What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before? moved into my own proper flat (not halls)

Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? </b>
Some; I joined the gym, worked hard at uni, bought fish (but had to kill them...), and I saw a lot of bands but not as many as intended. This year's resolution is to quit smoking. 17 hours in, it's going well.
Did anyone close to you give birth? I don't think so. My friend bought a kitten though.

Did anyone close to you die? Nope.

What countries did you visit? Bonnie scotland.

What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? a nice house!

What date(s) from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? July 26th, when Chris and I broke up.

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Going back to university.

What was your biggest failure? I felt like I failed with Chris, but now I don't think I failed at anything.

Did you suffer illness or injury? the odd cold.

What was the best thing you bought? the iPod car adapter cradle thing.

What was your status by Valentine's Day? in a relationship.

Were you in school (anytime this year)? yep.

Where did you go on vacation? scotland and nottingham. exotic.

What did you purchase that was over $500? nothing. the most expensive thing was my xbox 360.

What's something you learned about yourself? i have a great ability to throw myself into my work.

Any new additions to your family? I don't think so - I don't know when Hugo was born though.

Whose behavior merited celebration? Max's, and Jimmy's I think.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? haha, any guesses?

Where did most of your money go? food, stuff for the flat, clothes, iTunes, dvds....i'm not exactly a spend-thrift

What did you get really, really, really excited about? working at Download

What songs will always remind you of 2006? I think Black Swan by Thom Yorke, and Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap

Compared to this time last year, are you...
I. Happier or sadder? I think the same
II. Thinner or fatter? Maybe a bit thinner
III. Richer or poorer? Definitely richer!

What do you wish you'd done more of? coming home to visit old friends

What do you wish you'd done less of? being paranoid, smoking

Did you fall in love in 2006? Yes.

What was your favorite TV program? Family Guy (still), Nevermind the Buzzcocks, I loved Big Brother and Big Brother's Big Mouth...I have no shame.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I don't hate anybody.

What was the best book you read? Well I can't say I've done a lot of reading that wasn't to do with uni, but I discovered Chuck Klosterman and never looked back. I particularly loved Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, and IV.

What was your greatest musical discovery? Imogen Heap, Mint Royale, Mr Scruff

What did you want and get? more friends through my course (got), gym membership (got), more gadgety toys (got!), so quite successful really.

What did you want and not get? I don't know, it's hard to look at things that way. A pony?

What was your favorite film of this year? I was going to say V for Vendetta, but that's last year. i don't know!

What did you do on your birthday, and how old? 20, had a bbq at Catherine's house

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If Chris and I had worked something out that was perhaps have been more of a compromise, or if we'd broken up earlier.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? slightly indie, majorly can't-be-bothered.

What kept you sane? uni work and good friends.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? is it bad that i actually can't think of this off the top of my head?

What political issue stirred you the most? Politics doesn't really stir me, but seeing the way students are not protected by government the way they should be really gets my goat.

Who did you miss? Catherine, Katie, Chris...

Who was the best new person you met? Maybe Edmund (shh).

Was 2006 a good year for you? it was bi-polar. Very very good, and dreadful.

What was your favorite moment of the year? Watching Death Cab I think

What was your least favorite moment of the year? guess!

Where were you when 2006 began? in Chris' bed...

Who were you with? Chris

Where will you be when 2006 ends? hmm this is a bit post-dated or the opposite of that..I was in the pub.

Who will you be with when 2006 ends? Katie, John, Loren, Isaac, Bradley, Stefan

What was your favorite month of 2006? December

How many different states did you travel to in 2006? bloody americans.

How many concerts did you see in 2006? God knows. Maybe about 15 bands cuz I worked download and saw some bands around Brum.

Did you have a favorite concert in 2006? Death Cab

Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year? Yes

What was the worst lie someone told you in 2006? I really don't know. 

Did you treat somebody badly in 2006? I can get a bit too stressed out by my housemate, but she knows I love her really.

Did somebody treat you badly in 2006? ...

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2006 and change something, what would it be? Oh jesus Christ, come on!

How would you rate this year with a scale from 1 (shitty) to 10 (the shit)? 7

What are your plans for 2007? Italy in April, get a job (maybe), stop smoking completely, be more assertive about the guy I like and move into a nice house. Get good grades.

