2011 round-up

Well, this is my 100th post!

And boy, has it taken a while, or what?
My first post was on the 9th of April, 2007.

That's 1725 days

To commemorate this auspicious occasion I have stolen this list o' questions from Hannah Moskowitz who is a young author whose blog I found when I was looking for tips for managing the NaNoWriMo entry that I never got around to even starting this year.

Sorry in advance, this is really long, I'll still love you even if you don't read it all...

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
I left a job without having another job lined up. I've never been unemployed - even when I was on maternity leave for the Sprog I had freelancing illustration jobs on the go.

In the current economic climate that makes me a bit irresponsible, right? But I have a long term plan, and I couldn't put it into action without leaving my job.

2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make New Years' resolutions any more. Too many of them were along the lines of "I will lose X amount of weight/fit into X-sized dress".
Outside of the fact that I used to use resolutions as an excuse to beat myself up mentally; If there is something in my life that needs to change, why should I need to wait for a certain day to change it? Just do it.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A couple of guys at the Day-Job became fathers (one for the second time).

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank gods.

5. What countries did you visit?
I flew back down to the South Island for my Mum's birthday, but that doesn't count as a different country :)

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A garden, and maybe a dog. (I want a German Shepard, the Husband and Sprog want a Labrador. I think I'm going to lose)

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The 16th of December was my last day at the Day-Job, which I'd been at since '96 as a student then as a staff member. That's my entire adult life.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
It's not official yet, and may not be until the new year, and I can't really talk about it. BUT IT'S COOL.

9. What was your biggest failure?
NaNoWriMo. I didn't even START.
I have a rough outline, and some characters sorted (no names - because I'm terrible at that), but just didn't start.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Does the return of panic attacks count? Because, NOT FUN. My depression was really difficult to manage this year too.
Also I pinched a nerve high up in my neck a few weeks ago, and it's been causing truly awful headaches.
Boo.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Exciting, right?

A bottle of Vitex (chasteberry) tablets. It's supposed to help even out hormone levels, and as I was All Over The Place emotionally - figured it couldn't hurt. It took about a month to start feeling more steady (and the first couple of weeks on it: to say I had mood swings would be a massive understatement) Also, interestingly, I lost interest in chocolate. I mean, I'll still eat it if you put it in front of me, 'cos it's delicious - I just won't go out of my way to get some.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The Husband, specifically on the occasion of an inebriated man trying to get into our house at 8am on a Saturday.
Full-on Papa Bear - it was awesome.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent. Food. Power. Just keeping up with living.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Foxes. srsly.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

This is such an earworm.


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

Richer?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
No.

Thinner?
Meh.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I really needed to spend more time making dolls, I was able to carve out a bit more time for it than I had last year, but still was very unsatisfied with the amount of attention I could give to it.

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

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Christmas was spent with the Husband's family.

22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
A little more every day...

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Game of Thrones.

Poor Ned. :(

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't think my "list" has grown.
(It's quite a short list really)

26. What was the best book you read?
I don't know that it was the *best* book I've ever read, but it was certainly the one I had been looking forward to the most.

SIX YEARS I've been waiting for this book. I started reading this series in '98 or so when I found a paperback A Game of Thrones in a $5 book bin.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I can't think of one, but the Sprog's is Lady Gaga. So guess what Santa got her, and then guess what we had to listen to FIFTEEN times on Christmas morning.

Thanks Santa.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

 

The third act was a bit boring (ironic, because that was where all the big action bits happened), but leading up to it, and the short bit at the end were fantastic.
The Husband "Wouldn't rate it" (whatever that means), but he didn't like Superman Returns either, so his opinion does not count.

31. What did you do on your birthday. And how old were you?
I had dinner cooked for me, and the Sprog pretended that our living room was a fancy restaurant. I am the grand old age of 33.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
One of these.
But APPARENTLY it's more responsible to pay for electricity and catfood.
Shesh.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Um, comfortable?

34. What kept you sane?
Sculpting, which I didn't really get enough time to do this year.
And tumblr (Be warned - I'm super geeky over there), I've only had an account there since June and I've done 602 posts. My gods, I'm 14 again.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Either I have a thing for the "square" superheroes, or I'm into men wearing this shade of blue...

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
We had a General Election this year, and the centre-right party got in.
Boo.

37. Whom did you miss?
This might sound odd, but, I missed me. It's related to question 10, I guess.


And for the hell of it, lets end on a sneak-peek of something I'm working on:

He still needs HEAPS of work (I'm contemplating redoing his back for the third time; his shoulders are looking a bit weird; and, yet again, I've left arms/legs/hands/feet for last), but will eventually be jointed-up then hopefully I'll be able to get him 3D printed through Shapeways.