2008, Year-End Meme
Jan. 1st, 2009 03:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
radegund2008 was a relatively tough year, all things considered. But most of the toughness happened inside my head, and I'm not sure how well it shows up from the outside. (Or how well I'd like it to, for that matter.) And in fairness, it doesn't compare with 2005.
[ 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 ]
1. Where did you ring in 2008?
I'm not sure. I think I was probably feeding Fiachra, who was not quite four weeks old.
2. What did you do in 2008 that you never thought you would do?
Slept in a separate room from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
niallm for long periods. This was circumstantial, to do with Fiachra being an INSANELY light sleeper, Niall needing unbroken sleep (among other things, his current job is the most demanding he's had), and trying to maximise my own sleep. But then we realised that we'd fallen into a habit of sleeping apart, which satisfied neither of us. We're experimenting with other approaches now.
3. What else did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Gave a newspaper interview about my homebirth experience. Chose to go to bed early (23:00, which is very early for me) every night for a month (April). Bought a hybrid car. Saw Leonard Cohen live. Went to a civil partnership ceremony (yay Glitz and Bias!). Took major train journeys with two children (and no other adult). Attended two types of counselling concurrently. Applied for an Arts Council bursary to fund my writing. Bought a permanent LJ account.
4. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year's resolutions:
Goals for 2008 include spending lots of time playing with with my two fabulous sons, finishing the living-room curtains (argh, argh, it is now almost two years since I bought the material), extending the house, decluttering, rearranging things so that getting access to the sewing machine no longer incurs enormous hassle, broadening my circle of Dublin friends, keeping in better touch with old friends who no longer live here, increasing the number of meals that the entire meal-eating sector of this household will eat, and ... wait for it ... FINISHING THAT THERE NOVEL.
Let's see, then. Lots of playing. Really lots. No curtains. No extension (due to appeal of planning permission by our neighbours, which was overturned at the end of September - too late for us to start the project before Christmas). In the matter of decluttering, a lot done, more to do. Access to sewing machine was better - I made a pretty cool Hallowe'en costume for Oisín - but still not great. I did make some new Dublin friends, and I kept in slightly better touch with old friends, but I'm not particularly happy about how that all went. The meal list is longer now, but not by very much. Novel not yet finished, but I'm happy with how it's going.
Hmmm. Frustration and insufficient progress seems to have been a theme.
Goals for 2009 include addressing various roughnesses in my relationship, developing a robust social network for Oisín, improving my own friendship network, extending the house, decluttering, raising the overall cleanliness and tidiness levels around me, improving my wardrobe, adding to our meal list, responding to my creative cravings (knitting, embroidering, dressmaking, etc.), and sending the novel out into the big world.
5. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
We're back to my old refrain: enough sex; enough sleep. A literary agent. A conscionable kitchen.
6. How did you earn your keep?
I was on paid maternity leave until May, then unpaid leave, then holiday leave again in August to October. I'm currently living on savings, which is a little vertiginous.
7. Where did you travel?
Leicester, for a funeral, in February. Kerry (Ballydavid and Killarney) in March. Ballydavid again in June/July. England (Liverpool, York for the civilisation, Whitby, Reading) in August. Several day-trips to Carlow for home-ed gatherings.
8. Did anybody close to you have a baby?
My second cousin had Nuala in February, my oldest friend had Andres in March, andlondonn7 had Orla in August. Two lots of niallm's friends had babies later in the year, but I haven't met either one yet.
9. Did anybody close to you get married?
No weddings at all. On the other hand, we did attend the Civilisation of the Century in York in August.
10. Did anybody close to you die?
Uncle Peter died in January. He was my aunt's widower, and I hadn't seen him in a few years, but his funeral was very sad for me and my family as it brought back the death of my aunt. Auntie Josie died in November.
11. How did you spend your birthday, and what age were you?
It was a Tuesday, and I spent the day as normal, including attending a therapy session. In the evening my sister minded the boys whileniallm and I went out for an Indian meal. I was 34.
12. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Possibly applying for that bursary award, actually. Not the fact that I did it, so much as my attitude. I feel that strides have been made in the area of unhooking my self of steam from the judgement of others. I'm not where I'd like to be with that, yet, but I'm closer than I was.
13. What was your biggest failure?
Lots of individual failures to treatniallm with the kindness he deserves.
14. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A few minor illnesses (tonsillitis, sinusitis, colds), but nothing major.
15. What were the best things you bought?
The car, probably. Train tickets. Yarn. Books. My ticket to the Leonard Cohen concert.
16. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My sister's. K's.
17. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
US Republicans during the presidential election campaign. The people responsible for getting Proposition 8 through in California. The people who intentionally added melamine powder to infant milk formula in China (it makes the protein content appear higher, apparently).
