A 2009 MeMe

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Started blogging. Keris made me do it and like so, so, so many other things, she was absolutely right about how much fun I’d have and how much I’d enjoy it and get out of it.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions and will you make more for next this year?
Along with David Tennant (see how we’re just *meant* to be?), I don’t do resolutions because life throws enough disappointments my way without enforcing some of my own. But this year I am *determined* to be more confident and optimistic. Oh and eat less. That’s like saying ‘loose weight’ only it sounds less scary.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My husband’s cousin’s girlfriend had a little girl in January and my lovely interweb writer-friend, Keris (who made me blog) had another little boy the same month.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Funnily enough (no, bear with me) I went to a funeral in May – the wife of one of my husband’s colleagues and was confused to notice some cousins of mine in the congregation. Turned out the deceased was a distant cousin of mine I’d never met. Spooky.

5. What countries did you visit?
Italy. Odd that, being married to an Italian!

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Oh God, the elusive Agent please. One who loves what I write as much as I love writing it and who believes in me and encourages me and gives me deadlines I need to have to make me be more disciplined.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
November 6th is a new date that will stay with me. The head-on collision. Oh, and November 9th was quite a biggie as the Girl turned sixteen. Sixteen…. OMG, and they said the pains of labour would fade with the years – how much longer now?

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Being asked by TWO Agents for the full manuscript of ‘Double History’ (the teenage thing). The excitement and delight of being asked still makes my head spin. And even though I haven’t heard anything back I know that I got one step closer than I ever have before. Onward.

9. What was your biggest failure?
No specific failure – just a few disappointments.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got pretty cut up in the head-on collision. Bruised, bashed and whiplashed.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A pyramid of Krispy Kreme doughnuts for the Girl’s 16th Birthday cake. Complete with 16 candles and sparklers. The look on her face when she saw it made my heart burst.

12. Where did most of your money go?
Ppft! Where it usually goes. Bills, bills, holiday, bills.


13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
See 8. Squeep!

14. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Paolo Nutini’s ‘Pencil full of lead’.

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

a) happier or sadder?
Perhaps slightly sadder. Car crash knocked confidence and seems to have had a knock-on.

b) thinner or fatter?
Probably slightly more belly. I must move about more – just not so much in the direction of the biscuit tin.

c) richer or poorer?
Probably poorer. Credit crunch put hubby on a 2 day week which is not fun right now.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing. Always writing.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Arseing about on Facebook when I should have been writing.

18. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Oh, Susan Boyle did things to me I never expected. You know what I mean. The whole ‘Su-Bo’ effect.

19. What was your favourite TV program?
‘FlashForward’. Am obsessed with anything TimeTravelley (hence the Doctor – it’s his profession, not his foxy cheeky ways, honest!).

20. What was the best book you read?
‘The Disengagement Ring’ by my writerly friend Clodagh Murphy. She even wrote a message in it for me which made my year! And ‘One Day’ by David Nicholls.

21. What was your favourite film of this year?
‘Taken’. The Liam Neeson thing. Can’t remember when I held my breath for a whole film before.(oops that was 2008 - doesn't time fly?) So 'Night at the Museum 2' then.

22. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Can’t remember and prefer not to remember.


23. What kept you sane?
My amazingly upbeat, optimistic, forever resilient husband and my happy, shiny daughter. They are my rocks.

24. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Oh… now let me think….Doctor… Who?

25. Who did you miss?
My Dad. Always.

26. Who was the best new person you met?
If internet meeting counts, then Deborah Durbin. We met through a writing site we both belong to and have been e-mailing each other ever since. She’s talented and lovely and I realised I already had a book written by her on my bookshelf – which strangely enough led partly to my meeting my husband. Can’t get better than that!