2018 Year-End Review
Uhm... surprise?
1. What did you do in 2018 that you'd never done before?
Not writing in my LJ throughout the year still makes this one a difficult to do. So, from memory, a few are: lived in Bush Hill Park but not with my parents; paid rent of more than £700; played a gig while suffering from bronchitis; worked in health and social care (being a student nurse doesn't count, since that's healthcare); paid council tax; seen New Order; not go to a James tour that's passed through London; seen Hamilton; played Magikarp Jump; stood in two elections; and (as of recently) used Netflix!
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I still didn't lose any weight. My arbitrary resolution is to lose some this year, but I haven't done anything about it yet. Work is exhausting me, though, so the thought of any sort of physical exertion makes me a little queasy.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin Rosie had her second child - Baby Vincent - early in the year, and at around the same time my old friend Fréya had her second child - Baby Willow. Rita and Alice are both pregnant and due in March. All the best people are born in March.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, actually. I had to think about this a bit. Death affected my auntie's other family, but we all escaped... mostly unscathed.
5. What countries did you visit?
Wales. I went to visit morti and Claudia for a weekend, which I still need to do more. I didn't go anywhere new this year, though; the only other place I visited was St Albans, and I've been there before. Not since I was very little, but still.
6. What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
More physical energy. The adage goes that doing exercise actually builds energy, despite looking exhausting; having a full-time job does make me tired all the time, though.
7. What dates from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
My birthday. I spent all morning at an event, and then ducked out midway through a session, collected my girlfriend and went to see Hamilton. I saw that, went for a meal with her, and then went back to the event, out for drinks with the delegates and ended up in a pub full of St Patrick's revellers, some of whom sang Happy Birthday to someone else, which I hijacked by yelling "THANK YOU!" at the top of my voice... and through all this I had bronchitis!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Ask my parents and they'll tell you that my new(ish) full-time job is definitely my biggest achievement of the year. I'll tell you differently, though. I taught GCSE English for the last time (for the foreseeable future, anyway) this year, and although nobody scored astronomically highly, people did better than they thought they would - in fact, everybody passed, and most people got a 3 (equivalent to a D in the old grading system) or more. Several people got 4s (equivalent to a C and necessary if you want to do A-Levels), and one of my students, who got a 5, is going to university next year. That means a lot to me.
I also released an EP - my first since 2010. I'm fairly pleased with that. More people need to buy it, though, 'cause the money's going to Woodcraft!
9. What was your biggest failure?
See the answer to question 29 for this. I did badly in the local elections, though, but that's not really my fault.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. I fell over twice during my first couple of weeks at my new job - once while running to get the door, and once while carrying a heavy bag, hitting my head quite badly. I also fell over once during the commute home, injuring both legs and makking my way home while bleeding!
I also had a spell of bronchitis in the Spring, and I've been fairly ill this Winter, although I'm fairly sure that's just a cold, rather than seasonal 'flu. I'm getting over it, though.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. I'm loving every second of that game. Nearly done, though, and once I've finished it, I've got Kirby Battle Royale to get through.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
All of the candidates in the Bush Hill Park by-election (even the Tory one!). I had a lot of fun during that election, actually, and it was interesting to see how far-reaching Bush Hill Park goes. One of the other candidates actually voted for me, which...!
Also the new ministers at BHPURC, Mark and Melanie. They're wonderful people, excellent ministers... and socialists, to boot!
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
One of my colleagues. She has a massive attitude problem, and during my first month, she shouted at me so much that she reduced me to tears and I went home severaly shaking. I told my boss, who must have taken some action, because since then, my colleague has been giving me almost permanent death stares.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent. I'm still getting overdraft fees and the like, but I pay a lot of rent now, and most of my money goes on that. Also council tax, which is turning out to be much larger than I'd hoped!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Avengers: Infinity War. That's a cop-out answer, isn't it? Also, this year, I met a friend I've never actually met before, and I was very excited about that!
