I don't remember if it was a telecaster or a stratocaster...
I'm afraid this is a bit of an angry one, but I've tried to temper it with positive things and fluffy Bernies.
Forthcoming attractions:
The Christmas card thing is a non event as the pecuniary embarrassment is so acute I can't buy stamps. I'd like to just wish you all a Merry Christmas, or whatever you trendy neo-pagan-vegan-lesbians are celebrating these days, and if you're not celebrating, I wish you a happy Next Monday. May you all have snow and kittens and all good and glorious things.
Here is a silly Bernie for your Yuletide enjoyment.
I will be spending Christmas with my family, and only celebrating it on the day itself. I'm in a bitter place this year and all festivals are canceled- no Halloween, no Christmas and no New Years (I've decided to work). I'm just going to write this year off and start again in January.
Good things are that I'm an official volunteer at Manchester Museum, and have a new job in The Palace Theater. This means that after months of trying to get my hair blue I've had to dye it back to black, but it looks pretty dashing actually and it feels strangely like coming home. Also, anyone who has ever set foot inside The Ritz will know there are things worth making sacrifices for, like never having to go near the place again. Despite the fact that I have seen the Abba musical three times now, I like my job; all the people are lovely and we're all struggling actors, artists, singers and writers, I get to wear a waistcoat, and among my manifold duties I can list selling ice cream from a tray strapped round my shoulders. I am the queen of twee!
Here's the 2006 retrospective thing that's going round. I left a few blank because it's been an odd sort of year and it wouldn't do to post the answers here.
Scratch that- it's been the worst year ever. Looking back, I feel discontent, frustrated and a little furious. I've pretty much been shat on and shoveled up by turns this year: It started off terrible, then there was a period of unrivaled lovely between the start of July and the start of September, then my life became pretty much as bad as it's ever been again, now I feel mildly resentful to everything, and a bit bored, and a bit isolated.
[1.] What did you do in 2006 that you have never done before?
Had a poem performed, been involved in live radio, engaged in bondage (decided against it ultimately), had a story short-listed, graduated, some other things I don’t think I’ll put here.
[2.] Did you keep all of last years resolutions?
Yes. I resolved to write in a paper journal everyday, and lo, I have written in a paper journal everyday.
[3.] Have you any resolutions for next year?
Yes. I’m not telling you though, in case I don’t keep them.
[4.] What countries did you visit?
Levenshulme?
[5.] What would you like to have in 2007 that you didn't have in 2006?
Money and a sense that things are going somewhere.
[6.] What date in 2006 will remain etched in your memory?
There’ve been a few memorable events, but I don’t remember dates.
[7.] What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finished NaNo, graduated, mainly the same answers as question 1.
[8.] What was your biggest failure?
[9.] Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Malaise?
[10.] What was the best thing you bought?
Alcohol.
[11.] Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
This was very easy to answer last year as it was a figure of universal hatred, but this year it’s people who everyone else likes, so I’m not telling. Largely because most people haven’t really changed since they were in the playground, they’ve just learned to be more devious about their social politics.
[12.] Where did most of your money go?
If I knew that, I wouldn’t be in so much trouble.
[13.] What did you get really really really excited about?
Wickerman Festival. Moving to Manchester.
[14.] What songs will always remind you of 2006?
The Tiger Lilies- Hell
Futureshock- Late at Nite
King Diamond- Voodoo
Gogol Bordello- Gypsy Part of Town
Annie Lennox- Whiter Shade of Pale
Cocteau Twins- Frou Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires
Corporate Avenger- Jesus Christ Homosexual
[15.] Compared to this time last year are you:
[A] Fatter or thinner? Perhaps a bit thinner, actually.
[B] Happier or sadder? Sadder.
[C] Richer or poorer? Poorer.
[16.] What do you wish you'd done more of?
[17.] What do you wish you'd done less of?
[18.] How will you be spending Christmas?
With my dear family.
[19.] Which LJ users did you meet for the first time? Many- chrisptofu, motodraconis and redjel are my favorites, and there's a few more. Possibly nozza, though it’s entirely possible I met him before and it didn’t quite register.
[20.] Did you fall in love in 2006?
