In 24 hours, I will finish work for Christmas. In about eight hours, I will be seeing Eddie Izzard. But right now, I’m bored, bored, bored, bored, bored. So I’m going to do that 2003 survey that’s doing the rounds. But if it’s any consolation, I feel slightly guilty about it.

1. What did you do in 2003 that you’d never done before?
Ate at an absurdly posh restaurant. That’s actually pretty pathetic. Next year, I will attempt suicide, or something suitably dramatic of that nature. Although it may well be something a bit less stupid than that, like bungee jumping.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Don’t make ’em.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No-one I interact with on a daily basis that I can think of, no.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not that I can think of, although I’ll be (pleasantly) surprised if I can say that next year.

5. What countries did you visit?
Scotland and Northern Ireland.

6. What would you like to have in 2004 that you lacked in 2003?
Erm, more shiny toys? I dunno. I don’t think there’s anything missing from my life that I’m likely to be able to do anything about in the next year…

7. What date from 2003 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Er… Umm…. Nope, nothing springs to mind as terribly noteworthy. The usual round of birthdays and significant anniversaries, but nothing terribly exciting. Oh, my brother graduated, but since I can’t remember the actual date, I can’t use that.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Wrote a 100 page graphic novel in a month. It’s shit, but I did it.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Failed to write a good 100 page graphic novel.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A couple of colds, and a few mystery aches and pains.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Probably the wi-fi kit for the house, followed by the new computer and the palmtop.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Oh, everyones. I don’t fucking know. Everyone I like continued to be a star, and Fin, Andrew and Marysia managed to put up with me for another year, but I don’t remember any stand out acts of wossname.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Erm. Er. Anyone I know have a ghastly public breakup this year, or did we all manage to behave like adults?

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, debts, bills, shiny toys, nights out, comics. Same old same old. (This is really a theme for my year, isn’t it?)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Umm. Evidently, I’ve had a really lithium carbonate year.

16. What song will always remind you of 2003?
Nick Cave – Babe I’m on Fire.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Largely unchanged.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Judging by this survey, anything different and exciting. I seem to have had a staggeringly dull year.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Dull things. Because then I’d have something to say here.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With the family for most of the day, then back to mine for a quiet night.

22. Did you fall in love in 2003?
Started it in love, and finishing it more so.

23. How many one-night stands?
None, obviously.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
The West Wing, although what little I’ve seen of season five is disappointing.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.

26. What was the best book you read?
Bad Wisdom, probably.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Jason Webley

28. What did you want and get?
Happiness and shiny toys.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
ROTK.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26, to the accompaniment of a quiet night in with Andrew, Fin and Marysia.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Acquiring enough money never to have to work again.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2003?
The same as it has been for the last ten years, more or less.

34. What kept you sane?
I don’t think I was in danger of going mad at any point, to be honest.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Eh. Drew Barrymore, I guess.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Toss up between war in Iraq, which was wrong on so many levels, and this top-up fees business. While the first was unquestionably the greater evil, I believe very, very strongly that education should be free to anyone that wants it.

37. Who did you miss?
All my friends overseas.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
I’ve met a bunch of fab new people this year, and would hate to demean the majority by singling just one of them out.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2003:
Don’t think it really taught me anything I didn’t already know, although I have spent most of the year waiting for the other shoe to drop.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
“Babe, I’m on fire”.

Well, god, that was boring. I would apologise for having had a nauseatingly good 2003, and thus this slightly smug and dull survey, but frankly, after the mess of 2002, I’m really quite glad of it. It’s been a largely unventful year characterised by being generally happy, for which the usual profound thanks to the usual suspects. I hope I can say the same this time next year.