[Play] Walking Backwards

[jhaelan]

Even less blogged than 2008, but not late this time:

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? Recommend spending nearly six million pounds or, unrelatedly, writing off half a million
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? No, not even an Uberlist
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No
4. Did anyone close to you die? No
5. What countries did you visit? Vietnam, England, Bali, Australia, Japan, England
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Visitors!
7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? No specific dates, but lots of specific conversations on organisational restructuring
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Delivery of a near impossible project, failure on which would have been flagged to the CEO
9. What was your biggest failure? Paperwork and taxes, once more
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? No
11. What was the best thing you bought? Visualising Data by Ben Fry
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? G, for putting up with me
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? No-one was especially appalling, but there were some notable 'expat' moments
14. Where did most of your money go? Debt or rent and mortgage
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? First trip to Tokyo
16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Poker Face by Molly Lewis
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
    • Happier or sadder? About the same
    • Thinner or fatter? Probably fatter
    • Richer or poorer? Poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Exercise, blogging, travel
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Work, especially with the usual refrain of "best results evah!" vs. expected bonus numbers
20. How will you be spending Christmas? We're planning hosting another orphan's Christmas ourselves
21. Did you fall in love in 2009? Further
22. How many one-night stands? None
23. What was your favorite TV program? Still finishing The West Wing
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No, I don't do hate
25. What was the best book you read? Halting State by Charles Stross
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? No-one really new
27. What did you want and get? Time
28. What did you want and not get? Money
29. What was your favorite film of this year? Avatar, though District 9 was rather shiny too
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Dinner, followed by a QNI; I was 32
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Doing one job not three
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Scruffy
33. What kept you sane? Amusingly, Bugrem
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Normally tend to fancy people I know
35. What political issue stirred you the most? Banking bonuses, for the comedy factor
36. Who did you miss? All of the usual suspects, plus those Singapore suspects who've fled back to the UK
37. Who was the best new person you met? Nick
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009: Expect the Spanish Inquisition
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: We can hide away for days,
    Pretend the world has ended.
    No more drama, no more pain.
    Pretend the world has ended.
    We can run away tonight,
    Pretend the world has ended.
    No matter what they say we'll work out fine,
    Cause you and I know this is heaven
    

Past exploits from: 2003, 2004. 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008