Groundhog Day

Here we go again. Didn’t I just write a recap of 2007 like a week ago? What the hell happened? And what have I done? Another year over? A new one just begun? Imagine there’s no heaven? It’s easy if you try? Just excuse me while I start my own one-man John Lennon tribute band.

2008 wasn’t a bad year. It wasn’t a good year. It was just a year. I was mainly happy, albeit a bit bored and restless. Some stuff happened. Here is some stuff that happened:

• Started a new job in January. Liked it. Got used to it. Became indifferent to it.
• Half committed to a church. Started playing piano. Stopped playing piano. Fully uncommitted to it.
• Formed an a cappella group. Got some gigs. Did some busking. Got thoroughly out-busked by a giant brass band about ten metres away. Realised how intrinsically stingy the people of Launceston are.
• Went back to uni. Gave English a try. Hated it. Changed back to history. Loved it.
• Upgraded our car to a Subaru Outback. Felt like a yuppie.
• Went to Sydney to visit a friend. Had a miniature personality crisis. Felt small. Got a tattoo. Felt tough. Went to Hillsong. Felt amused.
• Had relatives visit. Went quietly insane after the 30th cup of tea and 43rd conversation about Tasmanian weather.
• Planted a veggie garden. Felt like Peter Cundall when some stuff actually grew.
• Participated in the wedding of a good friend as her matron of honour. Loved it. Felt old.
• Sang in Carols by Candlelight. Wore a shiny silver top that I will never, ever wear again.

I also made two New Year’s resolutions.

Ask if I could do some work experience in a different department at work
I made this resolution on New Year’s Eve. I knew once I’d made the resolution, I’d have to act on it immediately otherwise I’d chicken out. So I rang the boss straight away. She said that would be fine, and that I could start whenever I liked! I’d fulfilled my resolution, and it wasn’t even 2009 yet. So I thought I’d better make another one:

Lose five kilograms
Yes, I know. Lose weight. Very original of me. Even though I knew that the swim-ring I’d been cultivating over the last few years was happy fat, it was fat nonetheless. I figured it would be easier to lose a few kilos than to buy a new wardrobe. So I joined a website called Calorie King. It’s totally fabulous, and it’s working already.

New Years Eve itself was spent on our deck with beer and friends. M brought along some small squares of lead, telling us that a German friend of hers told her of a tradition where you heat up a bit of lead until it melts, then throw it into cold water, and the shape it forms is supposed to predict the year that lies ahead. This is the shape I got:

I think it’s a dragon. This year I’m going to fly the sky at night, setting people and property alight with my fiery breath, before taking refuge in my treasure-filled lair.

Then some annoying prat called Beowulf is gonna come and stick a sword through my heart.

Beats a quiet night in, I suppose.