The Year in Review
Meme grabbed from honorh, in lieu of thinking content since my head is stuffy.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before? I took on and completed my first NaNoWriMo, which did a lot for my writing confidence.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't remember making any last year, so if I did, it's likely I forgot them and didn't keep them. I have two plans for next year, tho' - pick up my guitar again and work on turning my NaNo story into something resembling a publishable (or at least submittable) book.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, my sister-in-law Eva had their second baby, a beautiful little girl called Mia Alona Howard. :) (yes, I just got more photos in my Christmas card, whee!)
4. Did anyone close to you die? Dave, my roomie's stepfather, died of pancreatic cancer in October. And ferox's mum died, again of cancer, in November. They weren't part of my actual family, but I mourn both of them.
5. What countries did you visit? None this year. Woe. Australia in January for four weeks.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? Travel money and time. A decent immune system. Maybe a pay raise/new job that interests me. More space.
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 16, which is the date my second niece was born and my brother called to tell me.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Managing what has been a difficult year for anyone without my therapist and managing rather well. Plus NaNo.
9. What was your biggest failure? Going back on the Employee Assistance Program after blowing out my sick days.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Lots of colds and flus, plus another fun bout of bronchitis.
11. What was the best thing you bought? My MacBook Air. I'm in love.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? The folks of x_project, who have grown up and come so far over the past couple of years.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The GOP and their supporters, especially with the anti-gay insanity.
14. Where did most of your money go? Towards paying off my Australian credit card debt, therapy (when I was still taking it) and day-to-day living.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? NaNo. And the new Muppet movie> (This might seem kind of sad, but it's the first year I've really started feeling strong positive emotions again since the depression got bad, so I'm counting it as a win).
16. What song will always remind you of 2011? "For Today", by Johnny Devil. Sometimes feeling better just for today is enough.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, although a better way to put it would be "more stable".
ii. thinner or fatter? *sighs* Fatter.
iii. richer or poorer? About the same, with a scope to actually start saving again.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Socialising with people who aren't my roomie or his girlfriend. Made friends of my own. Dated (at all). Exercising.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Drinking and watching movies on the couch all day. Getting sick.
20. How did you be spend Christmas? The roomie and I headed down to Hamilton, where we opened our Christmas socks, care of his dad and step-mum. Then we drove to London to have Christmas dinner with his mum, his sister and his nephew, niece and great-nephew. The food was heavenly, I ate too much and played with the baby.
21. How will you be spending New Years? With my friends in a three-tiered party - our place, ferox's place and then the Griffin for the ball drop.
22. Did you fall in love in 2011? No. I think I'm still a ways off recovery-wise on that one. But I did start liking myself a lot more than I used to.
23. How many one-night stands? Nope. It's been a very staid year for me.
24. What was your favorite TV program? Game of Thrones. We finally got to see Season 1 and I'm amazed and enthralled. Also, The Walking Dead, although I'm waiting for Season 2 on DVD.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Nope. I cut off some folks I've been ambivalent over, but I don't actually hate anyone.
26. What was the best book you read? Wow, I'm really falling behind on the reading. A Dance of Dragons by George R.R. Martin.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Eek, even worse on the music... Pass.
28. What did you want and get? An external hard drive for the laptop, which I got for Christmas from Dex and Aisy.
29. What did you want that you didn't get? More progress on the renovation project that is me.
30. What was your favorite film of this year? The Muppets.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 41 and I got dinner at Mindy and Johnny's place with my buds. It was awesome.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Being sufficiently un-broken enough to get that happy tingle you get when you're attracted to someone, and having that interest returned.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? "Unchanged". ;)
34. What kept you sane? dexfarkin
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Eh, I don't actually get that. I like following Dirk Hayhurst on Twitter, because he makes me smile.
36. What political issue stirred you the most? The gay marriage debate.
37. Who did you miss? My family and the gang back in Australia.
38. Who was the best new person you met? Victoria, who I met through NaNo.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. Don't be afraid. You're stronger than you realise and you can handle more than you thought.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: "My friends, I love you/Your company's kind/The sickness drags me down/But today I don't mind."