18. Where did most of your money go?
The mortgage, by a long shot.
19. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
LEONARD COHEN LIVE. Andglitzfrau and biascut's civilisation.
20. What song will always remind you of 2007?
The soundtrack of Disney's Robin Hood is the prime candidate at the moment.
21. Compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder?
Rather sadder. But not dangerously so. More on the "getting worse before it gets better" axis, I think.
ii. thinner or fatter?
No idea. Thinner, I'd imagine.
iii. richer or poorer?
Poorer, but again, not dangerously so.
22. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sleeping. Being nice. Writing.
23. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Being horrible.
24. What did you want and get?
Planning permission.
25. What did you want and not get?
Planning permission in time to build our extension in 2008 as planned.
26. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Probably 8 August, the day of the civilisation. Possibly also 21 October, when Fiachra took his official first steps.
27. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to proceed with the extension in the spring.
28. How did you spend Christmas?
As usual, we had lunch with family friends in my parents' house on Christmas Eve, and dinner that evening in my uncle's house. K visited us on the morning of Christmas Day, and we went to my parents' again for Christmas dinner.
29. What was your greatest musical discovery?
"I have a charming baby" and "A-weaselly-pop", both by me. Very effective at calming Fiachra when he was younger; less so now.
30. What was your favorite TV programme?
I gorged myself on House for much of the summer and again in early winter (thank you,sm2005!), and also enjoyed QI.
31. What was the best book you read?
Claire Kilroy's Tenderwire has really stayed with me. I think it may be very good indeed. I also got roaringly enthusiastic about Susan Maushart's Wifework and must read it again soon.
32. What was your favourite film of this year?
I didn't see many films at all. I quite enjoyed The History Boys, which we saw on DVD.
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
The US election.
34. Whom did you miss?
As usual, my expat friends.
35. Who was the best new person you met?
Babies Orla and Nuala are fabulous, although I can't really be said to have made more than a passing acquaintance with either of them. (I haven't met Andres yet, as he lives in California. From his photos he looks like a most superior baby, though!)
36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
A dragon whose fire has gone out is very little use at all.
37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
2008 was a little too subtle to be sum-up-able, I think.
[ 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 ]
1. Where did you ring in 2008?
I'm not sure. I think I was probably feeding Fiachra, who was not quite four weeks old.
2. What did you do in 2008 that you never thought you would do?
Slept in a separate room from
niallm for long periods. This was circumstantial, to do with Fiachra being an INSANELY light sleeper, Niall needing unbroken sleep (among other things, his current job is the most demanding he's had), and trying to maximise my own sleep. But then we realised that we'd fallen into a habit of sleeping apart, which satisfied neither of us. We're experimenting with other approaches now.3. What else did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Gave a newspaper interview about my homebirth experience. Chose to go to bed early (23:00, which is very early for me) every night for a month (April). Bought a hybrid car. Saw Leonard Cohen live. Went to a civil partnership ceremony (yay Glitz and Bias!). Took major train journeys with two children (and no other adult). Attended two types of counselling concurrently. Applied for an Arts Council bursary to fund my writing. Bought a permanent LJ account.
4. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year's resolutions:
Goals for 2008 include spending lots of time playing with with my two fabulous sons, finishing the living-room curtains (argh, argh, it is now almost two years since I bought the material), extending the house, decluttering, rearranging things so that getting access to the sewing machine no longer incurs enormous hassle, broadening my circle of Dublin friends, keeping in better touch with old friends who no longer live here, increasing the number of meals that the entire meal-eating sector of this household will eat, and ... wait for it ... FINISHING THAT THERE NOVEL.
Let's see, then. Lots of playing. Really lots. No curtains. No extension (due to appeal of planning permission by our neighbours, which was overturned at the end of September - too late for us to start the project before Christmas). In the matter of decluttering, a lot done, more to do. Access to sewing machine was better - I made a pretty cool Hallowe'en costume for Oisín - but still not great. I did make some new Dublin friends, and I kept in slightly better touch with old friends, but I'm not particularly happy about how that all went. The meal list is longer now, but not by very much. Novel not yet finished, but I'm happy with how it's going.
Hmmm. Frustration and insufficient progress seems to have been a theme.
Goals for 2009 include addressing various roughnesses in my relationship, developing a robust social network for Oisín, improving my own friendship network, extending the house, decluttering, raising the overall cleanliness and tidiness levels around me, improving my wardrobe, adding to our meal list, responding to my creative cravings (knitting, embroidering, dressmaking, etc.), and sending the novel out into the big world.
5. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
We're back to my old refrain: enough sex; enough sleep. A literary agent. A conscionable kitchen.