THIS YEAR:

[PEOPLE]
best friends: huh?
lost any friends: definitely. 
gained any friends: lots!

[PLACES]
went out of the country: not out of the UK, but out of England.
moved: yes, out of QHC
new school: nope

[YOU]
have you changed: considerably
new look: new glasses, fringe, much more indie
most depressed time this year: july, august, september, october

[LOVE]
did you get heartbroken?: utterly
who was your summer love: oh just fuck off now

[SEASONS]
favorite season: Spring
least favorite season: Summer + Autumn
good birthday?: sure.

[FINAL QUESTIONS]
got arrested: no.
kissed a girl: no.
had a crush: yes.
got dumped: yes.
lost a family member: yeah.
got bad grades: no.
got a myspace: yes.
kept a secret: yeah.
told a secret: yes!
done something you totally regret: not completely..

Will and Grace...
Who created Minnie Driver's face?
What colour is Grace's hair?
Are Max and I becoming Karen and Jack? I can imagine being married to someone for money, and a little love, while I took all the prescription drugs I could find.

Christmas...
Why trees?
Why can everyone get in the mood except me?
Why is it SO COLD?
And the crappy tv?

General Things...
Why do old people keep tissue up their sleeves?
Why do people judge me for reading Heat, watching Sex and the City, enjoying gossip and wearing ugg boots? Trust me, I'm only shallow where it counts.
Why does my mother take away all my furniture and then insist on calling my room a tip when I have to live out of a bag for a month?

I can't believe what Jamelia has done to Personal Jesus. She's fucking butchered it! A song that's actually pretty deep has been transformed into a song about saying no to dirty men. Do we really need another song about that? In other news, I have fallen back in love with my iBook. I bought one of them bluetooth mouse banjos and it's soooo pretty.

Loving Facebook even more everyday. I bumped into one of the girls from Hollygirt in the lie-berry and we decided to go for a coffee after the new year, and try to get all the old crew down here for a bevvie. I tried to think of everything I've done over the last four/five years...
- 3 tattoos (soon to be four maybe...)
- passing driving test
- failing one a-level
- trying to have a normal job, and not really coping with it
- falling in (and out of) love
and there's things that all of us have been through. Those letters that come the door with a pound sign and some numbers on them...YOU HAVE TO PAY THAT!

I think the most important thing I have learnt is that it doesn't matter where you park your car, some twat will put a ticket on it. Or maybe I just need to be a bit more careful, after having 8 tickets in 2 years.

I got a Facebook account and found all my old friends from Hollygirt. A reunion may even be on the cards. A fair few of them live in Birmingham. It's a shame we all lost contact a bit when school finished and people spread across the UK, Lizzie even moved to France. But Lizzie's in Brum now! She lives about 300 yards away...scary shizzle, but kind of reassuring to know that if we could meet for coffee and hang out a bit.

I'm sat in my room, doing research for my study tour, my flatmates and I seem to rendez-vous in the kitchen every half hour to top up on caffiene because we're all working our balls off and the house is freezing, and I feel all blissed out.

I've just realised how happy I am at university right now.

My family have spent my whole life grooming me to be posh, especially with cheese. They weaned me off of Red Leicester when I was about 4 because "it's not real cheese." Is it a hammer instead? Or a sewing machine? Maybe some kind of illuminated turnstile...

The acceptable cheeses?
Something that melts at 10° is supposed to be a safe bet, especially if it's called Stinking Bishop.
Regional cheddars, especially if they're from Dorset - Chedder Gorge an' all that.
Something resembling the appearance, texture and flavour of an athletic foot.

Golden Rule? NO CHEESE WITH FRUIT IN IT!!

But what they don't tell you is that a good cheese sandwich has to be made with ORANGE cheese, white sliced bread made in one of them factories that exploits the people of Derby (who probably deserve to be exploited), buttered on the outside, fried/toasted and slathered in ketchup. If my mother could see me now...

