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1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Won a design award. Submitted a short story for publication. Put a case forward for a payrise. Built a steampunk vibrator. Wrote to my MP. Campaigned for my local candidate in the general election. Drove in the USA. Camped at a festival. Drank cocktails in a bar on top of the Hilton. Ate in the Apple canteen. It ~may~ have been the first time I paddled in the Pacific Ocean (I can't remember if I actually set foot in it when I went to Australia or not, and pretty sure I didn't last year.) Also, I think this was the first year (in adult life at least) that I actually threw a proper house party for my birthday instead of going out somewhere.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any last year. Didn't make any this year either, instead I have the List.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin Louise and her husband Ian produced a shiny new sproglet, Ted - the first that-close-to-me member of the next generation of the family (in this country, anyway) which sounds very convoluted but feels significant. I think that Jem and Owen, and Glen and Jo were also proud first-time baby makers during the past 12 months? Although I could be wrong. There are a few other babies floating around, but I think they're all older? Maybe?
(Spot the person with zero maternal instinct here...)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year.
5. What countries did you visit?
USA (San Francisco, Mountain View and a trip down the Big Sur to Santa Barbara).
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Up to date CV, portfolio and website. New job, and a new city to call home. Dragon*Con.
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 11th - my brother and I taking my Dad (and Mum and Alice) out for his 60th birthday, to an amazing seafood restaurant in Half Moon Bay. Also, the drive along the Big Sur from the same trip. Dining at Le Gavroche. Various parties, get togethers and gatherings. And several days - good and bad - that will remain with me for very personal reasons.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Happiness. There's been the occasional random black day, and still way more stressing then is good for me, but overall I've been way happier, more confident, able to take on anything the world throws at me. Feeling like me again. And managing to keep both career and social life going at full tilt, when in the past, even when I was at my strongest, it was only ever been one or the other at a time. Getting back to who I was at my best, and moving beyond that. And that's still going on.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting CV/portfolio organised and start applying for jobs in London in spite of having spent the past year talking about it. (To be fair, half the year was talking myself into it, but the other half was definite Fail.)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not particularly, although eczema has been flaring up again, so will need to keep an eye on it over the coming year in case I need another dose of UV treatment. Beyond that, the biggest 'medical' drama was the Saga of the Missing Fingernail, which (un)fortunately didn't end up with me getting any kind of cybernetic fingernail substitutes...
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Don't think I bought anything particularly memorable for myself this year, so this would probably be buying Dad a proper chef's knife for his birthday - he loves it to bits.
(Best thing for me was probably my new red leather corset, and the fluffy fur coat of doom I bought off Julie-Anne. Oh, and my Big Bad Wolf hood.)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Too many people to mention, and hopefully they all know who they are (and if you think this is about you, then it almost certainly is :-) )
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Parliamentary Lib Dems since the election. (I would include the Tories, but frankly I didn't expect any better from them...)
14. Where did most of your money go?
Travelling (and going places/doing things/accommodation/food and drink once I got there), mostly involving London and the USA.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My birthday. USA trip. Whitby. Sonisphere. Infest. London. Anything involving seeing people really...
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Elephant!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Happier.
b) thinner or fatter?
Thinner.
c) richer or poorer?
Same in terms of immediate cash flow but slightly more debt (mainly from a couple of big one-off expenses that I didn't budget for) which is bad as I was supposed to start paying it off properly.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Got to a few more places and seen a few more people. Seen more of the people I did see, in Leeds and elsewhere. Painting and drawing for my own pleasure. Writing, especially writing completed short stories.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Overthinking things, instead of just living in the moment and enjoying them.
20. How will you be spending New Year?
House party at our place. (May contain pink.)
22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
I stopped running away from the idea.
23. How many one-night stands?
None, really - not even the ones that started out that way...
24. What were your favorite TV programs?
Supernatural. Fringe. Sherlock. Masterchef. Mongrels. Mock the Week. QI. ANTM.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate people. Life's too short and I'm too lazy.
26. What was the best book you read?
Difficult. Far too many to chose from and besides, the answer is usually 'the last one' or 'the next one'. I need to start writing more book reviews as I finish them, partly so I can answer things like this, partly as it helps your own creative writing. I suppose I could nominate The City and the City, as that's the only book I bothered to review properly this year, but I'm not sure that would be true.
27. What were your greatest musical discoveries?
30 Seconds to Mars. Earthtone9 live. Amanda Palmer + ukulele + Radiohead = win!
28. What did you want and get?
To see my brother. Design award. Fun. Kink. Sustained periods of writing. Adventures. Thinner. Stories to tell. iPhone (shiny!) Family and friends mostly staying healthy and happy.
29. What did you want and not get?
Promotion, or new job. Short story published. Proper Flash training (or any training). Army of giant spiders.
