One year ago...
Dec. 19th, 2003 11:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
triskellianEarlier, I was looking for something in my old journal entries, and I discovered that a year ago, I was writing my 100 things about me list. Skimming through it, I noticed that quite a few of them have changed...
100 things about me updated
1. I really want another tattoo. They actually are addictive, which surprises me.
Still wanting another, still don't know what to have or where.
8. I don't regret dropping out of college
...but I'm glad to have a second shot at it, and am enjoying it much more this time around.
11. I'm increasingly uninterested in drinking alcohol. The main problem with this is that I like red wine and port. If they made non-alcoholic versions that tasted as good, I'd drink those.
And through the course of this year, I've almost entirely stopped drinking except on definite 'occasions' - parties and the like. I'm slightly tipsy as I write this, because it was the second of our two work Christmas 'do's today, so I had a few glasses of wine at lunchtime.
20. I love my job
Still true, I'm happy to say. And, of course, number 8 has something to do with this.
25. I wear quite a lot of jewellery, but I rarely change any of it. The current collection is: four hoop earrings, four stud earrings, an amber teardrop necklace (a new addition, replacing a triskell, but not permanently), seven rings (an almost plain silver band, which was my first ring; a purple band with silver cut-outs which was my Grandma's; a dragon from my boyfriend; a torc-shaped silver ring with amber in each end, also from my boyfriend; two crossed circles, from the Leeds festival; a red stone set in silver which I bought on holiday with the ex-love who doesn't speak to me; lapis lazuli set in silver, the origin of which I have completely forgotten)
At some point since writing that, I've switched to eight hoop earrings, but the most notable change in my jewellery-wearing habits is that there's now only one ring on my left hand: my engagement ring. In September, there'll be another to join it.
26. I buy books faster than I read them
Not true at the moment - I'm not buying many books at all, and most of the new ones I read, I'm borrowing. I can think of no particular reason for this.
29. I've convinced myself that I will one day change the version of my name I use. Starting each of my last two jobs, I introduced myself by the full version, but the attempt is scuppered by the fact that I think of myself as the short version you all know me by.
I'm not sure I ever will change properly, but when I change my surname, I will change the version of my first name I use with it, so that I'm the short version if it's just a first name, and the long version if it's my full name. I don't fancy alliterating.
30. I dislike my last name enough that I will probably change it if I get married; I don't think I would otherwise. The name that I am likely to acquire in its place goes well with my first name anyway.
:-)
33. My favourite film in 2002 was Monsoon Wedding
I haven't seen anything like as many films in 2003 as I did in 2002. Partly this is because of M, my main film-going-buddy, moving away, and partly because I've been spending so much time this year studying. My favourite was probably Intolerable Cruelty, although a colleague saw it the week after I did, and came into work saying 'I've just seen a really terrible film'. We concluded that if you usually like romantic comedies more than Coen brothers films, you won't like it, but if you prefer the Coen brothers to rom-coms, you will. The most recent film I've seen was Touching the Void, a documentary about a mountain climb that went badly wrong, which was shocking and nail-biting and beautiful.
35. I'm much more adventurous with books. I just wish I could read them more quickly. It torments me that the authors I already know about are churning out books faster than I could possibly read them, and there are so many other authors I'd love and will never be able to discover.
I suspect the first sentence of this one jinxed me - I've had to struggle through some books that I've hated, and would've given up on if I didn't have to read them. In every case, the struggle has been rewarded during the class on each book, and I've appreciated them much more with hindsight, having studied them. I still don't like them all, though.
36. I'm currently reading a collection of 'the best of' Elizabeth David, 'A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius', a study of the court of Henvry VIII, 'A Portrait of Jane Austen', and 'The Coast of Utopia: Salvage' and am trying to resist the urge to start on 'The Little Friend' as well
I'm rather embarrassed to admit that I didn't finish four of those, although with three of them it was because I got distracted, rather than giving up on them. The one I actively decided to give up on was The Little Friend (and notice how my book-title formatting has changed since diving back into academia). At the moment, I've just given up on HP5, I'm just starting Pompeii by Robert Harris, and I have a pile of others I'm planning on reading over the next two weeks.
39. My favourite TV programme is Buffy the Vampire Slayer
...which has now finished. I put 'sadly' in that sentence to start with, and removed it, because although in lots of ways I wish it hadn't finished, I'm certainly glad they're not spewing out more of the drivel the show was full of towards the end. I suppose The West Wing takes the crown now.
42. I don't play computer games. That's almost a lie, because I occasionally play Sim-type games, but I consider them to be toys, not games. The reason I don't like Caesar 3 (one of only two games I own) is that while I'm trying to design an ideal city of some sort, someone invades, or the annoying citizens start demanding things, and then Caesar shouts at me for spending all of his money. I much prefer Sim City (the other one) because it's just a toy.
