Another Year Down, and Still No Pet Camel (Looking Back at 2008)

Member Name: RayWhitney

Product:	Looking Back at 2008
Date:	07/01/09 (125 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I achieved a fair bit

Disadvantages: I still don't have a camel

I'm not quite sure why I took on this task. I have a terrible memory for dates, even recent ones. If you asked me to list everything I did this year, I would look at you funny and then try to get away. With this in mind, I beg your patience and ask that you bear with me on this one, I can only remember certain things so there will be a lot of repetition. For kicks, why don't you count how many times I mention that I passed some exams, played a lot of video games and proposed to my girlfriend?

1) What did you do in 2008 that you have not done before?
Proposed to my girlfriend! Although she's my fiancée now. "Proposed to my fiancée!" doesn't look right. Not least because it looks like that accent is trying to leap over the exclamation mark. Go on, accent! You can do it!

2) Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not really. I mean, a couple of people I know had kids, but not technically 'close friends'. However, I have befriended a couple of babies, which pretty much achieves the same thing but bypasses the middleman.

3) Did anyone close to you die?
My goldfish, Hamato Yoshi.

4) What countries did you visit?
I stayed at home all year. Not literally. I did go to the Spar a couple times. What I mean is that I didn't leave England. Not enough money, plus I don't particularly love travel.

5) What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A nice new house. With windows.

6) What days will you remember from 2008?
My birthday, my fiancée's birthday, my son's birthday, Christmas day and Boxing day, New Year's Eve, my anniversary holiday and the day I proposed, plus the day I went to the Doctor Who Exhibition in Earl's Court, the days I saw Steve Coogan and Toby Hadoke perform live, and all three days on which I passed my exams.

7) Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Nothing serious. A couple more bugs than usual. My immune system was particularly low this year. Must eat more fruit.

8) What was the best thing that you bought?
My Xbox 360 Pro. I've finally stepped up and embraced the next generation of console gaming, after a year of messing around with the Wii. I was a bit underwhelmed with the 360 when I bought it, mostly due to my questionable choice of games (Assassin's Creed and Sega Rally) but as soon as I hooked it up to the internet, I was in love. All those downloadable arcade games, plus online gaming is finally really easy. And, perhaps best of all, I can download demos of everything before I buy it. Had I known that, Assassin's Creed and Sega Rally would have stayed on Computer Exchange's shelf.

9) Who's behaviour has merited celebration?
My fiancé, for tolerating my tepid insanity. Barack Obama did well too.

10) Who's behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Oh God, everybody. I mean... people I haven't even heard of before pissed me off this year. Still, above everyone else, what's with all these people killing and abusing children? Far too many horrifying stories in the news about that this year.

11) Where did most of your money go?
On my Xbox 360 and games. And my Wii and games. And my DS and games. And debts. Oh, and Dr. Pepper.

12) What did you get really excited about?
Any time I had off work merited a two week preparation plan and opening ceremony. I also got excited about proposing, and my exams, and all the birthdays.

13) What song will you remember from 2008?
Still Alive, from Portal. That's Not My Name, by Dizzee Rascal. Black And Gold, Sam Sparro. You Know I'm No Good, Amy Winehouse.

14) Compared to this time last year are you ... happier, fitter?
I'm a lot happier, as I have more money and a suit and I'm engaged and I now wear glasses which look really cool. I'm so not fitter though. Hence the diet. Starting... soon.

15) What do you wish you had done more of?
Writing.

16) What do you wish you had done less of?
Overtime.

17) What was your favourite television programme?
Series 4 of Doctor Who and series 2 of Torchwood were especially good. Harry Hill's TV Burp is always good, even though the current series has suffered from a lack of good material. Deadset was impressive, plus somehow I really got into Hollyoaks and Come Dine With Me. Don't ask me how that happened.

18) Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate last year?
No, thankfully! In fact, I think I hate even less people. That's rare for me. Maybe I should just start randomly hating people, just to keep the quota right. Uh. I hate... Peter. And Ron.

19) What has been the best book of 2008?
You know what, I don't know. I kind of stopped reading books this year. I've been really into manga and comic books though, which is an odd place to be because it requires more reading than I've ever done but means I can't say I do a lot of reading to people. Anyway, I read Death and The Penguin by Andrey Kurkov earlier this year, which was strange but good. And it's an actual book. I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and The Trial for the first time ever this year too, and both were dark and gritty masterpieces. Comic-wise, I was very pleased with The Complete Maus.

20) What was your greatest musical discovery?
I discovered that I really like Pendulum, especially their first album, Hold Your Colour. I might be a bit late on this one, but better late than never. I also appear to have grown an appreciation for Dizzee Rascal and his grime ilk. Perhaps I should see a doctor before it spreads.

21) What did you really want to get in 2008?
A new console and a professional qualification. I got both.

22) What did you want but didn't get?
Two new consoles.

23) What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I was 25 years old. My birthday was on a Monday this year, which is a pretty poor choice of day. Still, I went out for drinks on the Friday and had a great time, went out for a meal on Saturday which included terrible service and cracking Tapas food. Slept on Sunday and had a McDonald's breakfast on Monday, ending it all with my brand new Doctor Who boxset birthday present. Bliss.

24) Who was the best person you met?
To be honest, I'm terrible when it comes to remembering when I did something. I can't remember when or where I met half the people I know. Still, I made a couple of close friends this year, so maybe them. I won't name them though, in case they make a habit of Googling themselves. Heaven forbid I'm shown complimenting someone in a public forum such as this.

25) Tell us a valuable lesson that you learned in 2008?
Time your coughs well, as you can use them to disguise unexpected profanities in songs you listen to with your children.

Summary: A decent year. Won't go down in history though. Well, of course technically it will.