Sex, Lies and Audio Tape

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Got a tattoo, made a podcast, started writing for the Manchester Evening News, started writing for Orange.co.uk, felt like a proper music journalist, talked about new music on BBC Radio Manchester, became a website editor, was interviewed for Radio 6, had my picture taken by Associated Press whilst wearing a dust suit and dancing around the Stone Circle at Glastonbury at sunrise, was interviewed (whilst incredibly hungover) for The Politics Show in the North West (they cornered me at 7:30am at the Tony Wilson Experience whilst I was carting around a severely sprained ankle. I look wasted and I came across like a right knobber), interviewed numerous doom-metal luminaries, went to a part of Liverpool which wasn't in some way connected with the Beatles, went to London to pitch a big important scary idea to Haymarket Media and Sony Ericsson, moved into an attic, had one of my features on the Guardian turn into a rather bizarre flame war, made an adult decision to grow hair in some places and lose it in others, learnt how to cook Malaysian food, acquired some all-important life skills of what to do when your boyfriend goes missing, joined the Fawcett Society, went without sex for six months (I DON'T recommend it), became a shelf stacker in an Organic Vegan Supermarket, went on a World War Two diet for a feature and discovered that I really rather like the taste of stout, fell asleep in a disabled toilet for three hours, learnt lots of rather dull facts about the Middle East, met the Romanian Ambassador, had my eczema treated by a homeopath (sorry Ben Goldacre-please don't hate me), came off antidepressants without setting anyone on fire, saw a drunk man take a piss in a cat's litter tray, convinced one of my housemates that I was dead.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept the one about growing my hair....but that's about it. I will make more come 1st January, but whether I keep them is another matter altogether.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, although I did find out on Christmas Eve that a mutual friend of both myself and hospitalsoup is four months pregnant. If anything, 2008 was the year of me discovering that people I knew had given birth via various media outlets. The Daily Star told me that a girl I went to school with who used to be in Coronation Street had spawned, and Radio 2 told me that a bloke-in-a-rather-well-known-band who I once had a fling with had a baby boy. Actually, reading this makes me seriously wonder whether one of my resolutions for 2009 should be keeping in better touch with people.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, No.

5. What countries did you visit?
Liverpool.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A cat. (I'm thinking of calling him Mr. George). Curly red hair.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September. All of it. My boyfriend went missing and I celebrated by getting drunk, getting a tattoo, moving to a new house, and going to the shops and getting a brand new boyfriend within two weeks of the old one buggering off. (And I'm a lot happier for it may I add).

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Being asked to write for the Manchester Evening News. Bit of a childhood dream accomplished that. It was made all the sweeter for the fact that at a job interview I attended in March, the interviewer told me that I would never be a proper Journalist, and if I attempted to write for the M.E.N I'd be laughed out of the door. I'm also pretty chuffed at the fact that I was asked to talk about new music on BBC Radio Manchester a few times, even if I did misuse my power to make inappropriate black metal noises across the airwaves.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I genuinely wish I'd had more strength to admit that my relationship with C wasn't working, instead of lying to myself and everyone around me that everything was fine. Looking back at it all, I was really unhappy with the way things were between us from around March onwards, but I was so scared of being single again that to me, just being with someone-no matter how distant and cold they were towards me-was better than being on my own. If I'd not been so scared of being single, I would have left him in May after we had a massive argument which led to me gathering my belongings and storming out of his flat. He didn't contact me during the whole time I was angry with him (instead he just got drunk and went out to his favourite club), and when I asked him afterwards why he didn't call me or text me to check whether I was ok, his response was that it hadn't occured to him that he needed to do so. I suppose I should have realised then that it was never going to work out, but there you go. You live and you learn I suppose.

10. Were you seriously ill during 2008?
I had more colds than I would have liked this year, but apart from that, No.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My tattoo.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My ever wonderful friends (prilbot in particular gets ultra-mega-hi-fives here for our Summer of gossping and setting the world to rights over pints of Ginger Marble beer), my pretty damn fine young gentleman caller, and my parents for being the best bank I know. This is a joke by the way readers.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My ex boyfriend's mainly. (For those of you keeping up at the back, I haven't had any contact with him since he messaged me back in September letting me know he was alive).

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, booze, debts, library charges, bank charges, electricity bills, deposits on attics, my tattoo, cake mixes, records, train tickets, vintage brooches off Ebay, very pretty dresses.