Not with a real person.
[22] What was your favorite TV show?
QI, Boosh a close second.
[23.] Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Yes. Eternal, deepest loathing.
[24.] What was/were the best books you read?
All the books I’ve read are at home and I can’t remember them without seeing them! Neil Gaiman’s Smoke and Mirrors is the only one I can call to mind, though there are several more that can't have been that good otherwise I'd remember.
[25.] What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Tiger Lilies.
[26.] What did you want and get?
Published.
[27.] What did you want and not get?
Too much to list.
[28.] What was your favorite film this year?
Dead Man’s Chest!
[29.] What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I had the best birthday party ever with sir_ann, and was 21.
[30.] What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
Homicide.
[31.] How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Excellent, then in a state of confusion, now excellent again. Huzzah!
[32.] What kept you sane?
Pendragon’s.
[33.] Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
Oh god, must be Alan Rickman again. Lydia had to scrape me off the floor the other day when we watched Sense and Sensibility.
[34.] Which political issue stirred you the most?
All the things which were hideously over-hyped to sustain a climate of fear.
[35.] Who did you miss?
Cathy, above all. Now I’ve moved there’s a few people in Liverpool I miss, but not as many as I’d like.
[36.] Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
Never presume things or people are as they seem. Never place anyone on a pedestal, it’s as unfair to them as it is to yourself. It’s a very painful process finding out who your real friends are, and it won’t always be who you first thought.
[37.] Quote a song lyric that sums up your year...
Everything’s a warning, everything’s a sign. I could have shed this long before; I’m taking what was mine.
What else? Ah, I've had a minor flist clear out, because a new year makes me do things like that. I thought there were lots of people I needed to get rid of, but actually most of the ones that never post are people I still live in the hope of getting back in contact with.
So it's just most of the people I've never met (apart from goddamndunce because I am secretly obsessed with her drawings), people I'm never likely to meet again, and people who are just keeping me on to pad out their own friends list. Just so no one gets offended; I know the mighty social power of livejournal- There are some cultures in which taking someone off your friends list is the equivalent of giving them the black spot.
PS- Rupert Grint is my king. I wonder if I can get an icon celebrating his glory?
Forthcoming attractions:
The Christmas card thing is a non event as the pecuniary embarrassment is so acute I can't buy stamps. I'd like to just wish you all a Merry Christmas, or whatever you trendy neo-pagan-vegan-lesbians are celebrating these days, and if you're not celebrating, I wish you a happy Next Monday. May you all have snow and kittens and all good and glorious things.
Here is a silly Bernie for your Yuletide enjoyment.
I will be spending Christmas with my family, and only celebrating it on the day itself. I'm in a bitter place this year and all festivals are canceled- no Halloween, no Christmas and no New Years (I've decided to work). I'm just going to write this year off and start again in January.
Good things are that I'm an official volunteer at Manchester Museum, and have a new job in The Palace Theater. This means that after months of trying to get my hair blue I've had to dye it back to black, but it looks pretty dashing actually and it feels strangely like coming home. Also, anyone who has ever set foot inside The Ritz will know there are things worth making sacrifices for, like never having to go near the place again. Despite the fact that I have seen the Abba musical three times now, I like my job; all the people are lovely and we're all struggling actors, artists, singers and writers, I get to wear a waistcoat, and among my manifold duties I can list selling ice cream from a tray strapped round my shoulders. I am the queen of twee!
Here's the 2006 retrospective thing that's going round. I left a few blank because it's been an odd sort of year and it wouldn't do to post the answers here.
Scratch that- it's been the worst year ever. Looking back, I feel discontent, frustrated and a little furious. I've pretty much been shat on and shoveled up by turns this year: It started off terrible, then there was a period of unrivaled lovely between the start of July and the start of September, then my life became pretty much as bad as it's ever been again, now I feel mildly resentful to everything, and a bit bored, and a bit isolated.
[1.] What did you do in 2006 that you have never done before?
Had a poem performed, been involved in live radio, engaged in bondage (decided against it ultimately), had a story short-listed, graduated, some other things I don’t think I’ll put here.
[2.] Did you keep all of last years resolutions?
