Lets get posting.

That's just about it for 2013.  Thinking about my resolutions for 2013 on 31 December 2012 I included the following in my post.

So 2013?  Well hopefully better than 2012.  As I said my odd years tend to be better than my even years so fingers crossed.  In today's i they listed the top 10 resolutions according to a seasonal survey (which probably means they did a 5 bar gates poll around the office).  Anyway, it went as follows,

1.  Read more books
2.  Save more money
3.  Lose weight
4.  Re-decorate
5.  Take better photos
6.  I want to go travelling
7.  I want to sell old stuff I don't want on eBay
8.  Buy a tablet
9.  Organise photos - print/delete/save etc.
10.Do something for charity.

not bad.  So why not?  I'll give that lot a go.  Maybe I'll even let you know how I get on.

Happy New Year

So as promised,

1.  No, I'm not sure I'm that bothered anymore either.  I know loads of people get loads of pleasure from reading but I don't really.  I find it difficult to maintain my concentration which slows me down and because it takes me so long to read a book by the time I've finished (sorry if) it I've forgotten what happened at the start.  Maybe if there was nothing else to do but I'm happy enough reading the news and thinking about stuff.

2.  I haven't had a pay rise for 3  years and the cost of living has continued to go up.  I've had holidays to Bilbao, Barcelona, Seville in Spain and London (twice), Robin Hoods Bay and my beloved End of the Road festival.  I've pretty much lived the high life (ha ha) so no.

3.  No, but I'm probably fitter now than I was at the start of the year and I 'don't think I've been ill all year so I'm going to claim that one.

4.  Yep, decorated my living room.

5.  No really, had high hopes on this one.  This one fell through, I was going to  a photography class but it folded.  I tried out a camera club (went once) but it wasn't my thing.

6.  See 2, I'm going to claim that one as well.

7.  Sold a load of records on eBay plus some of other stuff so yes.

8.  Bought a Google Nexus 7 which beats the shit out my computer for internet browsing and I use when I'm travelling so another yes.

9.  I organise my photos a bit better but I still don't edit/delete enough so no.

10.  I sponsored everybody that asked me and plenty of other stuff but I think the point was more about physically doing something so.......... alas.

So the scores on the doors is

Yes - 4
No - 6.

Oh well better luck next year.

I privately promised to release some music this year and for most of the year it looked unlikely but thanks to my old pal Richard from  Linear Obsessional Recordings I did it times 2.  In November,  Tick Tick's  My Swelling Heart was finally released to a fanfare trickle of applause and just before Christmas alongside 45 other people I remixed a track from Richard's melodeon improvisations album, Air Buttons for the album Button Box.  My offering was Jackentzat Ere.  Happy days.

I (really) didn't blog as much as I should have done but I did write up the history of Tick Tick and published it here (just go back a few pages).  I am so pleased I did it.  My friend Mark has suggested tidying it up and making it an e-book pamphlet and I might do it.  Cheers for feedback everybody.

I watched too much television.  Breaking Bad took over my life for a couple of months.  I also watched Rome which led me to re-visit the 1975/76 BBC TV series I Claudius.  Also watched the fanciful and implausible Homeland and The Americans and of course endless re-runs of The Big Bang Theory.

Ouch, lots of time wasted there!

So next year?

More walking,  me and Sham have targeted 50 again (met our target by October this year) and to continue with the gym for as long as I can stand it.

Maybe produce more music.  I need to master the software and feel the need to learn some music theory but regardless my embryonic plan is produce an EP linked to Jackentzat Ere, provisionally titled  "1, 2, 3, 4".  Not sure if I have the confidence to "release it" but if it comes off I'll make it available to anybody who is interested.

I need to save some money.  I'm going to New York in May but that's going to be my only holiday.  I never say never but at the moment even EOTR is off the agenda.  I'm going to try and have a year of austerity and limit my going out to no more than twice a month and less than 20 times over 2014. 

I know what I said about reading but I'm going to try.

My blog?  Hopefully, will still be here on 31 December 2014.  The design needs an overhaul and maybe that's what I should probably do first but whatever it will be as chaotic and badly written (I am under no illusions) but hopefully as entertaining as ever, if only to me.

Spend less time looking at Facebook.  I know one man's shit is another's caviar but it really is the digital age's answer to standing around gossiping on street corners in gangs.  Most of the time I resist but I can't deny I love the instant messaging and event notifications but come on people, get a grip, Facebook is just so banal.  It makes a Nigella Lawson cookery programme look like a fucking Stephen Hawking lecture. 

I leave this year with another nice photo from Tracy Hyman.  Although I couldn't describe it as my concert of the year, the EC show at The Westgarth in December was a great occasion full of warmth and love.  The place was bouncing and I sang along with Edwyn to lots of my faves (notably Don't Shilly Shally, Dying Day and Felicity).  A very special We are the Boro night.

Happy New Year.