My Review of the Year

Over the last couple of weeks I've been thinking back over the whole year, which seems to have gone on forever, and tried to remember the highs and lows of 2009. Here is my list, which I may add to as I remember things.

PERSONAL HIGHS

Getting into a daily weekday exercise routine to combat depression and lose weight (1 1/2 stone at the time of writing)
A whole year without anti-depressants
Interviewing Andrew Collins on my radio show
Being shortlisted in the Best Newcomer category for the Hospital Broadcasting Association awards
Seeing my daughter dance on stage at the Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline
Getting paid for some writing in The Scotsman (even if it was in praise of Status Quo)
Having a book dedicated to me and being sent a signed copy (thanks S)
Edwyn Collins playing with Teenage Fanclub at Trongate 103 and Mono on the same night
Our family trip to Crieff Hydro

PERSONAL LOWS

Finding about the death of an old friend, 11 months after it happened
Getting chicken pox
Missing the HBA awards due to Chicken Pox
Not winning Best Newcomer at the HBA awards
The end of Recommends in The Scotsman, which I regularly contributed to
A long weekendwhich began with our childminding fiasco and ending ion someone trying to run me off the road, which brought on a lot of stress and a panic attack

BOOKS ENJOYED

Simon Goddard - Mozipedia: The Encyclopaedia of Morrissey and The Smiths
Graham Joyce - Simple Goalkeeping Made Spectacular
Paolo Hewitt/Paul McGuigan - The Greatest Footballer You've Never Seen
Stuart Maconie - Adventures on The High Teas: In Search of Middle England
Mark Radcliffe - Thank You For The Days: A Boys' Own Adventure in Radio and Beyond
Luke Haines - Bad Vibes: Britpop and My Part In Its Downfall
Harry Thompson - Penguins Stopped Play: Eleven Village Cricketers Take On The World
Andrew Collins - Where Did It All Go Right (audio book)

FILMS ENJOYED

Transatlantic Feedback – The Monks
State of Play
No Country for Old Men (on TV)

MUSIC ENJOYED

Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
The BMX Bandits - The Rise and Fall of the BMX Bandits (thanks Duglas)
Jackie DeShannon – Breakaway: The Songs of Jackie DeShannon 1961-1967
Dropkick – Abelay Hotel
Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry - Do-Wah-Diddy
Gerry Goffin and Carole King - Honey and Wine/Song Collection 1961-1967
Ivy League – Major League: The Pye/Piccadilly Anthology
Various – Destroy That Boy: More Girls With Guitars
Various – Where The Girls Are Volume 8
Various - The Girls Are At It Again: UK Beat Girls 1964-1969
Various - Boy Trouble: Garpax Girls
Ace of Cups - It's Bad For You But Buy It
Jackie Lee - The Town I Live In: The EMI Years 1965-1967
Cher - The Best of the Imperial Recordings 1965-1968
Lulu - Shout: Complete Decca Recordings
Sergeant - Sergeant

GIGS/EVENTS

Camera Obscura/Attic Lights (Barrowlands, Glasgow)
Edwyn Collins/Teenage Fanclub (Mono/Trongate 103, Glasgow)
Attic Lights/The Primary 5/Dropkick/The Parish Music Box (Town Hall, Darvel)
Attic Lights/Norman Blake and Euros Childs/BMX Bandits (ABC, Glasgow)
Attic Lights/Norman Blake and Euros Childs/Rod Jones/Frightened Rabbit (Picturehouse, Edinburgh)
Dropkick (Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh)
Office team building day clay pigeon shooting – I loved it
Collings/Herrin live podcast (Edinburgh Fringe)
Richard Herring - Hitler Moustache
John Cavanagh - Pirate Radio (on the radio - couldn't make the live show)

TV ENJOYED

Sport: The Ashes/The Tour de France
Comedy: Big Bang Theory/Modern Families/The Thick of It/Harry Hill’s TV Burp
Drama: Damages/Dexter/House/Mad Men/ Red Ridings Trilogy
The Gadget Show
Quiz Shows: Pointless/ University Challenge/Only Connect
Charlie Brooker’s Newswipe/Gameswipe/Screenwipe/You Have Been Watching
Kids: Shaun the Sheep/Gigglebiz

RESTAURANT I ENJOYED

21212, Edinburgh

HEROES OF THE YEAR

Michael Moore
Charlie Brooker
Stephen Fry
Andrew Collins
Richard Herring
Cairn String Quartet
Jim Gellatly

TV/RADIO APPEARANCES

Jon Holmes' BBC6 Music show - Soft Rock feature talking about Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"

VILLAINS OF THE YEAR

Drivers – One in particular who, but for my evasive action, would’ve killed me on Craigleith Road. The irresponsible and downright stupid driver of SG05 0XL won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

Fife Council – I finally get the promised bus shelter, some three months after I stop using public transport.

Near Neighbours – The people who live (or visit) at the bottom of my road who speed up/down it. The speed limit has been changed to 20 mph but they regularly do 40 mph.

Silent Calls from “Home Improvement” companies who are “not trying to sell me anything” but are. Try and find out about these companies on the Internet and they don’t seem to exist.

Carphone Warehouse – Salesmen lying to my wife and the company failing to reply to my complaint.

ILA – The Independent Learning Account was more hassle than it was worth. Won’t be bothering again.

Lack of communication - Companies and organisations who don't reply to e-mails really gets my goat. E-mail is supposed to make communication quicker. It doesn't, it just makes ignorance faster.

WHAT DOES 2010 HOLD?

Fingers crossed for a nomination (or two) at the HBA awards in Erskine (I’m in for Best Specialist Music and Best Speech Package)
Hopefully re-start and finish my book
A job on radio
Learn to play guitar
Weight loss (another half a stone will do nicely)