Tags (5)

Ok, here's the End Of Year questions as requested by wayfarer. I've kept the answers brief since there are a lot of questions, and as usual I'm not tagging anyone else though feel free to take it on if you wish to. I know I'm repeating myself but I'm becoming much more selective with tags and more likely to politely decline: this one was interesting to me though, as much as anything because it throws up a couple of things which I'm not entirely comfortable with.

1. Will you be looking for a new job? Yes. Something different to what I'm doing now. My lack of success in achieving this so far has been rather dispiriting and draining. I'm keeping this answer brief because I've moaned about it often enough.

2. Will you be looking for a new relationship? Not actively, no. My experience of relationships in recent years has been negative and difficult and, while I've moved on in many ways from those particular relationships, then the prospect of commencing another one leaves me feeling defensive rather than filling me with any kind of enthusiasm. I would say I need to deal with those feelings before any relationship becomes a viable and desirable prospect.

3. New house? If you mean owning one, you're joking! I'm open to the possibility of moving though, depending on other factors.

4. What will you do differently in 2008? I don't see why I should do anything differently purely on account of it now being 2008, but I think I need to change my tactics as regards (1), for instance given the lack of movement so far.

5. New Years Resolution? No, I don't really do them, it seems a bit artificial to me. Any resolutions I make at this time of year aren't necessarily linked to that (though I concede that often there's more time to reflect and examine priorities at this time of year for various reasons). I know I'm sounding like a humourless git here though, and if there is anything that I could offer to answer the question, then it's the following: I'm keeping my mobile phone on silent. I switched it on to silent just before Christmas and it's much better that way!

6. What will you not be doing in 2008? Lots of things. Erm, I'm not sure where to go with this question.

7. Any trips planned? No definites as yet, though possibly a week in Yorkshire in February, and I hope for another holiday in Europe or further afield (or more than one, if circumstances allow).

8. Wedding plans? No!

9. Major thing on your calendar? Nothing in that respect, the things I want to achieve aren't set in stone or tied to particular dates: not yet, at least.

10. What can't you wait for? I can wait, I don't want to wish my life away and I'm a far more patient person these days than I ever used to be. But the things which spring to mind are: lighter nights and warmer weather, and some tangible progress with making changes.

11. What would you like to see happen differently? I would like to be more cheerful!

12. What about yourself will you be changing? See (11).

13. What happened in 07 that you didn't think would ever happen? I woke up and realised just how much of a rut I've been stuck in, and it frightened me.

14. Will you be nicer to the people you care about? I always try to be as nice as I can to the people I care about: I'm far from perfect in that respect but the friendships and connections I have are very valuable to me and as long as the love and respect works both ways then I want to maintain that.

15. Will you dress differently this year than you did in 07? Not unless the circumstances demand it!

16. Will you start or quit drinking? Neither as such, but I'm taking a break from drinking for the duration of January and possibly further: I do enjoy having a few weeks away from the booze from time to time.

17. Will you better your relationship with your family? I hope to in some specific ways, I wouldn't wish to mention them here though.

18. Will you do charity work? No. I wouldn't say so if I was, either!

19. Will you go to bars? Ah, now we're getting back into the realms of certainty. Though see (16).

20. Will you be nice to people you don't know? That depends. I'm usually polite and courteous, though I do have a steadily-increasing streak of intolerance towards people who might be behaving in certain ways.

21. Do you expect 08 to be a good year for you? I don't expect so, I would hope so, and I will hold myself primarily responsible if it isn't. I don't see it in such absolute terms anyway, no doubt there will be a mixture of positives and negatives as there is in any year.

22. How much did you change from this time last year until now? While I'm very desperately frustrated about (1), then I feel really happy to have done more writing (chiefly here) and more creative stuff generally. I hope that this is merely a starting point for further such.

23. Do you plan on having a child? Given the answers to earlier questions, it would be a slightly odd state of affairs if I were to say yes...

24. Will you still be friends with the people you are friends with now? I would have thought so, once I've established a friendship with someone, it's been a very rare occurrence to have entirely lost touch.

25. Major lifestyle changes? That depends on a number of things I've already written. Sometimes I've taken risks: I'm not suggesting I will, but neither am I ruling it out.

26. Will you be moving? Again, that depends on a number of things I've already written.

27. What will you make sure doesn't happen in 08 that happened in 07? Another one that leaves me at a loss as to how to answer.

28. What are your New Year's Eve plans? Well, that's a whole year away...my fault for not doing this tag earlier. What I did last night was to meet up with a bunch of friends at someone's house for a pleasant evening of wine, home-cooked food, good conversation, lots of silliness, and getting home at about 3am.

29. Will you have someone to kiss at midnight? Not in the way that this question infers (to me at least)!

30. One wish for 08? To be out of the rut that I feel I'm in.