End of Year survey 2014
Yay, time for end of year survey! Previously:
1. What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before?
A motherfucking marathon, baby! And a mud run or two. A cyclosportive (and come first woman, muahaha). Translate a whole book (or two). NaNoWrimo!!! (Can’t say “I wrote a novel” unfortunately as there is still much to write.) My very own tax return. Properly learn front crawl (tho still learning). Ghostwrite a book (work in progress tho). Crochet. Knit a phone bag and an iPad bag. See Placebo in Italy. Become mostly vegetarian / ethical carnivore.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t make NY’s resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Don’t think so. 😕
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries/cities did you visit?
Not many, but I’m okay with that. Paris x2, Germany (Mönchengladbach, Cologne, Frankfurt), Luxembourg, Rome, and Norway if you count the NYE trip that ended in January.
6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
*lol* A few years in a row I had “I wanna sell stuff on Etsy”, but I’ve sorta given up on that for now. I want a road bike. I’d also like to not have to work at all, but… well. One day!
Also, green card is a perennial wish, and tho I’ve applied again I don’t think I really want to win at this particular time. America is fucked up, man.
7. What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
6th April, my first marathon? But not sure that applies. I dunno. I suck at dates.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Motherfucking Marathon! 😀 Also not giving up on the swimming even tho I really wanted to. And generally that I’m still fitnessing even tho it isn’t always easy with niggles and injuries etc.
Oh, oh, and NaNoWriMo! I think I’m actually particularly proud of that cuz I didn’t think I’d stick with it (whereas I knew I could do the marathon). Now I just need to finish the first draft. And then edit it. See what I said earlier about I’d like to not have to work? Mhm.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Um…? I guess it was a pretty successful year. 😀 I’m sad I didn’t do a proper bike tour as planned tho.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Repeating what I said last year: Just the usual niggles one cannot avoid when pushing one’s body to do stuff. My hip has been annoying on and off, but generally quite well behaved. My headaches are also not completely gone, but less frequent than they used to be. I’ve stubbed my toes and cut myself quite a few times.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Nutribullet. =P~ 😡 :)) iPhone 6 is also pretty nice to have. And I have some great sportswear I like.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Oh oh, there were people I was impressed with but I forgot.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
GamerGate. 
Oh, the abject depths of human viciousness.
Actually, there’s been loads of depressing shit in the news. And generally I’ve often been quite angry with humans. They’re such greedy evil stupid fools.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Fitness stuff yet again. And food. I like food! *lol*
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Um… can’t think of anything right now. I’m going to NYC again next year tho! 😀
16. What song will always remind you of 2014?
Dunno. I still listened to a lot of Beyoncé and P!nk. And Exit Wounds which is very sexy live. =P~
17. Compared to this time last year, are you…
i. happier or sadder?
Pretty much the same. Maybe a bit sadder cuz 1. humans suck and 2. I am a bit worried about my Achilles / knee / marathon training.
ii. thinner or fatter?
Right now, fatter. *cough* But am being good again now!
iii. richer or poorer?
More or less the same I think.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sewing and creative stuff, yeah. I also wish I were more consistent with my training. I tend to focus on one thing and forget about all the rest. Holistic thinking!
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Wasting time online, definitely. It’s just ridiculous how much of my day disappears into nothingness. <--- YES OMG THIS AGAIN. Seriously. *sigh*
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Running, then either crafting or novel writing. Maybe have a coffee with Rita at some point.
21. How will you be spending New Years?
At a crime dinner apparently.
22. Did you fall in love in 2014?
No.
23. How many one night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
None in particular. Still only watch HIGNFY. And Some Girls. =))
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No one in particular, just people in general.
26. What was the best book you read?
Oh, oh! I kept a book diary this year! Let me see… these are the books I gave 5/5:
Kiese Laymon – Long Division
Neil Gaiman – Neverwhere
Taiye Selasi – Ghana Must Go
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Americanah (btw I mentioned her Half of a Yellow Sun last year – I had read it!)
Jane Smiley – Duplicate Keys
That’s a lot of them. :)) (I read 26 in total.) If I had to recommend one, it’d be a tie between Neverwhere and Americanah.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don’t think I’ve discovered anyone new, sorry.
28. What did you want and get?
Another pretty great summer!!! With much sun and not much work. A new iPhone. A pretty great autumn too.
