The End of Days
30/12/2008 07:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izmeinaIt's that time of year and a certain survey is doing the rounds again.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Did finally get a serious start on all those evil green intentions. Got some pumpkins pregnant, propagated peanuts from seed and ate real blueberries for the first time ever. Only had to go outside the door to get them
Recently grown some macadamias from seed and started experimenting with moon planting and biodynamic gardening
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Kept some but not all. Will make more again but this time being more specific and with actual dates on them. The 101 list is an excellent incentive and much more likely to be productive than the usual New Year's Resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Well, it's part of the job description when working in a nursing home. Three beautiful souls who really deserve proper posts of their own as well as Izzie's favorite auntie.
5. What countries did you visit?
Bits of Cyberia but rather less than usual. This year has been distinguished by many frustrating experiences in that part of the planet - evictions, long lapses in the World Wide Waiting Lounge and more evil beachball parties than this serpent cares to remember
Also one itsie bit of Oz - Bridgetown - which is as gorgeous as ever
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A bean counting job and some rain water tanks
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
13th February - the day the Prime Minister made an apology on behalf of the government to the Aboriginal people. It was genuine and sincere and not patronising and a quite impressive performance from a person who is usually a boring bureaucratic old fart. But it's been downhill all the way on his part since then. All talk and no action
21st June - a gorgeous crisp and crunchy day for getting all nostalgic and one of a handful of very memorable days for being able to remain in the present and be a happy contented serpent
15th September. A most dark full moon indeed. Quite strange visiting certain of this serpents' sacred sites - some of which are very near the state parliament, politicians's offices and the old astronomical observatory. Was peeking at a particularly spooky deck of tarot cards while listening to the gloom and doom as it was happening. Loony Lehman's and all the rest. And that's just the beginning
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Lots of progress on the Garden of Arcane Delights. Some of the stuff ups of last year proved most useful indeed in learning what not to do this time. Also getting the power plant on the roof and keeping the whole process secret from the Dursleys. First time they noticed it, they thought they were at the wrong house
9. What was your biggest failure?
Procrastinating on the Goblin job front. Graduated in Feb 2004 and still not even properly started looking for a paying job counting beans.
Also letting the evil plastic run a bit wild. It's now under control again but gobbled up the tax refund that should have been used for that rainwater tank
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The Izzie eyes have been not quite the same since that damned flight to Amsterdam. A noticeably decreased ability to decipher small print which is becoming increasingly more obvious
A bit of an issue for a serpent obsessed with reading the ingredients on labels and the country of origin
Got attacked by Pajero several times during the year. At least the Beast finally got evicted so there's no more danger on that front
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The annual Zoo membership fee and the usual selection of books
12. Where did most of your money go?
The House goblins usually get 50% of the Izzie after tax income and this year was no exception but the other big items were the power station on the roof and the continuing addiction to weeds and seeds. Oh and a few wild rampages in the jungles of Amazon
13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The promise big fat cheques from the electricity company (which are still in the mail) and the imminent demise of King George. Oh and lots of Schadenfreude. Merchant bankers gone bust are such deserving objects of pity, sympathy and charity
14. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Will come back to this one later
15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or Sadder - about the same.
Older or wiser Both - we hope
Thinner or fatter? Fatter. Ask Petunia - that's the only bit of Izzie that she is capable of noticing
Richer or poorer? Well - due to the ridiculous housing bubble in Dursleyville - the Lair has increased in price to such a ridiculous extent that it if we were buying it now - rather than back in 1998 - it would take more than 100% of our present take home pay just for the interest alone as opposed to the present 50%. We are so so lucky on the home front in that regard. But most of the things of value to the Izzie - access to books and our portkey to Cyberia as well as a little patch for growing things - we got everything we need and most of what we want.
But the old pension and handful of shares gathering dust in the cupboard have most definitely decreased in value
16. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Reading, gardening and decluttering
17. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Being cranky and neurotic. Trying to get out of the Hell Hole of Cyberia by keeping on digging instead of just switching off and tuning out
18. How will you be spending Christmas?
Was at the ma and pa's place in the afternoon - snoozing and being drunk and disorderly
19. Did you fall in love in 2008?
What is love?