16. What song will always remind you of 2018?
Probably Many Faces by James. I'm not overly keen on much of their new album Living in Extraordinary Times, but I did follow its advertising campaign and went up into London to get a copy; Many Faces is the best song on the album, so I'm going for that.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Sadder. I've been struck with a severe case of the blues for the past couple of days.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. This is one of the things that's making me sad.
c) richer or poorer? Richer. I don't have a lot of expendable income, but I have some, which is a big change from this time last year.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusic. It's difficult to do music not being in a band. I occasionally sing and play the guitar to myself, but there isn't really the camaraderie that you get when working with other musicians.
And sex. Always could do with more sex.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Panicking. I've been quite jumpy this year, and the tiniest stumbling block has the tendency to send me into a blind panic. I'm not a calm person at the best of times, but I've had to hold off the most physical signs of panic, mostly for my girlfriend's sake, who needs me at my calmest and most stoic.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
As usual, I spent it with my family. This year was odd, though. Without my auntie and uncle's "eat until you explode" Christmas Eve party, and their Boxing Day Buffet, it didn't really feel like Christmas. The communal nap we all had in the middle of the day was quite cute, though. It's not the first time I've slept at Christmas.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Still my parents. Not living with them any more kind of necessitates this. I've also dialled 112 (not 999 - I am a Europhile) a few times, and it takes a while to make those calls.
22. Did you fall in love in 2018?
I didn't fall in love, not really. I am in love, but that's been going on for a while.
23. How many one-night stands?
I haven't had sex this year, so still no one-night stands for me. Also, see above. I have a girlfriend, yo.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
It will always be Knightmare, but My Little Pony has been my comforter in these troubling times, and my go-to watch when I have some spare time.
I also now have Netflix, so I've been enjoying new MST3K, American Vandal, Big Mouth and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I also watched some of the new stuff on the BBC. I'm an odd person - I flip from watching a cartoon about talking horses to serious BBC political dramas.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't really do hate, and right now, I'm so tired that I don't see the point. Brexiteers in general, possibly.
26. What was the best book you read?
Okay, so I've read a fair few books this year and I'm enjoying Convenience Store Woman (but I still have yet tO finish it). I enjoyed Wolf Brother too, but the best book I read this year was In Bonds of the Earth by Janine Ashbless. It's unbelievably tense and I still can't believe I haven't bought the third one.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hmmm. This is actually a difficult one to answer. Does the Hamilton soundtrack count?
I saw New Order this year. I actually thought I knew more of their songs than I did, and realistically, although some musical motifs were familiar, I only genuinely knew Blue Monday. They turned back into Joy Division for the encore, though, and I knew Love Will Tear Us Apart. That's two songs in a two-hour concert. I also wonder who booked the support band Mitú (a Colombian band, from a place called Mitú, in Colombia), whose music could best be described as "confused hollering, with drums".
In 2017, Smash Mouth released an acoustic version of their first album to celebrate 20 years. I finally remembered to buy it this year. It was a good purchase.
28. What did you want and get?
A flat... FINALLY! It's been a looooooooooong time coming, but this year I managed to more out of the shared house and rented room situations and move into a flat. I'm most definitely the last of my friends to do so - some of them have a house! - but it's not a competition. I love my flat.
29. What did you want and not get?
This was my biggest failure of the year.
I applied for a job that I saw online. It was, essentially, my dream job. It had all the ingredients that I wanted, was very close to where I lived (at the time), and was effectively the same job I'd been doing at the time, just with much better pay (and sick leave, and holiday pay, and more attentive clients. Probably more fulfilling, as well). I didn't even think I had the chance, but I did get the interview, and spent the day there, getting more and more excited. I survived the mid-point cull, and left at the end of the day feeling quite chipper, as I was one of the final two.
I spent a very nervous time at work for most of the following day and it wasn't until the evening that they called me and told me that I didn't get the job. I thanked them for their time, and then went shopping. I dissolved into tears in the middle of Tesco and had to call my mother, who talked me down.