Popped home briefly yesterday, Catherine's previously tiny mini cat is now enormous and so furry it has no neck.
Kay tells of Interpol releasing a 3rd album...fantastic news, but they're so panickity that I'm wondering how long it will be until it's polished to Interpol standards...
Got the new Damien Rice album, first three songs all floaty and folky like the last album, then the chorus on song 4 is all "FUCK YOU!!!" and I had to force myself to stop laughing and concentrate on the road, as I was doing 85 mph.
Busy, busy day. Meeting with the people I'm going to Italy with which should be good. Hopefully they're sound and we can manage to spend 2 weeks together.
Oh and the food poisoning lasted 2 days, which was so much fun....

All day yesterday I kept getting light headed and dizzy and my ears kept popping. I decided to have an early night, curl up with my book, and get lots of sleep. Everytime I moved an inch I felt sick. And then it happened. I threw up all over my lovely dark red extra soft bedding, and to add further insult, I was really shakey and had to get Ollie to help me sort it out.

One thing I've learned - 'hippies' (he'll hate me for calling him that) are better when dealing with bodily functions than anyone I've ever met.

I don't know if the veggie haggis I brought back from Scotland was dodgy or if it was due to illness. Either way, regurgitated haggis looks exactly the same leaving as it does entering.

I just had my induction to the gym. As of tomorrow, when the membership is activated, I have no excuse for a beer gut or breathlessness. If I can get down to a size 10, I'll be extreeeeeemely happy. After walking onto campus to get to the gym wearing my tracky bottoms and hoody, I vow to do it never again. The changing room is a mystical, magical place and it serves a purpose.

University started back up today, and it was really nice to go back. I sometimes forget how much I like it here, walking onto my leafy green campus with it's red brick buildings and a clock tower that dwarfs Big Ben....it's all really nice until other students get in your way.

I got back from Glasgow just yesterday. I had a really nice time up there, eating lots of food that I didn't have to cook or pay for (cheeky) and going shopping in arctic weather conditions. Though when I got back to my house, The Evil One® was in my flat. This punctuated a slightly annoying journey with a big fat smelly exclamation mark. My bag broke when I was getting it off the carousel so i had to carry it in the most moronic way possible to the train station and then push my way onto the train and act like a sardine in a tin for 10 minutes, realise that I wouldn't actually be able to carry my bag to my flat from the train station up here and shell out £ for a taxi.

The reward for my return was Max and Mike providing bangers n mash, and my concoction of cider gravy. It's good to be back sometimes.

I'm going to Glasgow on Thursday. It's going to be an expensive weekend; staying with Katy means I'll have to eat like Katy and shop like Katy and she's very influential in these areas!

It's gotten so cold in the last two weeks that each morning the condensation on the inside of my window is ice.

I bought Season 2 of Lost on Sunday. Happiness....

Today we started to edit the footage for our Greek play. It should be fully polished tomorrow. It's not as bad as we thought it would be, it splices together almost smoothly. The only major problem is that the video player we used to transfer the footage must have been dusty on the inside and now our footage looks very old and crackly. Tomorrow we're going to add credits and some music, and get the blooper reel :-)

+ & - It's now reading week.

- This means I now have nothing to do until Thursday
+++When I go to Glasgow to see my sister for a couple of days
+ Been swimming twice this week
+ It gives me a smug sense of satisfaction
- Even though I get water up my nose
+ University's still going well (even when I see Chris about)
- I still haven't spoken to him. We texted over three weeks ago and that was the last I heard from him.
-+-+-+- Perhaps I should go for that coffee with him? I just don't know.
- I hate going on about him, this should be a dead issue by now.
- My parents have bought a house in Mansfield. Tits.
+ Sleeping pattern is now perfect. I woke up at 7.30 this morning, completely of my own accord!

I joined the swimming pool at university yesterday. I'm somewhat unfit (obviously smoking's a bit of an issue) but the main problem was keeping my head above water and remembering to breathe. Hmm. I might up grade to a gym membership...water seems to get in the way of my respiratory instincts... And all the naked women in the changing room! Not women with the figure of Uma Thurman or Nicole Kidman, but instead the figure of Jo Brand. Old Woman Arse Syndrome...I know what now awaits me in my forties.

Sorry for the posh language, but this is what happens to me after 5 weeks of uni. My lecturers are all so posh, playing "Spot Who Didn't Go To Private School" is actually impossible.

