2020 was OK for me personally, mainly because all I did was work, sleep and save money. And eat a lot of 4 star pizza. And ice cream. 2021 was shite as I had a worse job and had to work days again after a year of nights so for 6 months I was miserable, but managed to get back onto an evening shift in the last few months of the year so was OK in end.
2022 was better than those, which I mainly rigged by myself by going out 2-4 times a month or more, being more careful with my food intake and finding new ways to exercise. I met a load of new people and reconnected with old ones. I got to travel again so did my usual 3 trips to Europe. Funnily enough I didn't buy a lot of crap like I did in 2020-2021 but I even sold some shit, mainly books and collectables. Most money was spent on food and drink, my faves. I was breaking even with my job and not getting anywhere so it was finally time to leave, especially when they put me back on days. I left and started my new courses and its going pretty well. Here's to a better 2023!
Timeline
January - 30, bye to S, watched the Rumble
February - decided to leave work this year back to college
March - got Covid but later went to Prague so all good
April - last month on evenings, was a good 8 months or so
May - had to go back to day shift, decided I was done
June - pain and suffering at work
July - quit my job at last
August - did nothing for a month other than eat and workout and play games
September - went to Italy at last
October - did a load of different events and stuff was cool, met M again
November - got not-Covid, finished most of my assignments
December - met up with loads of friends, sneaky trip, nice Christmas despite everything and chill
Music:
I was working until mid-July in 2022 so was still subject to the constant radio of Today Fm but after that it was all me. Until May I was on evening shift so for large parts of that I was able to sneak my headphones in so I was free from the endless barrage of pop. And I like pop but anyone who has worked in a place with Today FM all day will know it gets tiring hearing Harry Styles once on the morning show, again on the 9-12 show, again on the lunchtime show. Same with the evenings, though the evening show had a very weird alternative hour or two that I tried to get into but just couldn’t.
Long story short, I don’t remember many hits from 2022! Looking at a list I saw ‘As it Was’ and it was like PTSD I could just remember it all again, the beat everything. And I like Harry Styles ‘Adore You'' but this was just incessant this year. But perhaps ‘As it was’ wins the 2022 Song of the Year contest by default.
I listened to Kenny Omega’s ‘Battle Cry’ a lot at the start of the year and somewhat throughout the year. Great for working out or just walking to work and back. I got into AFI and Miseria Cantare ‘The Beginning’ because Punk used it once. Sam Fender’s ‘17 going under’ also got some airplay on Eoghan FM. I watched that video Metal Gear Solid Incorrect Summary of Revengeance and ‘It has to be this way’ ruled.
So mostly wrestling stuff like Roman Reigns' new theme, Cody’s ‘Kingdom’, Adam Cole Bay Bay, ‘Judas’ by Fozzy has been constant since late 2019 and Hangman Page’s music. Jeff Jarrett’s My World is also an ear worm.
Real music I was into this year included: Bjork ‘Play dead’, Lil Nas ‘Someone to love’, Faith No More ‘Midlife Crisis’, ‘Cult of Personality’ by Living Color, DB Boulevard ‘Point of View’, various Fleetwood Mac tracks, some Duran Duran and Aslan.
Christine McVie died a few weeks ago so that got me back into the Mac, had not been as religious listening to them the last few years since seeing them in 2019.
I got a sort of YouTube Wrapped this year, still no Spotify but of course it was dominated by wrestling tracks. I love listening to them on YouTube Premium while walking to work or school and sometimes while working out and I do a lot of both I’m not ashamed to say. I took advantage of the ‘Downloads’ feature to escape the shackles of wifi/data. So by the YouTube Wrapped, I will give the overall #1 song of the year to Cult of Personality.
Wrestling
I only watched a few wrestling matches this year, as is typical I watched the Royal Rumble in January. I also checked out the Elimination Chamber and of course, bits of Wrestlemania. I watched CM Punk versus Hangman Page in May. Cody Rhodes was cool to see in the WWE. I also watched the two CM Punk versus Jon Moxley matches in the summertime.
I was so disappointed when Punk got injured again, I could tell it had happened after he jumped the ropes and was clutching his arm a lot. I didn’t watch much otherwise but the All out (or Brawl Out, Gripe Bomb) Media Scrum was entertaining but also sad as it resulted in suspensions. Didn’t watch as much after that. I never cared for Punk before 2021 but was cool following his progression, he made me want to watch the show instead of just listening to podcasts.
I listened to hundreds of hours of Jim Cornette this year via YouTube, especially when I was playing Civ or some other game like that. I don't listen to podcasts while walking but I do while working out.
I have kind of given up on my own fantasy booking federation but it's always there to return someday, if I find a new video game to work on.
DND
My usual GM has been very generous with his time and energy and continues to run games for me and a few others on Discord. We are currently playing Spelljammer since August when it came out. I had bowed out in 2021 due to work conflicts but was finally able to rejoin with no more work. Has been a nice Wednesday ritual.
