End of Year memage
Mostly cut & pasted from last year
1. What did you do in 2020 that you'd never done before?
Video called my parents. 2020 was the year everyone discovered Zoom and used it for any and (almost) every form of social interaction. TBH, we didn't do a lot of family Zoom calls, as it's complicated for Pa and really, phonecalls are just as easy. I did originally buy 4 Amazon Shows, but the setup is way too complicated, so we sent them back. Even at e reduced price, it was an overly expensive unnecessary fix.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Yet again, I don't do NY resolutions. If something's worth doing, it's worth doing regardless of the time of year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year. My Gorgeous Goddaughter's parents are expecting 3 new grandchildren in 2021. I may even get to see them.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Fortunately not. I seem to be one of the lucky ones in that respect.
5. What countries did you visit?
None. Apart from 4 trips to Sheffield, I haven't been further than Leamington.
6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?
Yet again, time to sort out and sell Pa's house. Plus an actual holiday away from home. My original plan for 2021 was totake extended leave and go to Australia for a month in April / May (just as the new unitary authorities are formed), but that won't happen and I'll have to pick another suitable date in the future, but possibly not until after 2023 now.
7. What date from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
23 March. I went from work to the osteopath and arrived home to the news of the first full national lockdown. Also 31 December. The last day of being European.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Passing my second degree grading after it had been postponed twice. Although training was all online until September, we had prepared to do it then. When the second date of 14 November was scuppered by lockdown 2.0, we weren't sure when it was going to happen and it was hard to keep focus and learn new techniques while keeping it all going.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Keeping in touch with friends.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The virus I caught in September 2019 lingered for a long time. I went back to see the GP in February, who diagnosed sinusitis, gave me a steroid spray and cleared it up in a couple of weeks. Fortunately, other than a summer cold, and more migraines than normal ,I've been pretty well all year
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Nothing massively exciting. Possibly the two holidays I got in 2021 for not much more than I paid for the one I couldn't go on in 2020. Still waiting to see if travel will be possible by the end of May.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The Jado instructors for keeping classes going online and Master Ogden and the grading instructors for managing to arrange all the in person black belt gradings and coping with all the online gradings.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Same answer for the fifth year running. Just about anyone involved in politics, specifically the fiasco that is the UK government. I get that the Covid pandemic was completely out of the blue, but there are supposed to be preparedness drills and contingency plans in place. But by undermining the civil services - of all kinds, not just the Whitehall mob - and failing to listen to or follow any kind of coherent expert advice, coupled with leaking of stories through "Downing Street sources" and regular U-turns after every announcement, the Tory shower have shown that their power grab last December was all fur coat and no knickers. And now that Rat Cummings has fled the ship, they are left with noone to even pull their strings.
14. Where did most of your money go?
New tech for WFH. I really need to claim some tax back. And I just had a new boiler installed, as the old one died a couple of weeks before Christmas, just as the cold weather arrived.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to the pictures over the summer to see a load of re-released films. I just wish they'd shown all of the original Star Wars trilogy.
16. What song will always remind you of 2020?
Nothing specific. I don't listen to much music these days.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Mostly happier - passed my black belt and there's a new POTUS due in less than 3 weeks.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. I put on half a stone, realised I needed to do something about it and lost a stone. I've mostly managed to keep it off, even over Christmas.
iii. richer or poorer? About the same until the boiler died, and I'm about to fork out for some new windows and doors.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Work on the allotment. Since the end of July, I've not spent much time up there, due to other things going on. Then it was either too wet or too dark.
Sparring. Even when we went back to in class training, we couldn't do any partner work. I really miss hitting an actual person.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about work - specifically trying to fill in my timesheet.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Chez Ma. Just the two of us.
21. What LJ users did you meet?
None. I was mostly poorly until March, then nobody met anybody.
22. Did you fall in love in 2020?
No
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Hard to say. I enjoyed The Mandalorian, but it could have done with being longer. Probably Sewing Bee for it's lack of nastiness, misery or fighting. It's just fun, and the judges are always positive. Plus Patrick Grant is utterly delectable and Joe and Esme are hilarious.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I don't really do hating people. And I wasn't that keen on the Tory Party last year. My opinion of them hasn't improved.
26. What was the best book you read?
I can't remember most of the few books I have read. I enjoyed rereading Pigeon Post over the holidays as part of a short Swallow & Amazons retrospective.