Yes. I resolved to write in a paper journal everyday, and lo, I have written in a paper journal everyday.
[3.] Have you any resolutions for next year?
Yes. I’m not telling you though, in case I don’t keep them.
[4.] What countries did you visit?
Levenshulme?
[5.] What would you like to have in 2007 that you didn't have in 2006?
Money and a sense that things are going somewhere.
[6.] What date in 2006 will remain etched in your memory?
There’ve been a few memorable events, but I don’t remember dates.
[7.] What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finished NaNo, graduated, mainly the same answers as question 1.
[8.] What was your biggest failure?
[9.] Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Malaise?
[10.] What was the best thing you bought?
Alcohol.
[11.] Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
This was very easy to answer last year as it was a figure of universal hatred, but this year it’s people who everyone else likes, so I’m not telling. Largely because most people haven’t really changed since they were in the playground, they’ve just learned to be more devious about their social politics.
[12.] Where did most of your money go?
If I knew that, I wouldn’t be in so much trouble.
[13.] What did you get really really really excited about?
Wickerman Festival. Moving to Manchester.
[14.] What songs will always remind you of 2006?
The Tiger Lilies- Hell
Futureshock- Late at Nite
King Diamond- Voodoo
Gogol Bordello- Gypsy Part of Town
Annie Lennox- Whiter Shade of Pale
Cocteau Twins- Frou Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires
Corporate Avenger- Jesus Christ Homosexual
[15.] Compared to this time last year are you:
[A] Fatter or thinner? Perhaps a bit thinner, actually.
[B] Happier or sadder? Sadder.
[C] Richer or poorer? Poorer.
[16.] What do you wish you'd done more of?
[17.] What do you wish you'd done less of?
[18.] How will you be spending Christmas?
With my dear family.
[19.] Which LJ users did you meet for the first time? Many- chrisptofu, motodraconis and redjel are my favorites, and there's a few more. Possibly nozza, though it’s entirely possible I met him before and it didn’t quite register.
[20.] Did you fall in love in 2006?
Not with a real person.
[22] What was your favorite TV show?
QI, Boosh a close second.
[23.] Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Yes. Eternal, deepest loathing.
[24.] What was/were the best books you read?
All the books I’ve read are at home and I can’t remember them without seeing them! Neil Gaiman’s Smoke and Mirrors is the only one I can call to mind, though there are several more that can't have been that good otherwise I'd remember.
[25.] What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Tiger Lilies.
[26.] What did you want and get?
Published.
[27.] What did you want and not get?
Too much to list.
[28.] What was your favorite film this year?
Dead Man’s Chest!
[29.] What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I had the best birthday party ever with sir_ann, and was 21.
[30.] What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
Homicide.
[31.] How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Excellent, then in a state of confusion, now excellent again. Huzzah!
[32.] What kept you sane?
Pendragon’s.
[33.] Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
Oh god, must be Alan Rickman again. Lydia had to scrape me off the floor the other day when we watched Sense and Sensibility.
[34.] Which political issue stirred you the most?
All the things which were hideously over-hyped to sustain a climate of fear.
[35.] Who did you miss?
Cathy, above all. Now I’ve moved there’s a few people in Liverpool I miss, but not as many as I’d like.
[36.] Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
Never presume things or people are as they seem. Never place anyone on a pedestal, it’s as unfair to them as it is to yourself. It’s a very painful process finding out who your real friends are, and it won’t always be who you first thought.
[37.] Quote a song lyric that sums up your year...
Everything’s a warning, everything’s a sign. I could have shed this long before; I’m taking what was mine.
What else? Ah, I've had a minor flist clear out, because a new year makes me do things like that. I thought there were lots of people I needed to get rid of, but actually most of the ones that never post are people I still live in the hope of getting back in contact with.
So it's just most of the people I've never met (apart from goddamndunce because I am secretly obsessed with her drawings), people I'm never likely to meet again, and people who are just keeping me on to pad out their own friends list. Just so no one gets offended; I know the mighty social power of livejournal- There are some cultures in which taking someone off your friends list is the equivalent of giving them the black spot.
PS- Rupert Grint is my king. I wonder if I can get an icon celebrating his glory?