lemonbella | I really need to take notes on all this stuff throughout the year

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?.
Moved to an entirely new part of the country, researched properly for a living, watched cricket abroad, fallen asleep at a cricket match, climbed Snowdon, gone on a sheepherding holiday, I was going to say got my masters, but that’s actually the second one of those but it's the first MSc. Oooh, been published - forgotton that because it only just happened and I'm only third author - but I have a properly printed copy and it's got my name on it and if it's successful you may be able to order it through amazon one day

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t do resolutions. Be yourself; Be happy; Do good in the world. Those are my three rules for life and I kept to them last year and will try to keep to them next year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my oldest friend. And whilst the whole baby thing bores me rigid I’m glad she’s got what she wanted and proud that she’s doing so well as it wasn’t easy for lots of reasons. Welcome to the world, Josie May.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No

5. What countries did you visit?
Holland. Wales. I want to say Iceland, but that was actually 2009.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
An exciting expedition. The new job, house move etc. took up all my money and time this year but I’m planning to climb mountains in Slovakia in 2012. There will hopefully be more cricket as well, there was nowhere near enough this year, and I was ill through the only live match I saw.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Erm, No specific dates. It’s just been a generally memorable year

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Applying for and getting my dream job. I was so close to not applying but I was all brave a look what happened! Moving to a strange place, making a home and a life were pretty big achievements too.

9. What was your biggest failure?
It pleases me greatly that I can’t think of anything here. Not that I haven’t failed at stuff, but I just don’t beat myself up about it as much as I used to. If I had to pick one thing it would probably be getting all nervous when sexy guy at the gym tried to engage me in conversation. However, I was sweaty and wearing gym clothes and he should have picked a more interesting topic.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major, even my back has been pretty good

11. What was the best thing you bought?
ooooh, nothing big was bought this year but there was a pretty spectacular macadaemia nut latte bought in Bets y Coed.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The usual suspects were their usual excellent selves. Sabar. My cats because neither of them ran away this year. I’ve seen some things in the first part of this research project that definitely merited celebration

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My ex-boss and some other people working for The Man. The trader that stole my money and made me cry. A few other people let me down, but again, the usual suspects, so there’s maybe a lesson to be learned there.

14. Where did most of your money go?
A roof over my head, and all the stuff that sucks money when you move to a new place. Although If I kept proper accounts I’m certain an obscene amount would go on fancy coffee.

15. What were you really, really, really excited about?
Polar Bears (“it’s got paws!”); My new job (I had a clip board!); the hot chocolate I got at the café on the way down snowdon

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
There’s not been much that’s memorable. However I did get my tape of Bluetonic back after seven years

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) Happier or sadder? Happier

b) Bigger or smaller? Smaller

c) Richer or poorer? Poorer, because of the movE

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Expeditioning; Animal seeing; gardening; cooking; enjoying Amsterdam (sorry

indian_skimmer, but I was really sick).

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Eating too much, throwing a ball for a dog

21. How many one-night stands?
None.

22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
No

23. What was your favourite TV programme?
Sadly, less good stuff than usual this year. SPN, Dexter, Top Chef, Masterchef Australia. Modern Family were all look-forward -to stuff

24. How will you see in the New Year?
Apparently doing this meme. Also watching Terra Nova and regretting eating a takeaway

25. Do you hate / dislike anyone now that you didn't hate / dislike this time last year?
Probably. But there’s some people I like more, so it evens out.

26. What was the best book you read?
I should probably add ‘reading’ to the “what do I wish I’d done more of’ list Zeitoun (Dave Eggars) or Shock Doctrine (Naomi Klein) if I read those this year. That time with the weird Henning Mankel novel that had no ending could have been better spent.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Getting my Bluetonic tape back was exciting. No gigs this year, that should be remedied in 2012

28. What did you want and get?
My dream job.

29. What did you want and not get?
A Proteas home series victory. A handstand in yoga

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I think I’ve only seen one –Harry Potter – and that was rubbish. I desperately wanted to see We Need to Talk About Kevin, but no where was showing it. I saw half of Watchmen, fell asleep and then my sky box died. That was looking quite promising

31. What did you do on your birthday?
I’m not sure. What did I do? Oooh, I went to the zoo and expect I ate cake. I’d remember if there wasn’t cake.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Other than an expedition, nothing.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? I’ve been a walking advert for craghoppers and trespass this year, without really realising it. So ‘scruffy walker’ probably sums it up.

34. What kept you sane?
Coffee; My Cats; Yoga;

indian_skimmer; My Mum

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Less people that usual. That’s a shame really. Graeme, Dale.

36. What political issue stirred you the most? We’ve got a fucking tory government screwing the poor again, it’s probably better to ask which issue doesn’t stir me. Elder abuse, poor social care funding, kowtowing to the alter of profit at all costs; a philosophy of ‘me first’. The one that actually made me scream and punch the wall was the decision to give Thatcher a state funeral.

37. Who did you miss?
Reas and the Sunday yoga group. Sabar. Krysia, Monica, My Mum

38. Who was the best new person you met?
New work colleagues are pretty cool, as is my new yoga teacher. But Molly, the resident I was observing who told a youth choir that they couldn’t sing very well and then sung a rousing rendition of we wish you a merry christmas is probably my favourite

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Life takes you where it wants you to go

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
‘it’s really not that you can’t see the forest for the trees, you’ve just never been out in the woods alone, so you can laugh all you want to, I got my philosophy and I trust it like the ground and that’s why my philosophy keeps me walking when I’m falling down’.

Actually that’s probably a lyric that sums up my life.