Round-up of 2015
Jan. 1st, 2016 12:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pensnestMostly for my own benefit:
1. What did you do this year that you'd never done before?
Moved to Norwich. Joined a barbershop choir. Watched a Pride parade. Sold a swimming pool.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions?
I maintained the ‘don’t buy myself chocolate’ thing which has become a habit now—any time I feel tempted (and these times are rarer by far than they used to be) I can tell myself that I don’t do that now. The desire to maintain my streak is stronger than the desire for CDM.
Eating better… got a bit complicated this year because of the house move. We are not, at present, taking deliveries of local, organic food. I’m hoping this will start up again at some point, but it’s hard to say when. And although I managed to plant tomatoes, courgettes and a pumpkin, there was very little in the way of crop. On the plus side, I am doing my best to have at least one meat-free day a week, and to eat more fish.
Did not get anywhere with the ‘get paid for writing something’ resolution, so that one is going to carry over, in a slightly amended form.
3. What will your new years' resolutions be for next year?
1. I will not buy myself chocolate.
I’ve had a good run with this one, and it’s become more habit than resolve, but it’s definitely worth keeping up.
2. I will write at least a paragraph every day.
This one will be harder. I can already think of a January day on which it will be awkward to write, but we’ll see how that goes.
3. I will try to have a meat-free day and a fish day every week.
4. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No
5. Did anyone close to you die?
My father’s widow died a few days before Christmas. We weren’t close, which I’m sad about, but it was her choice.
6. What countries did you visit?
Germany (Queen + Adam Lambert!) and Wales (Camp Sparkle!).
7. What would you like to have in the coming year that you lacked in the previous year?
An ensuite bathroom and a new kitchen!
8. What date from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I guess April 1st, as the first morning when I woke up in our new house.
9. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Moving house, probably. It certainly took a lot of effort.
10. What was your biggest failure?
Don’t know. Nothing springs to mind, particularly.
11. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing significant. My right elbow joint is iffy, but not so far iffy enough for me to go to the doctor about it.
12. What was the best thing you bought?
The Hollies.
13. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
I enjoy Lance Bass a lot, and we certainly celebrated his wedding (belatedly, at Camp). And also Nick Carter’s wedding, to an unexpectedly together person with whom I think he has a good chance of actual happiness.
14. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The electorate, I guess.
15. Where did most of your money go?
A rather large chunk of it went to the children, to help them buy their house. The rest (we made a profit on the house sale/purchase) is being squirrelled away for the developments to this house next year.
16. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
(a) moving house,
(b) Queen + Adam Lambert (twice!)
(c) Camp Sparkle!
17. What song will always remind you of this year?
I don’t think there is one.
18. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i happier or sadder? Happier, I think. I was fed up in Hemel, as I’d fallen badly out of love with the theatre group I’d been in for twenty five years, and was in rather a rut. I really like living in Norwich, and am beginning to settle in properly.
ii thinner or fatter? Probably about the same. I think I lost another kilo or two while we moved, and a little of that may have come back, but eh.
iii richer or poorer? Poorer, since we gave quite a lot of money to the children. With the prospect of being poorer yet once we have improved the house.
19. What do you wish you'd done more of?
My usual craft stuff, which is Good For The Soul. In the spring there wasn’t really time, as it was more important to get stuff packed or disposed of, and since the move, there has been nowhere to do it (yet) and other priorities.
Writing.
20. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating.
21. How did you spend Christmas?
At my children’s house. Bun cooked an excellent Christmas dinner for us, and—in no small part due to my inability to stop at just one gift—we spent quite a while opening presents. It was nice.
22. Who did you meet for the first time?
The members of Norwich Harmony.
23. Did you fall in love this year?
No. No need.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Probably ‘Mad Men’, which we investigated on DVD and have been going through from the beginning. Final season(s) turned up in the Christmas present heap. Although… a shameful argument could plausibly be made in favour of ‘Say Yes to the Dress’, which I have been watching avidly as an accompaniment to knitting. My new Virgin Media box is a shocking enabler.
v25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. Don’t think I hate anyone.