30. What were your favorite films of this year?
Inglorious Bastards, maybe? I seem to have been rubbish at films over the past year, totally failing to get to the cinema (apart from for A Team, which was far better than I expected). Also not getting round to watching DVDs either (when the TV's on at home it's usually background noise) so there's a huge stack of them to get through at some point...
Seeing as how I've seen more theatre in 2010, I'd be better listing favourite plays, which was most of them, including Avenue Q, Ghost Stories, and the Udderbelly improvisational musical theatre night (Star Whores!)
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I decided to count my age in hexadecimal this year, so I was 21. Had a evil geniuses and supervillains fancy dress party at home. Interviewed all the guests as to their plans to take over/destroy the world. Awarded prizes. Divided up the world between all those present (and several 80s pop acts). Laughed most evilly. Good fun :-)
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
For Kris to find a job (which was not for lack of trying) as being out of work has really got him down :-( For me personally, not having to deal with all the crap at work with holidays - in the end it didn't really spoil any plans, but there were so many events, trips and festivals that would have been so much easier and less stressful to arrange if I could have booked the odd day off in advance here and there, instead of having to 'wait and see' forever only to get turned down at the last minute.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Black. Stompy. Spikey. Corsets. Collars. Cleavage. Pink hair. Red hair. Glasses. Eyeliner. Feeling utterly sexy even in a sack. Plus rediscovering old-faithful favourites I haven't been able to fit into for several years.
34. What kept you sane?
Sanity is overrated.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jared Leto. Dean Winchester. Amanda Palmer. Alucard.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election (and the electoral system).
37. Who did you miss?
My brother, which is my fault for not getting in touch with him enough - need to get over my webcam fear and actually get it set up so I can talk to him online.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I met Alice, my brother's girlfriend, properly for the first time this year and she's absolutely lovely. And there's been a few great new people who have become proper friends this year - Violets, Sharon, Lalia and Babs spring to mind. But 2010 was just as much about reconnecting, rediscovering and expanding old and existing friendships. It's been a good year for people all round :-)
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
Piece of advice from a friend - 'Of course you'll fuck it up. You're human.' In other words, learn to put the perfectionism down and back away slowly, and that part of being human and alive is getting it completely and utterly wrong sometimes. Stop second guessing everything in the hope of working out the perfect course of action, and learn to embrace that very human imperfection.
40. Make it a round 40 - ask me a question about 2010 or 2011, and I promise to tell either the absolute truth or an interesting lie.
Won a design award. Submitted a short story for publication. Put a case forward for a payrise. Built a steampunk vibrator. Wrote to my MP. Campaigned for my local candidate in the general election. Drove in the USA. Camped at a festival. Drank cocktails in a bar on top of the Hilton. Ate in the Apple canteen. It ~may~ have been the first time I paddled in the Pacific Ocean (I can't remember if I actually set foot in it when I went to Australia or not, and pretty sure I didn't last year.) Also, I think this was the first year (in adult life at least) that I actually threw a proper house party for my birthday instead of going out somewhere.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any last year. Didn't make any this year either, instead I have the List.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin Louise and her husband Ian produced a shiny new sproglet, Ted - the first that-close-to-me member of the next generation of the family (in this country, anyway) which sounds very convoluted but feels significant. I think that Jem and Owen, and Glen and Jo were also proud first-time baby makers during the past 12 months? Although I could be wrong. There are a few other babies floating around, but I think they're all older? Maybe?
(Spot the person with zero maternal instinct here...)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year.
5. What countries did you visit?
USA (San Francisco, Mountain View and a trip down the Big Sur to Santa Barbara).
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Up to date CV, portfolio and website. New job, and a new city to call home. Dragon*Con.
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 11th - my brother and I taking my Dad (and Mum and Alice) out for his 60th birthday, to an amazing seafood restaurant in Half Moon Bay. Also, the drive along the Big Sur from the same trip. Dining at Le Gavroche. Various parties, get togethers and gatherings. And several days - good and bad - that will remain with me for very personal reasons.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Happiness. There's been the occasional random black day, and still way more stressing then is good for me, but overall I've been way happier, more confident, able to take on anything the world throws at me. Feeling like me again. And managing to keep both career and social life going at full tilt, when in the past, even when I was at my strongest, it was only ever been one or the other at a time. Getting back to who I was at my best, and moving beyond that. And that's still going on.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting CV/portfolio organised and start applying for jobs in London in spite of having spent the past year talking about it. (To be fair, half the year was talking myself into it, but the other half was definite Fail.)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not particularly, although eczema has been flaring up again, so will need to keep an eye on it over the coming year in case I need another dose of UV treatment. Beyond that, the biggest 'medical' drama was the Saga of the Missing Fingernail, which (un)fortunately didn't end up with me getting any kind of cybernetic fingernail substitutes...
