New Year Survey
I hadn’t forgotten my tumblr, honest!
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Catacombs of Paris and Montparnasse Tower within the same day… highly recommended, it’s the tourist equivalent of resurrection. Also, e-mailed “Steve Jobs” @apple.com and got a freakin’ result LOL.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I was supposed to learn some Swedish and watch Ingmar Bergman’s catalogue and cut down alcohol and release my 3rd CD I think but frankly any plans I’d had would have been knocked for six by the weird occurences of the year, lol. One thing I did do (well, almost, 4/5th of the way and the last 1/5th to be done in January) was listen to every entry on Rolling Stone’s top 500 albums list so that’s something, being as that is over an album a day.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes I became an uncle, um, auntie, um, ankle! lol.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Luckily not, the celebs were plenty :(
5. What countries did you visit?
France :) n new parts of the UK too!
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
hehe same stuff as usual that I’ll never have (vagina, money, place of my own)
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
lol where do I start - winning a grand on the Grand National, seeing Red Sky July in April, Melanie and Paris in June, but I guess the most unique event I attended was the Wainwright McGarrigle Xmas concert A Not So Silent Night.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Like everyone else, I think, just generally keeping afloat, not going crazy beyond redemption, etc.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I pretty much stopped drawing and painting after my art class in Second Life came to an end in January but Artrage 3’s recent release has got me started again I think. I’ve barely done anything with my own music. Must do better with that in 2010.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I got a new iPhone 3GS and MacBook Pro but hmm paid for neither lol. The best buying decision I made was making the ticket to A Not So Silent Night the very first thing I bought after winning the money on the Grand National way back in April, my seat was pretty awesome.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I don’t know, mine again? lol. And Harmonia’s because she has had just the same sh*t to deal with and though I mightn’t have agreed with her way sometimes I believe she still did the best she could.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Bitch in Second Life.
14. Where did most of your money go?
I was doing fine till the end of the year when I decided to take a dive into the world of Blu-ray lol.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Grand National, Paris, Avatar, A Not So Silent Night, Dylan!
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
“I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris” by Morrissey seems perfectly pertinent … and though it has awful associations for me, I have also to say Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb”
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? same
b) thinner or fatter? bizarrely exactly the same. I think my body pretty much reached saturation around 15 stone. It’s not good … but it’s not bad either lol …
c) richer or poorer? I dare not do the numbers.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
My own music. More new music and movies, particularly movies. Sleeping.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Hmm, drinking I guess. Masturbating? lol
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Home still :)
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
In Treatment / Sarah Silverman … if you wanna get technical and has to be broadcast this year, then The Royle Family Xmas special.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Yes. And I hate myself for it. But I can’t lie.
25. What was the best book you read?
“Legion” by William Peter Blatty. I cannot believe I took so long to read that one.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I’ll kick myself cos I’m sure I’m forgetting something … but Sloan Wainwright and Lily Lanken, and Spotify. ADDENDUM! Oh! The Dresden Dolls!
27. What did you want and get?
So funny, same answer as last year but such a different story this time around … MacBook Pro replacement! And iPhone 3GS. Meeting Melanie (Safka), drunk though I might’ve been.
28. What did you want and not get?
Magical TG/AR pill as usual :-P
28b. (bonus question by me) What did you not particularly want but got anyway and never looked back?
£1000 win on the Grand National!
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
So many that I’ve yet to see, hopefully the screener scene will be good this January ;-) But so far, although Inglourious Basterds tops my list, my personal favourite is easily Orphan. After that, Taking Woodstock.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I thought I’d forgotten again but ouch, I remember. I was 29. After a week of barely sleeping and no internet in Center Parcs with family, had to drive back in insane snow and go to work, lol. I got the week off for 30, ‘twill be so much better!
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I’d be an asshole if I answered this question seriously because it could not have been more satisfying. But I would have liked if Morrissey hadn’t cancelled Paris.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
“Does it smell yet?”
33. What kept you sane?
Twitter. Though that’s debatable.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Isabelle Fuhrman, Sarah Silverman, in totally different ways and measures lol.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
I liked the speeches by all the UK party leaders, totally made it clear that Nick Clegg is the sharpest tool in the box. Always love Question Time and This Week too. No specific issues.
36. Who did you miss?
The amazing people I’ve yet to meet?
37. Who was the best new person you met?
lol I hate this one ‘cos I’m so awful with names and stuff and I know I’ll miss somebody. So many people who kept me going with the singing in Second Life with tips and comments and just plain reacting to what I was doing. I don’t know if I met anybody new in real life lol. Oh, my nephew Dylan LOL! Also, though we really met last year, me and Harmonia only really met this year, I think.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
An old one, relearned: just to love and be loved in return.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I had almost forgotten this but it just came rushing back to me, “Be What You Must” by Yusuf:
I have journeyed, endless miles
Seen many others, where I took rest a while
On this boat called “near and far”
To be what you must, you must give up what you are.
Only on a wind of hope my heart said
Braving mystic oceans to arrive
Those who do not leave and choose to stay
Many survive
Be you dust or be you star
To be what you must, just reach out for what you are.
And though you travel many roads,
There’s but one way and that’s the one you chose.
Addendum I forgot an incredibly important song to me this year, the first one that made me really break down and cry, as yet unreleased by Red Sky July, and you can listen to it here, “White Feather”:
Fly away down,
Fly away down,
Silence the wolves cryin’ at my door,
My arms are open…