26. What relationships stand out in your memory this year?
I guess… the usual ones? Beast, the Brats, my fannish friends.
27. What were the best books you read?
What with this and that and the fact that most of our books are still locked in the Lion’s Cage, I haven’t done a lot of armchair reading this year.
28. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
Don’t really think I made one. Though there are arguments for (a) Queen, and (b) The Pirates of Penzance.
29. What did you want and get?
A new house.
30. What did you want and not get?
An ensuite bathroom, (Not yet!)
31. What were your favourite films of this year?
I don’t think anything stood out for me. I’ve seen the usual fannish suspects, but nothing really captured my heart, mind or imagination.
32. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 55, and I had a lunch party for a dozen people, and swam in my very own swimming pool!
33. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Either (a) faster progress towards getting the extensions done, or (b) writing more.
34. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
Comfort over style. It’s mostly jeans+T-shirt+warm layer, occasionally a tunic dress with leggings.
35. What kept you sane?
My Beast.
36. Which public figure did you fancy the most?
Can’t think of anyone in particular.
37. What political issue stirred you the most?
I’ve ranted about a bunch of stuff, but I guess it would be abortion, as I’ve actually paid money towards the campaign.
38. Whom did you miss?
My friends from the theatre group—I did manage to go back a couple of times to meet up, which was fun. Also my knitting group in St Albans, who were a lovely bunch of ladies and whom I have not entirely managed to replace with similarly erudite knitters. Only got back to see them once, unfortunately.
And, perennially, my late grandma.
39. Something new that worked out really well for you during the year?
Moving to Norwich. I really like it here.
40. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year.
Try to take your own advice.
41. What are your plans for 2016?
Expand the house. Try and do an Oxfam Open Day fundraiser. Make more friends here. Write more.
1. What did you do this year that you'd never done before?
Moved to Norwich. Joined a barbershop choir. Watched a Pride parade. Sold a swimming pool.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions?
I maintained the ‘don’t buy myself chocolate’ thing which has become a habit now—any time I feel tempted (and these times are rarer by far than they used to be) I can tell myself that I don’t do that now. The desire to maintain my streak is stronger than the desire for CDM.
Eating better… got a bit complicated this year because of the house move. We are not, at present, taking deliveries of local, organic food. I’m hoping this will start up again at some point, but it’s hard to say when. And although I managed to plant tomatoes, courgettes and a pumpkin, there was very little in the way of crop. On the plus side, I am doing my best to have at least one meat-free day a week, and to eat more fish.
Did not get anywhere with the ‘get paid for writing something’ resolution, so that one is going to carry over, in a slightly amended form.
3. What will your new years' resolutions be for next year?
1. I will not buy myself chocolate.
I’ve had a good run with this one, and it’s become more habit than resolve, but it’s definitely worth keeping up.
2. I will write at least a paragraph every day.
This one will be harder. I can already think of a January day on which it will be awkward to write, but we’ll see how that goes.
3. I will try to have a meat-free day and a fish day every week.
4. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No
5. Did anyone close to you die?
My father’s widow died a few days before Christmas. We weren’t close, which I’m sad about, but it was her choice.
6. What countries did you visit?
Germany (Queen + Adam Lambert!) and Wales (Camp Sparkle!).
7. What would you like to have in the coming year that you lacked in the previous year?
An ensuite bathroom and a new kitchen!
8. What date from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I guess April 1st, as the first morning when I woke up in our new house.
9. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Moving house, probably. It certainly took a lot of effort.
10. What was your biggest failure?
Don’t know. Nothing springs to mind, particularly.
11. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing significant. My right elbow joint is iffy, but not so far iffy enough for me to go to the doctor about it.
12. What was the best thing you bought?
The Hollies.
13. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
I enjoy Lance Bass a lot, and we certainly celebrated his wedding (belatedly, at Camp). And also Nick Carter’s wedding, to an unexpectedly together person with whom I think he has a good chance of actual happiness.
14. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The electorate, I guess.
15. Where did most of your money go?
A rather large chunk of it went to the children, to help them buy their house. The rest (we made a profit on the house sale/purchase) is being squirrelled away for the developments to this house next year.
16. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
(a) moving house,
(b) Queen + Adam Lambert (twice!)
(c) Camp Sparkle!
17. What song will always remind you of this year?
I don’t think there is one.
18. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i happier or sadder? Happier, I think. I was fed up in Hemel, as I’d fallen badly out of love with the theatre group I’d been in for twenty five years, and was in rather a rut. I really like living in Norwich, and am beginning to settle in properly.
ii thinner or fatter? Probably about the same. I think I lost another kilo or two while we moved, and a little of that may have come back, but eh.
iii richer or poorer? Poorer, since we gave quite a lot of money to the children. With the prospect of being poorer yet once we have improved the house.
19. What do you wish you'd done more of?
My usual craft stuff, which is Good For The Soul. In the spring there wasn’t really time, as it was more important to get stuff packed or disposed of, and since the move, there has been nowhere to do it (yet) and other priorities.
Writing.
20. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating.
21. How did you spend Christmas?
At my children’s house. Bun cooked an excellent Christmas dinner for us, and—in no small part due to my inability to stop at just one gift—we spent quite a while opening presents. It was nice.
22. Who did you meet for the first time?
The members of Norwich Harmony.
23. Did you fall in love this year?
No. No need.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Probably ‘Mad Men’, which we investigated on DVD and have been going through from the beginning. Final season(s) turned up in the Christmas present heap. Although… a shameful argument could plausibly be made in favour of ‘Say Yes to the Dress’, which I have been watching avidly as an accompaniment to knitting. My new Virgin Media box is a shocking enabler.
v25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. Don’t think I hate anyone.
26. What relationships stand out in your memory this year?
I guess… the usual ones? Beast, the Brats, my fannish friends.
27. What were the best books you read?
What with this and that and the fact that most of our books are still locked in the Lion’s Cage, I haven’t done a lot of armchair reading this year.
28. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
Don’t really think I made one. Though there are arguments for (a) Queen, and (b) The Pirates of Penzance.
29. What did you want and get?
A new house.
30. What did you want and not get?
An ensuite bathroom, (Not yet!)
31. What were your favourite films of this year?
I don’t think anything stood out for me. I’ve seen the usual fannish suspects, but nothing really captured my heart, mind or imagination.
32. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 55, and I had a lunch party for a dozen people, and swam in my very own swimming pool!
33. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Either (a) faster progress towards getting the extensions done, or (b) writing more.
34. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
Comfort over style. It’s mostly jeans+T-shirt+warm layer, occasionally a tunic dress with leggings.
35. What kept you sane?
My Beast.
36. Which public figure did you fancy the most?
Can’t think of anyone in particular.
37. What political issue stirred you the most?
I’ve ranted about a bunch of stuff, but I guess it would be abortion, as I’ve actually paid money towards the campaign.
38. Whom did you miss?
My friends from the theatre group—I did manage to go back a couple of times to meet up, which was fun. Also my knitting group in St Albans, who were a lovely bunch of ladies and whom I have not entirely managed to replace with similarly erudite knitters. Only got back to see them once, unfortunately.
And, perennially, my late grandma.
39. Something new that worked out really well for you during the year?
Moving to Norwich. I really like it here.
40. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year.
Try to take your own advice.
41. What are your plans for 2016?
Expand the house. Try and do an Oxfam Open Day fundraiser. Make more friends here. Write more.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-01 05:37 pm (UTC)It looks like you've mostly had a good year. That's very nice to know.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-01 05:50 pm (UTC)I have had a good year. There are certain problems with the house—you must visit, and see the bendy bits—that have worried me at times, but overall the move has been good news. The only thing wrong with Norwich (so far) is that it is quite a long way from anything else.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-01 11:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-02 04:01 pm (UTC)