I do quite like my current job. It's not perfect, but it will do. I am living with constant reminders, however, that it's not the job I really wanted and was within a hairsbreadth of getting. And, apart from anything else, that's what hurts the most.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
As usual, I put together a list of tilms! We put together all the films with a mark between one and five and then a combined score out of ten. We then picked ten from all the films that scored 8 or more, and ordered them. Mine were:
1. Avengers: Infinity War
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
3. Die Hard (30th annversary re-release. I've never seen Die Hard before, so I'm counting it here.)
4. Mary Poppins Returns
5. Ralph Breaks The Internet
6. Ant-Man and The Wasp
7. The Meg
8. Blockers
9. The Shape of Water
10. Crazy Rich Asians
31. What did you do on your birthday?
See question 7!
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A spotlight, for the same reason as last year, and the year before. And getting the job I talked about in question 29 would have done nicely, as well.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Spiffy Nerd, since I now wear glasses and checked flannel shirts.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't do celebrity crushes, as you well know, but I thought Li Bingbing was very pretty. I also kind of discovered Emily Tennant this year, who responded to one of my tweets, which was sweet.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Oh God, this is Brexit, isn't it? I am genuinely fed up of Brexit, and it hasn't even happened yet. It's like a looming spectre on the horizon that shouldn't have even been summoned to begin with, that nobody knows what to do about. And it means I'll never achieve my ambition of becoming an MEP, as well.
37. Who did you miss?
Gran, Bert, James, Sammie and Hoops.
All my friends.
Helen.
Lianne and Natalie.
Most of the FAWMers (although I did do FOP, but I wasn't there for long).
Most of my old DF comrades.
Still Serafina, as well.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Quinn Amber Daniel Amber Jayne Sati. Yes, it's Sati, and I'm sticking with that. This is actually a fairly obvious answer, really, as we clicked easily - I'm just not sure if she counts as new, since I already knew her quite well before meeting her! I also liked meeting Quinn, Amber, Jayne and Daniel.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.
Trying is the first step towards failure. In a lot of cases, acquiescence is the only way forwards, and if anyone else is doing better than you, then that's to be expected.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Immigrants. We get the job done."
1. What did you do in 2018 that you'd never done before?
Not writing in my LJ throughout the year still makes this one a difficult to do. So, from memory, a few are: lived in Bush Hill Park but not with my parents; paid rent of more than £700; played a gig while suffering from bronchitis; worked in health and social care (being a student nurse doesn't count, since that's healthcare); paid council tax; seen New Order; not go to a James tour that's passed through London; seen Hamilton; played Magikarp Jump; stood in two elections; and (as of recently) used Netflix!
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I still didn't lose any weight. My arbitrary resolution is to lose some this year, but I haven't done anything about it yet. Work is exhausting me, though, so the thought of any sort of physical exertion makes me a little queasy.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin Rosie had her second child - Baby Vincent - early in the year, and at around the same time my old friend Fréya had her second child - Baby Willow. Rita and Alice are both pregnant and due in March. All the best people are born in March.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, actually. I had to think about this a bit. Death affected my auntie's other family, but we all escaped... mostly unscathed.
5. What countries did you visit?
Wales. I went to visit morti and Claudia for a weekend, which I still need to do more. I didn't go anywhere new this year, though; the only other place I visited was St Albans, and I've been there before. Not since I was very little, but still.
6. What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
More physical energy. The adage goes that doing exercise actually builds energy, despite looking exhausting; having a full-time job does make me tired all the time, though.
7. What dates from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
My birthday. I spent all morning at an event, and then ducked out midway through a session, collected my girlfriend and went to see Hamilton. I saw that, went for a meal with her, and then went back to the event, out for drinks with the delegates and ended up in a pub full of St Patrick's revellers, some of whom sang Happy Birthday to someone else, which I hijacked by yelling "THANK YOU!" at the top of my voice... and through all this I had bronchitis!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Ask my parents and they'll tell you that my new(ish) full-time job is definitely my biggest achievement of the year. I'll tell you differently, though. I taught GCSE English for the last time (for the foreseeable future, anyway) this year, and although nobody scored astronomically highly, people did better than they thought they would - in fact, everybody passed, and most people got a 3 (equivalent to a D in the old grading system) or more. Several people got 4s (equivalent to a C and necessary if you want to do A-Levels), and one of my students, who got a 5, is going to university next year. That means a lot to me.
