11. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really. Some annoying sore things that pop up on my aging body from time to time - I think I aggravated my coccyx on the leg press at the gym so that hurt for a long time; the shoulder I hurt on the ski trip in 2022 is still a bit stiff at times; one of my ankles swelled up and became extremely painful, and though it doesn't hurt now, it's still a bit swollen.
Age, what a thing.
I will say that my left knee, which has been sore since 2020, is no longer troubling me. I am claiming gym consistency as the remedy for that one.
12. What was the best thing you bought?
I was actually thinking this could be a post all of its own. I bought a lot of things that I really loved. But I'm going to say the UV reactive yarn that I used to knit jumpers for my niblings.
13. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Um. I assume this is meant to be someone famous because I'm not sure you, reader, will feel the same level of joy about my niece sharing her toys with her brother that I did. So, tricky. The only one I can think of to say is Ed Miliband on Instagram. Surprisingly entertaining and with good political messaging. I like this sort of, 'I have already done the party leader thing so I am in that post-important grandad-type role but I am still an MP' vibe.
14. Whose behaviour made you appalled?
I was quite appalled reading about some of the potential nominees for the Papacy.
I mean, politics in general is pretty appalling, isn't it? I try very hard to remind myself that differing political opinions are not wrong but it's actually getting harder and harder to be measured when certain political opinions lead to persecution and death. I had to unfollow a yoga instructor I've enjoyed following for a long time last week because she obliquely posted about the Minnesota shooting by saying something like, 'Remember that thing a few years ago where 50% of people swore the dress was white and gold and the rest swore it was blue and black?'
Yes I do remember that but it didn't involve someone being shot dead and a someone else's life being wrecked because he shot a woman dead. What a crass comparison to make, particularly in light of the outpouring of grief from the same person when Charlie Kirk was shot (another heinous act, his children were there FFS). Are we really here now? Surely the only reasonable reaction to anybody being killed is one of grief and shock? I don't care if you think they deserved it. Someone is dead.
George Clooney said at the Golden Globes something about us living in an age of cruelty and I really felt that. But, then, I also think often that life has never been as sacred as it is in the age we are living in, which is ironic, given how many of us there are now. Maybe this is us slipping down the peak, back towards a place where life is less sacred.
15. Where did most of your money go?
I'm very boring - savings, uni fees and holidays, in that order. Also SpaceNK.
16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
A tricky one. Do I ever feel that level of excitement anymore?
I did get very feverishly excited about going to a conference in Liverpool in May, unusually so. I think it was a combo of seeing some people I love but don't get to see very often and the fact that it marked the beginning of three weeks of no teaching, as it was at the start of a fortnight in Oxford, followed by half term.
I also had an interesting sort of reverse excitement about the ski trip. I wasn't hugely anticipating 2025 because 2024 was not much fun and my ski trip bestie Rachael couldn't come, but it turned out to be a really fantastic trip and then I got really excited planning for 2026. But we're not going this year because not enough students were excited enough for it to be viable. Deflating. However, I guess it doesn't detract from the excitement I felt at the time.
This was such a good day. Couldn't love my ski overalls more.
17. What song will always remind you of this year?
I can't choose between three. They are from different bits of 2025 so maybe that makes it OK. Chappell Roan - The Giver; Olivia Dean - Man I need; RAYE - Where is my husband?
18. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? Richer or poorer? Healthier or unhealthier?
Richer. Healthier. Happiness-wise, probably about the same. Definitely not sadder.
19. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Always more skiing (I could have wedged in a trip in Feb half term, I'm sure of it); more knitting; more reading. Basically more hobbies. I'd have liked to have got my kayak out at least once in 2025.
I wish I'd discovered the localish sauna sooner.
20. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Work. Why didn't I give up work to do the Masters? Why? True regret.
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