Category: Life

Ahhh the scent of the new year is on the breeze (although weirdly it’s mostly whisky and shortbread, ohh and steak pie…).

I resolve to be better, to improve, in 2011.

I will eat healthier. I will exercise. I will read more books. I will do the things I enjoy. I will embrace positivity and say yes. I will reject negativity and say no. I will have fun. I will find out more about how I am now.

And I will probably not keep to all those promises but I resolve to try my best.

Here’s to a 2011 and I hope yours is full of more ups and downs, and more YAYs than BOOOs.

Mumsy knows me well, she knows I am still a big kid and so she bought me a Lego Advent calendar.

It’s AWESOME! (if somewhat random…).

Each window has a little lego kit to build, all of which will come together and, well, I’m not really sure they WILL all come together, like I said, it’s all a bit random…

And looks like this:

And no, I don’t know what everything is but I don’t care. I got to play with Lego every day!

I am starting to get royally fedup with this perpetual monotone. I get it, it’s winter. Can we move on now?

Along with the cold and ice and snow, the rapid filling of my calendar is a sure sign it’s the festive season. Communal gatherings of friends and family, and the usual desire to “finish this by the end of the year” has my calendar swarming with outings, tasks and reminders.

And then, on top of all that, my best mate goes and breaks his arm so I need to go and help him wrap some presents. Numpty that he is.

However, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

For all those reasons and more, the year is ending on a high and, whilst there will be melancholy tones here and there (it’ll be the first Christmas morning I’ve spent alone, ever), I’m looking forward to it all.

After that, thoughts turn to 2011, of plans and hopes, attending Glastonbury, taking a photography course, and more travel as I’m determined to stop relying on the festive period as the catalyst to seeing my far flung friends.

There will be ups and downs, as always, but so much of this year has been about change, about looking back and realising what it will take to make the future more of what I want.

2011 will be a good year. Oh yes. Mark my words.

I’ve almost finished my Christmas shopping. I have one more item (possibly in two parts) to buy and all that will be left will be to badly wrap said presents.

And I guess I should buy a Christmas tree at some point but that can wait.

Part of my longer term plan for the coming year, financially, was to get a credit card that offered 0% on purchases within the first year, and use that for the few remaining things I need to buy for the flat (a chair, some pots, some kitchen knives and maybe a new camera).

Alas I’m STILL waiting for my name to appear on the credit scoring system check against the electoral roll. It is more than a tad annoying. Nothing is hugely urgent though, although I may need new front tyres after yet another heavy snowy/icy night and the odd bit of sudden wheel spin.

As ever, with Christmas approaching, the weeks are starting to fill up with nights out and Christmas events. Mine kick off on Friday, with our team Christmas lunch, and include a viewing of It’s A Wonderful Life at the Glasgow Film Theatre, a possible ‘Moon’ night (weather dependant) run by Glasgow University, a couple of nights out to clubs, the Company Christmas ‘do’ and the Monday before Christmas a viewing of TRON: Legacy at the IMAX (wheeeee!).

After all that lot it’s just the usual eat, drink, sleep pattern from Christmas through to Hogmanay.

I’ve already got some things sketched out for the New Year, including a few gigs, a photography night class, and I’m thinking about a wee trip to London in February.

But enough of all that. One thing I won’t be doing, as I’ve rarely managed them in the past so thought I’d just skip them all together this year, is any “Best of 2010” lists. It’s been one helluva bumpy ride this year, but it’s ending on a high and I’d much rather look forward to 2011.

Symptoms abating.

Normality returning.

Hopefully in time for the weekend.

This blog is starting to feel like just that, a personal blog, again.

That’s good, in that I seem to be getting some sort of writing routine back (even if it’s still somewhat sporadic) and bad in that I seem to be treating it more like a diary.

Anyway, it’s my blog, I can do what I want.

One thing that I definitely need to focus on is getting into a routine. Tonight, finally, I have an induction at a gym. I deliberately chose one close to work, that opens at 7am, to force myself to get up and hit the gym in the morning (with the fallback of going in the evening). It’s not that far from my flat, about 15-20 minute drive, but as my weekends are looking busy already then I’ll likely, mostly, be going during the week anyway.

That’s the plan at least.

I’m also considering buying a Wii, and Wii Fit, as I did enjoy using it and it was definitely helping with my flexibility (cardio stuff is better at the gym), although I do need to buy a new camera as I’m going to be signing up for a photography class which starts in January…

Hmmmmm, I think I need a new credit card.