Happy Day After New Year's!

[cleolinda]

I've noticed people--a lot of people--saying that 2005 was a terrible year. And I grant you, we had Katrina, and London, and Tom Cruise losing his fool mind. I give you that. But it was a pretty awesome year for movies, and the weather in November was really nice, and... yeah. I'm not making a very good case here. Hell, now that I think about it, I spent the first five months in writer freakout, Sister Girl had a really hard year herself, and my poor mother's job has been hell. And my dog developed severe diabetes and then went blind. Oh, and my CAR WINDOW was BEATEN TO DEATH on CHRISTMAS EVE. So... maybe I will concede the point. Still, it never felt any worse to me than any other year at the time (excepting Katrina, which was kind of apocalyptic), but maybe that's because I'm an optimist. Really, looking back on it now, I feel like I must have gotten off easy compared to what a lot of people went through. But I'll tell you something--I think it takes something really, really bad to give you a certain equilibrium. My parents had a really one-sidedly awful divorce when I was a freshman in college, to the point where it was more just one parent screwing over the entire family, in-laws included, and there were times when we thought we weren't going to be able to make the house payments. Shit basically went down continuously for about--a year, really. I mean, it was the next December by the time a state trooper appeared on the doorstep while I was home for Christmas vacation. There's a point, though, where you get your head above water again, and a lot of things don't faze you after that. If you go through enough, you come out of it believing you can handle just about anything you put your mind to, because you've seen things get pretty bad and you're not scared of what's coming next.

Whoa. That got a little deeper than I intended it to be. My point was supposed to be, the good thing about a bad year is that, when it's over, anything that hasn't killed you really has made you stronger. You've got that to look forward to, at least.

Anyway, I started thinking about New Year's resolutions. I've come to the conclusion over the year that I'm not very good at task-oriented resolutions, even though you would think that would be more productive. You can say "I will walk [x] miles a week," but I totally won't do it. I find that it's easier for me to think in vague terms, because that way I'm never behind. I want to read more books--I have piles from two and three Christmases ago that I never get around to. I want to watch more DVDs--I have a pile of those, too (although, I have to say, I did very well this past year as far as seeing movies in the theater went). I want to learn to knit--this was my resolution last year, and this year I got as far as getting needles and yarn for my birthday last month (which is actually further than I usually get). More than anything, though, I think I want to finish things.

Small linkspam:

Back at #1: I think the Narnia people need to send a cupcake fruit basket to the "Lazy Sunday" guys.

outinthestorm: "Just in case you missed this, Cleo, the newest Childrin R Skary flash has been released."

No, Neil Gaiman does not write fanfic. Not even under a pseudonym.

And, finally: lovememe, the panfandom antidote to those intermittent Post About People You Hate memes that come and go. And please--don't go over there and say you love me--I'm posting this so more people will participate, not to whore for comments. (Yes, I actually mean that. Go love on other people.)

Comments

[livinthegoodlfe.livejournal.com]

Bad times only make you stronger in the end, and look at you, all optimistic and everything. Glad things are better, and that your year was good.

[sefia.livejournal.com]

You are a sweetheart and I DO love you.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yes, but keep it over here so it doesn't look like I sent my minions over there to make me look good. (Awww, thanks.)

[skyblade.livejournal.com]

For some of us, 2005 was a tire-iron in the back of the head in almost every concievable way. It's not always so much as having awful events, as having nothing good to balance it out.

[skyblade.livejournal.com]

So, I mean, what I'm trying to say is...those who have written 2005 off probably have good reason to, and we're not going to be able to put it behind us until it is behind us, and it's hard to think about the sun coming up it feels like we're on Arctic Circle time.

[piratesorka.livejournal.com]

Forgive my nosiness but:
a year, really. I mean, it was the next December by the time a state trooper appeared on the doorstep while I was home for Christmas vacation.

How does a visit from a state trooper mark an improvement in a horrible year? Mpst people would say that is the begining of bad times to come.

Oh and Happy New Year to you! I too have a nice pile of books yet to be read which I hope to tackle this year.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I don't think I was saying that clearly--I was trying to say, "Bad things happened, and they were still happening at the end of the year, too."

[bibliotech.livejournal.com]

2005 was a great year for me! My hair is the longest it's been in my entire life, and I got a complete Beatles discography!

...okay, so I aim low in life. But STILL. GREAT YEAR. I expect 2006 to be the Year I Get A Pony.

[arielchan.livejournal.com]

I asked for a pony on LJ this year and a girl I didn't really know from hogwarts_elite sent me three My Little Ponies. I don't think she even knew I'm a collector.

[arielchan.livejournal.com]

I love you in that creepy stranger-love way. I'm happy you friended me and I miss the days before M15M when you actually had time to read and comment on my journal, not to mention replying when I commented here. I smile a little every time I see your name in the comments at Fandom_Wank.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Should... should I be concerned, here?

[palmetto.livejournal.com]

2005 started in a difficult way for me with the death of my grandfather, and slowly got worse. I have a feeling you're right, but it was a tough one. Thanks for the perspective.