20. What was your favorite TV program?
Izzie does now have a television but rarely bothers watching it. Did watch bits of the Olympics and "The Howard Years" got ever so nostalgic for the old mendacious rodent. Also - anything with Peter Cundall in it which this year was about half of "Gardening Australia"
21. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
We thinks that Robert Mugabe was also on the list last year plus a few new slimy creatures at work - two staff and two residents.
22. What was the best book you read?
Too busy slinking online and doing less reading than we used to. But the two standout reads of the year were Lon Milo DuQuette's "Understanding Aleistair Crowleys' Thoth Tarot" and Bill Mollison's "Permaculture - a designer's manual" The pair of these books have rather more in common than one would think on first glance. Secret Serpent Business and that sort of stuff.
23. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Spooky,sad and wistful but not miserable.
24. What did you want and get?
Some bright and shiny silver serpent panels on the roof and a telescope
25. What did you want and not get?
Loads of money and a rainwater tank
26. What was your favorite film of this year?
Seen bugger all movies this year but really liked "Wall-e" especially the gorgeous and seriously spooky beginning
27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went to a farmers market in Fremantle and the usual lunatic asylum before pottering over to the Dursleys for dinner. Oh and how old - 43. Due to an unexpected visit from Dementors it was one seriously miserable day.
28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A beachball and 404 free Cyberia
29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Fashion is an alien concept to this slobbish serpent. But we are rather partial to green hats.
30. What kept you sane?
Sane - Izzie sane? Never ever?
31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Er. Izzie prefers politics - Hollywood for ugly people. Bill Leake and Michael Leunig we guess - two very wicked Oz cartoonists. But Bill Leake got badly injured when chasing parrots and has been missing in action for quite a while now
But actually finding sexy - got to share him with Petunia - gorgeous old Peter Cundall
32. What political issue stirred you the most?
The never ending drama of the US elections. Rasputin and his evil antics as well as the usual rantings and raving from mad Mugabe. And the inner Goblin is absolutely riveted by the train wreck that is Wall Street. There's a whole bunch of chickens coming home to roost. Pity that it's the innocent bystanders as usual who are getting their eyes picked out
33. Who did you miss?
The Izzie sister and our little nieciekins. She was still hissing for about a month after her evil auntie left. She still squeals like other monsters of her age but we sort of see in her the Izzie that we could have been if we did not have such a Dursley for a mother - hell bent on getting rid of any magical tendencies. (But as long as public libraries exist - it is an impossible task) But it seems likely that Daisy will go to the other extreme and be too permissive rather than too authoritarian
And then of course - a certain Happy Buddha and friends. Only met them for a week but they've had an influence far beyond what they ever could have imagined. Izzie has never been so overdosed on charisma and Patronus power. As well as the most evil and brilliant battiness. We feel just so damned Dursleyish in comparison
PS - this is what we said in 2006 but another two years have gone by and still missing them so it's not really cheating to cut and paste.
And - you know - is awful to admit it but there's a rather large rat shaped space in this serpent's heart.
34. Who was the best new person you met?
Some very interesting escapes from Mugabe's madhouse and Yusheng Li - a gorgeous, gentle and beautiful soul at Izzie's work place. He's even more obsessed with politics than Izzie and knows more about our local politics than most Australians even though he's from Beijing and less than a year in Oz.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Blessed are those who expect nothing for they shall not be disappointed
Aside from several encounters with Dementors, most of the really awful days all had in common that they'd been the object of much anticipation and expectation. Most of the misery was due to sizzling hot or icky sticky weather which made original plans difficult or plain damned uncomfortable. And then there was one long awaited train trip - was so good last year that it was big on the list of fun things to look forward to. It got turned into a rather less relaxing and quite irritating five hour coach trip that left an hour earlier and arrived an hour later than the train journey would have done
On the other hand, some days which carried no expectations at all turned out to be the most wonderful and memorable of all the year.
