Its that time of year again.
Where I look back over the previous year and answer the same 40 questions.
1. What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?
OK, New things :-
- Got Provincial Rank (In the Holy Royal Arch)
- Got Provincial Rank (In the S.R.I.A.)
- Went into the Chair of my collage (S.R.I.A.)
- Was Part of the Procession in the Provincial Meeting to install a new PGM.
- Saw the Installation Ceremony of a Provincial Grand Master
- Was Part of the Procession in the Provincial AGM Meeting.
- Visited an Anglesey Lodge.
- Gave a Talk in a Lodge during a PGM Visit
- Gave a Talk in a Lodge in a different Province.
- Ran a stall at the LlanBikeFest as the Widows Sons
- Was part of the Chain for a PGM’s last visit before retiring
- Was part of the Chain for a PGM’s first ever meeting.
- Visited Several New Masonic Halls.
- Became a Blood Bike Controller.
I notice a trend in this list 🙂
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I gave up on resolutions many years back as I never stuck to them, whereas my competitive nature makes me stick to challenges. So for the last few years I have had a yearly challenge
This year I failed miserably with everything apart from the Goodreads reading challenge.
It was a busy year as I was acting Steward and with the PGM Retiring he wanted to visit lots of Lodges, so I was out with the team lots. Plus I visited Lodges in two Provinces to give Talks on the Widows Sons, Started as a Blood Bikes Controller for Blood Bikes Wales, So I am writing off 2018, and look forward to the challenges of 2019.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
None that I can think off.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
A few Masonic Friends passed away this year.
5. What countries did you visit?
The usual suspects of England/Wales.
And Anglesey. I figure Anglesey should be counted as its own country, for it is a strange place.
6. What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
Productivity.
Productivity
Productivity
Productivity
In 2019 I would like to find where my get-up-and-go got up and went, reclaim it and be super Productive. I plan to get my charity book published, update a couple of websites, along with several other projects. And I give permission for people to poke me with sharp sticks if they spot me being too unproductive.
The laziness and apathy of the last few years needs to end.
The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!
7. What dates from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- 12th June – My first shift as a Blood Bike Wales Controller
- 31st October – Being appointed Provincial Grand Steward in the Royal Arch
- 12th November – Giving a Talk at an Installed Masters Lodge.
- 1st December – Being appointed Provincial Conductor in S.R.I.A.
- 5th December – Going into the chair of my S.R.I.A. Collage.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Being appointed Provincial Conductor in S.R.I.A. before I had even gone into the chair!
And being invited to the North Wales Lodge of Installed Masters to give a talk (They normally book professional speakers)
9. What was your biggest failure?
A total and unbelieveable lack of productivity!
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I did almost manage to make it through the whole year with no incidents, only to burn my fingertips on Boxing Day.
BOXING DAY!! I almost made it.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Either my new qNAP NAS system for my home or I did finally got myself a DSLR Camera, which is something I have wanted for a few years now so I can learn Photography. I have never found a justifiable reason to spend a lot of money on a fad idea before.
Then I remembered I am an Adult, and I do not have to justify spending a lot of money on a toy, Plus it was in the Black Friday Sales, so I now have a fancy camera, so I can not learn what all those mystical terms like ISO, Shutter Speed, and things mean.
And I can take photographs as well, which is a bonus.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
- Hugh. A New Candidate to Masonry who has already visited more Lodges than a lot of Masons who have been members for dozens of years.
- My Father.
- Myself, Just because.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The Special Snowflakes.
Those people who scream in the echo chamber of their social media circles about how everyone who thinks different are Nazis. And then get angry when they loose votes because the majority wanted what they wanted so how can they have lost. We can no longer have conversations or debates because to disagree is to assault them and they need to kill you to defend themselves or run to a safe space.
The world is going to pieces.
14. Where did most of your money go?
I got a new car, a fancy Camera, a NAS, and the usual Video Games, Books, More Books, More Games, Possibly a few Books.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going into the chair of my S.R.I.A. Collage.
16. What song will always remind you of 2018?
With the amount of outcry and attempts to ban the song there can only be one song to sum up the year.
Baby it’s cold outside.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
- a) happier or sadder? Happier
- b) thinner or fatter? Same
- c) richer or poorer? Richer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Falling in Love, Writing, Following my Dreams, Conquering the World, Finding a cure for the common cold and blackmailing people for the cure.
You know, the simple pleasures in life.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? .
Wasting time, and suffering from lack of enthusiasm, also getting upset by the behavior of some people.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I am writing this on December 27th, so I know exactly how I spent Christmas day. I got up early, and went over to my parents to open presents with family, and then spend the day eating too much, drinking too much, and doing nothing.
21. What was your favourite month of 2018?
December. Due to getting Provincial Honours in S.R.I.A. and going into the chair in S.R.I.A.!
22. Did you fall in love in 2018?
Alas No. I am high functioning Sociopath.
23. How many one-night stands?
I do not believe in one-night stands. How can you tell if you realy like something unless you try it at least a couple of times?
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Way too many to mention, As well as all the excellent ongoing TV shows, There was the new finds of :-
- New Legends of Monkey
- Shooter
- Marvels Cloak and Dagger
- The Crossing
- Disenchanted
- Maniac
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
You know what? NO! I do not believe I hate anyone this year that I did not hate previously. Maybe I am growing as a person, becoming more enlightened? Or is everyone already on THE LIST
26. What was the best book you read?
This is always a very hard question. According to Goodreads I have read about 150 books this year. Trying to pick the best of that lot is not going to be easy. But if I had to pick just one book, arrgghghhh……
Well there is :-
- Robert Lomas’s translation of Daniel Owen’s “Rhys Lewis”
- Sorcery as Virtual Mechanics by Stephen Mace
- Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World by Elspeth Beard
- Shroud of Eternity by Terry Goodkind
I also liked the Series’s “The Temple Chronicles” and “The Demon Accords”
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Celtic Thunder
28. What did you want and get?
A decent Camera.
29. What did you want and not get?
Enthusiasm
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
- Solo
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I am still not having birthdays. I have decided to stop having them so that I can live forever.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Alien Invasion, I mean come on Zombie Apocalypse is so last year!
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Mostly Cargo Pants (I like the extra pockets) Jumpers, and in work Coats….
Oh and suits, because suits are awesome…… True story
34. What kept you sane?
Sane? Sane? “You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means”
I think, Good Friends, Good Books, and the fact I was never very sane to start off with, so there is not that much to keep hold of.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I am not sure who to pick this year. So I will say Emilie Cocquerel as Sandy – The New Legends of Monkey
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
This year is basically the same thing as last year.
The same screaming angry nazi fascists who believe their echo-chambers and scream death threats against everyone who is different to them, or who does not think 100% the same as them.
We were wrong guys. 1984 does not come from the far right trying to take over, but from the far left trying to reduce everyone to the same as them.
37. Who did you miss?
No one. “ high functioning Sociopath” Remember? Remember? from Question 22?
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I would have to say some of the Blood Bikes Members, We have a great bunch of people in Blood Bike Wales.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018?.
Always… no, no… never… forget to check your references.
A Prize to anyone who spots the reference.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Well due to the very unproductive year I would have to say :-
Today I don’t feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don’t feel like picking up my phone
So leave a message at the tone
‘Cause today I swear I’m not doing anything