wasn't upsetting me as much as 40 did.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More time with my sisters, more time with old friends, not having to leave the existing school for a better education.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
34. What kept you sane? Reading aloud to the boys. Walking in the morning with Mum and strategy planning all elements of our lives in order to cope. Switching to shared cooking - all meals cooked together so we both have some time off from the kitchen but do have really good food for the children and men. Forgiving myself more easily.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I've never really done this.
36. What political issue stirred you the most? I'm starting to see all issues as relating to the problem of human happiness - so that would be it, I guess.
37. Who did you miss? I missed seeing friends more often. I miss seeing my new baby nephews as they quickly metamorphose in these early months.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. See 36 - it's all one big problem. I guess the challenge I'm taking out of this year is to find a way to live which is happiness creating and sustainable on all levels. Should take me, oh, the next forty years to approach it, I guess.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I tend to have themes to do with acheivement, and for about the past few years the goals have been Book, Bidi Bidi, Business, Baby - finish one, facilitate the next, do something to make life more sustainable in terms of workload with the other and to concieve and birth the last one. I've made process on Book and Bidi Bidi but neither of them are 'done'. I do have a firm publication date and Royalty payment though - but the book will have one more polish before it is printed. Bidi Bidi is 'Go' but will need a lot of caring for. All workloads for Austin Partnership members remain insanely high, and will now be complicated by the purchase of more land and buildings near Geraldton. Oh well. Baby - will try this year once I'm healthier.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? A friend and my two sisters, each producing a beautiful little son.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Pet goats, which has all been pretty painful. Another today, after many efforts to help her make it. But no people. No dogs - but Melba spends her life tied up (compulsory long walk daily though) and I panic if she ever gets off.
5. What countries did you visit? I went to Melbourne, still in an agony of indecision over leaving. However it was the right decision to go as the write-up of the conference (anyone is welcome to this, btw, it was a very good conference) became an outstanding tool for bringing people along with us within Bidi Bidi.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Same as last year - I'd really like to see more of all of you, I'd like to see my folks have more time away too - more time, a business which is sustainable personally as well as ecologically sustainable. More time. A fitter, stronger body - though 2009's body is an improvement on 2008's, there's a long way to go.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I don't remember dates. Lots happened - M& B's wedding, deciding to leave the school, my ex-principal going nuts with a hammer, hearing about Mike's brain tumour, the birth of my nephews, hearing D&T's baby was coming, the second brain tumour...
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Hard to tell from this close in time. I guess I don't know about the book or Bidi Bidi so I guess it must supporting the children to become the people they want to be.
9. What was your biggest failure? Worrying. You never know ahead of time what to worry about so it is pointless. I wonder if I'm getting some kind of secondary gain from it? Can't work it out. Getting angry, too, has been a big waste of energy.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? General fatigue brought on by too much sitting and writing and getting angry and worrying. Overcoming it with massive morning walks.
11. What was the best thing you bought? I love Endnote. I've not done too badly with clothes purchases this year. MBT Boots - not got to wear them really yet, but I'm hopeful. Bit dairy farmer come 22nd Century hooker.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? The boys have just been great through a very turbulent year, particularly the nearly month long stretch where their father was away in Cairns and their grandfather required an emergency eye operation and they had to pick up station duties on top of schoolwork at the same time as Mum and I had gone full-time at work. Martin is holding it together remarkably at a very sad time too.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The ex-principals, much of my management.
14. Where did most of your money go? Food, fuel - the essentials.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Heaps of things - ideas (Stuart Hill's in particular), a reopening of communication with part of the family, new nephews - too many to list. I think I may be exhausted after a very emotional year - swinging from excitement to depression to anger....
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier as I'm a bit more confident of the road ahead with the purchase of a home near Geraldton. Can't wait to make it all welcoming and productive. It's a really old, big cottage.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer in most ways I think.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Laughing, reading aloud to the kids (MUST get Grimbold's Other World), seeing friends, going to parties (always feel a bit low round NY because of not seeing people).
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Getting angry and pointless worrying. Still, less anxiety than 2008.
20. How did you spend Christmas? Loudly with party games with the boys, reflecting as I cooked alongside Mum, happily as Martin is home - and not too hot, on 37 degrees!
21. Who did you meet for the first time? A big year for meeting people.
22. Did you fall in love in 2009? Stayed in love - 17 years of marriage apparently! - but we both forgot the anniversary rather typically. Asked recently what it was like being with the same person for so long - of course, I haven't. He keeps changing.
23. How many one-night stands? No one night stands.
24. What was your favourite TV program? Still very happy with the decision to remove the TV from our lives, as is Martin.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No hating happening, just a bit of loathing. Trying to remember this at all times in every context:
“See no ‘enemies’ - recognise such ‘triggers’ as indicators of woundedness, maldesign & mismanagement - everyone is always doing the best they can, given their potential, past experience & the present context - these are the three areas to work with.”
28. What did you want and get? Bidi Bidi funding (it finally and definitely came through after 2008's funding disappeared overnight), a pathway for the boy's teen years, a financial pathway for Martin and I, my three healthy boys to stay healthy, lose no more dogs to baits, for the people I want to have babies to have babies, all to go well for Pearl, better quality education for the boys.
29. What did you want and not get? I wanted Martin's Mum to stay well.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Felt smug that 41 wasn't upsetting me as much as 40 did.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More time with my sisters, more time with old friends, not having to leave the existing school for a better education.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
34. What kept you sane? Reading aloud to the boys. Walking in the morning with Mum and strategy planning all elements of our lives in order to cope. Switching to shared cooking - all meals cooked together so we both have some time off from the kitchen but do have really good food for the children and men. Forgiving myself more easily.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I've never really done this.
36. What political issue stirred you the most? I'm starting to see all issues as relating to the problem of human happiness - so that would be it, I guess.
37. Who did you miss? I missed seeing friends more often. I miss seeing my new baby nephews as they quickly metamorphose in these early months.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. See 36 - it's all one big problem. I guess the challenge I'm taking out of this year is to find a way to live which is happiness creating and sustainable on all levels. Should take me, oh, the next forty years to approach it, I guess.