2022 in review
1. What did you do in 2022 that you’d never done before?
Sold some foals. Went to Dubai and Greece. Made sloe gin!
Four bottles of homemade sloe gin.
2. Did you keep your New Year’s Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
...somewhat? I think I said I wanted to have more things to look forward to, and while the holidays certainly were that, I could have done more regular things in my time off as well. G and I have agreed for the new year that we are going to telly less, and hobby more. I may start a blog. God help us.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
*thinks* Oh yeah, L had her second. Obvs Kirsch, Cape Liberty, and Solly all had their foals. What does it say about me that I remember the horses before the humans?
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not close to me. Mum and Dad's dog, Sam, died. And I found out yesterday a friend from school passed away just after new year.
5. What countries did you visit?
The United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and Greece (Santorini). It was very exciting.
The view from our first hotel in Dubai, down onto the main road and the Museum of the Future.
6. What would you like to have had in 2022 that you lacked?
Energy, good health, well-rested sleeps. Oh, and shutters on the back doors, it was too damn hot in here all summer.
7. What date from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
26th May. We went round the caldera of Santorini on a catamaran for my birthday and it was awesome.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Uh, I didn't really achieve much. Oh, I got a new job title at work - moved from admin to PMO. And we hit 1000 subscribers on our YouTube channel.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Um, I don't know if I have one?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Aside from the usual migraines and hypermobility, I also had several bouts of some horrid gastro-stuff (heartburn can fuck right off), plus covid got us at long last.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Ooh, probably the robovac. I love that thing. But also the garden pergola/deck. Both of which are the most middle-aged answers I could give.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Certainly not Tikal's, the little nutter. Probably G, as always, for putting up with me. H & H both for being good friends.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Mostly the British government. What a bunch of wankers.
14. Where did most of your money go?
A fridge-freezer, when ours died in the middle of the heatwave. Thailand flights for this year.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The foal sales. Our holidays!
16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2022?
God Save the King, cos it's WEIRD to hear that and not Queen.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you
happier or sadder? More content, I think.
thinner of fatter? Thinner, just, though I've put some back on that I need to shift before the holiday.
richer or poorer? About the same.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Travelling, socialising, making videos.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Being poorly, being tired.
20. How will you be spending Christmas/New Year?
I keep doing this meme in January :/ Christmas was as it always is, just us and the cats, with G cooking up a feast. And then much of the same on New Year, we ordered a Malaysian Feast Box and cooked together, something we don't do often. It was fun!
Prawn fritters, chilli sauce, chicken wings, and siu mai dumpings, alongside the recipe cards, and a cocktail, because we have a lot of cocktails on NYE
21. Did you fall in love in 2022?
I've been hopelessly in love for 9 years.
22. How many one-night stands?
Zero.
23. What was your favourite TV programme?
The Crown was pretty good. And we enjoyed Wednesday.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nah, I don't have the energy for that. I have to save all my energy for hating Christian Horner, the prick.
25. Do you like anyone now that you didn’t like this time last year?
Not really. Oh wait, probably Checo Perez.
26. What was the best book you read?
Amongst Our Weapons, the latest Rivers of London book by Ben Aaronovitch.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I dunno, I mostly listened to a lot of stuff I've listened to before.
28. What did you want and get?
A robovacuum. A pergola. Holidays.
29. What did you want and not get?
Shutters for the back doors.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Glass Onion. I thought it was brilliant.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 38. We were in Santorini, Greece, so we went on a catamaran cruise around the caldera. Not only was it an amazing way to see the island, it also included a fresh cooked meal, and champagne as the sun set over the Mediterranean. Beautiful.
Two champagne glasses in front of a golden sunset over the water
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not having to work?
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2022?
Country bumpkin. I do very much dress like a horsey person these days, between the muddy boots and the tweed field coat.
34. Who kept you sane?
G <3
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Karen Gillan. Yum.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The repeal of Roe v Wade. Makes my blood boil. It genuinely makes me want a hysterectomy, because it terrifies me that women can be forced to incubate and birth children they don't want, ala The Handmaid's Tale.
37. Who did you miss?
Mike, always. We tried a lot of new food this year, he'd have had an opinion on all of it.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Ginger Rogers. I miss her fuzzy ginger butt. Hope she's been ok over winter and more tourists arrive soon for her to mooch off of.
Me standing in front of the villa pool, holding Ginger, a stray cat.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022.
Plan fun things. They won't just happen, you have to make them happen.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Wake up, remember
We are born of one breath, one word
We are all one spark, sun becoming