Bumming and Blowing

The title? Bumming and blowing? It actually doesn't have any sexual connotations (yes, I lower the tone so you don't have to). The Belfast side of my family use this phrase when they think somebody is boasting. "Him? Ach, he's just bumming and blowing again..."

Why is this titled so? I've been thinking about writing an 'end of year' blog post for a few days now, and can't help but think that it can only read as an ego trip on my part. I just want to tell everybody what a great year I had without boasting. Not easy, and the temptation is to simply say nothing. But I don't want to be ungrateful either. The year's been very good to me and my wee family. Rest assured, we've had plenty of downs to go with our ups; nobody gets an easy ride. And while I've had good luck, I've also worked my backside off. Seriously, it's quite a bit smaller than it was at the start of the year.

This being a blog that's supposed to be about reading and writing, I'll just mention one momentous day in 2013 that changed my entire life.

13/3/13, I saw the first stage performance of The Sweety Bottle and found out that I'd been accepted onto a funded creative writing PhD at Queen's University Belfast. Thank you to Brassneck Theatre Company and all who've helped me at QUB's School of English (staff and fellow students alike). Some individuals deserve more thanks than others, but I'm too scared that I'll leave somebody out and offend them, so no list of names. I do need to thank Blasted Heath, however, the awesome digital publisher that believes in and pushes my prose beyond all my expectations.

But, yeah... 13/3/13 (or 3/13/13 US Style, though I prefer the symmetry on our side of the pond). That was an incredible Wednesday, dampened only by the fact that one of my sons managed to get something stuck up his nose and had to be taken to hospital. Up, up, down. But even the nose incident was a nice reminder of how good I have it. My wife took care of the boy and sat with him for hours in A&E while I watched the play with my father (and co-writer of The Sweety Bottle), my mother, my eldest sister, her husband, their baby (in bump form) and a bunch of Brennan family members who were able to attend.

I have one resolution for 2014. Work harder.

If I continue to put the effort in, I get to be a full-time student and writer -- that's right, no office day-job for the foreseeable future -- until well into 2016. After that...?

Let's just hope I don't fuck up, eh?

Happy new year, people.