Year End Meme 2020
Dec. 30th, 2020 03:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tiggymalvern
1. What did you do in 2020 that you'd never done before?
Snorkelled with whale sharks. Finished a Gundam Wing fic!
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I never make them. So you could equally well say I kept them or I didn't.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope, all still alive.
5. What countries did you visit?
Mexico. I was there in January before the plague came, and I went again in August, when 17 people got on a boat in Baja and we didn't touch land or see anybody else for 10 days. As holidays go, it was on the low end of the risk scale.
6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?
I'd like to go to the cinema with my friends and then have dinner in a restaurant afterwards while we talk about the film.
7. What date from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 31st was when I snorkelled with the whale sharks. Jan 28th was when we got the Void Cats (though I did have to look that up, I was remembering it as the 29th).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finishing that fic that I started back in 2003!
9. What was your biggest failure?
I didn't get as much exercise as I would have wanted, though that was partly down to the plague, so it doesn't really count as a personal failure.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Other than the chronic aches from getting older, and some annoying menopausal bullshit (where did all my oestrogen go? Who gave you permission to do that?) no.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I would have to say the Void Cats, worth every penny the animal shelter asked for them. I really haven't bought that much this year except books - the exercise bike and my heated undergarment for cold water diving were both last year.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
All those poor healthcare workers in the intensive care units. What a year they've had. I have no idea how they keep going.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell immediately spring to mind, with a long list of other Republicans in the US behind them.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The usual bills and then into the bank. I definitely have more money then I would have if 2020 hadn't been a plague year.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Sharks! The whale sharks and the bull sharks in the Sea of Cortez. It was lovely to finally see the whale sharks after 2 failed attempts previously over the last 6 years.
16. What song will always remind you of 2020?
Eh, there isn't one. Usually that association happens when I hear a song a lot when I'm in a certain place I've visited, and I didn't go anywhere much and there was no reception on the boat!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? The same
ii. thinner or fatter? The same
iii. richer or poorer? I have more money in the bank, because of less opportunities to spend it.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Hiking! I was put off by the need to find trails with very few people on them. And also wildfire smoke in September.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
I don't. Je ne regret rien!
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
It was the same as always - me and the SO and our cats, with food and wine and phone calls with relatives.
21. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?
I'll be working during the day. In the evening, I'll be at home with a bottle of local not-Champagne.
22. Did you fall in love in 2020?
Nope. No people, and no new fandoms.
23. How many one-night stands?
None. Married and monogamous, and also this menopause crap isn't doing much for my sex drive...
24. What was your favourite TV program?
This takes a lot of thought, which means there wasn't anything new that was amazingly stand out. The Great was very funny and enjoyable all through. The third season of Dark continued its complex evolution and fully paid off everything that had come before. I enjoyed the second season of The Umbrella Academy, but not quite as much as the first.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope, all the same politicians.
26. What was the best book you read?
Oooh, this is harder. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine was really good. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal was great too, but I didn't like the sequel as much.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
A friend pointed me at Ashbury Heights, who had some really good tracks. Other than that, I don't think I'm listening to anybody new to me.
28. What did you want and get?
To see whale sharks! Is it cheating to keep using the same answer if it's true?
29. What did you want and not get?
My planned trip to Sydney, Australia in October.
30. What was your favourite film that you saw for the first time this year?
I think that will have to be Knives Out. I can literally only think of four new films I've seen this year.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
49, and I did nothing any different from any other day. Normally we would have gone out to dinner or something.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Other than the ability to travel more, there really isn't anything.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
Shorts and T-shirts or jeans and jumpers depending on the weather. The same as it has been for the last 20 years or so, only with added cat masks.
34. What kept you sane?
Having cats and my SO inside the house, and trees outside it. Oh, and the internet. Not having that would have sucked.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't do celebrity crushes, only character crushes. Meeting the actor behind the character is always a low key disapointment, no matter how mice a person they are. And I didn't develop any new character crushes this year, only the same ones of old.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The ongoing racism in US politics and policing. Oh, and the fact that Some People chose to turn a pandemic into a political weapon instead of agreeing that we're all in this one together.
37. Who did you miss?
My friends, who I don't get to see.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
From a very limited pool, I would say a friend of a friend who is someone I can now go diving with.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2020.
I'm even more glad than ever that I live near a city, not in one.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
There's no place like home!
Snorkelled with whale sharks. Finished a Gundam Wing fic!
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I never make them. So you could equally well say I kept them or I didn't.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope, all still alive.
5. What countries did you visit?
Mexico. I was there in January before the plague came, and I went again in August, when 17 people got on a boat in Baja and we didn't touch land or see anybody else for 10 days. As holidays go, it was on the low end of the risk scale.
6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?
I'd like to go to the cinema with my friends and then have dinner in a restaurant afterwards while we talk about the film.