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Don't think I bought anything particularly memorable for myself this year, so this would probably be buying Dad a proper chef's knife for his birthday - he loves it to bits.
(Best thing for me was probably my new red leather corset, and the fluffy fur coat of doom I bought off Julie-Anne. Oh, and my Big Bad Wolf hood.)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Too many people to mention, and hopefully they all know who they are (and if you think this is about you, then it almost certainly is :-) )
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Parliamentary Lib Dems since the election. (I would include the Tories, but frankly I didn't expect any better from them...)
14. Where did most of your money go?
Travelling (and going places/doing things/accommodation/food and drink once I got there), mostly involving London and the USA.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My birthday. USA trip. Whitby. Sonisphere. Infest. London. Anything involving seeing people really...
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Elephant!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Happier.
b) thinner or fatter?
Thinner.
c) richer or poorer?
Same in terms of immediate cash flow but slightly more debt (mainly from a couple of big one-off expenses that I didn't budget for) which is bad as I was supposed to start paying it off properly.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Got to a few more places and seen a few more people. Seen more of the people I did see, in Leeds and elsewhere. Painting and drawing for my own pleasure. Writing, especially writing completed short stories.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Overthinking things, instead of just living in the moment and enjoying them.
20. How will you be spending New Year?
House party at our place. (May contain pink.)
22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
I stopped running away from the idea.
23. How many one-night stands?
None, really - not even the ones that started out that way...
24. What were your favorite TV programs?
Supernatural. Fringe. Sherlock. Masterchef. Mongrels. Mock the Week. QI. ANTM.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate people. Life's too short and I'm too lazy.
26. What was the best book you read?
Difficult. Far too many to chose from and besides, the answer is usually 'the last one' or 'the next one'. I need to start writing more book reviews as I finish them, partly so I can answer things like this, partly as it helps your own creative writing. I suppose I could nominate The City and the City, as that's the only book I bothered to review properly this year, but I'm not sure that would be true.
27. What were your greatest musical discoveries?
30 Seconds to Mars. Earthtone9 live. Amanda Palmer + ukulele + Radiohead = win!
28. What did you want and get?
To see my brother. Design award. Fun. Kink. Sustained periods of writing. Adventures. Thinner. Stories to tell. iPhone (shiny!) Family and friends mostly staying healthy and happy.
29. What did you want and not get?
Promotion, or new job. Short story published. Proper Flash training (or any training). Army of giant spiders.
30. What were your favorite films of this year?
Inglorious Bastards, maybe? I seem to have been rubbish at films over the past year, totally failing to get to the cinema (apart from for A Team, which was far better than I expected). Also not getting round to watching DVDs either (when the TV's on at home it's usually background noise) so there's a huge stack of them to get through at some point...
Seeing as how I've seen more theatre in 2010, I'd be better listing favourite plays, which was most of them, including Avenue Q, Ghost Stories, and the Udderbelly improvisational musical theatre night (Star Whores!)
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I decided to count my age in hexadecimal this year, so I was 21. Had a evil geniuses and supervillains fancy dress party at home. Interviewed all the guests as to their plans to take over/destroy the world. Awarded prizes. Divided up the world between all those present (and several 80s pop acts). Laughed most evilly. Good fun :-)
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
For Kris to find a job (which was not for lack of trying) as being out of work has really got him down :-( For me personally, not having to deal with all the crap at work with holidays - in the end it didn't really spoil any plans, but there were so many events, trips and festivals that would have been so much easier and less stressful to arrange if I could have booked the odd day off in advance here and there, instead of having to 'wait and see' forever only to get turned down at the last minute.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Black. Stompy. Spikey. Corsets. Collars. Cleavage. Pink hair. Red hair. Glasses. Eyeliner. Feeling utterly sexy even in a sack. Plus rediscovering old-faithful favourites I haven't been able to fit into for several years.
34. What kept you sane?
Sanity is overrated.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jared Leto. Dean Winchester. Amanda Palmer. Alucard.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election (and the electoral system).
37. Who did you miss?
My brother, which is my fault for not getting in touch with him enough - need to get over my webcam fear and actually get it set up so I can talk to him online.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I met Alice, my brother's girlfriend, properly for the first time this year and she's absolutely lovely. And there's been a few great new people who have become proper friends this year - Violets, Sharon, Lalia and Babs spring to mind. But 2010 was just as much about reconnecting, rediscovering and expanding old and existing friendships. It's been a good year for people all round :-)
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
Piece of advice from a friend - 'Of course you'll fuck it up. You're human.' In other words, learn to put the perfectionism down and back away slowly, and that part of being human and alive is getting it completely and utterly wrong sometimes. Stop second guessing everything in the hope of working out the perfect course of action, and learn to embrace that very human imperfection.
40. Make it a round 40 - ask me a question about 2010 or 2011, and I promise to tell either the absolute truth or an interesting lie.
