Meme of the Year 2021
Dec. 31st, 2021 05:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zaliachimera1. What did you do in 2021 that you’d never done before?
Wrote an episode for Zombies, Run! It's called White Out, and it's a short horror story set in the arctic where you're the assisstant to a dog sled musher. You can listen to it for free by downloading the Zombies, Run! app.
I was producer for Witching Hour, a special Halloween story for Escape Artists, which features contributions from various other cool horror podcasts!
I turned one of my Magnus Archives escape games into an online game you can play over on Itch.io called The Anchor. People are still playing it!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I mean, I finally wrote a thing for Zombies, Run! That was a huge dream of mine from about 2013! I have a couple of resolutions for next year. I would like to write another mission or two for work on Zombies, Run!, and I have a short podcast script I want to write.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope! That is something for next year >> (My sister is pregnant!)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope. Amazingly.
5. What countries did you visit?
I went to Scotland for a week.
6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?
Hopefully an ADHD diagnosis which is happening next Thursday! I would like to be able to visit places again! I want to travel more!
7. What dates from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
My bloody birthday which I had booked off work for a long weekend and then a whole bunch of things exploded so it was fucking stressful.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Writing White Out, for sure! Also got back into going for walks most days!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Did not do as much writing as I wanted to.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had tonsilitis. But honestly, if that's the worst of it atm, I am lucky.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
This is technically a last year thing, but I started getting Hello Fresh food boxes and oh my god, they are a godsend. I am eating so much better because I have the ingredients there for a food instead of giving up and living on pasta or sandwiches.
Also the PS5 is pretty cool.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
A have some amazing friends who I love and who have helped to keep me sane. Alasdair and Marguerite especially have been just ridiculously supportive through some bad times, as have the Wilde Riders and Artefact Storage chats.
There are so many amazing activists who have done incredible work. The scientists woking tirelessly on the Covid vaccine.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled?
The entire Tory party and tbh a bunch of other politicians. Anti-vaxxers. Antis of the fandom kind for their constant harrassment and attacks. The fucking corporate and government wankers who decided that profit was more important than *literally* saving lives with the Covid vaccine.
There's been a few other deep disappointments. People I respected hurt some friends of mine, and took advantage of a lot of passion and time and energy, and that is really hard to get over. I don't hate them. But I am less trusting, and at some point future actions will probably affect how I feel going on.
I'm also still fucking pissed off at the ADHD assessment person from the NHS who told me 'you're just anxious and need to relax' which basically made me feel like they think I'm just a stupid hysterical woman. The NHS won't diagnose in adults unless you have literally set your life on fire. It doesn't give a fuck if you're functional but it's tanking your mental health and leaving you feeling constantly inadequate.
14. Where did most of your money go?
I bought a lot of nice food for Christmas. Also a PS5. And video games. Oh! And an antique dentist cabinet which I am now using to store enamel pins! It looks awesome, and it's a really lovely permanent way to display them.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I was super excited for the Magnus Archives finale and Rusty Quill Gaming finale!
16. What song will always remind you of 2021?
I have actually not listened to a lot of music this year. It's mainly been podcasts.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) I have no fucking clue anymore.
b) Who the fuck knows?! I have been walking more frequently though and I feel healthier and have more stamina.
c) Richer! I got a raise at work and a hefty chunk of cash as a bonus for various reasons. Also paid off my MA loan at the end of 2020 so that's £200 a month that's now going into savings.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing. Setting up my scrapbook. Reading.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Hard emotional labour for no appreciation.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my parents. We had some good food, but it was very quiet.
21. Did you fall in love in 2021?
Nope.
22. What was your favourite TV program?
Leverage Redemption is pretty good although I need to watch more (I don't want to rush through it!). I really enjoyed Star Trek Lower Decks.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Anti-vaxxers. The government even more.
24. What was the best book you read?
Peter, Darling by Austin Chant. It was the only new book I read (I also reread Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett which is still excellent). It's a queer romance based on Peter Pan. 10 years after the original, Peter returns to Neverland and begins a dangerous affair with Hook. It's really good.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nothing really. Sorry! I am bad at discovering new music.
26. What did you want and get?
A vaccine! Like, fucking hell. I have had 3 shots now and I am so grateful for the ridiculous hard work of scientists and people organising the vaccinations.
Also a PS5.
27. What did you want and not get?
The end of the Tory party and Boris Johnson and Brexit.
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
I watched into the Spiderverse finally! That was pretty cool!
29. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Finally getting to see some friends in person.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Well, I bought some velvet lounge pants which are super comfy. Also this for the Hugo Awards viewing party we had a couple of weeks ago. I would never have dared wear something that short usually but it felt good! The tights are so pretty, and the boots are a pair I splurged on earlier in the year.
31. What kept you sane?
Friends and the awesome supportive community. Vaccine!
32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None. I really don't work like that.
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
I have had a few rants about how Covid has been handled.
34. Who did you miss?
I have missed a lot of my friends terribly. I miss a bunch of fandom community people who I don't get to chat to often.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021
Don't keep letting people take you and your work for granted. Don't sink thousands of hours into something which won't appreciate you.
Also, from last year: Incompetence and malice are basically indistinguishable.
