2022 in review
Dec. 31st, 2022 02:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
juliet(2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
1. What did you do in 2022 that you'd never done before?
Had a story (& an essay) published in Uncanny.
Joined SFWA.
Ran a convention (I was co-Head of Programme for this year's Eastercon.)
Had a general anaesthetic as an adult (I'd had one as a very small child, which I remember but only just)[0].
Wrote 36K in 4.5 days!
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My not-resolutions-more-aims hit rate this year: definitely achieved 15/20; mostly/partly achieved 1/20; didn't achieve 4/20 (two were cancelled by circumstances, one in a good way and one in an annoying way) (0.75 : 0.05 : 0.2)
2021: 0.67 : 0.17 : 0.17
2020: 0.65 : 0.22 : 0.13
2019: 0.58 : 0.24 : 0.17
2018: 0.72 : 0.17 : 0.11
2017: 0.7 : 0.2 : 0.1
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My friend Han.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
I don't think so. Two people died who I was once close to but haven’t seen in over a decade; I find it hard to register it really as it seems much more likely that they are still around and I just happen not to have seen them.
5. What countries did you visit?
France, for a writers' retreat postponed from 2020. I wrote 36K on the first draft of the novel I took with me, which significantly beat my hoped-for (and already fairly optimistic) goal of 25K.
6. What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022?
An agent. I would also like LESS of a sense of generalised & unwarranted guilt & responsibility.
(Last year I wanted: An agent (nope). L vaccinated against covid (yes, and indeed he got a booster today b/c his new autism diagnosis puts him on the Booster-Eligible List). [redacted] (ish).)
7. What date from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I am bad with dates. Oh -- possibly 8th Dec, when doop quit work (something which has been long in the planning).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Going swimming in the sea every day when we were in Cornwall in December! (A seal came and swam with me one day! It was so awesome!)
Finishing the final Marek book (out in 3 weeks).
As in previous years: I think that keeping L happy and educated and all that is an ongoing good achievement.
Making The Pink Break-Up Banyan (of OFMD) :D
9. What was your biggest failure?
Do you know, I'm not sure I can think of one this year. Which is nice. (So either I didn't have any dramatic fails, OR I have successfully forgotten them. Score.)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Minor bodies-are-weird thing requiring minor surgery.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The lovely pink velvet for The Break-Up Banyan -- it is so lovely and strokey and soothing to wear, even if the sleeves are wildly impractical.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Pete, doop, L. My other lovely friends (both those I know in person and those I only/mostly know on the interwebs).
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Last year AND the year before I said: Oh god politics and politicians ARGH ARGH ARGH ARGH. And lots of horrible transphobic people.
And it is still true. Fuck the Tories.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Therapy. Books.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our Flag Means Death! It is SO GOOD I love it SO MUCH. (Finally available on the BBC as of the 4th Jan! Watch the pirates!) Cannot wait for S2.
16. What song will always remind you of 2022?
The Chain.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner.
iii. richer or poorer? Very slightly richer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Being focussed on things that I actually intend to focus on instead of getting sidetracked by things that are easier to tick off but not actually as important.
(That's a more detailed version of what I said last year. I think I've done a bit better this year but not as much better as I would like.)
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Generalised feelings of guilt and responsibility. The good news is that I am now *aware* that it's happening, which is a useful step.
(Last year I said being anxious, which I have done a bit less of; and social media, which I have done a lot less of especially over the last few months. There are some downsides to this, specifically in terms of having less contact with some people, which I am sad about, but overall I think it is working better for me. I continue to contemplate whether there is some alternative middle ground.)
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
As per usual, spent it in Bermondsey, with Pete and Marna (for the morning, before they went off to the boat) and doop and L. My friend Elaine (who has been having a very challenging couple of weeks) & three of her kids came over in the evening for tea/etc, and it was lovely to see them. My parents & sister came over on Boxing Day. All very pleasant.
21. Did you fall in love in 2022?
No.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV programme?
Our Flag Means Death.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I think all the people (public figures, largely) I've felt strong dislike towards this year I already disliked.