In January (hopefully) I will post everything about my campaign I ran from 2020 to 2022.
Travel
Czech - after over 2 and half of years of being stuck in Ireland, I finally got to leave and go to Czech, which I had planned to do in March-April 2020 but then Covid. So in March 2022 myself and Royce went and it was just lovely.
Italy - I did my first solo trip since August 2019 when I went to Italy in September 2022. It was also nice but very hot, I got to meet two friends over there who were very generous with their time and showed me lovely food over there. I had the nicest carbonara I've ever had in my life I almost cried eating it. I also developed my taste for 1 star hostels here, as mine was good even if I had to share the room with 3 others.
Spain - I snuck over to Spain at one point and it was cold in Ireland but 17 degrees over there. Barcelona I love you but I only saw you for 36 hours so I will return.
Exercise
I continue to lift weights since I picked them up 'properly' in September 2019 and have pretty much kept at it since. All my attempts to get 'bigger' have largely failed so will try and go the other way for 2023. I will continue to eat well and exercise with weights 4 days a week but it's no longer the focus as much. Lean and definition over size.
I finally started running again in September after a 30 month break (seriously) and it was so difficult. Lack of a track which I liked running on meant pitches and I just can't do that anymore. It's all I did as a teenager and my legs still ain't right. I may do what I did once a long time where I cycle, then hop off bike and do a few laps then back on bike.
More importantly I started cycling again in October and that yielded results. I did the 30 day challenge and got almost halfway in, then after that in November and December I kept going most days a week, was exciting to see progress and my hip pain vanished. The rain has been disgusting and its cold the last few weeks so while I haven't cycled since December 16th-ish I hope to make a return to regular progamming very soon.
I had Covid in March and something like Covid in November so am still mostly healthy but have a lingering cough that gets aggravated by dairy and some other things. Hasn't really affected my training but is annoying sometimes.
And of course, I continued to walk a lot, not as much as 2021 but still loads. Started getting taxis to work when I was on day shift May-July (before quitting) and walking home. Sat home for July and August but get lifts into college since September and walk home.
Games played in 2022
Resident Evil 1 Remake
LA Noire
Fable
Mount and Blade
Borderlands GOTY
Dark Souls 1
Age of Wonders
Age of Empires 2
Age of Empires 3
Civ 4
Civ 5
Fallout 3, New Vegas, Fallout 4 (Covid)
Fallout 3, New Vegas, Fallout 4 (Fallout SZN)
FF3
FF4
FF5
FF6
GTA: San Andreas
Pokemon Red
Pokemon Gold
Pokemon Emerald
Eternal Darkness
Star Ocean
Writing
I had spent much of 2019 writing ‘1 page a day’ and was quite successful; I finished the story I wanted to tell by October or so. I had a package of printing paper and before bed every day I would write in pen on one side and then read and go to bed. No more, no less. Sometimes I’d do an extra page or two and I missed a few days too but made great progress. In 2020 I also started another project, the continuation of the story, but hit a block. I attempted to type the first attempt up in 2021 but it was difficult.
I didn’t do much until November 2022 when I started to type up my old diaries from 2017 onward. I’m making crazy progress, at almost 28,000 words and am only halfway there. The first draft could be around 60,000 or more words and with a second draft could be looking real good.
Books
I only read a few books in 2022, trying to get back into the habit I lost in 2020 due to night shift.
I read the Crime of the Congo when I was in Westport during the summer, in July. I also read most of the Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, an old favourite in a new edition. Just started the Daniel Byran biography very recently so will try and finish that early January and get cracking on all my unread books. I sold a load of books I finished to Charlie Byrne's a few months ago for a pittance but was nice to clear them out. Oh I also finished the Power of Geography sequel.
Media consumed:
The Sinner Season 4
Band of Brothers
The Pacific
The Batman
Conspiracy
Fargo Season 1
The Boys 1,2,3
All Quiet on the Western Front
Fog of War
Avengers Infinity War
Avengers Endgame
The Wire 1,2,3,4,5
Nixon
American Crime Story OJ
Plans for 2023
The main thing is to finish my course in GTI in May and focus on the ‘main course’ in GMIT/ATU for 12 months of 2023. After May I can focus on it fully if not even sooner and get that sorted. Work experience should follow in 2024 and all will be well.
Hopefully I will travel to a minimum of 3 places again in 2023; in Europe I have my eye on Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to fill out the eastern part of the map; other than that maybe random places like Malta, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, maybe the Balkans. Further afield, I might try to get to the USA and Canada at last on one side and Australia and New Zealand on the other.
In conclusion
2022 was a 7 out of 10, just barely. Nothing major other than leaving work and going back to college, which still seems unreal to me. Got to travel a bit again and had loads of fun in Galway.
