Be Excellent To Each Other

Well, the leftover turkey has been finished, the wrapping paper's in the recycling bin waiting for someone to work out when the Christmas collection is, and if I hear Elton John's 'Step into Christmas' one more time there might be trouble. Yep, it's the dwindling twilight of the year and whilst we look forward to another fun-filled orbit, there's no harm in looking back on the good stuff of the past 365 days.

On the whole, I've had an even better year than 2016. I've been getting out more, meeting new people, and generally feeling a lot more self-confident and cheerful.

Gigwise, I've seen Josh Ritter twice (once doing a solo act in a church, of all venues - pews are not that comfortable and I felt quite odd drinking in one; the second time was with his full band in the Shepherd's Bush Empire), British Sea Power (for the first time since 2008), and, of course, FRANK TURNER at the Roundhouse. I also spent one of the hottest nights of the year watching Penn and Teller in a theatre in London (and briefly bumping into the Grim...s) .

I've done a lot of day hikes across the country, and longer weekends camping and in hostels. I can now claim that I've ticked off all four parts of the Union, with Belfast being a really great surprise - the Titantic museum is awesome. I had a day jumping off cliffs on the Welsh coast, and a long weekend in the Scottish Highlands in a remote youth hostel (Glen Affric). Further afield, I also had a fun trip to Croatia and it's definitly a place I'd like to revisit. Completing a scramble in the Lakes is something I'm very proud of, even though I hated every moment of it during the ascent!

Lost far too many board games over the year to count, but that just makes the victories all that sweeter. 'Flamme Rouge' and 'Isle of Skye' are probably the two non-Pandemic Legacy games I've played the most and really enjoyed: both are easy to grasp but complicated enough to make one re-evaluate strategies on each play (or even during).

Cottage was as awesome and memorable as ever. Thanks Curio for sorting it all out. I remember getting really absorbed into the VR and crawling around for cover when under attack from strange red roboty things. Still haven't been on the winning quiz team, but maybe next time. Davpaz's Retropie was a revelation. Who knew 'Granny's Garden' looks so good in HD!

BeexbeequeMeat up was as manic as ever, and it was good to meet Bamba for the first time too.

TV-wise, 'Doctor Who' was a triumph from start to finish, with the Christmas one being a well-pitched epilogue for 12. 'Dunkirk' would have been my film of the year, but then I saw 'the Death of Stalin'.

Next year: more of the same, only better. Already booked a trekking holiday in the Atlas Mountains for September, but am also planning other trips too. Getting really into having weekends away: if anything, it's a good excuse to see the country and avoid the housework.

Thank you all for being the best bunch of people on the Internet, and all the best for 2018!

Kern x

Sounds like you've really made the most of it there Kern!

That is great

Lovely post Kern - have a smashing 2018

My 2017 has been mostly happy and low key. Apart from major long-term illness coming to the fore late in the year, we’ve ended the year with our little guy being able to ask for a CUP of TEA, for which we must use the TAP for WATER, and he will also have a BISCUIT. THANK YOU.

I have had my first two nights away from my child, helped by many of you at the cottage. The quiz is always my highlight, and I was glad that there was a question about THE BEST FILM EVER, which made it super memorable for me.

I made a few positive choices about negative influences in my life, and am glad for the friends I have and new ones I have made.

I cut my hair how I really wanted it and it’s one of the best things I have ever done. It really needs doing again but haircuts are ridiculously expensive so I’ve not had it done since the cottage. It makes more time in the day and gives me more freedom, and I finally allowed myself not to care if people didn’t like it.

I haven’t been to any gigs, films or the like, and most of my adventures have been about finding a particularly fine stick, or waving at buses with my toddler, but this life is for me and I am made for it. We have perfected the hi5. We’ve always had quite a good hi5, but our routine is now golden.

Today we had our first whole family cup of tea.

Of the handful of films I’ve watched the one that sticks in my head most is The Danish Girl (not a film from this year, but one I first saw this year) and telly highlights will always be Only Connect and University Challenge, and QI is back on the winners list because Sandi Toksvig is my hero.

Next year: I want to get well. I want not to get more I’ll so that I can start getting better.

I also want to be able to access all of my creative things easier, so I’ve dusted my spinning wheel and updated my cutting machine firmware and things like that. I polished all of the metal work on my lazy Kate and tightened the join on my niddy noddy. These are all real things.

I can’t imagine what my little boy will be like a year from now, but I am very excited to spend the next year finding out and learning with him.