I also released an EP - my first since 2010. I'm fairly pleased with that. More people need to buy it, though, 'cause the money's going to Woodcraft!
9. What was your biggest failure?
See the answer to question 29 for this. I did badly in the local elections, though, but that's not really my fault.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. I fell over twice during my first couple of weeks at my new job - once while running to get the door, and once while carrying a heavy bag, hitting my head quite badly. I also fell over once during the commute home, injuring both legs and makking my way home while bleeding!
I also had a spell of bronchitis in the Spring, and I've been fairly ill this Winter, although I'm fairly sure that's just a cold, rather than seasonal 'flu. I'm getting over it, though.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. I'm loving every second of that game. Nearly done, though, and once I've finished it, I've got Kirby Battle Royale to get through.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
All of the candidates in the Bush Hill Park by-election (even the Tory one!). I had a lot of fun during that election, actually, and it was interesting to see how far-reaching Bush Hill Park goes. One of the other candidates actually voted for me, which...!
Also the new ministers at BHPURC, Mark and Melanie. They're wonderful people, excellent ministers... and socialists, to boot!
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
One of my colleagues. She has a massive attitude problem, and during my first month, she shouted at me so much that she reduced me to tears and I went home severaly shaking. I told my boss, who must have taken some action, because since then, my colleague has been giving me almost permanent death stares.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent. I'm still getting overdraft fees and the like, but I pay a lot of rent now, and most of my money goes on that. Also council tax, which is turning out to be much larger than I'd hoped!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Avengers: Infinity War. That's a cop-out answer, isn't it? Also, this year, I met a friend I've never actually met before, and I was very excited about that!
16. What song will always remind you of 2018?
Probably Many Faces by James. I'm not overly keen on much of their new album Living in Extraordinary Times, but I did follow its advertising campaign and went up into London to get a copy; Many Faces is the best song on the album, so I'm going for that.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Sadder. I've been struck with a severe case of the blues for the past couple of days.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. This is one of the things that's making me sad.
c) richer or poorer? Richer. I don't have a lot of expendable income, but I have some, which is a big change from this time last year.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusic. It's difficult to do music not being in a band. I occasionally sing and play the guitar to myself, but there isn't really the camaraderie that you get when working with other musicians.
And sex. Always could do with more sex.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Panicking. I've been quite jumpy this year, and the tiniest stumbling block has the tendency to send me into a blind panic. I'm not a calm person at the best of times, but I've had to hold off the most physical signs of panic, mostly for my girlfriend's sake, who needs me at my calmest and most stoic.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
As usual, I spent it with my family. This year was odd, though. Without my auntie and uncle's "eat until you explode" Christmas Eve party, and their Boxing Day Buffet, it didn't really feel like Christmas. The communal nap we all had in the middle of the day was quite cute, though. It's not the first time I've slept at Christmas.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Still my parents. Not living with them any more kind of necessitates this. I've also dialled 112 (not 999 - I am a Europhile) a few times, and it takes a while to make those calls.
22. Did you fall in love in 2018?
I didn't fall in love, not really. I am in love, but that's been going on for a while.
23. How many one-night stands?
I haven't had sex this year, so still no one-night stands for me. Also, see above. I have a girlfriend, yo.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
It will always be Knightmare, but My Little Pony has been my comforter in these troubling times, and my go-to watch when I have some spare time.
I also now have Netflix, so I've been enjoying new MST3K, American Vandal, Big Mouth and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I also watched some of the new stuff on the BBC. I'm an odd person - I flip from watching a cartoon about talking horses to serious BBC political dramas.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't really do hate, and right now, I'm so tired that I don't see the point. Brexiteers in general, possibly.