36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Wrote an episode for Zombies, Run! It's called White Out, and it's a short horror story set in the arctic where you're the assisstant to a dog sled musher. You can listen to it for free by downloading the Zombies, Run! app.
I was producer for Witching Hour, a special Halloween story for Escape Artists, which features contributions from various other cool horror podcasts!
I turned one of my Magnus Archives escape games into an online game you can play over on Itch.io called The Anchor. People are still playing it!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I mean, I finally wrote a thing for Zombies, Run! That was a huge dream of mine from about 2013! I have a couple of resolutions for next year. I would like to write another mission or two for work on Zombies, Run!, and I have a short podcast script I want to write.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope! That is something for next year >> (My sister is pregnant!)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope. Amazingly.
5. What countries did you visit?
I went to Scotland for a week.
6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?
Hopefully an ADHD diagnosis which is happening next Thursday! I would like to be able to visit places again! I want to travel more!
7. What dates from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
My bloody birthday which I had booked off work for a long weekend and then a whole bunch of things exploded so it was fucking stressful.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Writing White Out, for sure! Also got back into going for walks most days!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Did not do as much writing as I wanted to.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had tonsilitis. But honestly, if that's the worst of it atm, I am lucky.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
This is technically a last year thing, but I started getting Hello Fresh food boxes and oh my god, they are a godsend. I am eating so much better because I have the ingredients there for a food instead of giving up and living on pasta or sandwiches.
Also the PS5 is pretty cool.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
A have some amazing friends who I love and who have helped to keep me sane. Alasdair and Marguerite especially have been just ridiculously supportive through some bad times, as have the Wilde Riders and Artefact Storage chats.
There are so many amazing activists who have done incredible work. The scientists woking tirelessly on the Covid vaccine.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled?
The entire Tory party and tbh a bunch of other politicians. Anti-vaxxers. Antis of the fandom kind for their constant harrassment and attacks. The fucking corporate and government wankers who decided that profit was more important than *literally* saving lives with the Covid vaccine.
There's been a few other deep disappointments. People I respected hurt some friends of mine, and took advantage of a lot of passion and time and energy, and that is really hard to get over. I don't hate them. But I am less trusting, and at some point future actions will probably affect how I feel going on.
I'm also still fucking pissed off at the ADHD assessment person from the NHS who told me 'you're just anxious and need to relax' which basically made me feel like they think I'm just a stupid hysterical woman. The NHS won't diagnose in adults unless you have literally set your life on fire. It doesn't give a fuck if you're functional but it's tanking your mental health and leaving you feeling constantly inadequate.
14. Where did most of your money go?
I bought a lot of nice food for Christmas. Also a PS5. And video games. Oh! And an antique dentist cabinet which I am now using to store enamel pins! It looks awesome, and it's a really lovely permanent way to display them.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I was super excited for the Magnus Archives finale and Rusty Quill Gaming finale!
16. What song will always remind you of 2021?
I have actually not listened to a lot of music this year. It's mainly been podcasts.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) I have no fucking clue anymore.
b) Who the fuck knows?! I have been walking more frequently though and I feel healthier and have more stamina.
c) Richer! I got a raise at work and a hefty chunk of cash as a bonus for various reasons. Also paid off my MA loan at the end of 2020 so that's £200 a month that's now going into savings.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing. Setting up my scrapbook. Reading.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Hard emotional labour for no appreciation.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my parents. We had some good food, but it was very quiet.
21. Did you fall in love in 2021?
Nope.
22. What was your favourite TV program?
Leverage Redemption is pretty good although I need to watch more (I don't want to rush through it!). I really enjoyed Star Trek Lower Decks.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Anti-vaxxers. The government even more.
24. What was the best book you read?
Peter, Darling by Austin Chant. It was the only new book I read (I also reread Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett which is still excellent). It's a queer romance based on Peter Pan. 10 years after the original, Peter returns to Neverland and begins a dangerous affair with Hook. It's really good.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nothing really. Sorry! I am bad at discovering new music.
26. What did you want and get?
A vaccine! Like, fucking hell. I have had 3 shots now and I am so grateful for the ridiculous hard work of scientists and people organising the vaccinations.
Also a PS5.
27. What did you want and not get?
The end of the Tory party and Boris Johnson and Brexit.
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
I watched into the Spiderverse finally! That was pretty cool!
29. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Finally getting to see some friends in person.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Well, I bought some velvet lounge pants which are super comfy. Also this for the Hugo Awards viewing party we had a couple of weeks ago. I would never have dared wear something that short usually but it felt good! The tights are so pretty, and the boots are a pair I splurged on earlier in the year.
31. What kept you sane?
Friends and the awesome supportive community. Vaccine!
32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None. I really don't work like that.
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
I have had a few rants about how Covid has been handled.
34. Who did you miss?
I have missed a lot of my friends terribly. I miss a bunch of fandom community people who I don't get to chat to often.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021
Don't keep letting people take you and your work for granted. Don't sink thousands of hours into something which won't appreciate you.
Also, from last year: Incompetence and malice are basically indistinguishable.
36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-01 02:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-01 01:13 pm (UTC)Thank you for being there during this last year!
no subject
Date: 2022-01-01 07:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-01 01:20 pm (UTC)I hope you have an excellent 2022 as well!