I promised my personal tutor that if I kept feeling shit and missed any lectures because of it, I'd go see her. Of course yesterday I missed a seminar, so yesterday I went to see her. But I bottled it. She's so scary (much like many of my good teachers have been) but she speaks far too many languages and even has slightly posh-inbred buck teeth and rosacia.

Next week is reading week...I think I might ask my sister if I can hurtle my shit up to Glass-Kay and party like it's 9. Maybe I could even give her the season 3 episodes of Lost?...(muahahaha)

Yesterday Ollie decided to run a bath. Due to pissing about instead of paying attention, he managed to flood the bathroom. A moment later, the landlord is knocking at the door saying water is going into the shop downstairs and maybe our plumbing's off? So she'll be sending 2 men up to have a look. Ollie dashed to his room, due to the fact that he hasn't paid any rent in the month that he's lived here, and oh, whats that? The dealer knocking at the door? Comedy gold. But you probably had to be there.

It's a sad day when you can drink 3 glasses of wine and not be drunk, but still get a hangover the following morning.

I'm starting to like my life again now I'm busy again.

It's all go at university. I'm the director of a short film in our Athenian Drama group, and it's all coming to a head. We're ready to start filming today, we just need to get our hands on a digital camcorder. I have lots of work to do, and I actually LIKE doing all of it. I also think I've found people to go on the study tour with, though it means changing from Greece to Rome and Pompei to check out architecture, which is all good with me, I just hope the university lets me.

Knowing that I can throw myself into my course and do really well at the work they give me is such a great feeling. Last week, Ollie and I were just sat in the flat, pissing and moaning about general goings on, and now we've both had a couple of good days in a row (however stressful those days have been).

I've been invited to a birthday party. A friend I knew a good few years back in Nottingham that I've bumped into twice in Brum and have kind of lost contact with. It's so strange to think she lives around the corner from me. I think I'll show my face, give her some form of alcohol and if it's awkward it's just a short walk home. I'll need to take one or two reinforcements I think though. I hate going to parties where I don't know anybody.

So, overall, this bag is slightly mixed but mostly good.

Upstairs there are two doors that lead into the flats next door and apparently they're fire escapes. Of course the doors are locked because the burglary risk is high if they're open, but this isn't enough for Annie's mother.

No, a fire marshall came round earlier and because he didn't get inside (noone answered the door) he took it straight to the council. This issue is now in the legal system and as far as we know we can't do anything about it, escape refuse entry to the council.

For fucks sake.

I have a meeting with my personal tutor on Monday, and her name is Dr. Elena Theodorakopoulos. If the situation ever arises for me to saying her full name, I'm bollocksed.

I'm going to Greece for two weeks at Easter for my study tour. Hopefully it'll be amazing. Greek island hopping sounds like a lot of fun, as long as I don't get put into a group of really uptight miniskirt wearing girls.
Had a really interesting lecture yesterday, but when I got into the room and walked past Chris a girl said, very loudly "is that CJ?" and he said yes and told her to shut up. Hmm. Maybe he does care?

Got a bit squiffy last night with Annie and Marc and I'm dead now. I don't feel like shit, I'm just extremely tired. I was quite bollocksed though. At one point I buried Annie under everything in the living room (bags, coats, ashtrays and finger puppets) and told her she had to get out using only her teeth.

- Chris wants to go for a coffee to 'talk.'
? I think I want to go too, but it's going to mess me up for a good few days afterwards I'm sure.
+ He knows how I feel now, and he heard it from me.
+++ He actually apologised.
+ Classics and Film is a godsend, the best module university could have given me. Homework involves watching that Russell Crowe movie.
+ The Athenian Drama module looks really good too - I don't have to act.
- Annie just doesn't get it *
+ Ollie now officially lives here.
- Have to keep going back to his old house to get his stuff from the clutches of the most insane conspiracy theorist on the plant.

So, *Annie doesn't get it.* Last night Ollie was out drumming. Annie went to Chris' house to get stoned. And I really wanted to talk to her and cry all over her and explain that I can't really cope with all of this and I just need someone around to talk to who will listen and be patient. But she wasn't here, she was with him, talking to him about me (I'm fairly certain; she's heard me say many times that I could only accept an apology if he got back in touch with me in the first place). So I was feeling lonely and shit and I was online speaking to Max and it turned out that the feeling was mutual. He came round and we drank tea and cried on each other, and while he was here I got the text from Chris.

