1. Happy New Year!
2. The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepare annual reports for blogs. I’ll share a few bits for this blog:
- The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 34,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 13 sold-out performances for that many people to see it. *thanks for visiting everyone!*
- Most viewed posts – The Other Typist: The Ending; Books to Make You Cry; Foal’s Bread by Gillian Mears; Of a Boy by Sonya Hartnett and my initial review of The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell.
- What were people searching for when they found me? the other typist ending, books that make you cry, chuck and blair, and the other typist ending explained. *lots of love for The Other Typist here*
- Who showed me the most love? Rory, Annabel, Christine, Bonnie and Lianne – thanks girls!
3. Reading Challenges – I added two more: Australian Women Writers and What’s in a Name. But that’s it.
4. I love New Year’s Eve. I love the sparklers, I love the LED and glow-in-the-dark accessories, I love the countdown, I love the crack of fireworks and I love how thrilled my kids are by the prospect of a post-midnight bedtime.
For the first time in many years, we spent NYE in Melbourne – a brilliant night with great friends, delicious food (butterflied lamb on the barbecue, Not Quite Dora’s Dip, Ugly But Delicious Dip, grape ‘salad’) and jugs of Sangria. When my friend Justine asked if I needed a ‘cardie’ and I thought she said ‘Bacardi’, things really took off.
If you’re not sure what the label on my glass says, it’s ‘Try me! I flash!’ #woo-hoo
5. I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions that don’t involve more books, beaches or salty snacks, however, I am considering a Fitbit. More a NYP* than a NYR. Will I become totally obsessed or will it give me the shits?
6. I got a new laptop for Christmas (bought for me to take to uni so that I don’t look like a total nuffy-mature-age-student… Although I’m fairly sure I’ll be {and look like} a total nuffy-mature-age-student regardless of how I take notes in lectures. Oh wait…. Do people still take actual notes in lectures?).
7. This nail polish. 
The second night wasn’t much better – still hot and I had a sore back (was it from the new mattress or was it a result of carrying the old mattress down the stairs? I don’t know – why not stay awake all night stressing about it and throw in some worrying about how much the new mattress cost and was it worth it, while I’m at it?).
Third night – slept like I was in a coma, didn’t feel husband move once, am totally in love with my new mattress.
9. Counting down the days until I’m here again:
So, Fitbits, New Year’s party accessories, reading challenges and mature-age students… Any thoughts on those topics? Feel free to comment or post your own random collection of thoughts, just as Bookishly Boisterous would have us do.
* New Year’s Purchase as compared to a New Year’s Resolution. In my experience, NYPs are much more fun than NYRs.