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

So that was 2004 then eh? Last night wasn’t so bad; I was pretty grouchy and rather sarcastic, but I had a lovely meal with my parents (it’s quite an effort to remain sulky when you’re eating apple crumble and ice-cream) and critically I didn’t get hammered. Consequently I’m feeling less hungover and a bit more positive than I usually do on new-year’s day. Anyway, this afternoon I’m going to catch up with one of my best friends. So it’s probably a good thing that I’m not in my traditional sour mood.

Anyway, I’ve been erratically keeping this journal now for just over a year (about fifty-six weeks); so since it’s now new-year, I thought I’d write a little retrospective summary of what’s been happening over the last twelve months or so, and also write a little about what the new-year might bring.

My first entry was December 4th 2003 and in roughly fifty-six weeks I’ve written sixty-six entries totalling over twenty-five thousand words. There have been gaps when I haven’t felt much like writing, but on the whole I’ve averaged better than one entry per week and more than four hundred words per week, which I think is pretty good.

I guess it’s been a pretty busy year all things considered. Since this is the first year I’ve actually kept a journal it’s the first year I’ve had chance to realise all the things I’ve been desperately trying to fit into my days for the last twelve months. But all the same, I think this year has been more chaotic than usual.

There’s been a fair few bad times, usually related to my love life and all entirely my own fault. I’ve been accused of fraud and been stalked by a crazy Welsh girl from a mobile phone call centre (did I mention she called me again a couple of weeks ago?). But then, there have also been some really great times. So in no particular order, and just because it makes me feel good, here goes.

I’ve been to eleven gigs during the course of the year. Highlights were: seeing Franz Ferdinand before anyone else knew who they were, shaking hands with the lead singer and completely failing to get his autograph; The Red Hot Chili Peppers, the biggest gig of the year; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds; and my favourite singer songwriter, Mr Tom McRae (both times).

At the Bath comedy club I particularly enjoyed: getting hit on by the rather scary Lizzie Roper; the amazingly cool Ronnie Edwards; the dark and sinister music of Andrew Lawrence (who was only filling in at the last minute); the surprisingly witty Mundo Jazz; and probably my favourite, Mike Gunn, stand up comedian and recovering heroin addict who made us laugh and made us think and is the only act I’ve seen receive a standing ovation in the cellar bar of The Porter.

I started Salsa dancing and found I really enjoyed it. It most probably kept me sane (or at least slowed the steady deterioration of my sanity) while I was in Stevenage. And I discovered Rueda while I was away as well. I’m definitely going to have to make a point of going to Rueda lessons in the new-year.

I ran in two half marathons this year (Bath and Bristol) and broke my personal best time in each one. I’m now looking forward to Bath Half in a couple of months (and hoping to get some training done). If I’m honest, I’ve been a bit lazy over the last couple of months and one of the things I’m going to try and work harder on in the new-year is my fitness. But then, I say that every year. We’ll see eh?

There have been a good few parties during the year. One of which I’ve attended dressed as a buccaneer and another dressed as Danger Mouse. And there’s been two or three more formal occasions as well when I’ve had chance to dress up a bit. I even went to a proper Christmas Ball and had to learn to waltz (all be it badly) so that I could share the last dance with my girlfriend.

Although I didn’t manage a real holiday this year (or the year before either), I did go home for a couple of weekends and got a chance to catch up with some of my old friends from Wolverhampton University. I also spent a week or so exploring Edinburgh and Glasgow (while supposedly on a conference) and a couple of days in Lancaster. And of course I had the “pleasure” of spending nearly four months of the year in Stevenage trying to amuse myself reading mountains of books, practicing my Salsa dancing and spending every available evening at the cinema. I actually haven’t been abroad since I went to Sweden for mid-summer just before I started my PhD (about two and a half years ago now I guess), but that should be rectified fairly early next year when I’m flying to France skiing for a week in January.

For a full list of smileys you can use, please sThis year also saw the birth of both Flammable Flower’s son and my goddaughter. Both of whom are growing rapidly and doing well. Something else to look forward to in the new?year is fulfilling my first official duty as “The Godfather” when I attend the Christening. And of course my brother’s girlfriend is expecting a baby (in April I think).

So speaking of next year I guess now’s about the time for a couple of new-year’s resolutions. I know these are clichéd and no one ever really sticks to them so my first new-year’s resolution this year is to actually stick to as many of the following resolutions as possible. Right here goes…

I mentioned above that I’ve been neglecting my fitness recently and with Bath Half in just a couple of months I really want to get outside and running a bit more often.

I’ve also decided to try and be a bit more serious about my chemistry and a bit more dedicated to my research. It’s now the final year of my PhD and pretty soon I’m going to be thinking about getting a thesis together and then about getting through a viva examination and then about getting one of those job thingies that everyone keeps going on about. I’ve had a lot of fun being a PhD student over the last couple of years, but I’m going to have to start thinking about what I’m going to do afterwards. If I’m not careful then everything will catch up with me at once and I want to be better prepared than I am right now.

Right what else? Well the next ones aren’t so important, but I want to try and make time to read more. I really enjoyed being able to do that while I was in Stevenage. I read eighteen books while I was away and since I left there I’ve read about two. I want to try and read more non-fiction as well as fiction and also I’m going to try and write the odd book review (or movie review or album review) if I think there’s something that warrants it. I also want to make more of an effort to see live music and theatre in and around Bath. There’s plenty going on in Bath if you know where to look so next year I want to make an effort to look.

Okay, I think that’ll do. Welcome to 2005. Happy New-Year everyone!