25. What was the best book you read?
At The Feet Of The Sun, by Victoria Goddard.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I've been listening to various people's playlists on Spotify and thus getting to listen to more new music, which is good, but I can't think of a specific thing.
27. What did you want and get?
Lots of things I'm sure, but I can't think of anything in particular. (This week's minor surgery, I suppose, but that seems like a weird thing to put here! I'm glad it got dealt with though.)
28. What did you want and not get?
An election.
29. What was your favourite film of this year?
Everything Everywhere All At Once, probably. I did v much enjoy Thor: Love & Thunder as well. (Tonight we're watching Glass Onions, which many people I know have been raving about, so maybe I will come back and update this.)
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 44, and I decided not to have a party due to Omicron. But I did have a small number of friends over for curry & wine, and it was lovely.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Eh, not sure there's much tbh.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
Still trackie bottoms. But with the pink banyan and my Queer Pirates T-shirt.
33. What kept you sane?
Writing. Friends. Climbing.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't tend to fancy actual real-people celebrity types. Imaginary pirates, yes, absolutely :)
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Transphobia.
36. Who did you miss?
maia.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Zi.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022
I can write an awful lot of words if I am not letting myself be distracted by all the other things that are happening in my life. (Specifically: some of those things I am choosing to let myself be distracted by, and I could not do that.)
Experiencing emotions is probably good for you, even if it is also quite annoying.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year
??
40. Did you enjoy this year?
Yes. It's been mega busy though.
[0] Not for anything worrying or significant, and it all went fine. I did however apparently beat my All-Time Record Lowest Heart Rate score by hitting 30bpm during surgery and causing them to stop for a bit while they sorted that out. My normal is low 50s/high 40s overnight, and previous lowest was 46bpm during an ECG; all of which I warned the anaesthetist about in advance.
1. What did you do in 2022 that you'd never done before?
Had a story (& an essay) published in Uncanny.
Joined SFWA.
Ran a convention (I was co-Head of Programme for this year's Eastercon.)
Had a general anaesthetic as an adult (I'd had one as a very small child, which I remember but only just)[0].
Wrote 36K in 4.5 days!
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My not-resolutions-more-aims hit rate this year: definitely achieved 15/20; mostly/partly achieved 1/20; didn't achieve 4/20 (two were cancelled by circumstances, one in a good way and one in an annoying way) (0.75 : 0.05 : 0.2)
2021: 0.67 : 0.17 : 0.17
2020: 0.65 : 0.22 : 0.13
2019: 0.58 : 0.24 : 0.17
2018: 0.72 : 0.17 : 0.11
2017: 0.7 : 0.2 : 0.1
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My friend Han.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
5. What countries did you visit?
France, for a writers' retreat postponed from 2020. I wrote 36K on the first draft of the novel I took with me, which significantly beat my hoped-for (and already fairly optimistic) goal of 25K.
6. What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022?
An agent. I would also like LESS of a sense of generalised & unwarranted guilt & responsibility.
(Last year I wanted: An agent (nope). L vaccinated against covid (yes, and indeed he got a booster today b/c his new autism diagnosis puts him on the Booster-Eligible List). [redacted] (ish).)
7. What date from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I am bad with dates. Oh -- possibly 8th Dec, when doop quit work (something which has been long in the planning).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Going swimming in the sea every day when we were in Cornwall in December! (A seal came and swam with me one day! It was so awesome!)
Finishing the final Marek book (out in 3 weeks).
As in previous years: I think that keeping L happy and educated and all that is an ongoing good achievement.
Making The Pink Break-Up Banyan (of OFMD) :D
9. What was your biggest failure?
Do you know, I'm not sure I can think of one this year. Which is nice. (So either I didn't have any dramatic fails, OR I have successfully forgotten them. Score.)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Minor bodies-are-weird thing requiring minor surgery.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The lovely pink velvet for The Break-Up Banyan -- it is so lovely and strokey and soothing to wear, even if the sleeves are wildly impractical.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Pete, doop, L. My other lovely friends (both those I know in person and those I only/mostly know on the interwebs).
