[362/365] end of year meme
Dec. 28th, 2021 07:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cosmolinguist1. What did you do in 2021 that you'd never done before?:
Told people they have to learn a new name for me again, googled "how to get divorced," googled "how to get HRT," told my GP to refer me to a gender identity clinic (which is not the quickest way to do that by any means but can't hurt), lived in this house, had therapy I actually found useful...
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?:
I didn't really make any. But this year, if I'm not divorced and on hormones I'm going to be extremely disappointed in myself.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?:
I don't think so.
4. Did anyone close to you die?:
Bonnie. I find myself thinking about her all the time.
5. What countries did you visit?:
Scotland. I spent two days in Arisaig camping.
6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?:
A job that pays better, and like I said a divorce and some hormones.
7. What date from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?:
The date I was going to get my second vaccine felt like a big deal while I was waiting the three long months after my first, and it was just before my dad's birthday, but it ended up being so anticlimactic, just before delta and nothing changed in my life.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?:
I did useful therapy and I'm still putting that into practice. I have done a lot of good self-care.
9. What was your biggest failure?:
Not doing the things I keep saying I have to do next year now, heh.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?:
I broke my tooth and it meant I couldn't eat properly for two months, it triggered a kind of mental breakdown that meant I couldn't work for a week, and it still feels weird and occasionally that's horrible.
11. What was the best thing you bought?:
I didn't buy it but honestly just today I gave an Amazon gift voucher I didn't really need to some internet friends who are trans, disabled and broke, and they're going to buy a new kettle with it because they're getting bad burns from the one they have now, so I think that's the best thing.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?:
Me, honestly. All my partners and friends who’ve helped me. Everybody who’s tried to stem the tide of horrible political events.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?:
The Tories. Many USian politicians.
14. Where did most of your money go?:
Rent, boring stuff.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?:
Vaccination before it was so anticlimactic.
16. What song will always remind you of 2021?:
"Birth of a New Age," the criminally underappreciated song of this year's Eurovision host country and one that made my top-songs Spotify playlist because I played it so much this year.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder? happier, but since this time last year I'd just exploded a bomb in the middle of my life, is that saying a lot?
ii. richer or poorer? this question is utterly meaningless really, but I feel so much richer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?:
Going to the gym. Seeing friends. Getting on public transport. Being able to enter pubs, or indeed public buildings of any kind. Seeing my parents and grandma and the house I grew up in. I wish I'd done any of most of those things. Oh and haircuts. I miss haircuts.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?:
Procrastinating and avoidance.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?:
I spent it quietly at home, presents (I got a knitting bag and a cute jack russell decoration), lots of food, some booze, Stuart came over, I got to talk to my parents, it was as nice as it could be.
21. Did you fall in love in 2021?:
Nope.
22. How many one night stands?:
Ugh can you imagine.
23. What was your favourite TV programme?:
I saw the first season of Ted Lasso and loved it so much I had to makediffrentcolours and mother_bones watch it too. I was delighted they loved it too. We haven’t seen the second season yet.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?:
No one new.
25. What was the best book you read?:
I’ve read allll the Murderbot books and I love them so much.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?:
Since I didn't seem to have done one of these last year, let's say the Doof for this year. I definitely learned about it then but it's been a much more regular presence in my life now that I'm around on a Thursday night to watch it.
27. What did you want and get?:
A more stable, comfortable life that I have more control over.
28. What did you want and not get?
A new job and hormones and a divorce.
29. What was your favourite film this year?:
I can’t think of anything.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?:
I was forty! I made my traditional chocolate cake and I got presents: space boxers, a t-shirt with cats on it, and some cute little astronaut figures for my space bedroom.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?:
Better politicians. [Last time I wrote that I’d said this in the 2016 version of this that I'm copying the questions from now, and I cannot think of anything worth deleting that and replacing it with.]
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2021?:
Pretty completely indifferent to gender at this point.
33. What kept you sane?:
Nothing. I’m not. But I appreciate the efforts of friends, partners, Gary the Wonder Dog, and podcasts for their part in trying to help with this.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?:
I don't really.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?:
Management of the pandemic.