But I have been playing some Soul Calibur since![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
smiorgan bought a Gamecube, and I've got The Sims for my laptop, but I think secretrebel has it at the moment.
43. I have only been a bridesmaid once, and I was too old to really appreciate it. The couple subsequently split up anyway.
And I suppose I never will be again, since any future bridesmaid jobs that come my way will technically be 'matron of honour' instead. At least, that's whatsecretrebel insists she'll call me if I do the job for her.
55. For the first time in many years, I'm currently only on one form of regularly-taken medication. It comes in a purple inhaler, which makes me happy.
Still on the purple inhaler, but it's now one of two forms of regular medication.
57. My preferred web browser is Mozilla
And that's still true on PCs, but my main computer now is my lovely shiny iBook, on which I use Safari.
66. I wish my hair was always the colour it is now, without having to work at it
Anyone who's seen me in the last couple of months may have noticed that I'm growing the dye out now. Assuming I don't get fed up of two-tone hair, I'll return to my natural colour for the first time since I was about sixteen. It's a 'hair condition' decision, though, not a 'hair colour' one, so it'll be dyed again in September. (Sorry,bateleur ;-)
68. I don't like titles, and avoid using them as much as possible. If someone insists on using one for me, the one I give is Ms.
And that's still going to be true after the wedding. With the added bonus of arguing with my mother about my right not to be 'Mrs' ;-)
70. I recently made an entire dress myself for the first time. I've previously adapted things, and cobbled together items less complicated than a dress, but nothing like this before. I had large amounts of help, but I'm still ridiculously proud of the achievement.
I've made another since then, with less help, and I'll be helping make my own wedding dress, about which I'm very excited.
92. I buy hardly any magazines. My favourite magazine was called Deadline, and hasn't existed for about seven years. I lent some of my copies to an unreliable person who has since lost them, and I've never forgiven him for it.
I must admit to having bought several wedding magazines, but only for the pictures of the dresses.
93. The biggest reason I replaced my mobile phone recently was because my old one was too old for me to be able to buy new covers for it.
The biggest reason I replaced my mobile phone recently was because I wanted Bluetooth, to connect to the iBook.
95. I own a kite, but I've never flown it. It's purple and shaped like some sort of squid-monster.
Still never flown it. Must try to do so this year.
100 things about me updated
1. I really want another tattoo. They actually are addictive, which surprises me.
Still wanting another, still don't know what to have or where.
8. I don't regret dropping out of college
...but I'm glad to have a second shot at it, and am enjoying it much more this time around.
11. I'm increasingly uninterested in drinking alcohol. The main problem with this is that I like red wine and port. If they made non-alcoholic versions that tasted as good, I'd drink those.
And through the course of this year, I've almost entirely stopped drinking except on definite 'occasions' - parties and the like. I'm slightly tipsy as I write this, because it was the second of our two work Christmas 'do's today, so I had a few glasses of wine at lunchtime.
20. I love my job
Still true, I'm happy to say. And, of course, number 8 has something to do with this.
25. I wear quite a lot of jewellery, but I rarely change any of it. The current collection is: four hoop earrings, four stud earrings, an amber teardrop necklace (a new addition, replacing a triskell, but not permanently), seven rings (an almost plain silver band, which was my first ring; a purple band with silver cut-outs which was my Grandma's; a dragon from my boyfriend; a torc-shaped silver ring with amber in each end, also from my boyfriend; two crossed circles, from the Leeds festival; a red stone set in silver which I bought on holiday with the ex-love who doesn't speak to me; lapis lazuli set in silver, the origin of which I have completely forgotten)
At some point since writing that, I've switched to eight hoop earrings, but the most notable change in my jewellery-wearing habits is that there's now only one ring on my left hand: my engagement ring. In September, there'll be another to join it.
26. I buy books faster than I read them
Not true at the moment - I'm not buying many books at all, and most of the new ones I read, I'm borrowing. I can think of no particular reason for this.
29. I've convinced myself that I will one day change the version of my name I use. Starting each of my last two jobs, I introduced myself by the full version, but the attempt is scuppered by the fact that I think of myself as the short version you all know me by.
I'm not sure I ever will change properly, but when I change my surname, I will change the version of my first name I use with it, so that I'm the short version if it's just a first name, and the long version if it's my full name. I don't fancy alliterating.
30. I dislike my last name enough that I will probably change it if I get married; I don't think I would otherwise. The name that I am likely to acquire in its place goes well with my first name anyway.
