So Christmas has been and gone. I was spoiled with lots of lovely goodies including some of my favourites: books!
The lurgy keeps rearing it's ugly head and infecting us in waves. It made January a lot more boring challenging than we'd have liked but we survived! (Ok it was only the fifth disease/flu/a cold/random viruses but it wasn't great.) Obviously the cats had to join in the fun for their annual boosters. Muwahahaha!
I've also had the pot removed from my thumb, been given some physiotherapy exercises and allowed to do a few more things. Not skating yet, the doctor advised me to hang fire a little longer and be more careful. That's pretty tricky when learning how to skate for roller derby... so I'm listening and buying more protective pads soon.
I'm also looking forward to lots more baking, excursions, my 30th later in the year and a good friend's wedding. It's going to be a great 2016!
Well 2012 has now been and gone a lot faster than I'd expected it to. It's been quite a good year for me considering that I started it jobless and then quickly found a new role at my current workplace.
I also tried to start a photoblog with the aim of taking a photograph everyday but fell behind quite quickly. It was a good idea and I think I'll re-try it again this year.
This was a year of baking and exercise which saw me take part in two work bake offs, I sporadically went to the work gym and did a few dance shows and improved my bollywood and belly dancing. In July my 52 recipe challenge ended, which I also sadly didn't manage this is something I am also considering attempting to do again. Do you think it's a good idea and what recipes would you suggest I do?
Since then I've been thinking of different things to write about and tried to keep a commentary of this years NaNoWrimo attempt going whilst I wrote. This year I actually managed 50,000 words in a month for the first time ever which is a real achievement! Now I just need to tie up my lose ends and finish the first draft...
Since November I've mainly been stressing about Christmas, suffering from sniffles, binge reading, snapping guitar strings, attempting to play guitar and doodling.
Now it's 2013 I'm starting to try to work out how to put my plans for this year into action. They don't involve getting published, slimming down to a size 8 or becoming Jimi Hendrix like at guitar. (Although I do keep toying with the idea of getting to the level where I could form a band with that or the Uke...) This year I'm thinking of setting myself a few challenges like blogging more at least weekly, writing everyday, trying roller skating, actually going climbing/ice skating/ playing badminton this year, dancing more, learning a song on both instruments and not beating myself up if this doesn't happen. Those as well as planning more things like the baking club and trips to the South, Wales and Scotland if my friends will have me! Maybe if I'll play my cards right I might even start some good habits like writing 1,000 words a day. (Because 365,000 words in a year is a doable target... if I focus!)
So what are your challenges for 2013? Do you challenge me to do anything else that I've missed off this list?
Inspired by Betty Bee and her new year post I thought I'd do a little 2011 round up.
This has been a year of new experiences and learning new things. It started in January when we started looking for a new house and approached the bank about getting a mortgage, those felt like scary times but it turned out we had nothing to worry about! I also passed my first aid course in January and had a great night out with Emma and Dee!
By February we had decided on the house we wanted put an offer in and it was accepted! I was so excited! I also went to see Roddy Woomble in Wales.
I also went to see Jonny at the Harley.
March was a crazy one at work but going to see Elbow at Sheffield Arena more than made up for that!
In April my Sister, her boyfriend and my Mum all went to see the Jim Jones Revue at the Plug in Sheffield, the gig was great rock and roll fun.
This was also the month when I went to my first Steel City Roller Girls bout, they lost but I was hooked! It was also the month when I went with my Mum and sister to Amsterdam for a week. I hadn't been before but I enjoyed every minute of it... well nearly I got stuck on a tram once and got left behind on the tram platform another time... but other than that it was great!
In May I started practising for a bellydancing show and spent a lot of my free time trying to sort out arrangements for buying the house. June, however was slightly more interesting! In June my poor old Micra started to die and I ended up buying my Corsa for myself as a birthday present. I also danced in my first and possibly only bellydancing show, as I got half the moves wrong. It was great fun though! We ended the week with a road trip in the new car down to Bristol to see our friends and then to Cornwall to see The Flaming Lips play the Eden Project.
Then in July I started writing this blog, went to another roller derby bout, watched Dylan Moran, me and my boyfriend signed the contract for our house! I also went to Nottingham to celebrate my sister's birthday and caught a few bands at Tramlines! To round off the month we finally got the keys to our first house.
August was then mainly spent packing up our flat, getting the electrics sorted in the house and doing the odd bit of decorating. We finally moved in early September and then celebrated watching the Kat Jackson Group play The Plug and then the next week we went to the Leadmill to watch Slow Club.
I also had my first taste of Nottingham's cake club in September and hope to go again at some point next year!
I didn't go to any gigs in October but I did go to my first Spa! I went with one of my friends for her birthday and then followed it up with mini burgers at Bungalows and Bears. Yummy! The next week myself and my partner celebrated our 7 year anniversary with a trip to The Bay of Bengal Indian Restaurant which did great food.
November was mainly a month of staying in and trying to do NaNoWriMo. It was my first attempt at writing a novel so I decided to jump in at the deep end! By the end of the month I managed to write 47,000 words which is the most I've ever managed. As well as trying to write a novel I also had one of my friends visit and we went to see Bellowhead at the Leadmill.
I wasn't entierly sure what to expect beforehand but was pleasantly surprised!
Last but not least December! This month of preparing for Christmas whilst also looking into the New Year, despite all that I found time to sing Carols at The Greystones and take my dad to see the Lancashire Hotpots!
It was a good laugh!
Now December is almost done but I'm going to try and get just one more gig in! Wish me luck!
I hope 2011 treated you all well and that 2012 is even better for you! Happy New Year from You'll Get What You're Given!
