The Year That Was

Okay, so 2009 hasn't quite finished, but I don't anticipate much happening in the next 2 days. It's been a pretty good year. :)

The first half of the year revolved around planning and then going on a month long trip to the UK. It was an interesting experience both planning and travelling with someone else, and I learned a lot from the experience. I must say though, that I don't regret the trip in any way - it was awesome! I can't wait to go back again and see so much more. I had a couple of short trips back to New Zealand to see family.

The second part of the year was anticipating Mum and my nephew Alex coming to stay. It was nice to have my Mum here. :) We had lots of fun. I found out that my sister was having child #5. I planned and booked a trip to Turkey with a few days in London on either side. Next year, I'll be spending Anzac Day at Gallipoli, so that will be something to cross off my To Do list.

In between times, it was work and a bit of play. I got banned from a website (long story and it involves what happened in the UK), which made me value even more what a great site Jixemitri is. I started to get back into writing, and today posted my first piece of Trixie Belden fan fiction for quite some time! I discovered the fun of e-books - and while they'll never replace the printed word for me, I love getting a story instantly. Amongst this I discovered the author Josh Lanyon. I love his writing, although since he writes M/M he's not everyone's cup of tea. Because his focus is on plot, it's easy enough to skip over squicky bits. I discovered him by accident. He's also very appreciative of his fans - replying to all the comments he gets on his livejournal page.

Other books I've enjoyed this year - The Uncle's Story - Witi Ihimaera, Regeneration - Pat Barker, All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque. Bit of a war theme here, lol!

There haven't been too many that I haven't really enjoyed. The only one that springs to mind is A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway. It's kind of hard to enjoy a book where you can't stand the main characters.

TV - the main show I discovered this year was Being Human. A delightful British show about a vampire, werewolf and ghost who live together. It's both funny and touching. Can't wait until the next series.

So, what's in store for 2010? My trip to Turkey in April / May. A new nephew in April, and hopefully a return to the USA as well. I'm aiming for the Jix Chicago Weekend, but I might end up having to delay until later in the year.