So that was 2012

Everyone appears to be doing their roundups of the year - I'm not usually one for a bandwagon but hey. Might help me actually put my resolutions into action...

2011's been a weird year. The over-riding feeling I have moving into 2012 is "good riddance" and I think that's mainly because of work which has, to be honest, been a bit pants for the majority of the last year. It's a real shame that work is such a large part of my life, because outside of that there have been a lot of really great days, weekends, moments.

It's stating the obvious to say that nobody enjoys a redundancy process and my work has been no different. Fortunately I do still have a job. Unfortunately the process has made most of this year no fun at all. However, the last two months have seen some big improvements and I'm remembering that one of the best things about it is how engaging and challenging it can be, underlining the absolute importance of a decent line manager. My new manager has been refreshingly honest with me about my work and actually made me want to apply myself again.

Onto the funtimes
It's always hard to choose the best moments among so many. I'm incredibly fortunate to have an amazing social circle, which has grown considerably this year Plenty of opportunities for dressing up, which as I've said before is amazing fun, yay!

Going to an 80s party as Cyndi Lauper with Adz as Brian Blessed in Flash and Tris as a glam rocker

I've already mentioned the yearly reunion with fellow meat-and-metal lovers, Gattysburg. This year's Burg was particularly carnage filled, with cars in ditches, foxhunts and ping pong galore. There were some great excursions into Devon - spent a few days hostelling with Adam, then went caravanning for a weekend with his brother and a few friends where we ran into the sea at three in the morning.

Adz and I in Salcombe, Torbay

I also had a lot of fun rediscovering my love for Gilbert and Sullivan when I joined the Grosvenor Light Opera Society, playing a small part in The Gondoliers this summer. It's there I met and got to know my good friend Hazel, who joined us at Sonisphere festival - the best I've been to in my ten years going to these things.

Doing my hair in the dressing rooms

Playing Inez in the Gondoliers

Fellow Dethonator-WAG Lyndsey's hen-do in Sheffield was awesome - I have very few female friends so when I do have a girly night I do enjoy it. Dressing up was fun. And of course the wedding was also a lot of fun.

Hen do! Pirates!

Oh and this year has been a year of celebrity sightings! The SO's brother met John Schaffer and the SO himself met Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson, who lived up to his reputation for being a bit of a knob. And, of vital importance, Dethonator supported Kerrang darlings Glamour of the Kill.

My resolutions
We're not aiming high here, just trying to fix the things that are broken.

1. Lose some goddamned weight. Goal is to lose at least a stone. 
2. Keep the house in better order by establishing a workable cleaning routine. Want to start this one with a big ol' house-purge
3. Improve my work ethic. I need to start thinking about a promotion or a change. Figure the best way to make a start on that is to focus on improving where I am already.
4. Remember how good my life is and db more cheerful. It's a new year, new opportunities await. time to stop being a pessimist. 

Lets see how that goes...