Picnic By The Motorway

Hello! I’m still here, and so are you, which is handy.

 

It’s that time of the year again, when I dust off the annual end-of-year meme and fill it out, then invite you to do the same. I’m sorry there are no interesting photos to add some colour to this entry. Pregnancy is exhausting, and quite frankly, posting photos is just too much effort for this grumpypants.  Enough small talk, let’s crack into it…

 

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Got pregnant – that’s pretty significant, right?

 

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
At the end of last year I was determined to finish that interval training programme that would end with me being able to run continuously for 30 minutes, and I’m pleased to say I reached that goal.

 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My friends Djeisan and Emily had a little baby girl in October called Nina

 

4. Did anyone close to you die?
I went to one funeral this year – Gareth was tragically hit by a bus in August, it was (as you can imagine) incredibly sad. I feel that I should point out we weren’t close friends and I hadn’t seen him for a long time, but he was a friend nonetheless.

 

5. What countries did you visit?
The United States (LA and New York) and Australia (Sydney to see Pulp play)

 

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A baby (feeling pretty confident about that one). But in all seriousness, I’d like to adopt a healthier lifestyle and more consistent routines. That whole running and gymming thing went out the window (as these things tend to do… if you’re me) and with it went any semblance of a healthy diet. Why is eating right such a massive struggle for me?

 

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
31st August – the day I found out I was pregnant

 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Winning Best Blog at the Canon Media Awards!

 

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being particularly smart or motivated when it came to nutrition. Again.

 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The running led to shin splints, and so I started swimming which led to me twisting something in my back and I ended up needing physio treatment. No majors though.

 

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A rocking chair for nursing le bebe. I found it on TradeMe, picked it up on Saturday and have been watching Christmas movies in it. Oh, and it will be good for when the baby comes along too.

 

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Everyone involved on the frontline of rescue and recovery in the Christchurch Earthquake, both in terms of people’s lives but also people’s properties and livelihoods.

 

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
It makes me really sad to say that someone close to me displayed some fairly appalling behaviour this year. For their own privacy I won’t name names, but basically someone I love (and will always love) let a few of us down.

 

14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, renovations, food

 

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
That little blue line on the pregnancy test. And all the subsequent little blue lines that followed over the next few days. It took some time before I realised YES, IT’S REAL you see.

 

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
‘Roman’s Revenge’ – Nicki Minaj

 

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder?
Happier
b) Thinner or fatter?
Well, fatter I guess, but c’mon – there’s another human inside me!
c) Richer or poorer?
Less in debt, so richer I suppose

 

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Eating right, exercising, reading books, blogging

 

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Sweating the small stuff

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With family, as always

 

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
I am kinda falling in love with this little guy or gal that’s taken residence in my belly

 

22. What was your favourite TV programme?
Modern Family, Downton Abbey, Work of Art, Gossip Girl, Shortland Street, The X Factor (US)

 

23. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn’t dislike this time last year?
No, but I’ve lost a little respect for a few

 

24. What was the best book you read?
Didn’t read any books. Shut up, leave me alone.

 

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Frank Ocean

 

26. What did you want and get?
To see Pulp play just one more time thanksverymuch!

 

27. What did you want and not get?
Wardrobe doors. Joel, why don’t we have wardrobe doors yet?

 

28. What was your favourite film of this year?
Bridesmaids

 

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned thirty-two this year, and when you get old your memory starts to go, so please bear that in mind when I say I think I worked on my birthday this year (I usually try to take it off), and then Joel took me out to an amazing fancypants dinner at the French Cafe

 

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Honestly, it’s been a pretty good year. I would’ve liked to have achieved a bit more around the house in terms of renovations/landscaping etc (wardrobe doors!), but meh, not a biggie.

 

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Less and less “fashionable” by the day

 

32. What kept you sane?
Joel

 

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Gosh, I think I might have fallen for Ryan Gosling a little bit after seeing Crazy Stupid Love. I know, very late on the train and all that, but better late than never right?

 

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The General Election. I watched the debates on the telly and everything

 

35. Who did you miss?
My sister moved to the other side of the city which means I don’t see her or my niece and nephew as often as I used to, so I find myself missing them quite a bit

 

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Hayden Abercrombie! Okay, that’s a cheat because technically I met him last year, but I didn’t get to know him until this year.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011
I can’t actually fix everyone else’s problems

 

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year
“Girl, you’ll be a woman soon” – Neil Diamond

 

Now if you could be so kind as to fill out this wee meme with your answers (either in the comments below, or by providing a link to a post on your own blog) that would be great.

 

Finally… we find out if it’s a boy or a girl baby tomorrow. According to the the majority of you lot on the last entry’s guess-poll thingo we’re looking down the barrel of a boy baby (boy edged out girl by only a very small margin). Unfortunately, even though Joel and I will be finding out tomorrow, you guys are going to have to wait until Christmas Day – because that’s when we’re telling the family. Sorry about that!