36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"From little things, big things grow"
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Did finally get a serious start on all those evil green intentions. Got some pumpkins pregnant, propagated peanuts from seed and ate real blueberries for the first time ever. Only had to go outside the door to get them
Recently grown some macadamias from seed and started experimenting with moon planting and biodynamic gardening
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Kept some but not all. Will make more again but this time being more specific and with actual dates on them. The 101 list is an excellent incentive and much more likely to be productive than the usual New Year's Resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Well, it's part of the job description when working in a nursing home. Three beautiful souls who really deserve proper posts of their own as well as Izzie's favorite auntie.
5. What countries did you visit?
Bits of Cyberia but rather less than usual. This year has been distinguished by many frustrating experiences in that part of the planet - evictions, long lapses in the World Wide Waiting Lounge and more evil beachball parties than this serpent cares to remember
Also one itsie bit of Oz - Bridgetown - which is as gorgeous as ever
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A bean counting job and some rain water tanks
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
13th February - the day the Prime Minister made an apology on behalf of the government to the Aboriginal people. It was genuine and sincere and not patronising and a quite impressive performance from a person who is usually a boring bureaucratic old fart. But it's been downhill all the way on his part since then. All talk and no action
21st June - a gorgeous crisp and crunchy day for getting all nostalgic and one of a handful of very memorable days for being able to remain in the present and be a happy contented serpent
15th September. A most dark full moon indeed. Quite strange visiting certain of this serpents' sacred sites - some of which are very near the state parliament, politicians's offices and the old astronomical observatory. Was peeking at a particularly spooky deck of tarot cards while listening to the gloom and doom as it was happening. Loony Lehman's and all the rest. And that's just the beginning
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Lots of progress on the Garden of Arcane Delights. Some of the stuff ups of last year proved most useful indeed in learning what not to do this time. Also getting the power plant on the roof and keeping the whole process secret from the Dursleys. First time they noticed it, they thought they were at the wrong house
9. What was your biggest failure?
Procrastinating on the Goblin job front. Graduated in Feb 2004 and still not even properly started looking for a paying job counting beans.
Also letting the evil plastic run a bit wild. It's now under control again but gobbled up the tax refund that should have been used for that rainwater tank
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The Izzie eyes have been not quite the same since that damned flight to Amsterdam. A noticeably decreased ability to decipher small print which is becoming increasingly more obvious
A bit of an issue for a serpent obsessed with reading the ingredients on labels and the country of origin
Got attacked by Pajero several times during the year. At least the Beast finally got evicted so there's no more danger on that front
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The annual Zoo membership fee and the usual selection of books
12. Where did most of your money go?
The House goblins usually get 50% of the Izzie after tax income and this year was no exception but the other big items were the power station on the roof and the continuing addiction to weeds and seeds. Oh and a few wild rampages in the jungles of Amazon
13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The promise big fat cheques from the electricity company (which are still in the mail) and the imminent demise of King George. Oh and lots of Schadenfreude. Merchant bankers gone bust are such deserving objects of pity, sympathy and charity
14. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Will come back to this one later
15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or Sadder - about the same.
Older or wiser Both - we hope
Thinner or fatter? Fatter. Ask Petunia - that's the only bit of Izzie that she is capable of noticing
Richer or poorer? Well - due to the ridiculous housing bubble in Dursleyville - the Lair has increased in price to such a ridiculous extent that it if we were buying it now - rather than back in 1998 - it would take more than 100% of our present take home pay just for the interest alone as opposed to the present 50%. We are so so lucky on the home front in that regard. But most of the things of value to the Izzie - access to books and our portkey to Cyberia as well as a little patch for growing things - we got everything we need and most of what we want.
But the old pension and handful of shares gathering dust in the cupboard have most definitely decreased in value
16. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Reading, gardening and decluttering
17. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Being cranky and neurotic. Trying to get out of the Hell Hole of Cyberia by keeping on digging instead of just switching off and tuning out
18. How will you be spending Christmas?
Was at the ma and pa's place in the afternoon - snoozing and being drunk and disorderly
19. Did you fall in love in 2008?
What is love?
