So that's another year almost gone. When the history books come to write the story of 2010, the verdict will probably be that it was more than a bit pants. Recession, depression, cuts, job losses, the government from hell, weather chaos, volcanic ash, more weather chaos, more recession and depression...you get the picture. Not one of our better recent years.
Which makes me probably feel just a bit guilty for having had, on the whole, a fantastic year. Most of which was due to my adventures in blogland, and getting to live the dream one more time by going back to Sweden, seeing my favourite singer Salem Al Fakir in concert and then getting to meet him once again. When I wasn't doing that I was spending most of the year writing about him over at Planet Salem. 2010 was Salem's most successful year yet and that was reflected in the visitor numbers to Planet Salem, which also had its most successful year and I got to know so many lovely people through that website.
EuropeCrazy meanwhile had to take a back seat for most of the year, but I'd love to put a bit more time into that blog next year - there's always so much to discover and write about, and that's a good place to share it.
Apart from blogging, and Salem, and Sweden, so many other good things happened to me over the past year. I got an award at work for my training course stuff, and despite 'Slim For Sweden' being followed by months of 'Binge for Britain', I managed to turn things around and lost 6 lbs in the lead-up to Christmas, taking my weight to its lowest point in about 15 years. Despite spending vast chunks of the year battling crippling back pain, this has eased off a bit at last (touch wood) enough to get me up on the dancefloor at our recent Christmas night out :) and hopefully this will be a turnaround and I can finally get back to full fitness.
I also got some fab new gadgets this year, notably the laptop computer which I'm typing this post on at the moment, finally got my wireless broadband to work properly, and got a touch-screen phone.
We discovered a new country (Slovakia) and revisited an old friend (Turkey) - fingers crossed that we'll be able to make it to some exciting European destinations next year :) of course we also discovered some nice new destinations closer to home over the summer.
All in all, my 2010 was pretty great. Which by the law of averages means that 2011 should be a bit rubbish. But on the other hand, life's what you make it and I'm determined to make it another good one.
Before I head off for a month's blog-break (as detailed in this post at EuropeCrazy) I want to thank all my regular visitors and blogging pals for your friendship and support over the past year. I hope 2011 brings good health and happiness to all of you.
OK I'm outta here....but I'll be back in February. Bye bye....and happy new year!!!!! :)
Thursday, 30 December 2010
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
December 2010: cancelled due to adverse weather conditions
Well, they've cancelled everything else so they might as well just cancel the month too :(
It has probably been the most surreal two weeks I can remember for many years. 15 days ago in my part of the world, a lot of snow fell in a very short time and the country was paralysed for days. Drivers couldn't drive, non-drivers couldn't get public transport because the snow hadn't been cleared from the roads or the railways, because we are ruled by a terminally incompetent government whose only goal in life is Scottish independence! How could we be independent when we can't function in a few inches of snow????
As I made my way home from work on Monday 6th December, through a main street of early-closed shops and pollice directing traffic, it then got worse. At least I live locally and could walk home - but many were stranded overnight on motorways in cars and buses for almost 20 hours.
It didn't get any better as the week progressed - with almost eerie scenes of shops closed because people couldn't get out to work in them, there were food shortages because the delivery vans couldn't deliver, no-one's getting their online shopping and don't even start me on the mail deliveries....meanwhile in my little corner of the public sector, our office stayed open with a skeleton staff, and life went on. Until a frozen pipe and a flooded bathroom had other ideas and forced me to stay home.
Happily that situation was resolved and the 'big thaw' finally arrived, providing a couple of days' respite. But it wasn't to be long before the snow returned, bringing even colder temperatures, icy pavements and tougher walking conditions. Christmas lunches and parties were cancelled all over the place, and my big weekend of Christmas night out (Friday) and Shakira (Sunday) was also put in jeopardy....although it all went ahead - with a few anxious hitches, but nothing as bad as potentially expected.
Now the bad weather is affecting the rest of Britain, and everywhere else is getting the same story. Maybe it's time that the powers-that-be started thinking of this country as a "snow country" and get all the appropriate structures in place. But then that would probably be a bit too much to ask....
It has probably been the most surreal two weeks I can remember for many years. 15 days ago in my part of the world, a lot of snow fell in a very short time and the country was paralysed for days. Drivers couldn't drive, non-drivers couldn't get public transport because the snow hadn't been cleared from the roads or the railways, because we are ruled by a terminally incompetent government whose only goal in life is Scottish independence! How could we be independent when we can't function in a few inches of snow????
As I made my way home from work on Monday 6th December, through a main street of early-closed shops and pollice directing traffic, it then got worse. At least I live locally and could walk home - but many were stranded overnight on motorways in cars and buses for almost 20 hours.
It didn't get any better as the week progressed - with almost eerie scenes of shops closed because people couldn't get out to work in them, there were food shortages because the delivery vans couldn't deliver, no-one's getting their online shopping and don't even start me on the mail deliveries....meanwhile in my little corner of the public sector, our office stayed open with a skeleton staff, and life went on. Until a frozen pipe and a flooded bathroom had other ideas and forced me to stay home.
Happily that situation was resolved and the 'big thaw' finally arrived, providing a couple of days' respite. But it wasn't to be long before the snow returned, bringing even colder temperatures, icy pavements and tougher walking conditions. Christmas lunches and parties were cancelled all over the place, and my big weekend of Christmas night out (Friday) and Shakira (Sunday) was also put in jeopardy....although it all went ahead - with a few anxious hitches, but nothing as bad as potentially expected.
Now the bad weather is affecting the rest of Britain, and everywhere else is getting the same story. Maybe it's time that the powers-that-be started thinking of this country as a "snow country" and get all the appropriate structures in place. But then that would probably be a bit too much to ask....
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