Don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out, 2009.
For the last two or three years, I haven't been entirely sorry to see the old year end and be replaced by the new one. This time round, I think I shall be perfectly glad to see the year come to an end. In fairness, the first five months of the year had their good moments; unfortunately they were fairly comprehensively outweighed by what happened to me in June and the months following. There's been a good few other folks I know hurting out there this year, sometimes for reasons I'm at a loss to understand.
I seem to struggle at the end of every year to find some sort of profound statement to sum up the year and bid it farewell, and this year's no different. Nothing but "good fucking riddance" will do.
And now, the 2009 meme. Posted this on Fessebouc a few weeks ago; presented here with very slight revisions.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
I'd like to say "have a stroke" but that would actually be a complete lie (before the big one I apparently had a few smaller ones that I never noticed)... um... how about playing a gig as the IVD where I was the only performing member on stage? DJed at the Townie a few times too.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Having resolved to keep a list of at least one thing (however small or odd) that pleased me each day, I kept that up remarkably well until the crash mid-year. Would like to try that next year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Marnie.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother.
5. What countries did you visit?
I migrated to Randwick for a couple of months...
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Better health would be nice. And some sort of income.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 9th, for the obvious reason that it was the day my brain went boom.
March 31, Human League gig.
May 17, second gig for 15-11 Enterprises.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not dying was pretty good. Recovering from the stroke to the extent that I have in the time that I have was pretty good too. A bit more frivolously, I was pleased by that brief, shining moment during the 15-11 Enterprises gig in May when I lived the Rick Wakeman fantasy and played two keyboards at the same time.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Brain fail, obviously. (Sorry to keep on about it, but it was the defining event of the year, really.) And my almost complete lack of inspiration as far as 15-11 Enterprises goes; being able to make music again didn't help me to actually do so.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
For fuck's sake YES.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The Sideways Through Sound Beyond the Pale compilation. STS is a show on 2SER dealing in somewhat esoteric "new folk", and Mark, the host, literally assembled it by hand; collected the tracks, burned the discs, printed the artwork, and assembled the packaging all by himself. It's a delight on many levels, and it did much to make me dissatisfied with the course of my own musical venture. On DVD, probably the Georges Méliès box set.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Joh. A lot of people have been good to me in recent months, but he has gone above and beyond the call of duty to a degree i can never properly repay. And I was also pleased to see Aaron get Shallow Nation not only up and running again, but to get it doing so better than before.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Well, suffice to say there was a dispute earlier in the year between a couple of club organisers from whom I frankly expected better. The hypocrisy involved was kind of breathtaking in its way. I never said much about it at the time but now I don't care.
14. Where did most of your money go?
CDs, DVDs, clubs, booze, taxi fares... the usual.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Hmmm... probably the Human League gig, which was made even better by getting in for free.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Don't know.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Possibly the former, surprisingly enough, but I'm attributing that to the antidepressants.
ii. thinner or fatter? The former, I think.
iii. richer or poorer? The latter, alas.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Good stuff.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Bad stuff.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent quietly.
21. What LJ/FB/etc users did you meet for the first time?
Ange and Lara. Think that's it.
22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Repeatedly, most recently at the Sly Fox at December Ascension.
23. How many one-night stands?
If only.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Oddly enough, while I was in hospital I developed a fondness for Top Gear. I don't know why, cos I don't drive and have no real interest in cars, but I got hooked on Clarkson & co while confined to room 19.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't think so.
26. What was the best book you read?
A Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The aforementioned Sideways Through Sound compilation. Also really liked the new Horrors album; I never gave them any consideration before but this was great. And the Ironwood album was terrific as well, though a lot less easy to digest. New albums by The Process Void and Volkmar were also welcome.
Some individual favourite songs:
"Battle Hymn", Faith and the Muse
"Blood and Bone",The Rowan Amber Mill
"Church in Berlin", Black Cab
"Community Service Announcement", Jonathan Boulet
"Dominos", The Big Pink
"Drumming Song", Florence and the Machine
"Eden", Ahrayeph
"Funeral Social", We Say Bamboulee
"Hysteric", Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Liberation", Razorfade
"Massive Enigma", Magenta
"Sweet Disposition", The Temper Trap
"Treasure Hunt", Howling Bells
"We Won't Run", Sarah Blasko
28. What did you want and get?
?
29. What did you want and not get?
?
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I saw almost no new releases and the few I did see (W, Acolytes, Samson and Delilah) I was ambivalent about at best. Of older films I caught up with at last on DVD, The Cranes Are Flying was almost certainly the best.
And then there was this:
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
35, and I had dinner at Malabar RSL.
32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Guess.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Hospital fresh.
34. What kept you sane?
Citalopram?
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None in particular.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Piss-poor wages for hospital workers. When I consider some of the things they had to do for me when I was in POWH, there really is no amount of money you can pay these people for the indignity and mess. Plus the usual bullshit with NSW Labor and the idiocy of rugby league.
37. Who did you miss?
?
