Well, I'm gonna tell you. I saw this on one of my friends' blogs and found it quite inspiring.
So, here's a breakdown of my 2012:
January
In January, I was living in a bedroom. My flatmate Lyn, a strict and somewhat 'traditional' Chinese woman had some very odd rules that made my life difficult. I wasn't allowed to drink alcohol, my male guests weren't allowed to use the toilet and I was supposed to store my mugs and glasses in seperate cupboards. Weird.
I was experiencing some pretty bad depression in January- I didn't have too many close friends, I was broke and I was missing my partner at the time, DancingBear, like crazy.
It was towards the end of this month that some unpleasantness happened with a few close friends and someone I really liked slipped through my net of opportunity. I was, however, running a game of Forgotten Realms D&D with a really great group of people. (Geek).
February
In February, I decided to apply to study rehabilitation at Massey University. I also received a letter telling me that I was entitled to a $3000 odd tax refund- I hadn't claimed any for a few years, and it had accumulated. Yay! I decided to use that money to visit America, a lifelong dream, and DancingBear. It was the best holiday of my life! So many amazing experiences- I'm definitely planning to go back.
I started playing a Star Wars MMO this month- super awesome.
I also ended up in hospital around a week after I went to the States... I had an odd pain in my side that the doctor thought might be appendicitis. It turned out to be Mystery Illness #22 and we never did get answers.
One of my best friends Mikaela came back to NZ from Canada and I got to hang out with her. :)
March
This was the month that I met TJ, my current partner. We had our first official date on the 9th, at Silo Park in the city watching the legendary film 'Labyrinth'.
It was also the month that DancingBear and I ended our long distance relationship.
I moved out of Lyn's place and in with TJ and his best mate, Scott. I introduced TJ to a female friend of mine, K, who became a close play partner with both of us for a few months.
April
I was introduced to the concept of 'Earth Hour' in this month. I was really excited and saw an opportunity to have an earth hour once a month- good for us, good for the environment!
Scott, TJ and I got drunk and played 'I have never' while the lights were off. It was an experience :P
I was also super ill in April- it seemed to be one thing after another. Colds, bruises, severely injured kneecap...
May
May was the month I started playing Vampire the Masquerade, a tabletop rpg about, well, vampires. (Geek.)
I also handed over the reigns on my D&D campaign so that I and the group could embark on the adventures of playing Savage Worlds; Interface Zero.
June
During this time, TJ was going through some pretty severe emotional troubles and I was finding it difficult to have energy for much outside our relationship.TJ surprised me by proposing! It was very sweet and romantic and he made sure that all of my friends were there to embarass me :P
It also happened to be Scott's birthday this month and so I organised a secret birthday party for him.
I organised his family and friends to meet us at this fancy Indian restaurant in the city and told him 'put a nice shirt on, we're going out.' He was so surprised! <3
July
July was a month of adventure!
I discovered the Avondale Markets, which are full of culture and cheap awesome things! You can find more information
here.
I also went on a roadtrip with TJ to Rotorua. We had an amazing time- petting lion cubs, bathing in mineral hot pools and camping in a field of beautiful white ice.
We stayed at
this amazing holiday park which I would definitely recommend if you're heading that way!
July was also the month that we decided to leave our house at Range View Rd. We were... looking for adventure, I suppose. We found a large house in Avondale that fit all of us and lived happily ever after. At least, mostly happily. One of our flatmates decided to move out after just a couple of months and we couldn't make rent without them, so there was a stressful period in which I had to find someone that would fit with our flat in just a week!
TJ's birthday is in July too! So... I planned a secret surprise birthday for him. First, on the eve of his birthday, a cake and presents, a nice dinner and some friends over. Then, I organised a Mexican Fiesta at Mexicali in the city on the next night with a bunch of our friends- margaritas and quesadillas for all! We went bowling afterwards and I was pretty pleased with myself.
August
Was uneventful. Really the only thing of note was Father's Day and I had to celebrate that without my dad. In fact, I have not seen him despite assurances to the contrary since December 2011. I sorta kinda wish I had a 'real' family sometimes.
Around this time, things with TJ's ex wife got quite heated. Ah, the joys of having to deal with ex partners because of children.
September
TJ and I celebrated our 6 month anniversary (yes, we a
re that lame!).
We also attended his annual work function, which, for someone with Aspergers and someone with social anxiety was quite the ordeal. The chicken was delicious, though.
I achieved a long held small-dream of mine this month. I finally got around to running an erotic hypnosis workshop. It was held in Hamilton and it went really well. I'm so glad that I could help to improve peoples' lives and relationships through teaching new skills.
October
My favourite month! Mostly because my birthday is right at the beginning of it. I was completely and totally spoilt by TJ! He organised a super secret lunch at Elliot Stables for me with two of my dearest friends, Joel and Mikaela. We then went to a hotel he had booked after, with wine and chocolates and a spa bath in room. He bought me the most amazing presents, and we had an early dinner at Mexicali on K Rd, complete with margaritas.
I spent all of his money that night on booze and strippers... Classy.
October is also when halloween is. TJ and I decided that we would take the little ones trick or treating. B, the eldest, was super excited and let me dress him up like a zombie. I was a sugar witch! N, the youngest, decided that he didn't want to do that silly dressing up thing.
Disappointingly, almost no one in our neighbourhood was celebrating halloween- the boys got like, 2 houses for candy. So, we took them to the Light Party down at the local park where there was a petting zoo and some free rides.
NZ really disappoints me at Halloween. It's such a fun holiday!
November
Ah, the start of the Christmas festivities! We went to the Farmers' Santa Parade with the kids, which was, as usual, amazingly fun. This year they also did an awesome thing with Aotea Square where Santa had a party with music, food and rides.
TJ and I started going to couples' counselling so that we could strengthen our communication. It didn't really work in the way we wanted it to, but fortunately we managed to figure things out on our own.
During this month TJ met someone. A girl. He really liked her, and as usual, she turned out to be crazy. They had organised a date (okay, so it was my idea,) to go to a Christmas Burlesque show on K Rd.
She ended up flipping the crazy switch before their date, so I accompanied TJ instead and we had a lovely date at our first ever burlesque show.
November was the time I started playing my tabletop love, Exalted. (
Geeeeek.) Ah. Now, it would take far too much of your time for me to explain exactly what it is, but needless to say TJ is chained to the coffee table, reference books and dice permanently glued next to him, to be used as my personal GM for this entrancing game.
December
Party month!
Two weeks before Christmas was my eldest son's birthday. He turned 7. We had birthday cupcakes and played Monopoly ^_^
A couple of days later I was at Christmas in the Park with Scott, Joel and Mikaela. It was so much fun! Good food, good Christmas spirit and a whole lot of tweenagers getting drunk and saying embarrassing things.
Christmas was an emotional time for me. I'm always reminded of my family, or lack of, and I long for days of my youth where such a fuss was made and I actually had presents under the tree. So, this year I made a decision- I was going to make Christmas happen. My Christmas, the one I remembered from my childhood. Food, presents, lights, a tree, people.
I did it, too! I pulled off an amazing Christmas day and got to spend time with my friends and loved ones.
December was also a month of change- TJ and I decided to find our own place together, which will be an interesting step forward in our relationship. I also followed one of my new dreams... To be a patisserie chef. I have enrolled, and been accepted, into a patisserie course through AUT. I'm going to be the best damn pastry chef in Auckland.
That was my 2012- how was yours?