6. How did you earn your keep?
I was on paid maternity leave until May, then unpaid leave, then holiday leave again in August to October. I'm currently living on savings, which is a little vertiginous.
7. Where did you travel?
Leicester, for a funeral, in February. Kerry (Ballydavid and Killarney) in March. Ballydavid again in June/July. England (Liverpool, York for the civilisation, Whitby, Reading) in August. Several day-trips to Carlow for home-ed gatherings.
8. Did anybody close to you have a baby?
My second cousin had Nuala in February, my oldest friend had Andres in March, and
londonn7 had Orla in August. Two lots of niallm's friends had babies later in the year, but I haven't met either one yet.9. Did anybody close to you get married?
No weddings at all. On the other hand, we did attend the Civilisation of the Century in York in August.
10. Did anybody close to you die?
Uncle Peter died in January. He was my aunt's widower, and I hadn't seen him in a few years, but his funeral was very sad for me and my family as it brought back the death of my aunt. Auntie Josie died in November.
11. How did you spend your birthday, and what age were you?
It was a Tuesday, and I spent the day as normal, including attending a therapy session. In the evening my sister minded the boys while
niallm and I went out for an Indian meal. I was 34.12. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Possibly applying for that bursary award, actually. Not the fact that I did it, so much as my attitude. I feel that strides have been made in the area of unhooking my self of steam from the judgement of others. I'm not where I'd like to be with that, yet, but I'm closer than I was.
13. What was your biggest failure?
Lots of individual failures to treat
niallm with the kindness he deserves.14. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A few minor illnesses (tonsillitis, sinusitis, colds), but nothing major.
15. What were the best things you bought?
The car, probably. Train tickets. Yarn. Books. My ticket to the Leonard Cohen concert.
16. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My sister's. K's.
17. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
US Republicans during the presidential election campaign. The people responsible for getting Proposition 8 through in California. The people who intentionally added melamine powder to infant milk formula in China (it makes the protein content appear higher, apparently).
18. Where did most of your money go?
The mortgage, by a long shot.
19. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
LEONARD COHEN LIVE. And
glitzfrau and biascut's civilisation.20. What song will always remind you of 2007?
The soundtrack of Disney's Robin Hood is the prime candidate at the moment.
21. Compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder?
Rather sadder. But not dangerously so. More on the "getting worse before it gets better" axis, I think.
ii. thinner or fatter?
No idea. Thinner, I'd imagine.
iii. richer or poorer?
Poorer, but again, not dangerously so.
22. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sleeping. Being nice. Writing.
23. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Being horrible.
24. What did you want and get?
Planning permission.
25. What did you want and not get?
Planning permission in time to build our extension in 2008 as planned.
26. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Probably 8 August, the day of the civilisation. Possibly also 21 October, when Fiachra took his official first steps.
27. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to proceed with the extension in the spring.
28. How did you spend Christmas?
As usual, we had lunch with family friends in my parents' house on Christmas Eve, and dinner that evening in my uncle's house. K visited us on the morning of Christmas Day, and we went to my parents' again for Christmas dinner.
29. What was your greatest musical discovery?
"I have a charming baby" and "A-weaselly-pop", both by me. Very effective at calming Fiachra when he was younger; less so now.
30. What was your favorite TV programme?
I gorged myself on House for much of the summer and again in early winter (thank you,
sm2005!), and also enjoyed QI.31. What was the best book you read?
Claire Kilroy's Tenderwire has really stayed with me. I think it may be very good indeed. I also got roaringly enthusiastic about Susan Maushart's Wifework and must read it again soon.
32. What was your favourite film of this year?
I didn't see many films at all. I quite enjoyed The History Boys, which we saw on DVD.
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
The US election.
34. Whom did you miss?
As usual, my expat friends.
35. Who was the best new person you met?
Babies Orla and Nuala are fabulous, although I can't really be said to have made more than a passing acquaintance with either of them. (I haven't met Andres yet, as he lives in California. From his photos he looks like a most superior baby, though!)
36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
A dragon whose fire has gone out is very little use at all.
37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
2008 was a little too subtle to be sum-up-able, I think.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-02 03:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-02 12:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-03 04:19 pm (UTC)speaking of irish writers (and how does such a small country continue over and over again to produce such talented writers?!), i see my aquaintance from west cork, pen name alex barclay, has another book out too. of course i can't get it here. meh. may order from the bookstore with my discount but not sure. i didn't feel her last one was as good as the first.
for now i have another sebastian barry waiting for me at the library, so that works. which woops - reminds me i need to get over there quickly before i head into work.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-02 02:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-04 01:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-08 09:10 am (UTC)