[k-puff.livejournal.com]

Well remember, not all of us got books published in 2005. ^^;; That definitely ups the goodness quotient.

And yay for knitting! *w00t*

[canonball13.livejournal.com]

I'd have to completely agree with you about the weather in November. I was in London in November, and it couldn't have been nicer. Warmer, sure, but it was clear and bright and dry and mostly wind-free. Perfect.

[lilgoala.livejournal.com]

Ooh ooh, follow up on that knitting thing! I just learned myself this year, and it's actually quite a fun activity. It makes nice busywork anyway, when you're bored and have nothing exciting to do. Plus, being able to make your own Hogwarts scarves is so nerdy it's cool. xD http://knit.atypically.net is good for that.

[tabbyclaw.livejournal.com]

I've made three Ravenclaw scarves. I'm the envy geek fashionista I know.

[meandstuff.livejournal.com]

I was just saying the other day that 2005 was the best year for movies in a long time, in terms of really watchable films. This year looks like it might be almost as good too, which is a good sign (as long as I keep pretending that The Da Vinci Code is not being made).

Then again, since my sister gave me a pair of tiny owl earrings for Christmas (instantly christened O RLY and YA RLY), my year is already made.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heeeeeee.

[ter369.livejournal.com]

More than anything, though, I think I want to finish things.

That's the phrase I've been looking for, over the transition to new year and the need to note the change.

I spent the fall madly wrapping up the ... effluvia? to-do lists? lingering thingeys? around my apartment. All the incomplete, yet worth stashing, repairs and research stacks and record-keeping, that taunted me when I wanted to fall into creative projects.

So this year I want to finish projects.

Thanks for putting a prose label on that wish.

[theonlykow.livejournal.com]

Baker's Dozen!

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Will you drop me an email one of these days? I guess I'm not the only one who misses hearing from you, but I do.

[scarlettfish.livejournal.com]

I was watching one of those '2005 in review' things the other day and it occurred to me that 2005 was a profoundly shitty year for the world, but the best year of my life thus far. It's kinda weird. It seems to have sucked for a lot of people, though.

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hey,

Ahh yes, TomKat. When I heard about the Eiffel Tower thang, I thought perhaps he'd grabbed her in one diminutive fist and scaled the thing to the top, where he was beating his chest and swatting at Press Helicopters. I hear there's a small village of Amazonians deep in the Jungle that anthropologists have discovered are the only ones who believe the whole Cirus as legit. I myself think Katie's pregnancy should be labeled Mission Impossible 4...

[cosmob.livejournal.com]

More than anything, though, I think I want to finish things.

Speaking as someone with three Christmas-y gift scarves and an afghan to finish, along with countless sites and projects I've not mentioned to anyone, I join with you in the desire to finish things.

As for you and knitting, something that may or may not help your drive to learn: once you get comfortable enough with it, knitting something simple (like a simple Hogwarts scarf) is something you can do while watching a movie, at least if you're just watching casually. I've had some of my best knitting time while watching movies or TV shows. You can watch more DVDs while you knit! It's multitasking at its best!

Happy New Year and all that.

[tabbyclaw.livejournal.com]

I knit while reading fanfic. Just activate the scroll wheel and go!

[miss-alchemist.livejournal.com]

I can so sympathise about the car thing. Driving home the other evening some guy smashed my window and made off with my handbag.
Arrrrrrrghhhhh!!

[outinthestorm.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the pimpage! One day, I will send you TimTams.
And I feel your pain with your car window. I had my car stolen. Fortunately for me, it was stolen by stupid people, because all they did was hide it around the corner from my house. However, they did break a window and steal my brand new battery.

[trede.livejournal.com]

Going by my luck in finding the good links soon, you've probably already posted about this, but...

Are you an Eragon fan? Even if you're not, a lot of your readers probably are. JoBlo has a 3 minute trailer/behind-the-scenes thingy for the Eragon movie, which shows a lot of the characters and locations, but alas no Saphira.

But it's still cool: http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=9359 (it links to a MegaUpload file, which may be taken down soon.)

[sweetdaddydavid.livejournal.com]

I'm one lock of your hair away from creating an army of Cleos in my basement.

Just thought you'd like to know before you see it on the news.

[orangebaroness.livejournal.com]

I agree, this year was kind of yuck overall, but it was a great year for movies.

♥

[pinstripe-bindi.livejournal.com]

Whatever big news stories may have occured, 2005 was a shitty year for me personally. Rita destroying my parents' and grandparents' houses was just the manure icing on the rotten cake.

Bleah. Bring it on, 2006.

[firei.livejournal.com]

Don't know if you've seen this before and/or linked it, but, I thought you might be interested:

Literati Lip Balm (http://www.literatibalm.com/index.asp) - lip blam for the literary community.

Cheers.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

ALCOTT APRICOT EEEEEE!

[word-herder.livejournal.com]

There's a point, though, where you get your head above water again, and a lot of things don't faze you after that. If you go through enough, you come out of it believing you can handle just about anything you put your mind to, because you've seen things get pretty bad and you're not scared of what's coming next.

I hear you. It's most interesting, though, when you see people who have been through hell but don't actually learn that lesson of self-reliance.