I saw Annie for about 15 minutes yesterday. She's been spending more time with him. It's not in a bitchy way - this is just her. She blinkered and most likely didn't even know I was frustrated.

So tonight, she either heard me whispering or brilliantly deduced something by herself. She was about to go to the pub with Chris (among others) which would mean that for the 4 time in a week I would be alone in the flat. I moaned to Ollie and she decided not to go to the pub on the pretext of homework, but as it turns out we're sat here watching Desperate Housewives in utter silence.

I think I'm going to dye my hair now I've exploded a bit.

I saw Chris twice this week. Both in lectures. The first time, I ran away and cried on Annie (I saw him, he didn't see me). The second time I thought about what was going on in the lecture, and we both saw each other. I know he didn't go to the pub afterwards while his friends did, so I'm hoping that maybe it hurt him a tenth of how much he hurt me.

I still can't believe I wasted so much time, effort and love on him, and I'm blindly hoping that he feels completely miserable at the thought of what he threw away in such a cowardly way. But I know this is hope and that his only operates in two emotions generally - anger and okness - and due to this he's probably learnt nothing and is going to be the kind of man every woman hates. Tosser.

Really need to talk about something but can't say it on here. AAARGH.

Lauren, saw the post about rights on your page. I agree, I just don't believe that it means anything if everyone says the same thing. So for everyone that reads this, RESPECT PEOPLE OF ALTERNATIVE SEXUAL ORIENTATION BEFORE YOU SHOOT THEM. Is that what you were going for?

Things at uni aren't as bad as I thought they would be.

I still haven't seen Chris, but I don't intend to either, at least not for a very long time. I know it's only been a week, but the friends are great. I think a formation occurred naturally. I know who I'm going to spend most of my time with now, and it's partly down to Ollie's enthusiasm to live with us.

Speaking of, it seems as though it's definitely happening. I have to talk to the estate agent woman at some point in the next 2 hours, and see if they'll let Emma stay on for an extra week or if Ollie can move straightaway. I can't wait. Emma and I can get on, we just can't live together. (RE Saturday night when I was a bit worse for wear due to Friday night...and goth invasion...she can never just bring back one or two fucked people).

First day back at actual university today. I have to sit in a NEW seminar group - a room full of people I don't know - and talk about how Roman Emperors were percieved in literature.

Edit: No lectures til Wednesday. Walked all over uni with an enormous 4 ft tall dragon plant. Got many strange looks. I think Ollie's turning me into a crazy hippy.

As it's still freshers week, there were lots of music nights on at the guild last night. We thought we'd go along because there was some jazz, somewhere...but were immediately deposited in the hip hop room, which served for a bit of humour. Then the rock room, which Annie didn't want to leave but which Max, Mike and I were scared of. Then jazz. Oh the jazz.

The jazz was nang. We got a bit pissed and were speed ballroom dancing to lively jazz. The first years didn't know what to make of it. Walking back to Selly Oak, we rolled down the hill, we did cartwheels, we ran, and we got food.

I have a headache now.

I am so fed up of this recurring theme in my life over the last two months.

Two months have passed since Chris broke up with me and each half day I feel something slightly different about it. Yesterday I didn't give a shit. Last night I got angry about it. This morning I could do nothing but think about how much of a wanker he was, and I wanted to hit him and ridicule him for hours, because it feels like that's what he did to me. Loving someone to only find out that for a good amount of weeks that love has been a farce is the hardest thing I've ever been through. The way he broke us up was the most cowardly thing conceivable, and the more consider it the more cowardly it becomes. Last nights anger resurfaced slightly this afternoon, but I was more resolute than anything.

I know that I can ignore him and pull my thumb out and work really hard these next two years and make the most of my degree.

But this resolution might be gone tomorrow.

Hangovers are the worst - I'm so scared of a hangover. It gives me the lowest possible emotions and an entire day can be spent in my pajamas, just staring at the tv. I know this is what normally happens with a hangover but recently it's the loneliness that gets me.

Right now though, I just have the resolution, and I'm 100% positive that I have the spine to get through this.