20. What was your favorite TV program?
Izzie does now have a television but rarely bothers watching it. Did watch bits of the Olympics and "The Howard Years" got ever so nostalgic for the old mendacious rodent. Also - anything with Peter Cundall in it which this year was about half of "Gardening Australia"
21. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
We thinks that Robert Mugabe was also on the list last year plus a few new slimy creatures at work - two staff and two residents.
22. What was the best book you read?
Too busy slinking online and doing less reading than we used to. But the two standout reads of the year were Lon Milo DuQuette's "Understanding Aleistair Crowleys' Thoth Tarot" and Bill Mollison's "Permaculture - a designer's manual" The pair of these books have rather more in common than one would think on first glance. Secret Serpent Business and that sort of stuff.
23. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Spooky,sad and wistful but not miserable.
24. What did you want and get?
Some bright and shiny silver serpent panels on the roof and a telescope
25. What did you want and not get?
Loads of money and a rainwater tank
26. What was your favorite film of this year?
Seen bugger all movies this year but really liked "Wall-e" especially the gorgeous and seriously spooky beginning
27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went to a farmers market in Fremantle and the usual lunatic asylum before pottering over to the Dursleys for dinner. Oh and how old - 43. Due to an unexpected visit from Dementors it was one seriously miserable day.
28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A beachball and 404 free Cyberia
29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Fashion is an alien concept to this slobbish serpent. But we are rather partial to green hats.
30. What kept you sane?
Sane - Izzie sane? Never ever?
31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Er. Izzie prefers politics - Hollywood for ugly people. Bill Leake and Michael Leunig we guess - two very wicked Oz cartoonists. But Bill Leake got badly injured when chasing parrots and has been missing in action for quite a while now
But actually finding sexy - got to share him with Petunia - gorgeous old Peter Cundall
32. What political issue stirred you the most?
The never ending drama of the US elections. Rasputin and his evil antics as well as the usual rantings and raving from mad Mugabe. And the inner Goblin is absolutely riveted by the train wreck that is Wall Street. There's a whole bunch of chickens coming home to roost. Pity that it's the innocent bystanders as usual who are getting their eyes picked out
33. Who did you miss?
The Izzie sister and our little nieciekins. She was still hissing for about a month after her evil auntie left. She still squeals like other monsters of her age but we sort of see in her the Izzie that we could have been if we did not have such a Dursley for a mother - hell bent on getting rid of any magical tendencies. (But as long as public libraries exist - it is an impossible task) But it seems likely that Daisy will go to the other extreme and be too permissive rather than too authoritarian
And then of course - a certain Happy Buddha and friends. Only met them for a week but they've had an influence far beyond what they ever could have imagined. Izzie has never been so overdosed on charisma and Patronus power. As well as the most evil and brilliant battiness. We feel just so damned Dursleyish in comparison
PS - this is what we said in 2006 but another two years have gone by and still missing them so it's not really cheating to cut and paste.
And - you know - is awful to admit it but there's a rather large rat shaped space in this serpent's heart.
34. Who was the best new person you met?
Some very interesting escapes from Mugabe's madhouse and Yusheng Li - a gorgeous, gentle and beautiful soul at Izzie's work place. He's even more obsessed with politics than Izzie and knows more about our local politics than most Australians even though he's from Beijing and less than a year in Oz.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Blessed are those who expect nothing for they shall not be disappointed
Aside from several encounters with Dementors, most of the really awful days all had in common that they'd been the object of much anticipation and expectation. Most of the misery was due to sizzling hot or icky sticky weather which made original plans difficult or plain damned uncomfortable. And then there was one long awaited train trip - was so good last year that it was big on the list of fun things to look forward to. It got turned into a rather less relaxing and quite irritating five hour coach trip that left an hour earlier and arrived an hour later than the train journey would have done
On the other hand, some days which carried no expectations at all turned out to be the most wonderful and memorable of all the year.
36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"From little things, big things grow"