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before? I took on and completed my first NaNoWriMo, which did a lot for my writing confidence.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't remember making any last year, so if I did, it's likely I forgot them and didn't keep them. I have two plans for next year, tho' - pick up my guitar again and work on turning my NaNo story into something resembling a publishable (or at least submittable) book.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, my sister-in-law Eva had their second baby, a beautiful little girl called Mia Alona Howard. :) (yes, I just got more photos in my Christmas card, whee!)
4. Did anyone close to you die? Dave, my roomie's stepfather, died of pancreatic cancer in October. And ferox's mum died, again of cancer, in November. They weren't part of my actual family, but I mourn both of them.
5. What countries did you visit? None this year. Woe. Australia in January for four weeks.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? Travel money and time. A decent immune system. Maybe a pay raise/new job that interests me. More space.
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 16, which is the date my second niece was born and my brother called to tell me.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Managing what has been a difficult year for anyone without my therapist and managing rather well. Plus NaNo.
9. What was your biggest failure? Going back on the Employee Assistance Program after blowing out my sick days.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Lots of colds and flus, plus another fun bout of bronchitis.
11. What was the best thing you bought? My MacBook Air. I'm in love.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? The folks of x_project, who have grown up and come so far over the past couple of years.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The GOP and their supporters, especially with the anti-gay insanity.
14. Where did most of your money go? Towards paying off my Australian credit card debt, therapy (when I was still taking it) and day-to-day living.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? NaNo. And the new Muppet movie> (This might seem kind of sad, but it's the first year I've really started feeling strong positive emotions again since the depression got bad, so I'm counting it as a win).
16. What song will always remind you of 2011? "For Today", by Johnny Devil. Sometimes feeling better just for today is enough.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, although a better way to put it would be "more stable".
ii. thinner or fatter? *sighs* Fatter.
iii. richer or poorer? About the same, with a scope to actually start saving again.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Socialising with people who aren't my roomie or his girlfriend. Made friends of my own. Dated (at all). Exercising.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Drinking and watching movies on the couch all day. Getting sick.
20. How did you be spend Christmas? The roomie and I headed down to Hamilton, where we opened our Christmas socks, care of his dad and step-mum. Then we drove to London to have Christmas dinner with his mum, his sister and his nephew, niece and great-nephew. The food was heavenly, I ate too much and played with the baby.
21. How will you be spending New Years? With my friends in a three-tiered party - our place, ferox's place and then the Griffin for the ball drop.
22. Did you fall in love in 2011? No. I think I'm still a ways off recovery-wise on that one. But I did start liking myself a lot more than I used to.
23. How many one-night stands? Nope. It's been a very staid year for me.
24. What was your favorite TV program? Game of Thrones. We finally got to see Season 1 and I'm amazed and enthralled. Also, The Walking Dead, although I'm waiting for Season 2 on DVD.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Nope. I cut off some folks I've been ambivalent over, but I don't actually hate anyone.
26. What was the best book you read? Wow, I'm really falling behind on the reading. A Dance of Dragons by George R.R. Martin.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Eek, even worse on the music... Pass.
28. What did you want and get? An external hard drive for the laptop, which I got for Christmas from Dex and Aisy.
29. What did you want that you didn't get? More progress on the renovation project that is me.
30. What was your favorite film of this year? The Muppets.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 41 and I got dinner at Mindy and Johnny's place with my buds. It was awesome.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Being sufficiently un-broken enough to get that happy tingle you get when you're attracted to someone, and having that interest returned.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? "Unchanged". ;)
34. What kept you sane? dexfarkin
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Eh, I don't actually get that. I like following Dirk Hayhurst on Twitter, because he makes me smile.
36. What political issue stirred you the most? The gay marriage debate.
37. Who did you miss? My family and the gang back in Australia.
38. Who was the best new person you met? Victoria, who I met through NaNo.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. Don't be afraid. You're stronger than you realise and you can handle more than you thought.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: "My friends, I love you/Your company's kind/The sickness drags me down/But today I don't mind."