2012 in Review

Here we go again!

1. What did you do this year that you’d never done before?

• Organised a pretty awesome Up & Running retreat.

• Went to Barcelona and Madrid.

• Drank coffee! Now I'm an addict. Gimme gimme.

Barcelona

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next this year?
“Wear lipstick more often”... DONE!

My 2013 one is: write every day.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. Babies babies everywhere. I lost count!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. Knock on wood.

5. What countries did you visit?
France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and USA

6. What would you like to have next year that you lacked in this one?
Focus, on what is actually important and meaningful. Too much dithering going on.

7. What dates from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

• The Tour de France day in Paris, because it was Wiggo and history unfolding before our very eyes!

• Seeing legendary Nile Rodgers at the Edinburgh Book Festival.

• The first day of the Up & Running retreat, when I came up the stairs to the apartment and heard a cacophony of international accents. Such relief that it all worked out!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?Hmm... growing my hair longer? I don’t feel like I achieved anything noteworthy. I’m dead chuffed about the continued success of Up & Running though.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not valuing my worth and not speaking up for myself in big moments. Being a big wuss, basically.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Moka coffee pot. Okay, three Moka pots. But you never know which size you'll need.

12. Where did most of your money go?
Going to Baltimore for the Fitbloggin conference. Couldn’t resist going one more time.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The fucking PARALYMPICS! And the Tour de France. And the Olympics. It was a long summer of sport on the couch.

14. What song will always remind you of this year?
These Chains by Hot Chip.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?
I'm just fine! No whinges here. There were some very very challenging times, but I did a lot of really fun things this year. A better word might be restless?

b) thinner or fatter?
Exactly the same as the end of 2011.

c) richer or poorer?
Slightly poorer but I have good times to show for it!

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Weight training.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Tinkering around the edges, instead of getting some balls and doing or saying what I really wanted to. BALLS!

18. How did you spend Christmas?
The in-laws came over. We cooked for the fourth year running (with Gareth on ham).

19. Did you fall in love this year?
I fell in love with the fountain pen I got for my birthday. Pen and paper FTW!

20. What was your favorite TV program?
Borgen, The Bridge, The Last Leg, The Killing III. Mad Men Season 5 was pretty darn good. Also, we're two episodes from finishing the very last season of Northern Exposure (originally screened 1995) and I'm heartbroken all over again!

21. What was the best book you read?
Racing Through The Dark by David Millar and With My Body by Nikki Gemmell. I also finally read Jane Eyre.... what can you say about that one? Bloody loved it.

22. What was your favourite film of this year?
Moonrise Kingdom. Also pretty much the only new movie I saw. Whoops.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went to work, HO HUM. 35.

24. What kept you sane?
Travels and the ladies of the Up & Running Forum. So funny, real and kind.

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

• Inspector Montalbano - there's something about that baldy head and incessant gesticulating.

• Ben "Dance Walk" Aaron

• a vast selection of British sporting heroes

• the PM’s husband in Borgen (last year known as Strange from The Killing II).

26. Who did you miss?
Same as the previous three years - everyone in Australia. But also missed my sister and often wished we lived in the same town.

27. Who was the best new person you met?
All the Up & Runners I got to meet in person. We seem to luck out with groovy people every time!