Year in review: 2011
1.What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Learned to be okay with being fat.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Don't make new years' resolutions. Any time is fine for a resolution.
At various points in the year, I resolved to:
- eat intuitively - that has been mostly successful - I'm still working on listening to my internal cues of hunger and fullness
- manage money more responsibly - getting better, still have a long way to go, but I'm making progress
- meditate more often and live in the now - this is something that I do every day and it's changing my life profoundly
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Some, yes.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
Just Australia. (sigh)
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More money, and more control over the money that I have. Less stuff. A cleaner, more organised and more beautiful home.
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I don't tend to remember exact dates. The day I stopped being afraid of death was a major moment.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Realising that I could earn significantly more money than I was earning, asking for it and (eventually) getting it. Took six months to go from awareness to reality. I'm still in a mess right now with cashflow, but it is going to be so much better within a few weeks, so I just have to cope for a little bit more.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Taking so long to get my shit together financially. Having to ask for loans from parents.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing out of the ordinary. Normal colds and flu, including a nasty flu in the winter.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Does a puppy count as a thing? If so, the new crazy puppy Galataya, bought on a whim when Eris and I went into the city to buy her some soccer shinguards. Galataya was a poor financial decision and it took months to house-train her, but she is a wonderful dog and I'm so glad we made that impulse buy.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Galataya's, when she FINALLY learned that the best place to poop is outside the house.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Galataya's, after she chewed 3 Macbook power cables ($89 each time), about 12 pairs (not an exaggeration) of headphones including my good Sennheisers, and every pair of shoes that I had.
14. Where did most of your money go?
After basic living expenses, Galataya. Debt repayments. And splurging on eating out, coffees, bought lunches instead of homemade, new music, new video games.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Wedding of River Song (shut up).
The new Jonathan Coulton album, Artificial Heart.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2011?
Mostly stuff by Jonathan Coulton, especially 'Nemeses', 'Sticking it to Myself', 'Screwed', 'Octopus', 'Better', 'A Talk with George' ... oh dear it is hard to narrow it down.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? much happier
b) thinner or fatter? a little bit fatter
c) richer or poorer? a little bit richer, or at least less in debt
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Travelling for fun instead of for work.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about other people's opinions. Clinging to the past. Worrying about the future.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Had lunch with family. Wasn't that well, so crashed out in the evening.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
No. Not looking, not interested.
22. How many one-night stands?
None. Not looking, not interested.
23. What was your favourite TV program?
Doctor Who.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone at the moment.
25. What was the best book you read?
'The Power of Now' - Eckhart Tolle
'Health at Every Size' - Linda Bacon
'The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion' - Christopher Germer
Tumblr (shut up)
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
'Fat and happy' songs from the Health at Every Size podcast by Peggy Elam, especially those by Candye Kane.
27. What did you want and get?
Better-paid work.
28. What did you want and not get?
A day trip to the Great Barrier Reef that had to be called off because of rough seas after we were halfway there. We were glad we'd all taken sea-sickness tablets, anyway.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I know 'Iron Man' and 'Iron Man 2' aren't from this year, but I saw them for the first time this year.
Also the final Harry Potter film was a satisfactory ending in that Mary and I started crying before the opening titles, and barely paused from there on.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went to work. Watched 'Super 8' with Mary in the evening. I was 43.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More money, so that I could have paid off more debt and had a more usefully sized emergency fund. And better skills at managing money.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Fat pride. Comfortable and colourful.
33. What kept you sane?
Efexor. Mindfulness. Meditation. Knitting.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Grant Imahara. Alan Tudyk. Most of the characters (not the actors) from Doctor Who (do fictional characters count?). Jonathan Coulton. Rupert Grint, Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Matt Lewis (how did they all grow up to be so hot?). Alan Cumming. I seem to be bi-leaning-towards-hetero this year.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
I'm more horrified than I used to be by the police and military using excessive force on peaceful civilians.
36. Who did you miss?
I missed living in Lara and seeing family every day.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Eris's psychologist.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011
The past is a collection of memory traces. The future is imagination and fantasy. Now is all we have. This present moment is all we have.
39. Quote song lyrics that sum up your year:
Kate Campbell: 'Suit Yourself'
People talk about the way I dress
Tell me I should try and look my best
What does it matter
There's no wrong or right
It's how you feel inside
Suit yourself
Go and shake your tambourine
Suit yourself
We all got our own song to sing
If you don't like what you're wearing
Wear something else
Suit yourself
Learned to be okay with being fat.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Don't make new years' resolutions. Any time is fine for a resolution.