36. Who did you miss?:
Everyone. I didn't see enough of anyone except the people I live with, and I didn't see most people at all.
37. Who was the best new person you met?:
Possibly F from one of my volunteering groups, who's an old blind dude who started the group ages ago. He's very northern and matter-of-fact and once while we were milling around waiting for something asked the person who was guiding him, "Is someone good to talk to around, like Erik?" and I felt blessed.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021:
Things can go badly and still be worth doing.
39. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?:
Definitely my parents if you could video calls. Actual phone, probably Stuart, who sometimes just calls me up in the evening to tell me how his day's been and ask about mine, the kind of thing I'd expect to do by text these days so it's fun to hear his voice.
40. Quote a song that sums up your year:
I feel like "I'd rather be dry but at least I'm alive" from "Rain on Me" was the biggest 2020 mood -- things could be a fuck of a lot better but I'm glad to be alive, so many aren't -- and I don't think that's changed much this year.
41. What was your favorite moment of the year?:
Getting to go see one of my oldest friends for the first time in a couple of years.
42. What was your least favorite moment of the year?:
I’m not going to say.
43. Where were you when 2021 started?:
In my house, which didn’t feel like my house yet but staying up late getting drunk certainly helped.
44. Who were you with?:
diffrentcolours. The other two were sensibly asleep by then.
45. Where will you be when 2021 ends?:
On the same sofa probably!
46. Who will you be with when 2021 ends?:
Probablydiffrentcolours, possibly Gary or mother_bones, and I think we have a friend visiting.
47. What was your favourite month of 2021?:
Ugh it's hard to say anything good about a whole month.
48. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2021?:
I've drunk so much less in lockdown (which for me has never meaningfully ended). It's very rare that I have more than one drink at a time, and usually only a couple of evenings a week at most. The booze is taking over our kitchen storage space, we keep being given stuff and we just don't go through it that quickly!
49. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2021?:
I never do.
50. What are your plans for 2022?:
Be kind to myself, get a better job, get divorced.
Told people they have to learn a new name for me again, googled "how to get divorced," googled "how to get HRT," told my GP to refer me to a gender identity clinic (which is not the quickest way to do that by any means but can't hurt), lived in this house, had therapy I actually found useful...
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?:
I didn't really make any. But this year, if I'm not divorced and on hormones I'm going to be extremely disappointed in myself.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?:
I don't think so.
4. Did anyone close to you die?:
Bonnie. I find myself thinking about her all the time.
5. What countries did you visit?:
Scotland. I spent two days in Arisaig camping.
6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?:
A job that pays better, and like I said a divorce and some hormones.
7. What date from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?:
The date I was going to get my second vaccine felt like a big deal while I was waiting the three long months after my first, and it was just before my dad's birthday, but it ended up being so anticlimactic, just before delta and nothing changed in my life.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?:
I did useful therapy and I'm still putting that into practice. I have done a lot of good self-care.
9. What was your biggest failure?:
Not doing the things I keep saying I have to do next year now, heh.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?:
I broke my tooth and it meant I couldn't eat properly for two months, it triggered a kind of mental breakdown that meant I couldn't work for a week, and it still feels weird and occasionally that's horrible.
11. What was the best thing you bought?:
I didn't buy it but honestly just today I gave an Amazon gift voucher I didn't really need to some internet friends who are trans, disabled and broke, and they're going to buy a new kettle with it because they're getting bad burns from the one they have now, so I think that's the best thing.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?:
Me, honestly. All my partners and friends who’ve helped me. Everybody who’s tried to stem the tide of horrible political events.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?:
The Tories. Many USian politicians.
14. Where did most of your money go?:
Rent, boring stuff.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?:
Vaccination before it was so anticlimactic.
