365 not out!

2011 - ok, my first 3 blips were in 2010 but 2011 is my blip first year. I can't believe it's a year since I was down in 'Resolution Square' and caught my first sight of the world that is blip - and what a world it is, and what a year it's been. Sometimes I wish I'd done what I originally intended and started on 1 January, or even on the 2nd, my own birthday, but though neater, it doesn't really matter, I'll have Christmas, a blip birthday, New Year and then I'm a year older - some week.

Le calendrier, bought from La Poste on my last ever visit to my home, La G, in September 2010 was on my original bedroom wall till the refurb started. Now it's been relegated to the bookshelf but the beautiful pictures of Midi Pyrenees remind me of interesting, and sometimes, happy times, of good friends, now so far away, and of a dream that disappeared. Meant, who knows?

But moving on, the images that I've captured on blip will always bring back memories of my amazing life. The highlights of this year:

carrying my camera everywhere and sometimes even getting off auto
blip friends, blip meets, blip flashmobs and blip picnics
seeing the year unfold across the world, including some of the more tragic moments
#1 son's marriage and gaining a daughter
singing - Southside Choir and Marchmont St Giles Church Choir
getting involved with Venture Scotland
gardening and the demise of the ash
walking, Lothian Buses, taxis and not having a car
My Android phone and the LB app
Molly (well, ....)
PASCAL and Glasgow
friends - especially (and like Strictly, in no particular order) Y, E, L, A
family - having #2 and #3 sons close by
Malaysia
Crisis
flat refurb, moving bedroom, buying lots of new things and gaining a sunny kitchen
internet shopping and deliveries right to the 3rd floor door
going back to my roots and not getting old

There have been down sides too and dreams and hopes that haven't materialised - mainly not being able to find ANYTHING during the refurb and the continuing guddle that is the box room and the boiler and meter cupboards, living on the 3rd floor, realising this flat is too small for me and I will have to move at some point, not having a car, waking up alone every morning and of course the 'F S' words which will lead to the 'D' word, but that is for next year.

I've achieved most of the goals that I set myself during the summer but I still have a couple outstanding - the usual one about losing weight but now that the wedding has been postponed the imperative for that has waned.

You never know what's ahead of you, probably just as well, so when on 29 December 2010 I posted my first blip I never thought it would open up such a great new world, populated by such great people. I never thought I'd be where I am today, doing what I'm doing. Because my birthday is at New Year every New Year is a double 'new start' for me. There will be challenges this year, some of which I'm not looking forward to facing, and the timing looks like it's going to be rubbish too, but there will also be opportunities, carpe diem.

So what does my future hold? Who knows? Today it holds some work, 'Romantics Anonymous' at the Filmhouse and dinner with E and tomorrow the Lyceum pantomine with my sons and F - that's as far as I think it is wise to commit!

Have a great end of 2011 and happy 'blip birthday' to my blip twin.

Keep on blipping!