15. What did you get excited about?
Glastonbury, Supersonic, the attic, DJ'ing, writing, new boyfriends.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2008?
:: Bon Iver-For Emma
:: Fleet Foxes-Drops in the River
:: Cocteau Twins-Bluebeard
:: Ladyhawke-Paris is Burning
:: The Week That Was-The Airport Line
:: Can-I Want More
:: Holger Czukay-Cool in the Pool
:: Kings of Leon-Sex on Fire
:: Steely Dan-Peg
:: Mogwai-The Sun Smells Too Loud
:: Sisters of Transistors-The Don
:: Elbow-The Bones of You
:: The Macabees-Toothpaste Kisses
:: Blackout Crew-Put a Donk on it
:: Rozi Plain-Stolen Shark
:: Long Fin Killie-Headlines
:: Edan-Run that Shit
:: Anything by Bonobo
:: Anything by The Travelling Band

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? Not checked yet (too scared to), but wouldn't be all that surprised if I was fatter.
iii. richer or poorer? Well, I've earnt more this year than I did in 2007, but that didn't stop me screaming out loud when I checked my bank balance this morning.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Took more pictures with my Holga and my vintage Polaroid. A few more freelance commissions would have been nice. Losing some weight would have been pretty good as well.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Getting blind drunk and falling asleep in toilets. Fretting. Sleeping alone. Procrastinating.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Cooking dinner for eight people, drinking tonnes of wine with my family, listening to my Grandfather regale us with his tales of how he once painted the inside of an oven (which caused it to explode when my Grandmother then proceeded to cook a meat pie in it).

21. How many one night stands?
None. This in itself is a massive achievement.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes, with this fella.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No one I can think of. The usual suspects still apply of course.

24. What was your favorite TV programmes?
:: 30Rock. (I love Tina Fey so much that I am currently in the process of turning into a cross between Liz Lemon and Daisy Steiner from Spaced)
:: Absolutely(Mainly because I have a bit of a crush on one of its comedic actors. Also, Mr. Don and Mr. George FTW)
:: America's Next Top Model (I have no shame)

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Radcliffe and Maconie Show on Radio 2.

26. Which were the best books you read?
:: Gordon Burns-Happy Like Murderers
:: Jon Savage-England's Dreaming
:: David Peace-The Red Riding Quartet (1973/1977/1980/1983)
:: Bill Drummond-17
:: Alan Warner-Morvern Callar

27. Are you happy with your lot?
I'd like some more money, and a new job wouldn't go amiss (plus ca change, eh?), but apart from that, Yes.

28. What did you want and get?
A tattoo, a clean kitchen, a flat which wasn't permanently on the verge of falling down, an active sex life, a bloke who actually wasn't disgusted by the thought of sharing a bed with me.

29. What did you want and NOT get?
A new job. I would also have really liked that full time position at the Manchester Evening News, but apparently I was asking for too much money. Story of my life that.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Nothing really stands out, but I did like the Joy Division documentary and No Country for Old Men. Oh, and I've seen WarGames not once, not twice, but THREE times this year.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I sat around in my pants in mcgazz's house, getting wasted on whiskey whilst watching the Darts. I was 26.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting the fuck out of Geldof Heights. Being screamed at by people in authority less and being appreciated for my hard work more. Having the self awareness to realise that when your "boyfriend" prefers sleeping on a couch to sleeping with you, then something in that relationship really isn't working.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
I appear to have spent most of 2008 dressed like some kind of one woman version of the Village People. I'm currently rocking the cowboy-shirt-Sonic-Youth-Goo-Tshirt-black slimleg jeans-vintage-cowboy-boots look.

34. What kept you sane?
Books. Music. Writing. My friends. mcgazz

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Charlie Brooker still holds a rare and special place in my heart (particularly as I had a dream last night where he pinched my arse-the saucy little devil), but this year I've found myself having more than one filthy thought about the guy who plays Roy in the I.T Crowd. I think it's something to do with his hair, his accent and-bizarrely-his arms.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
:: The American Election (Go President-Elect Obama!)
:: Feminism (I joined the Fawcett Society this year and would really like to do more work with them in 2009)
:: The Shministim (Israeli Consciencious Objectors)
:: Israel firing missiles into the Gaza Strip (Put it this way, I don't think I'll be paying the Israeli Ambassador a visit in 2009)

37. Who did you miss?
James, Jodie, Walter, Fong, Kate, my American Grandfather.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
mcgazz, my editor at the Manchester Evening News, who's ace when he's not drunk and trying to put his hand down my top.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
That I shouldn't let fear hold me back so much.

40. Quote a joke that sums up your year:
Q: What's Brown and rhymes with Snoop?
A: Doctor Dre.