29. What did you want and not get?
A sub-4 marathon.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
N/A, don’t think I can remember a single film. Oh, I did watch a cute German one on Spiegel Online with that tourette girly. Ein Tick anders! That was pretty great.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
37. I did a super-low tide beach run in the morning, then went to London with my Roger (bike) and chased literary benches and met up with Elena. Very nice day!
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Shitloads of money. 😀 <-- Yes, always.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
Summer dresses. Bikinis on roof. Fitness gear. *lol*
34. What kept you sane?
AKA what contributed to my happiness: not working too much, great weather, and lots of exercise. (cribbed from last year)
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Beyoncé. =P~
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Mike Brown / Eric Garner (I know, I shouldn’t get so worked up about US politics. I blame Metafilter).
Also creeping islamophobia / xenophobia in GB and Europe, as well as IS in the Middle East. These are not good times.
37. Who did you miss?
No one, really. I’m over them all! =)) *ahem*
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Geoff, I’d say, tho I first met him in 2013, I think? Julika is also great, tho I also first met her last year I think? Tho maybe not.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.
Your body is a temple. No, f’real.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
It’s the end of the world as we know it… and I feel fine. =))
41. Was 2014 a good year for you?
Pretty good, yeah! 😀
42. What were your favourite moments of the year?
Oh I dunno, lots of summer moments on the beach or breakfasting on the roof, mountain biking on the Downs with Chris or running with a podcast in my ear… Rome was also pretty neat.
43. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
Um. Dunno…? I’d check the “meh” tag in my journal app but I’m too lazy to get up. 😀 I didn’t have any major crises, anyway.
44. What was your favourite month of 2014?
I dunno, one of the summer ones. All of the summer ones. It was a pretty damn great summer. 😀
45. What was your favourite song from 2014?
I did not purchase any new music in 2014.
46. What was your favourite record from 2014?
As above.
47. How many concerts did you see in 2014?
Only two Placebo I think? OK wait, let me get my journal app. *lol* Ah, also two Bitter Ruin.
48. Did you have a favourite concert in 2014?
Heh, I actually felt kinda meh about the Placebo concerts in summer, so… um… Bitter Ruin? :))
49. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2014?
Nope. 😀
50. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2014?
Nope.
51. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
😕 Maybe? If so, I have successfully repressed it. 😀
52. What was the worst lie someone told you in 2014?
Hm, I think there was something I got worked up about, but I forgot. I am zen. 😀 =))
53. Did you treat somebody badly in 2014?
Probably.
54. Did somebody treat you badly in 2014?
Dunno. Not that I can remember.
55. How much money did you spend in 2014?
Pretty much exactly as much as I earned. Being an athlete is expensive. Being lazy doesn’t pay much. =))
56. What was your proudest moment of 2014?
Finishing a marathon, probably. Tho not under 4 hours. 🙁 And I got some nice feedback about work projects. 🙂 Oh oh, and NaNoWriMo, hells yeah!
57. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2014 and change something, what would it be?
Oh I dunno, but it’d probably be something boring (to you) and fitness-related.
58. What are your plans for 2015?
Plans for 2014 were:
I have none. =)) Well, first I will concentrate on marathon prep until April, then I want to cycle to Paris sometime in May or June, and maybe cycle along the Loire in summer. And I guess I need to either develop my freelancing business more seriously or maybe find some other stable income solution. And I really really really need to be more creative. Really. And after May (when I find out whether or not I’ve won the Green Card *lol*) I will think about whether I want to re-emigrate or not..
So I didn’t cycle to Paris or along the Loire (or even in the Brecon Beacons, which was another plan). I will eventually. Maybe. :))
I didn’t really develop my freelancing business cuz I was repeatedly lucky in that I got jobs to do just as I was running out of other jobs… may it continue thus forever. 😀
Aaand I was on and off creative, tho never for profit, always for fun. I learned to crochet! And I wrote 50,000 words in a month!
I did think about whether I wanted to re-emigrate and decided I didn’t! It’s the same shit everywhere you see.
Plans for 2015:
Eliminator Race in February (what the hell was I thinking).
Placebo twice in Feb / March.
Paris Marathon in April.
Work on swimming / buy road bike / do first triathlon.
Finish novel first draft, hopefully soonish. Then second draft? I hope so!
19 days New York / Boston (or Montreal) in June/July.
Nothing else so far – hopefully one of those bike trips… hopefully another lovely summer. 😀
The End!!! :yay