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Last year AND the year before I said: Oh god politics and politicians ARGH ARGH ARGH ARGH. And lots of horrible transphobic people.
And it is still true. Fuck the Tories.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Therapy. Books.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our Flag Means Death! It is SO GOOD I love it SO MUCH. (Finally available on the BBC as of the 4th Jan! Watch the pirates!) Cannot wait for S2.
16. What song will always remind you of 2022?
The Chain.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner.
iii. richer or poorer? Very slightly richer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Being focussed on things that I actually intend to focus on instead of getting sidetracked by things that are easier to tick off but not actually as important.
(That's a more detailed version of what I said last year. I think I've done a bit better this year but not as much better as I would like.)
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Generalised feelings of guilt and responsibility. The good news is that I am now *aware* that it's happening, which is a useful step.
(Last year I said being anxious, which I have done a bit less of; and social media, which I have done a lot less of especially over the last few months. There are some downsides to this, specifically in terms of having less contact with some people, which I am sad about, but overall I think it is working better for me. I continue to contemplate whether there is some alternative middle ground.)
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
As per usual, spent it in Bermondsey, with Pete and Marna (for the morning, before they went off to the boat) and doop and L. My friend Elaine (who has been having a very challenging couple of weeks) & three of her kids came over in the evening for tea/etc, and it was lovely to see them. My parents & sister came over on Boxing Day. All very pleasant.
21. Did you fall in love in 2022?
No.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV programme?
Our Flag Means Death.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I think all the people (public figures, largely) I've felt strong dislike towards this year I already disliked.
25. What was the best book you read?
At The Feet Of The Sun, by Victoria Goddard.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I've been listening to various people's playlists on Spotify and thus getting to listen to more new music, which is good, but I can't think of a specific thing.
27. What did you want and get?
Lots of things I'm sure, but I can't think of anything in particular. (This week's minor surgery, I suppose, but that seems like a weird thing to put here! I'm glad it got dealt with though.)
28. What did you want and not get?
An election.
29. What was your favourite film of this year?
Everything Everywhere All At Once, probably. I did v much enjoy Thor: Love & Thunder as well. (Tonight we're watching Glass Onions, which many people I know have been raving about, so maybe I will come back and update this.)
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 44, and I decided not to have a party due to Omicron. But I did have a small number of friends over for curry & wine, and it was lovely.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Eh, not sure there's much tbh.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
Still trackie bottoms. But with the pink banyan and my Queer Pirates T-shirt.
33. What kept you sane?
Writing. Friends. Climbing.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't tend to fancy actual real-people celebrity types. Imaginary pirates, yes, absolutely :)
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Transphobia.
36. Who did you miss?
maia.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Zi.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022
I can write an awful lot of words if I am not letting myself be distracted by all the other things that are happening in my life. (Specifically: some of those things I am choosing to let myself be distracted by, and I could not do that.)
Experiencing emotions is probably good for you, even if it is also quite annoying.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year
??
40. Did you enjoy this year?
Yes. It's been mega busy though.
[0] Not for anything worrying or significant, and it all went fine. I did however apparently beat my All-Time Record Lowest Heart Rate score by hitting 30bpm during surgery and causing them to stop for a bit while they sorted that out. My normal is low 50s/high 40s overnight, and previous lowest was 46bpm during an ECG; all of which I warned the anaesthetist about in advance.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-31 03:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-31 03:10 pm (UTC)(Arguably "L's assessment" was on the "things I wanted and got" list in that we had been waiting nearly 2 years, but it's really his-not-mine. It is good to have it sorted though.)
no subject
Date: 2022-12-31 06:48 pm (UTC)I miss you, can't wait to catch up. It's lovely reading this. It's lovely knowing you. Hurrah for all your successes. We will celebrate them!
no subject
Date: 2023-01-03 04:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-01-03 04:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-01-01 11:35 pm (UTC)I am very much looking forward to the Marek book! And to seeing you!
no subject
Date: 2023-01-03 04:01 pm (UTC)Also looking forward to seeing you!