At various points in the year, I resolved to:
- eat intuitively - that has been mostly successful - I'm still working on listening to my internal cues of hunger and fullness
- manage money more responsibly - getting better, still have a long way to go, but I'm making progress
- meditate more often and live in the now - this is something that I do every day and it's changing my life profoundly
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Some, yes.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
Just Australia. (sigh)
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More money, and more control over the money that I have. Less stuff. A cleaner, more organised and more beautiful home.
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I don't tend to remember exact dates. The day I stopped being afraid of death was a major moment.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Realising that I could earn significantly more money than I was earning, asking for it and (eventually) getting it. Took six months to go from awareness to reality. I'm still in a mess right now with cashflow, but it is going to be so much better within a few weeks, so I just have to cope for a little bit more.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Taking so long to get my shit together financially. Having to ask for loans from parents.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing out of the ordinary. Normal colds and flu, including a nasty flu in the winter.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Does a puppy count as a thing? If so, the new crazy puppy Galataya, bought on a whim when Eris and I went into the city to buy her some soccer shinguards. Galataya was a poor financial decision and it took months to house-train her, but she is a wonderful dog and I'm so glad we made that impulse buy.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Galataya's, when she FINALLY learned that the best place to poop is outside the house.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Galataya's, after she chewed 3 Macbook power cables ($89 each time), about 12 pairs (not an exaggeration) of headphones including my good Sennheisers, and every pair of shoes that I had.
14. Where did most of your money go?
After basic living expenses, Galataya. Debt repayments. And splurging on eating out, coffees, bought lunches instead of homemade, new music, new video games.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Wedding of River Song (shut up).
The new Jonathan Coulton album, Artificial Heart.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2011?
Mostly stuff by Jonathan Coulton, especially 'Nemeses', 'Sticking it to Myself', 'Screwed', 'Octopus', 'Better', 'A Talk with George' ... oh dear it is hard to narrow it down.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? much happier
b) thinner or fatter? a little bit fatter
c) richer or poorer? a little bit richer, or at least less in debt
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Travelling for fun instead of for work.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about other people's opinions. Clinging to the past. Worrying about the future.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Had lunch with family. Wasn't that well, so crashed out in the evening.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
No. Not looking, not interested.
22. How many one-night stands?
None. Not looking, not interested.
23. What was your favourite TV program?
Doctor Who.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone at the moment.
25. What was the best book you read?
'The Power of Now' - Eckhart Tolle
'Health at Every Size' - Linda Bacon
'The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion' - Christopher Germer
Tumblr (shut up)
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
'Fat and happy' songs from the Health at Every Size podcast by Peggy Elam, especially those by Candye Kane.
27. What did you want and get?
Better-paid work.
28. What did you want and not get?
A day trip to the Great Barrier Reef that had to be called off because of rough seas after we were halfway there. We were glad we'd all taken sea-sickness tablets, anyway.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I know 'Iron Man' and 'Iron Man 2' aren't from this year, but I saw them for the first time this year.
Also the final Harry Potter film was a satisfactory ending in that Mary and I started crying before the opening titles, and barely paused from there on.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went to work. Watched 'Super 8' with Mary in the evening. I was 43.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More money, so that I could have paid off more debt and had a more usefully sized emergency fund. And better skills at managing money.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Fat pride. Comfortable and colourful.
33. What kept you sane?
Efexor. Mindfulness. Meditation. Knitting.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Grant Imahara. Alan Tudyk. Most of the characters (not the actors) from Doctor Who (do fictional characters count?). Jonathan Coulton. Rupert Grint, Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Matt Lewis (how did they all grow up to be so hot?). Alan Cumming. I seem to be bi-leaning-towards-hetero this year.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
I'm more horrified than I used to be by the police and military using excessive force on peaceful civilians.
36. Who did you miss?
I missed living in Lara and seeing family every day.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Eris's psychologist.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011
The past is a collection of memory traces. The future is imagination and fantasy. Now is all we have. This present moment is all we have.
39. Quote song lyrics that sum up your year:
Kate Campbell: 'Suit Yourself'
People talk about the way I dress
Tell me I should try and look my best
What does it matter
There's no wrong or right
It's how you feel inside
Suit yourself
Go and shake your tambourine
Suit yourself
We all got our own song to sing
If you don't like what you're wearing
Wear something else
Suit yourself