Review of the Year. Ish

[squeefulfish]

1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Get up at 04:00 regularly, dress utterly newborn babies, take B.P and the like, uh, long midwifery list. Make truffles and sticky mead. Ride side-saddle.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Don't remember making any. Anyone who wants to correct me on this, go right ahead. I'll just ignore it. Especially if it had anything to do with losing weight. As for next year, I have no time to stick to anything outside my usual routine. Oh, there will be one. Eat lunch. Getting good at the whole porridge for breakfast thing, but tend to forget to eat lunch. Too busy at lunchtimes to remember, usually.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Physically, well, yeah, duh. Emotionally, just the one. Ickle baby Dara, son of Mary and Alan. I've yet to see him. I'm a bad friend.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Blood relations only. Anyone I've known and loved, no, though there were some close calls.

5. What countries did you visit?
Ain't left the country in years. Really must fix that next year.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
Travel. Love. Chocolate cheesecake. Never enough of any of those things in anyone's life.

7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
1st of April, because I'm super clever and enjoy showing off. And then the 11th of May. The day I learned there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance and it's bloody easy to miss when you step over it.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Developing some sort of time management skills - managing to spend 5 hours a day getting to and from Dublin and still finding time for peoples.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not making a decision that would have saved me a lot of heartache and pain. Letting there be fuckwittery around me when a big thump with a big stick would have fixed it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Few nasty knocks to the noggin from being thrown/falling off Horse, but nothing that wasn't fixed after a day or so in ICU. Nothing too bad in the line of stuff wot's bacterial or viral.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My black hat (for compliments), my black zip-up boots (for not having to spend a vital 4 minutes lacing up docs before running for bus) my copy of Mayes' Midwifery (for expanding my knowledge of things that make people go ewwww) my sphyg (for fun).

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The usual suspects. I'd like to think they know who they are, but I'm sure as hell not naming them for fear their heads would explode. Those I called on in need, those who didn't wait for me to call when they knew I needed someone. Those I love.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Anyone who kicked puppies. Though that just makes me angry rather than appalled.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Commuting. Dear god but I wish that wasn't true. Even more than smokes. Also, smokes, boots, shoes, handbags, clothes, books, DVDs. Nothing tremendously exciting.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Er, might that be starting my midwifery degree? In the Rotunda? (Oh, and Trinity too somewhere.) Getting shiny free fees and thus saving about 25k over the 4 years. Go taxpayers!

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
Hmm... I don't really remember any, so I'm kinda guessing none. Never was a big music person.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, totally.
ii. thinner or fatter? More rotund.
iii. richer or poorer? Uncertain. Mr. Interest-Free Overdraft is still speaking to me. He didn't exist last year.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Smoochies. Without a doubt. With people who were single and totally into me.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Smoochies. Without a doubt. With people who were not single and didn't inform me of this beforehand.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Fire, turkey, up most of the night getting dinner ready, doing the dishes, cranberry sauce with port and oranges, at least 4 types of stuffing, presents under the tree, nieces, sisters, parents, uncles, aunts, grandmother, dog, crackers (me and the pulling variety), selection box for breakfast, ham, pudding, pudding milkshakes (pudding, Bailey's and vanilla ice-cream blitzed together), chocolate, brandy butter, Drogheda, sherry, sherry trifle, tree, baubles, balls, lights on my head, decorations made in play school, cards, card games, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, lots of potatoes, no sprouts.

22. Did you fall in love in 2006?
No more than I did in 2005.

23. How many one-night stands?
None. That sort of thing bored me years ago. Ain't been anyone worth the hassle in a long time.

24. What was your favourite TV program?
I've forgotten what TV is, but I think I remember liking Lost. Quite a bit. Rediscovering Red Dwarf and ST:TNG (because Saturdays are for study) was nice too.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't do hate. I dislike quite a bit, but not hate. That requires far too much effort and anyone I dislike quite a bit isn't worth me spending the time hating them.

26. What was the best book you read?
If I could remember what I've read this year that didn't have anything to do with girl bits that'd be good. But can't.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Fingering in 2nd position on G string. And not just so I could say that.

28. What did you want and get?
Midwifery. That's as good as it gets.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Casino Royale. I may have gibbered a bit afterwards. Cold blue eyes of a killer. At last.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing, sat at home alone on my bed with mead and cake. Potential funeral clashing and general unwillingness for things to be rescheduled repeatedly. Had 2 highly enjoyable evenings out with 2 highly enjoyable friends afterwards though. One involved cheesecake, the other noodles and cocktails. My friends know me well.
I turned 29.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being attracted to someone who had the capacity to be attracted to me and me only.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Millinery-tastic.

34. What kept you sane?
Knowing the self-imposed exile will end, being reminded of that. Knowing the commuting will end, being reminded of that.
And cheesecake.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Uh, I dunno. I'd like to say it's the personality I'm attracted to. So, dunno.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
TrolleyWatch! Brought to you by the INO and the HSE who both are right about their numbers! They're not the same numbers, but they're both right!

37. Who did you miss?
Seany. Even before the crappery. More than I can ever express. I still feel as if a chunk of my heart is missing. I hope he's happy with his intended but I'm not going to be nice about someone who stops me seeing someone I love.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
CorkSarah, for reminding me how good life can be and for reminding me that I'm really not happy unless I can bitch about something.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
Ask if they're single first...

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Jam, jam, jam." as hummed by Bernard Black.