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Samantha, the nurse from Halifax.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
That it really doesn't matter how depressing it is to be on medication for the rest of your life; rebelling against fate by not taking it will bite you in the arse eventually.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"I never thought I'd need so many people..."
I seem to struggle at the end of every year to find some sort of profound statement to sum up the year and bid it farewell, and this year's no different. Nothing but "good fucking riddance" will do.
And now, the 2009 meme. Posted this on Fessebouc a few weeks ago; presented here with very slight revisions.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
I'd like to say "have a stroke" but that would actually be a complete lie (before the big one I apparently had a few smaller ones that I never noticed)... um... how about playing a gig as the IVD where I was the only performing member on stage? DJed at the Townie a few times too.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Having resolved to keep a list of at least one thing (however small or odd) that pleased me each day, I kept that up remarkably well until the crash mid-year. Would like to try that next year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Marnie.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother.
5. What countries did you visit?
I migrated to Randwick for a couple of months...
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Better health would be nice. And some sort of income.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 9th, for the obvious reason that it was the day my brain went boom.
March 31, Human League gig.
May 17, second gig for 15-11 Enterprises.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not dying was pretty good. Recovering from the stroke to the extent that I have in the time that I have was pretty good too. A bit more frivolously, I was pleased by that brief, shining moment during the 15-11 Enterprises gig in May when I lived the Rick Wakeman fantasy and played two keyboards at the same time.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Brain fail, obviously. (Sorry to keep on about it, but it was the defining event of the year, really.) And my almost complete lack of inspiration as far as 15-11 Enterprises goes; being able to make music again didn't help me to actually do so.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
For fuck's sake YES.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The Sideways Through Sound Beyond the Pale compilation. STS is a show on 2SER dealing in somewhat esoteric "new folk", and Mark, the host, literally assembled it by hand; collected the tracks, burned the discs, printed the artwork, and assembled the packaging all by himself. It's a delight on many levels, and it did much to make me dissatisfied with the course of my own musical venture. On DVD, probably the Georges Méliès box set.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Joh. A lot of people have been good to me in recent months, but he has gone above and beyond the call of duty to a degree i can never properly repay. And I was also pleased to see Aaron get Shallow Nation not only up and running again, but to get it doing so better than before.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Well, suffice to say there was a dispute earlier in the year between a couple of club organisers from whom I frankly expected better. The hypocrisy involved was kind of breathtaking in its way. I never said much about it at the time but now I don't care.
14. Where did most of your money go?
CDs, DVDs, clubs, booze, taxi fares... the usual.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Hmmm... probably the Human League gig, which was made even better by getting in for free.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Don't know.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Possibly the former, surprisingly enough, but I'm attributing that to the antidepressants.
ii. thinner or fatter? The former, I think.
iii. richer or poorer? The latter, alas.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Good stuff.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Bad stuff.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent quietly.
21. What LJ/FB/etc users did you meet for the first time?
Ange and Lara. Think that's it.
22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Repeatedly, most recently at the Sly Fox at December Ascension.
23. How many one-night stands?
If only.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Oddly enough, while I was in hospital I developed a fondness for Top Gear. I don't know why, cos I don't drive and have no real interest in cars, but I got hooked on Clarkson & co while confined to room 19.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't think so.
26. What was the best book you read?
A Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The aforementioned Sideways Through Sound compilation. Also really liked the new Horrors album; I never gave them any consideration before but this was great. And the Ironwood album was terrific as well, though a lot less easy to digest. New albums by The Process Void and Volkmar were also welcome.
Some individual favourite songs:
"Battle Hymn", Faith and the Muse
"Blood and Bone",The Rowan Amber Mill
"Church in Berlin", Black Cab
"Community Service Announcement", Jonathan Boulet
"Dominos", The Big Pink
"Drumming Song", Florence and the Machine
"Eden", Ahrayeph
"Funeral Social", We Say Bamboulee
"Hysteric", Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Liberation", Razorfade
"Massive Enigma", Magenta
"Sweet Disposition", The Temper Trap
"Treasure Hunt", Howling Bells
"We Won't Run", Sarah Blasko
28. What did you want and get?
?
29. What did you want and not get?
?
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I saw almost no new releases and the few I did see (W, Acolytes, Samson and Delilah) I was ambivalent about at best. Of older films I caught up with at last on DVD, The Cranes Are Flying was almost certainly the best.
And then there was this:
Click to view31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
35, and I had dinner at Malabar RSL.
32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Guess.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Hospital fresh.
34. What kept you sane?
Citalopram?
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None in particular.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Piss-poor wages for hospital workers. When I consider some of the things they had to do for me when I was in POWH, there really is no amount of money you can pay these people for the indignity and mess. Plus the usual bullshit with NSW Labor and the idiocy of rugby league.
37. Who did you miss?
?
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Samantha, the nurse from Halifax.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
That it really doesn't matter how depressing it is to be on medication for the rest of your life; rebelling against fate by not taking it will bite you in the arse eventually.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"I never thought I'd need so many people..."