26. What was the best book you read?
Okay, so I've read a fair few books this year and I'm enjoying Convenience Store Woman (but I still have yet tO finish it). I enjoyed Wolf Brother too, but the best book I read this year was In Bonds of the Earth by Janine Ashbless. It's unbelievably tense and I still can't believe I haven't bought the third one.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hmmm. This is actually a difficult one to answer. Does the Hamilton soundtrack count?
I saw New Order this year. I actually thought I knew more of their songs than I did, and realistically, although some musical motifs were familiar, I only genuinely knew Blue Monday. They turned back into Joy Division for the encore, though, and I knew Love Will Tear Us Apart. That's two songs in a two-hour concert. I also wonder who booked the support band Mitú (a Colombian band, from a place called Mitú, in Colombia), whose music could best be described as "confused hollering, with drums".
In 2017, Smash Mouth released an acoustic version of their first album to celebrate 20 years. I finally remembered to buy it this year. It was a good purchase.
28. What did you want and get?
A flat... FINALLY! It's been a looooooooooong time coming, but this year I managed to more out of the shared house and rented room situations and move into a flat. I'm most definitely the last of my friends to do so - some of them have a house! - but it's not a competition. I love my flat.
29. What did you want and not get?
This was my biggest failure of the year.
I applied for a job that I saw online. It was, essentially, my dream job. It had all the ingredients that I wanted, was very close to where I lived (at the time), and was effectively the same job I'd been doing at the time, just with much better pay (and sick leave, and holiday pay, and more attentive clients. Probably more fulfilling, as well). I didn't even think I had the chance, but I did get the interview, and spent the day there, getting more and more excited. I survived the mid-point cull, and left at the end of the day feeling quite chipper, as I was one of the final two.
I spent a very nervous time at work for most of the following day and it wasn't until the evening that they called me and told me that I didn't get the job. I thanked them for their time, and then went shopping. I dissolved into tears in the middle of Tesco and had to call my mother, who talked me down.
I do quite like my current job. It's not perfect, but it will do. I am living with constant reminders, however, that it's not the job I really wanted and was within a hairsbreadth of getting. And, apart from anything else, that's what hurts the most.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
As usual, I put together a list of tilms! We put together all the films with a mark between one and five and then a combined score out of ten. We then picked ten from all the films that scored 8 or more, and ordered them. Mine were:
1. Avengers: Infinity War
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
3. Die Hard (30th annversary re-release. I've never seen Die Hard before, so I'm counting it here.)
4. Mary Poppins Returns
5. Ralph Breaks The Internet
6. Ant-Man and The Wasp
7. The Meg
8. Blockers
9. The Shape of Water
10. Crazy Rich Asians
31. What did you do on your birthday?
See question 7!
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A spotlight, for the same reason as last year, and the year before. And getting the job I talked about in question 29 would have done nicely, as well.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Spiffy Nerd, since I now wear glasses and checked flannel shirts.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't do celebrity crushes, as you well know, but I thought Li Bingbing was very pretty. I also kind of discovered Emily Tennant this year, who responded to one of my tweets, which was sweet.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Oh God, this is Brexit, isn't it? I am genuinely fed up of Brexit, and it hasn't even happened yet. It's like a looming spectre on the horizon that shouldn't have even been summoned to begin with, that nobody knows what to do about. And it means I'll never achieve my ambition of becoming an MEP, as well.
37. Who did you miss?
Gran, Bert, James, Sammie and Hoops.
All my friends.
Helen.
Lianne and Natalie.
Most of the FAWMers (although I did do FOP, but I wasn't there for long).
Most of my old DF comrades.
Still Serafina, as well.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Quinn Amber Daniel Amber Jayne Sati. Yes, it's Sati, and I'm sticking with that. This is actually a fairly obvious answer, really, as we clicked easily - I'm just not sure if she counts as new, since I already knew her quite well before meeting her! I also liked meeting Quinn, Amber, Jayne and Daniel.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.
Trying is the first step towards failure. In a lot of cases, acquiescence is the only way forwards, and if anyone else is doing better than you, then that's to be expected.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Immigrants. We get the job done."