16. What song will always remind you of 2021?:
"Birth of a New Age," the criminally underappreciated song of this year's Eurovision host country and one that made my top-songs Spotify playlist because I played it so much this year.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder? happier, but since this time last year I'd just exploded a bomb in the middle of my life, is that saying a lot?
ii. richer or poorer? this question is utterly meaningless really, but I feel so much richer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?:
Going to the gym. Seeing friends. Getting on public transport. Being able to enter pubs, or indeed public buildings of any kind. Seeing my parents and grandma and the house I grew up in. I wish I'd done any of most of those things. Oh and haircuts. I miss haircuts.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?:
Procrastinating and avoidance.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?:
I spent it quietly at home, presents (I got a knitting bag and a cute jack russell decoration), lots of food, some booze, Stuart came over, I got to talk to my parents, it was as nice as it could be.
21. Did you fall in love in 2021?:
Nope.
22. How many one night stands?:
Ugh can you imagine.
23. What was your favourite TV programme?:
I saw the first season of Ted Lasso and loved it so much I had to make
diffrentcolours and mother_bones watch it too. I was delighted they loved it too. We haven’t seen the second season yet.24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?:
No one new.
25. What was the best book you read?:
I’ve read allll the Murderbot books and I love them so much.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?:
Since I didn't seem to have done one of these last year, let's say the Doof for this year. I definitely learned about it then but it's been a much more regular presence in my life now that I'm around on a Thursday night to watch it.
27. What did you want and get?:
A more stable, comfortable life that I have more control over.
28. What did you want and not get?
A new job and hormones and a divorce.
29. What was your favourite film this year?:
I can’t think of anything.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?:
I was forty! I made my traditional chocolate cake and I got presents: space boxers, a t-shirt with cats on it, and some cute little astronaut figures for my space bedroom.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?:
Better politicians. [Last time I wrote that I’d said this in the 2016 version of this that I'm copying the questions from now, and I cannot think of anything worth deleting that and replacing it with.]
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2021?:
Pretty completely indifferent to gender at this point.
33. What kept you sane?:
Nothing. I’m not. But I appreciate the efforts of friends, partners, Gary the Wonder Dog, and podcasts for their part in trying to help with this.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?:
I don't really.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?:
Management of the pandemic.
36. Who did you miss?:
Everyone. I didn't see enough of anyone except the people I live with, and I didn't see most people at all.
37. Who was the best new person you met?:
Possibly F from one of my volunteering groups, who's an old blind dude who started the group ages ago. He's very northern and matter-of-fact and once while we were milling around waiting for something asked the person who was guiding him, "Is someone good to talk to around, like Erik?" and I felt blessed.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021:
Things can go badly and still be worth doing.
39. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?:
Definitely my parents if you could video calls. Actual phone, probably Stuart, who sometimes just calls me up in the evening to tell me how his day's been and ask about mine, the kind of thing I'd expect to do by text these days so it's fun to hear his voice.
40. Quote a song that sums up your year:
I feel like "I'd rather be dry but at least I'm alive" from "Rain on Me" was the biggest 2020 mood -- things could be a fuck of a lot better but I'm glad to be alive, so many aren't -- and I don't think that's changed much this year.
41. What was your favorite moment of the year?:
Getting to go see one of my oldest friends for the first time in a couple of years.
42. What was your least favorite moment of the year?:
I’m not going to say.
43. Where were you when 2021 started?:
In my house, which didn’t feel like my house yet but staying up late getting drunk certainly helped.
44. Who were you with?:
diffrentcolours. The other two were sensibly asleep by then.45. Where will you be when 2021 ends?:
On the same sofa probably!
46. Who will you be with when 2021 ends?:
Probably
diffrentcolours, possibly Gary or mother_bones, and I think we have a friend visiting.47. What was your favourite month of 2021?:
Ugh it's hard to say anything good about a whole month.
48. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2021?:
I've drunk so much less in lockdown (which for me has never meaningfully ended). It's very rare that I have more than one drink at a time, and usually only a couple of evenings a week at most. The booze is taking over our kitchen storage space, we keep being given stuff and we just don't go through it that quickly!
49. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2021?:
I never do.
50. What are your plans for 2022?:
Be kind to myself, get a better job, get divorced.
that’s a big year, given the pandemic!
Date: 2021-12-29 05:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-12-29 07:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-12-31 02:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-01-01 10:34 pm (UTC)