End of Year Survey 2018
15th in a row! Maybe at some point I will stop doing these. But not now, cuz I actually have nothing else to do just now.
Previously:
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017
1. What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?
Cycle over 150km in one ride. Cycle 1250km in one month. Cycle 2000m elevation in one ride. And various other cycling-related exploits. Yes, I had a very cycling-intense summer. Also a very cat-injury-intense year, so there’s lots of new experiences there, too. Mostly unpleasant ones. I translated into Luxembourgish, for money. I went to our first House General Assembly, after owning this flat for 10 years. Bought a 4WD car (shocking, I know). Oh, and got my knee cyst punctured.
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?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries/cities did you visit?
I went to Paris once, and to Brighton once, and to France, Germany and Belgium all the time cuz I live in a tiny country now. *lol*
6. What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
Cats that are not constantly sick or injured and costing me a fortune.
7. What date from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
No idea. None I think. My life was pleasantly uneventful.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Cycling a whoooole lot! Also learning to spell my own language and making money from it!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Dunno, could’ve done some cat injury things differently, but I did the best I could with the knowledge I had.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
LOL @ my long litany from last year, which was kind of the same this year (cysts and ankles and abscesses….), but you get used to it. Knee is… somewhat better? My arthritis is a PITA tho (or a pain in the toe, rather) and needs to be looked at next.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Sexy new road bike, no question.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Oh, dunno. Michelle Obama. *lol* Sorry, uninspired.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
I repeat yet again: Oh my God. Half the fucking world. The entire British political class. All the idiots (yes, fucking idiots!) who voted Out, and who voted for the orange fascist, and who are making the world a darker, crueller place. in addition to everyone who has made stupid decisions and voted evil people into power since.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Vet bills!!! Actually, no, more than that went into my new kitchen and other flat stuff.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Nothing in particular. The forests around here are so great tho, and my big bike rides made me very happy, and even now, looking at the pics and stuff still makes me happy.
16. What song will always remind you of 2018?
APESHIT.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you…
i. happier or sadder?
Same. Definitely less stressed.
ii. thinner or fatter?
Same.
iii. richer or poorer?
I am relatively poorer, cuz everyone around me is richer, and everything is more expensive. But I am strictly richer, cuz my income has actually gone up. My standard of living is more or less the same tho.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Creative stuff, which I am really bad / uninspired at these days. Meditate, tho I’ve taken that up again. Boring physio exercises that I know are good for me. Oh, and listened to music, cuz whenever I do it makes me happy, but whenever I have the choice I tend to prefer podcasts, which is dumb cuz they often make me angry.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Play mindless iPhone games. iOS screen time really brings home how much. Worried uselessly about my cats.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Christmas Eve with mum & uncle & aunt. Christmas Day at home with cats, working, going for a MTB ride, lazing about.
21. How will you be spending New Years?
Dunno, probably at home with my cats.
22. Did you fall in love in 2018?
Only with Saša Stanišić.
23. How many one night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Eh. I think I only watched The Marvellous Mrs Maisel.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. Well, except the stray who keeps injuring my little girl. If I could get rid of her, I would.
26. What was the best book you read?
Oh, I really loved Nadja Spiegelman’s I Was Supposed To Protect You From All This. And Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia. Also Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, and finally Michelle Obama’s Becoming. Two memoirs! Unusual.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Grace Petrie? I think she’s my only “new” artist.
28. What did you want and get?
Sexy new road bike. *lol* Also an amazingly hot and sunny summer and autumn. It was incredible!!!!!!!!!
29. What did you want and not get?
I got everything I wanted.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I only saw Black Panther this year. That was pretty rad tho.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Er. Don’t remember. Oh, I do remember fretting for some of the time about my baby girl who was missing. *lol*
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Fewer injuries and fewer cat injuries.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Last year I wrote:
Same as last year: Fitness gear. Mini skirt in summer and mini skirt with tights in winter. Cat Tshirts.
Will be interesting to see if it changes now I’m in Luxembourg and have to make a statement (or not). *lol*
Happy to inform: nope, did not change one bit.
34. What kept you sane?
Exercise, sunshine, cats.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Amandla Stenberg and Saša Stanišić. 😀
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Same: Trump and all the awfulness. Way too much since I am so far away. Brexit and the horrible right wing propaganda in the UK, too.
37. Who did you miss?
Some of my Brighton friends, but not nearly as much as I feared.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I dunno. I met a bunch of new people who are all fine or even nice. Don’t know if anyone qualifies as “best” tho.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.
Money doesn’t make you happy. Not news, I know, but God, Luxembourg is full of rich, miserable people.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
This entire song. It’s fantastic cuz it talks about being incredibly and undeservedly lucky, while at the same time worrying that you will pay for it down the line if you enjoy it too much. It is me in a nutshell.
41. Was 2018 a good year for you?
Yeah! It was a great and overall pleasant year.
42. What were your favourite moments of the year?
Cycling cycling cycling omg I can’t wait until it’s warm enough for more cycling again! (I was looking at heated gloves actually. I think I really must buy them. More cycling!!!!!!)
43. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
Lots of worrying about cats.
44. What was your favourite month of 2018?
September, October. Warm hot great, lots of cycling. (Had some health issues in August.)
45. What was your favourite song from 2018?
Apeshit, Ich bin das Chaos and Der Krieg ist vorbei by Judith Holofernes.
46. What was your favourite record from 2018?
Carters – Everything is Love (the Holofernes one is 2017, tho I discovered it this year).
47. How many concerts did you see in 2018?
Only Judith Holofernes!
48. Did you have a favourite concert in 2018?
By default, the above.
49. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2018?
Nope.
50. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2018?
Nope.
51. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
No.
52. What was the worst lie someone told you in 2018?
Uh, dunno. Can’t think of anything.
53. Did somebody treat you badly in 2018?
No one treated me badly, but Charlie the cunt went to Brighton after I’d left, after not coming to Brighton (and ruining my planned SDW tour) when I was there, and then posted about it all sentimentally on Instagram, and I’d just had it. I don’t care if he does that shit intentionally to piss me off, or he’s just a thoughtless asshole, but I am done for good. After also ditching Thomas (funnily enough cuz Charlie bitched about him to me), I am now left with no drama queens in my life and good fucking riddance.
54. Did you treat somebody badly in 2018?
No.
55. How much money did you spend in 2018?
A fucking metric ton.
56. What was your proudest moment of 2018?
2000m elevation in one ride! 1250km in one month! Hell yeah.
57. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2018 and change something, what would it be?
I think I would make a different choice in the inheritance malarkey we had/have going on. But oh well.
58. What are your plans for 2018?
Plans for 2018 were:
Explore Luxembourg by bike, try to get by without a car.
Get my knee fixed (or at least looked at) and Get Moar Fit again.
Maybe do a podcast about Luxembourg, but maybe not.
Maybe do a Luxembourgish spelling course.
Enjoy life and take it easy!
You know what, I managed to do most of those! I did give up on carless life after 6 months, but I still don’t use it much, and sure did explore Luxembourg by bike!!!
I got my knee looked at and punctured and tho it’s not fixed, it is better.
I didn’t do a Lux course, but taught myself with a book or two, and am pretty much as good now as with a course.
And I sure did enjoy life and take it easy!
Plans for 2019:
More cycling, there’s more to see!!!
If/when my main client fizzles out, do some proper promo and marketing and find new jobs and clients. Maybe some additional qualifications
Maybe do a podcast about Luxembourg, but maybe not.
Enjoy life and take it easy. *lmao*