This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2049926.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
1. What did you do in 2020 that you'd never done before?
Video called my parents. 2020 was the year everyone discovered Zoom and used it for any and (almost) every form of social interaction. TBH, we didn't do a lot of family Zoom calls, as it's complicated for Pa and really, phonecalls are just as easy. I did originally buy 4 Amazon Shows, but the setup is way too complicated, so we sent them back. Even at e reduced price, it was an overly expensive unnecessary fix.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Yet again, I don't do NY resolutions. If something's worth doing, it's worth doing regardless of the time of year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year. My Gorgeous Goddaughter's parents are expecting 3 new grandchildren in 2021. I may even get to see them.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Fortunately not. I seem to be one of the lucky ones in that respect.
5. What countries did you visit?
None. Apart from 4 trips to Sheffield, I haven't been further than Leamington.
6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?
Yet again, time to sort out and sell Pa's house. Plus an actual holiday away from home. My original plan for 2021 was totake extended leave and go to Australia for a month in April / May (just as the new unitary authorities are formed), but that won't happen and I'll have to pick another suitable date in the future, but possibly not until after 2023 now.
7. What date from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
23 March. I went from work to the osteopath and arrived home to the news of the first full national lockdown. Also 31 December. The last day of being European.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Passing my second degree grading after it had been postponed twice. Although training was all online until September, we had prepared to do it then. When the second date of 14 November was scuppered by lockdown 2.0, we weren't sure when it was going to happen and it was hard to keep focus and learn new techniques while keeping it all going.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Keeping in touch with friends.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The virus I caught in September 2019 lingered for a long time. I went back to see the GP in February, who diagnosed sinusitis, gave me a steroid spray and cleared it up in a couple of weeks. Fortunately, other than a summer cold, and more migraines than normal ,I've been pretty well all year
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Nothing massively exciting. Possibly the two holidays I got in 2021 for not much more than I paid for the one I couldn't go on in 2020. Still waiting to see if travel will be possible by the end of May.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The Jado instructors for keeping classes going online and Master Ogden and the grading instructors for managing to arrange all the in person black belt gradings and coping with all the online gradings.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Same answer for the fifth year running. Just about anyone involved in politics, specifically the fiasco that is the UK government. I get that the Covid pandemic was completely out of the blue, but there are supposed to be preparedness drills and contingency plans in place. But by undermining the civil services - of all kinds, not just the Whitehall mob - and failing to listen to or follow any kind of coherent expert advice, coupled with leaking of stories through "Downing Street sources" and regular U-turns after every announcement, the Tory shower have shown that their power grab last December was all fur coat and no knickers. And now that Rat Cummings has fled the ship, they are left with noone to even pull their strings.
14. Where did most of your money go?
New tech for WFH. I really need to claim some tax back. And I just had a new boiler installed, as the old one died a couple of weeks before Christmas, just as the cold weather arrived.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to the pictures over the summer to see a load of re-released films. I just wish they'd shown all of the original Star Wars trilogy.
16. What song will always remind you of 2020?
Nothing specific. I don't listen to much music these days.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Mostly happier - passed my black belt and there's a new POTUS due in less than 3 weeks.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. I put on half a stone, realised I needed to do something about it and lost a stone. I've mostly managed to keep it off, even over Christmas.
iii. richer or poorer? About the same until the boiler died, and I'm about to fork out for some new windows and doors.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Work on the allotment. Since the end of July, I've not spent much time up there, due to other things going on. Then it was either too wet or too dark.
Sparring. Even when we went back to in class training, we couldn't do any partner work. I really miss hitting an actual person.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about work - specifically trying to fill in my timesheet.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Chez Ma. Just the two of us.
21. What LJ users did you meet?
None. I was mostly poorly until March, then nobody met anybody.
22. Did you fall in love in 2020?
No
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Hard to say. I enjoyed The Mandalorian, but it could have done with being longer. Probably Sewing Bee for it's lack of nastiness, misery or fighting. It's just fun, and the judges are always positive. Plus Patrick Grant is utterly delectable and Joe and Esme are hilarious.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I don't really do hating people. And I wasn't that keen on the Tory Party last year. My opinion of them hasn't improved.
26. What was the best book you read?
I can't remember most of the few books I have read. I enjoyed rereading Pigeon Post over the holidays as part of a short Swallow & Amazons retrospective.
This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2049926.html. Please comment there using OpenID.