h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I mean the year, not that I am implying your topic for discussion is not interesting!!

Go on then, spill the beans, how was 2010 for you? What were the highlights1? The low points? - 2010 was okay actually. I kept my job, I got better at my job, I was able to indulge my hobbies and get better at them too...there was a rough patch where my Dad was really ill and we didn't know if he would make it, but he is okay now, and we are grateful!

Are you facing 2011 with a bounce in your step or a pit in your stomach? - I am not a natural optimist. I really, really need to work at looking on the bright side. But I actually feel okay about 2011 for me and my family. I think it is going to work out well. Not sure how yet...but time will tell.

Any good at making predicitons? So far the newspapers for 2011 have got house prices falling, unemployement rising; but what do you think? More protest on the streets? The end of the coalition? - Anyone who has been watching the media will know that 2011 is going to be tricky financially. My husband and I are going on an economy drive in everything that we do... and that is actually quite fun.

Psychologically speaking, what is it about Christmas and tying up loose ends and New Year and forging new beginnings? Surely, in cosmological terms, it's all completely arbitrary. What's going on here? Why do we need dates, ends beginnings? - I think the whole festive season taps into the fertility cycle in terms of dormancy during winter and then new growth in spring. And that is cosmological isn't it, because of the turning of the earth on its axis...or have I got the definition of cosmological wrapped round my neck? So new year, new start. A bit like writing on a brand new piece of paper... exciting! (Yes, I need to get out more) If we didn't have dates and months and weeks then we wouldn't have week ends, and I don't want to live in a life like that!!

Does anyone make New Year's resolutions anymore? Did you keep yours last year? Will you make any for 2011? - I made resolutions last year and none of them survived the first week. This year, I have decided to set myself 3 100 day challenges, and then have a 50 day challenge at the year end (and 15 days off... so I can party next Christmas!!). I can therefore set my self improvement challenges and monitor my progress through the year. So far, things are not going too badly.