Happy New Year and all that bollocks I suppose. I'd say I took the last half of December off as a reward for finishing a screenplay, but to take time off I'd have to be working. And I still did a bit of writing, just not on here.

But this post isn't about writing. It's about life, my life, and the last year. And the things that got me through the year. Which is namely you buggers.

Look, I have a lot to be thankful for. I (think I)'m healthy, I'm of (relatively, and some people would argue the opposite) sound mind. When I work, I'm in a fairly specific, in-demand field, and I get paid as such, and that gives me the opportunity to take time off, travel, see the world, and focus on other things. I have a family that are incredibly supportive, even when it's deciding to not work, or turn down jobs I wouldn't be happy at. Altho I suspect that's just because they don't want to listen to me bitch about aforementioned jobs, having had to go through it on more than one occasion.

But 2017 was a great year for friendship. From the new ones fostered, to the old ones that taking time off enabled me to rediscover, it was a good year. Sure, one or two fall along the way, and gods know I spent more time than I probably should thinking about some of them, but on the whole I finished 2017 off way richer than I started it.

At the same time, I've found that my year away on the boat, not really having a phone or regular contact with people, has made me worse at actually calling, texting, or messaging. Being transient has a lot of perks, but that's definitely not one. As I drove home New Year's Eve I realised I hasn't messaged the people I usually would. I've missed birthday messages and suchlike, so I'm sorry about that, and this year, my only resolution is to be better about that.

I mean, there's things I'm gonna do this year. Send some writing off. Probably go back to work for a while. Lose the bikini body in time for Mexico. Keep my room tidier. But those aren't resolutions, just "Oh yeah, I should probably do that's." Is there a word for that?

Anyway. Thank you. Thank you for last year, and being there when I needed, or didn't need. Thank you for making me leave the house, or the country, trying new things, getting over old things, and bearing with me when I kept bragging about not working for seven months...

And the five people that read this, well, thank you for that too. And tell the other buggers that if they want to be thanked they're going to have to read this too, cos it is NOT a resolution to go round and to that to everyone, because that's a lot of travel and I can't afford it.