7. What date from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 31st was when I snorkelled with the whale sharks. Jan 28th was when we got the Void Cats (though I did have to look that up, I was remembering it as the 29th).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finishing that fic that I started back in 2003!
9. What was your biggest failure?
I didn't get as much exercise as I would have wanted, though that was partly down to the plague, so it doesn't really count as a personal failure.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Other than the chronic aches from getting older, and some annoying menopausal bullshit (where did all my oestrogen go? Who gave you permission to do that?) no.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I would have to say the Void Cats, worth every penny the animal shelter asked for them. I really haven't bought that much this year except books - the exercise bike and my heated undergarment for cold water diving were both last year.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
All those poor healthcare workers in the intensive care units. What a year they've had. I have no idea how they keep going.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell immediately spring to mind, with a long list of other Republicans in the US behind them.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The usual bills and then into the bank. I definitely have more money then I would have if 2020 hadn't been a plague year.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Sharks! The whale sharks and the bull sharks in the Sea of Cortez. It was lovely to finally see the whale sharks after 2 failed attempts previously over the last 6 years.
16. What song will always remind you of 2020?
Eh, there isn't one. Usually that association happens when I hear a song a lot when I'm in a certain place I've visited, and I didn't go anywhere much and there was no reception on the boat!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? The same
ii. thinner or fatter? The same
iii. richer or poorer? I have more money in the bank, because of less opportunities to spend it.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Hiking! I was put off by the need to find trails with very few people on them. And also wildfire smoke in September.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
I don't. Je ne regret rien!
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
It was the same as always - me and the SO and our cats, with food and wine and phone calls with relatives.
21. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?
I'll be working during the day. In the evening, I'll be at home with a bottle of local not-Champagne.
22. Did you fall in love in 2020?
Nope. No people, and no new fandoms.
23. How many one-night stands?
None. Married and monogamous, and also this menopause crap isn't doing much for my sex drive...
24. What was your favourite TV program?
This takes a lot of thought, which means there wasn't anything new that was amazingly stand out. The Great was very funny and enjoyable all through. The third season of Dark continued its complex evolution and fully paid off everything that had come before. I enjoyed the second season of The Umbrella Academy, but not quite as much as the first.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope, all the same politicians.
26. What was the best book you read?
Oooh, this is harder. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine was really good. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal was great too, but I didn't like the sequel as much.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
A friend pointed me at Ashbury Heights, who had some really good tracks. Other than that, I don't think I'm listening to anybody new to me.
28. What did you want and get?
To see whale sharks! Is it cheating to keep using the same answer if it's true?
29. What did you want and not get?
My planned trip to Sydney, Australia in October.
30. What was your favourite film that you saw for the first time this year?
I think that will have to be Knives Out. I can literally only think of four new films I've seen this year.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
49, and I did nothing any different from any other day. Normally we would have gone out to dinner or something.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Other than the ability to travel more, there really isn't anything.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
Shorts and T-shirts or jeans and jumpers depending on the weather. The same as it has been for the last 20 years or so, only with added cat masks.
34. What kept you sane?
Having cats and my SO inside the house, and trees outside it. Oh, and the internet. Not having that would have sucked.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't do celebrity crushes, only character crushes. Meeting the actor behind the character is always a low key disapointment, no matter how mice a person they are. And I didn't develop any new character crushes this year, only the same ones of old.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The ongoing racism in US politics and policing. Oh, and the fact that Some People chose to turn a pandemic into a political weapon instead of agreeing that we're all in this one together.
37. Who did you miss?
My friends, who I don't get to see.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
From a very limited pool, I would say a friend of a friend who is someone I can now go diving with.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2020.
I'm even more glad than ever that I live near a city, not in one.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
There's no place like home!
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 10:27 am (UTC)I'm really sorry I haven't betaed it yet! Life is conspiring in annoying ways. /o\
Whale sharks are cool! And it's totally not cheating.
>Oh, and the internet. Not having that would have sucked.
Yes, I should definitely have included that in my list. A pre-internet plague would really have sucked.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 11:35 pm (UTC)When we have power cuts and there's no internet, it's annoying enough for a day. Spending all day at home without it longer term would be a disaster!
no subject
Date: 2021-01-03 05:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 02:31 pm (UTC)Not if there were whale sharks!!!
Really enjoyed reading this, and glad you seem to have had a pretty good year, the plague notwithstanding!
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 11:39 pm (UTC)Honestly, I think I must have been one of the people least affected by the plague in the whole world. The SO has worked from home for years, and I'm an essential part-timer, so I continued to work my 2 days a week unchanged. We're largely stay-at-home hermits anyway, so going to the cinema or a restaurant every few weeks was the only big change. And now I wear a mask at the supermarket and not just at work - not really a deal-breaker!