freya

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?

Bought fat pants. There’s probably other stuff, but I am sulking magnificently about this at the moment.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I definitely didn’t. I kept sort of nudging at doing stuff all year, but I haven’t really done any- thing serious about it. My resolution next year is to really work on making sure that I’ve lost serious weight before the end of next year. (My tone on this might be offensive, but I’ve lost control of my weight, I feel awful about it, it affects self confidence and health and I can’t stop beating myself up about it.)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?4. Did anyone close to you die?

Nope! Fortunately- the only one that died was my Great Great Aunt’s lifepartner- and she was in her 90s and thoroughly ready to go.

5. What countries did you visit?

Only France. I went to Paris for a weekend in January, to visit [ LJ User: magic doors ]

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?

Some self control? My absolute lack of it is borderline painful.

7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Nothing has- I’d be most surprised if it did. I have a really vivid memory of finding out that my Dad was in hospital after a heart attack. (My Gran was the only person who could be found to distribute the news, but is also about the worst person to do it. Never knowingly understating anything.) page2298image16300560

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting to the end of it! Getting to the end of it and still being in with a chance of getting my PhD. Took a lot of work, but I’ve done it.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not having written anything. I swear, my brain just goes blank whenever I have to write anything vaguely academic down.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really, I’m perfectly healthy!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I’m a fangirl of the Galaxy s3. I love mine. The battery is epic, the screen is gorgeous, the huge memory is useful. The internets is fast. It has pretty much replaced my mp3 player! Pop up and play is just the best- you can watch videos on your phone and still surf the net. <3 LOVES IT.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Rob has to put up with me all the time- so does deserve plaudits.

The people I work with have to deal with all kinds of emotional breakdowns, wibbles and generally not great stuff.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

My supervisor. Without necessarily having appalling and depressing behaviour. It’s equal parts me being rubbish and him being frustrated with it. It all came to a head in February and has been improving steadily ever since. He’s not as bad as I make him out to be, it’s just a horrible situation for both of us.

14. Where did most of your money go?

My laptop is in a delicate and persnickety way. Aside from not being the fastest thing on earth, it has also developed a habit of blue-screen-of-deathing and deciding it won’t wake up if you shut the lid when it’s not got the power cable plugged in. Thus, I dropped rather a lot of money on a Mac Mini with a good processor, and a ridonkulously big monitor to go with it. It is a computer for work, because I find science writing on the laptop to be claustrophobic.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Christmas. Having a break, you guys? So good.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?

I am ridiculously easy to ear worm and thus probably Call Me Maybe’ or something like that. OR! The Big Bang theme tune.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?

Much happier. I mean, I’m still stressed and stretched thin, but I’m not depressed or sad about it, I just...don’t have a lot left for other people.

ii. thinner or fatter?

FATTER. Will fix this. :(

iii. richer or poorer?

Bout the same? I mean, there is more money in my savings account, but I have about the same access to ready cash.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Organising my data as I go along. I really need a system for analysing and keeping track of the analysis of data. I waste so much time digging through it, every time I need to find something.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Playing Marvel Avengers Alliance, which is a stupid game and yet completely addictive.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

At my parent’s house. The paternal grandparents are staying with us, my sister’s bringing a friend who’d be on her own otherwise, and maternal grandparents are coming by on boxing day.

21. Did you fall in love in 2012?

Not really. I do love Rob very much.

22. How many one-night stands?

I should be so lucky!

23. What was your favorite TV program?

BIG BANG THEORY. <3

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nope. Don’t think I hate anyone.

25. What was the best book you read?

I actually read books this year! I should get a pony or something! I thought Brave New World’ (Aldous Huxley) was an absolutely brilliant book, and the more I think about it, the better it gets. I also quite liked Naomi Novik’s first book.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Haven’t really had musical discoveries. Listening to the Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark’ sound track is about the only new music I’ve got this year.

27. What did you want and get?

Mac. New Phone. I am super bad at not getting things I want. I don’t want things, then I de- cide I do, and I do not rest till I have them!

28. What did you want and not get?

More time? I don’t think I’ll ever get enough time to mess around as much as I want and then do as much work as I need.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?

AVENGERS! It’s not just a film, it’s a way of life.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was 26 this year, and for my birthday weekend I went to Disneyland and also Musee d’Orsay with Miss [ LJ User: magic doors ]. It was brilliant! Am not generally a fan of Paris, but we had a great time and DISNEY. We saw the parade, ate waffles, rode The Rock and Rollercoaster and Space Mountain, and yay.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Being able to sit down and work. I wish I could do it, but I can’t.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?

“What still fits? I don’t want to buy anything else, because buying clothes in size fat person’ up- sets me.”

33. What kept you sane?

Not having enough time to be mad.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

David Mitchell and Victoria Coren are lovely. <3 Wants them.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

God, what didn’t? For some reason, I’ve read the news and just got angry this year. I really really really don’t like the Tories. I really don’t. I disagree with everything they stand for, everything they’re trying to do and I am not entirely sure that I don’t want to smash capitalism.

I feel like I’m still firming up my views on a whole bunch of things, but oh my god, isn’t every- thing shit?

Also, yay feminism.

36. Who did you miss?

Pretty much all my friends. I don’t really have much energy for travel. The crushing guilt of being AFK is huge. The guilt from know I could work, and not doing so, is far less painful than the guilt from knowing that I have put my self into a position where I cannot work. So I don’t leave the house much.

37. Who was the best new person you met?

We’ve got an new PhD student who seems pretty nice? I haven’t really met anyone new. I’ve started to get friendly with some people in choir.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:

I think I’m getting a bit past the point of learning life lessons, and just keeping my nose to the grindstone to keep living life.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

“WE BUILT THE PYRAMIDS!”
Not very deep and meaningful this year.