:-)
33. My favourite film in 2002 was Monsoon Wedding
I haven't seen anything like as many films in 2003 as I did in 2002. Partly this is because of M, my main film-going-buddy, moving away, and partly because I've been spending so much time this year studying. My favourite was probably Intolerable Cruelty, although a colleague saw it the week after I did, and came into work saying 'I've just seen a really terrible film'. We concluded that if you usually like romantic comedies more than Coen brothers films, you won't like it, but if you prefer the Coen brothers to rom-coms, you will. The most recent film I've seen was Touching the Void, a documentary about a mountain climb that went badly wrong, which was shocking and nail-biting and beautiful.
35. I'm much more adventurous with books. I just wish I could read them more quickly. It torments me that the authors I already know about are churning out books faster than I could possibly read them, and there are so many other authors I'd love and will never be able to discover.
I suspect the first sentence of this one jinxed me - I've had to struggle through some books that I've hated, and would've given up on if I didn't have to read them. In every case, the struggle has been rewarded during the class on each book, and I've appreciated them much more with hindsight, having studied them. I still don't like them all, though.
36. I'm currently reading a collection of 'the best of' Elizabeth David, 'A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius', a study of the court of Henvry VIII, 'A Portrait of Jane Austen', and 'The Coast of Utopia: Salvage' and am trying to resist the urge to start on 'The Little Friend' as well
I'm rather embarrassed to admit that I didn't finish four of those, although with three of them it was because I got distracted, rather than giving up on them. The one I actively decided to give up on was The Little Friend (and notice how my book-title formatting has changed since diving back into academia). At the moment, I've just given up on HP5, I'm just starting Pompeii by Robert Harris, and I have a pile of others I'm planning on reading over the next two weeks.
39. My favourite TV programme is Buffy the Vampire Slayer
...which has now finished. I put 'sadly' in that sentence to start with, and removed it, because although in lots of ways I wish it hadn't finished, I'm certainly glad they're not spewing out more of the drivel the show was full of towards the end. I suppose The West Wing takes the crown now.
42. I don't play computer games. That's almost a lie, because I occasionally play Sim-type games, but I consider them to be toys, not games. The reason I don't like Caesar 3 (one of only two games I own) is that while I'm trying to design an ideal city of some sort, someone invades, or the annoying citizens start demanding things, and then Caesar shouts at me for spending all of his money. I much prefer Sim City (the other one) because it's just a toy.
But I have been playing some Soul Calibur since
smiorgan bought a Gamecube, and I've got The Sims for my laptop, but I think secretrebel has it at the moment.43. I have only been a bridesmaid once, and I was too old to really appreciate it. The couple subsequently split up anyway.
And I suppose I never will be again, since any future bridesmaid jobs that come my way will technically be 'matron of honour' instead. At least, that's what
secretrebel insists she'll call me if I do the job for her.55. For the first time in many years, I'm currently only on one form of regularly-taken medication. It comes in a purple inhaler, which makes me happy.
Still on the purple inhaler, but it's now one of two forms of regular medication.
57. My preferred web browser is Mozilla
And that's still true on PCs, but my main computer now is my lovely shiny iBook, on which I use Safari.
66. I wish my hair was always the colour it is now, without having to work at it
Anyone who's seen me in the last couple of months may have noticed that I'm growing the dye out now. Assuming I don't get fed up of two-tone hair, I'll return to my natural colour for the first time since I was about sixteen. It's a 'hair condition' decision, though, not a 'hair colour' one, so it'll be dyed again in September. (Sorry,
bateleur ;-)68. I don't like titles, and avoid using them as much as possible. If someone insists on using one for me, the one I give is Ms.
And that's still going to be true after the wedding. With the added bonus of arguing with my mother about my right not to be 'Mrs' ;-)
70. I recently made an entire dress myself for the first time. I've previously adapted things, and cobbled together items less complicated than a dress, but nothing like this before. I had large amounts of help, but I'm still ridiculously proud of the achievement.
I've made another since then, with less help, and I'll be helping make my own wedding dress, about which I'm very excited.
92. I buy hardly any magazines. My favourite magazine was called Deadline, and hasn't existed for about seven years. I lent some of my copies to an unreliable person who has since lost them, and I've never forgiven him for it.
I must admit to having bought several wedding magazines, but only for the pictures of the dresses.
93. The biggest reason I replaced my mobile phone recently was because my old one was too old for me to be able to buy new covers for it.
The biggest reason I replaced my mobile phone recently was because I wanted Bluetooth, to connect to the iBook.
95. I own a kite, but I've never flown it. It's purple and shaped like some sort of squid-monster.
Still never flown it. Must try to do so this year.
