So, in time honoured tradition, it seems that a retrospective of this year and a look ahead to the new one is in order... Lists are also popular this time of year, so we'll also go with a few lists, perhaps, starting with
Top ten things that broke this year...
1. Bicycle
2. Lawnmower
3. Oven
4. Washing machine
5. Kitchen light
6. Boiler
7. Shower
8. Sewing Machine
9. Computer keyboard
10. Violinist's gall bladder
Of course, it wasn't all about things breaking. Some things did actually work!
Top ten things that worked this year...
1. Launch of The Front Line, Volume II of The Automata Wars
2. Launch of e-book of The Home Front, Volume I of The Automata Wars
3. Successfully completed year one of masters degree
4. Redecorated bedroom into a stunning boudoir-ette
5. Launched workshops & presentations & received positive feedback
6. Completed recording new Crimson Clocks EP
7. Zombie apocalypse so tightly contained, you probably never even noticed it going on
8. Cat apocalypse so tightly contained... ah, ok, the war still wages on that one
9. First ventures into video making
10. Wolves! Birds of Prey! Meerkats! And other assorted animalia...
Boudoir-ette, complete with semi-apocalyptical cat There were ups and there were downs... most of the downs were many fallings off bicycle, both old one pre-breakage, and new demonically possessed bike. At least the old one only threw me when it was icy. The new one has so far flung me into a canal, and into a workman's excavation pit, and remained sparklingly unscathed on the side each time. I suspect a blood sacrifice may be in order.....
A whole paragraph and no lists? Better remedy that then with...
A whole paragraph and no lists? Better remedy that then with...
Things of the year:
- Book of the year - Ream.de, Neal Stephenson.
I didn't get chance for much leisure reading, what with studying, writing, working etc. Once I started reading this, I had to read at dangerous breakneck speed - it was that much of an adrenaline rush...
- Gig of the year - The Mechanisms, Ulysses dies at Dawn, Lincoln September 2013
Great musicians. Great performance. Well worth the entrance fee
- Film of the year - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
As with reading, I had limited time for cinema going, and only watched a few films on the big screen this year, despite plans at the start of the year. Smaug was a standout amongst the very few I saw...
- Snack of the year - maltesers
Not only are they tasty, you can play blow football with them. And mini basket-ball
- Rediscovered food of the year - Butterscotch Angel Delight.
...mmmmmmm....
- Favourite photo I took this year - probably this one:
So, was it a good year? Well, yes and no - but to be honest, aren't they all like that? Some things very definitely didn't work out as I hoped. Others were good, but fleeting. One thing I can honestly say is that anything that was a first for me this year will never be a first for me again. But that doesn't matter, because eventually there will be other things to do...
I don't make resolutions, because there doesn't seem much point. I aim to finish my masters degree this year - September 2014 is the course end date - but of course, a demon-bike related incident could even defer this date, which seems otherwise set in stone. One thing I 'plan' to do is to take a break from facebook and other, similar social media sites, so if you follow me on there, I aim to be not so much in evidence (though we'll see how long this lasts). I'm hoping to keep up with this blog, though, and with other activities that automatically link to facebook, so it won't be complete devoid of my presence - though I won't then be commenting on those posts...
So all that remains for me to do is to leave you instead with some hopes for the coming year.
- I hope you and your families and your loved ones, furry or otherwise, remain healthy
- I hope that stuff happens that you will enjoy
- I hope that when the inevitable stuff happens that you can't possibly enjoy, you can at least bear it; and
- I hope that the new Doctor does a good job...
Happy new year to you all... see you in 2014. Don't be late. The clock is ticking...
I don't make resolutions, because there doesn't seem much point. I aim to finish my masters degree this year - September 2014 is the course end date - but of course, a demon-bike related incident could even defer this date, which seems otherwise set in stone. One thing I 'plan' to do is to take a break from facebook and other, similar social media sites, so if you follow me on there, I aim to be not so much in evidence (though we'll see how long this lasts). I'm hoping to keep up with this blog, though, and with other activities that automatically link to facebook, so it won't be complete devoid of my presence - though I won't then be commenting on those posts...
So all that remains for me to do is to leave you instead with some hopes for the coming year.
- I hope you and your families and your loved ones, furry or otherwise, remain healthy
- I hope that stuff happens that you will enjoy
- I hope that when the inevitable stuff happens that you can't possibly enjoy, you can at least bear it; and
- I hope that the new Doctor does a good job...
Happy new year to you all... see you in 2014. Don't be late. The clock is ticking...
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