And what was she, the fairy Melusine?

I rang in the new year pleasantly, at a small dinner party I was hosting at which just enough of the invitees turned up to justify me buying slightly fancier wine and artichokes than usual.

2015 was not a disastrous year- compared to some years it was pretty okay. I didn't have any catastrophic bad things happen directly to me, and I completed the stuff I wanted to an adequate degree (see: am still at uni, recent grades have been decent, etc). Most of my energy went on my degree and a couple of other boring, pretending to be a functional human goals (work experience, increasing my ability to cook, etc). I had some bad mental health stuff, but it did not knock me for six (for once I did the sensible thing of taking advantage of all my disability accommodations and telling anyone I was working with that I needed them). My chronic pain stuff has got worse, which is unpleasant, and I felt tired a lot. As mentioned elsewhere, I am fairly sure I went outside EVERY DAY, if not I managed the vast majority of days, and that is an achievement.

In short, 2015 was a year in which I coped. Much like the David Sedaris remark about how no one really wants to be described as benign, while there is nothing wrong with coping and I'm glad to do so, I'd rather not have it as the highest accolade for the year in question, but it probably is. 2015 was also dominated by an abnormally high number of my close friends having *terrible* years and this really doesn't earn it points. (Obviously, I did not experience this directly but it really affected my experience of the year overall, and if 2016 could leave my friends alone next year I would appreciate it.)

I had a break up about which I'm still a bit sad- the relationship was imperfect but pleasant, and I am annoyed by how much of the year I spent single. My new year's resolutions this year were a writing related one which I didn't fully manage but did partially manage, and 'no grand pyrotechnic fallings out' with close friends, which again, was only a partial success. (Does being friend-dumped count if you try and mostly handle it amicably?)

I think this sounds bitterer than I intended, and that is probably affected by two things: the fact that I'm in quite a bad pain flare after a (lovely) walk today, and the fact that I just watched whatever on earth the latest Sherlock episode was. I am actually fairly optimistic- I'm in my flat, with my Christmas tree, and I am going to eat some Viennetta in a minute before bed.

I hope this year is kind to you, and I hope that you know how much I enjoy this place. (Dreamwidth is meant here, not my flat, although obviously I like the latter)

Maelstrom was very much mixed. There was awesome people, there were awesome character things but there was much weirdness.

Med fail didn't affect me so much, because I did manage to get one of the anti depressants I take off tthesofaofdeath (Thank you so much) which was good, and meant I didn't have scary citalopram withdrawal nightmares (so bloody vivid) after the first night. But it did cause worry.

Weather fail, affected both myself and James a lot (everything getting soaked on friday night, mild hypothermia leading to both of us having to time out a fair bit and look after the other, and also to wearing all of my fairly androgynous clothes. It's a good thing we play an eccentric explorer and his slave. (Having returned I did not enjoy the conversation I had with my father which was lacking in sympathy and just being told that I hadn't prepared properly and my mother would have prepared better, as would "anyone going to a rock festival". True, but annoying and I just wanted to be told something along the lines of "It is understandable that you lost your phone as you were barely able to move and your bag got torn because of the wet")

I am very much grateful to ima_itrew and her awesome supplies of blankets and food and tea and hot vodka. And overall the weekend was really good, and I am less annoyed than I was yesterday at the limited amounts of playing I managed, because the bits I did manage were awesome (apart from the problem of playing a quiet character, which is getting forgotten about and left behind). And it was so awesome to see people.

Now to sort out downtime.

I will update properly about life soon, but for the moment I am going to write letters and possibly edit and then type up a story.
Can I mention that secondterminal is brilliant? (Not in terms of livejournal, although her comments are very good, but in terms of everything).