Confessions of a Filofax

Okay, so I get a lot of banter about this at work but fact is: I still use a filofax. And no, it's not because I'm trapped in 1986 or anything, I just like having things written down and writing them down. I once used a PDA but it screwed up so many times and lost all my information, I was pretty much done with it.

Anyway, I digress... I've just been cycling through said filofax removing the old 2008 pages and putting in the 2009 insert. It's a little ritual I do each year, checking back over the dates, making sure I've got birthdays and anniversaries in etc, etc and in so doing sort of 're-lived' my 2008 in microcosm. It's actually really nice to review the last 365/6 days and a few things stuck out for me.

It was the year when Louise and I got Shakespeare, our awesome but mischievous little house rabbit (the little fella is probably snoozing downstairs right now, either that or he's got behind my TV and is currently destroying all the wires... thinking about it, I should just go check on him, one moment... Yep, still snoozing, laid out by the radiator).




I spent quite a bit in the capital in 2008, hopping on a train and meeting George (my uber-boss at BL) in London to go talk audio books. This was pretty exciting for me and it was great to see The Lightning Tower and The Dark King Horus Heresy audio hit the GW shelves before year end. So successful was it that Slayer of the Storm God and Heart of Rage are coming in 2009. It was a genuine thrill to take part in this; one, because I was at the forefront of something totally new for BL; and 2, because it was fascinating to go to a recording studio and see the actor and the whole creative process at work.

Woolaton Park near where I live was the site for my first 10K run (and only so far, something I plan to rectify in 2009). This was knackering, but I felt a great sense of achievement at the end of it and the memory of that lives on fondly.

A good friend of mine, Tim (who also did the run and several others, as it happens), headed off for sunnier climes and began his African odyssey. I salute him for going and going on such a fantastic journey, but you always miss your good buddies when they're not around.

Like any year, 2008 was one of anniversaries. Louise and I celebrated six years together and six in Nottingham, since we moved from Grimsby and I took up a position at White Dwarf (seems like a LONG time ago now). It also marked ten years since I sadly lost my father. An entire decade has passed and it barely seems like yesterday. I miss you dad.

On a lighter note, it was the year when I did my first interview for 40K Radio. What a great experience - my thanks to Spencer for that one (hope to chat to you again in 2009...).

Movies had a pretty good year in 2008. I'm a huge graphic novel/super heroes fan so to get Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk in the same year was pretty special. Eclipsing both, however, was the superb Dark Knight, possibly one of my favourite movies of all time. Chris Nolan you are a legend, sir.



A melange of other remembrances sprang up, too, as I was flicking through those dog-eared, daubed-on pages: the Fantasy Football league and the planned transfers and changes I wanted to make (I was a winner last season, but I currently trail in third place at the moment - I shall have to rectify that as well); an absolutely storming Kaiser Chiefs gig at the Nottingham Arena; I met Chris Wraight for the first time face-to-face (what a gent); and spoke to one of my literary idols Lee Child at a Waterstones signing - what a great experience, and one I shall never forget.

Anyway, I think that's probably enough procrastinating for now. I've given the blog a good battering this morning - it's about time I got on with some writing.