2014

Yep, still doing it.

1. What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before?

- Drove a potato catcher bin for 2 months, and backed it like a boss.

- Saved some cows' lives in the paddock with intravenous medication.

- Learned to ride a motorbike.

- Made a multi-thousand dollar mistake at work. (At least I think/hope it was the first time.)

- Planned the diets of 350 cows at a time.

- Hosted the family Christmas.

- Helped do a paddock burn-off.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for the next year?

- Last year: 'Keep farming.' Achieved.

- Coming year: start a (tiny) farming enterprise of my own.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

- No humans.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

- No humans.

5. What countries did you visit?

- Never left Canterbury.

6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?

- Some savings and/or assets.

- Considerably more time spent with other humans.

7. What dates from 2014 will remain etched in your memory, and why?

- Nah.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

- Earning the good opinion of my boss and colleagues.

9. What was your biggest failure of the year?

- Would have to be the spilt-milk incident I guess.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

- Got sick from drinking un-pasteurised milk. Pasteurise it.

- Have munted my wrists from milking too many cows. The pain has subsided but the waking up with numb hands persists. Probably carpal tunnel. Probably a contingent liability.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

- Have bought a car and a bunch of furniture and home stuff this year. A contender for 'best' would have to be my beautiful milk jug. Ooh, or my copper kettle.

12. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

- Mine, that one time I got so angry at unco-operative cows that I raged and yelled and didn't recognise myself. Vowed I would never do it again. Since then I have milked in silence and everything goes much better.

13. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

- My dear family for helping me through a very low patch this year, with extreme levels of generosity and understanding.

14. Where did most of your money go?

- I'm not totally sure. But it went. See Q11 I guess.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

- Having a job with a contract, a job description and people running the business who are both sane and enjoyable.

16. What song will always remind you of 2014?

- Nah.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?

- Probably similar on the whole.

b) fatter or thinner?

- Thinner! Dropped 18% body weight just by going to work.

c) richer or poorer?

- Tiny bit richer I guess. But with a stable income.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

- Seeing friends. I think I say this every year. I'm so sorry I've been so neglectful :(

- Looking after my garden properly.

- Making Things.

- Making music.

- Reading.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

- Working. Hopefully as I get better at my job I'll spend less time on it and have more energy for the above things.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

- Worked an 8 hour day on the farm, and hosted a midday feast for 8 in my wee house in the middle of it. Mercifully Dan was on hand to do most of the cooking. 

21. Did you fall in love in 2014?

- ...possibly. Still not sure about that concept. But I fell in very-happy.

22. What was your favourite TV programme?

- No TV.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

- Nope.

24. What was the best book you read?

- Sapiens: a Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. I believe it was the only thing I read. Took me about 4 months. But it was great.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

- Having a CD player in the car and some semi-decent speakers!! And have been loving the Foals.

26. What did you want and get?

- Dan.

- A stable job, on a farm, that I enjoy.

- The respect of my boss and colleagues.

- A pet lamb. Although I stopped wanting her so much once she became impossible to contain and ate all my tulips.

- Kept in touch with a few of my favourite classmates.

27. What did you want and not get?

- Matt.

- Shepherding work.

- Dogs. Must amend this.

28. What was your favourite film of this year?

- Umm maybe Interstellar I guess?

29. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?

- Worked. Turned 30. But a couple of days later my dippys took me out for tea and bought me a cake.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

- Shepherding. But I'm happy with what I've done.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?

- Overalls. But also a couple of forgotten dresses and things have resurfaced now I'm back in shape.

32. What kept you sane?

- Meg.

- Working hard.

- Mental discipline.

- Facebook.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

- Haven't been paying attention.

- Ok fine still Russell Brand.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

- Haven't been paying anywhere near enough attention. Another one for the 'once I get my work-life balance sorted out' category.

35. Who did you miss?

- Humans.

- Dogs.

- Matt.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

- Dan.

- My boss and his wife are pretty great.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.

- "The milk is not coming out of any of the possible outlets I am aware of; therefore it must be going into the vat" is good logic, but not infallible. The 'aware of' part being the weak point.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I don't want to wait any more; I'm tired of looking for answers

Take me someplace where there's music and there's laughter

I don't know if I'm scared of dying but I'm scared of living too fast, too slow

Regret, remorse, hold on, oh no I've got to go.

There's no starting over, no new beginnings; time races on

And you've just gotta keep on keeping on

Gotta keep on going, looking straight out on the road

Can't worry 'bout what's behind you or what's coming for you further up the road

I try not to hold on to what is gone, I try to do right what is wrong

I try to keep on keeping on

Yeah I just keep on keeping on

I hear a voice calling, calling out for me

These shackles I've made in an attempt to be free

Be it for reason, be it for love

I won't take the easy road

-First Aid Kit 'Silver Lining'