(no subject)
Where did you begin 2009?
Can't remember. Probably at home, not doing a great deal.
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
They would have been something like drink less, lose weight, finish decorating the house and paint and sell more toy soldiers. And, while I've not done everything I could have wanted to, I did get things done on all of those.
- Lose weight. Current target is 18.5 stone (which will be lowered when I hit that target). I'm at 20 at the moment.
- Spend more time in the gym and at Slimming World meetings.
- Cut more sugar out of the diet, as the diabetes will fuck me up properly if I don't.
- Learn more IT stuff.
- Finish decorating the house and sort out the garden.
- Do more painting, selling, and playing with toy soldiers.
What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Quite a lot of job related things.
Wore underpants on top of my other clothes.
*censored*.
Went airsofting. I'm going to look into this more in the spring. Was a lot of fun.
Won a wargames tournament. By being the only person to show up.
Smashed a fence with an axe.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Jon & Kerry. Think that was it, and that was on NYE.
Did anyone close to you die?
No. While Brian was a friend, I wouldn't call him a "close" friend.
What countries did you visit?
England and Wales.
What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Fitness. A fully decorated house. More discipline.
What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'm horrible at dates...
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Toss up between decorating 2 rooms, losing weight, and progress made at work.
What was your biggest failure?
Stalling on decorating more of the house, not losing more weight than I did, not making it to Hellfest.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
Little bit of cold, nowt else.
What was the best thing you bought?
A sax for Val. My Asterix tattoo.
Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Generally, Val, Cris, Aly and Alex, Andrea, Jon and Kerry. And specifically, Lucy for the Alice ticket, and Markachu for the airsofting weekends.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Some of the guys at work and their attitude of "we're the only people in this company who matter, so we want the moon on a stick". People on the roads, and some of those who designed said roads.
Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, bills, keeping the car on the road, toy soldiers.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I tend to get excited about something, then get wound up about it on the run up to it, so much that I defuse my enthusiasm.
That said, Alice In Chains, Monster Magnet, Ghordson Basher, and Day of the Triffids.
What song will always remind you of 2009?
This is a daft question, but probably Zozobra's Emanate, Akercocke's Man Without Faith or Trust, or Satyricon's Black Crow on a Tombstone.
Compared to this time last year, are you:
i - happier or sadder?
Happier. I'm less stressed at work.
ii - thinner or fatter?
Thinner. I lost half a stone in the autumn.
iii - richer or poorer?
Richer, by virtue of a years worth of mortgage repayments.
What do you wish you’d done more of?
Travelling, painting, decorating, the garden, the gym, selling spare possessions.
What do you wish you’d done less of?
Procrastinating. Stressing.
How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it in Macclesfield, with my mum and bro, going out on the lash with old friends, and then at the Dale clan Xmas meal.
Did you treat somebody badly in 2009?
Don't think so.
Did somebody treat you badly in 2009?
Nope.
Did you fall in love in 2009?
Nope.
How many one night stands?
Just with Jerry Cantrell and Dave Wyndorf. It was a 3 night fling with Johan Hegg.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope. The people I thought were dicks this time last year are still dicks.
Who did you miss?
Emma H, Joe L, Deb W, Si C.
What was your favourite TV programme?
Mock the Week.
Did anyone close to you get married?
Andrea, Markachu, Jon & Kerry, cousin Sally.
What was the best book you read?
Books?
What was your greatest musical discovery of 2009?
Zozobra.
What did you want and get?
Another tattoo, Alice In Chains playing live on a stage.
What did you want and not get?
A new Thorns album. To France.
What was your favourite film of this year?
Watchmen.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Me n V went out for Mexican. 34.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More money.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Sarcastic.
What kept you sane?
Val, Cris.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Kim Saigh (tattooist). http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Kim-Saigh-la-ink-245615_470_626.jpg
Hannah Aitchison (tattooist). http://www.topnews.in/files/images/Hannah-Aitchison.jpg
Kristen Johnston (actress (3rd Rock, Austin Powers, etc)). http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2007/09/22/amd_johnston_kristen.jpg
Velvet Sky (wrestler, real name Jamie Szantyr) http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images_root/image_pictures/0282/4417/velvet-sky-1_feature.jpg
What political issue stirred you the most?
I actually read two articles in the Daily Mail. I've never actually sat down and done that before. Reading those articles pissed me off.
Who was the best new person you met?
Cris. He's my boss at work. Started in the Spring, and, aside from being entertaining company, has been teaching me how to actually do my job ever since.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Just stop messing around and have a go at it.
and
I reckon the reason we've become more domesticated as we've got older, is that as time goes on, we want to live in a nicer environment, and to get away from the shitholes we may have been in. When we were younger, our parents looked after our environment, now it's just down to us. And this takes energy, which leaves less for being rock and roll.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
If you can understand the lyrics, it's not proper music.
What gigs did you go to this year?
Alice In Chains.
Monster Magnet/Karma to Burn.
Amon Amarth/Entombed twice.
Therapy?
Marilyn Manson.
Will Francis.
Devildriver/Behemoth.
Deathfest. (Vader, Origin, Akercocke, Benediction.)
Damnation. (Akercocke, Mistress, Lock Up, Therapy?, Jesu.)
Bloodstock. (Satyricon, Amon Amarth, Rotted, Cradle of Filth, Carcass, Municipal Waste, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Apocalyptica, Entombed, Haunted.)
I've got a Slayer ticket, but that's been postponed due to injury.
Best gig of the year?
Alice. In. Fucking. Chains. Passion, power and the whole of a rammed City singing along.
Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Me mum.
Biggest question of the year?
Erm...