After recovering from the hell-virus that floored me for half of my holiday period, it’s quite irritating that I’m already back to work in about 13 hours.

*sigh*

Well, after the horrible year that 2011 was, I have decided on a couple of resolutions (revolutions?) to try and make 2012 as great as it bloody well can be. Here we go -

1. Try 52 separate whiskies. That’s whiskies as in Scotch, Malts, etc… - This is more a little personal challenge than anything. I’m already up to 2, but basically I have to average a new whisky a week. Yeah, I’m from a family of whisky nerds, sue me.
2. Draw, draw some more, post it on Tumblr and bloody well improve - I want to try and get my drawing down another level or so this year. To that end, I’m aiming to draw a lot more when I have the chance. I have a small sketchbook, and dammit to buggery I’m going to use it this year.
3. Complete a game or two - It’s such a shame that it feels like I have no time for gaming these days, especially when I have an Xbox, Wii and 3DS sitting about. Enough is enough, I need to sit and finish a game from start to finish this year, even if it kills me.
4. Actually finish the mark-mcqueen.co.uk site - You’ll notice that going to www.mark-mcqueen.co.uk just comes straight here to the blog. I need to fix that this year, especially if I want to start doing a little freelancing here and there.
5. Tidy up and decorate the rest of the house – self explanatory really…
6. Write, draw and publish a (MINIMUM) 20 page comic online - by this I mean, write out a full, cohesive story, draw every page and publish the full thing by the end of 2012. Easier said than done given my previous attempts (sigh). However I think it’ll be easier with the mind-set that I have put in place for (…in)Sanity (insanity.mark-mcqueen.co.uk) – I aim to write and finish at least one big comic piece for April/May time and I have been trying to flesh out a story for that anyways. Here’s hoping, eh?

I’m sure I could come up with more but I think the above 6 point should give me enough to fight through (along with everything else) within the next 12 months. That said, I should maybe find a way to stop those pesky Mayan’s and their supposed doomsday…

Jesus Christ almighty, where the hell does the time go?

I think I can honestly say this has been a proper annus horribilis and definately a year I’ll be wanting to forget in a hurry. It’s nearly a year since my wife and I got flooded out of our home (week on Friday to be exact) and to say that everything has went to pot since then would be something of an understatement.

It is part of the reason that I’ve had to give up Alienated Youth. As much as I tried and tried and tried, I couldn’t get the damn comic to resolve in my head. And so when cost cutting measures came to the fore in my household affairs I had no choice but to let it go. It’s not that I wanted to per say, creative things are trying to jump out from me but, unfortunately, time and money seem to be at a rather large premium these days.

The funny thing is, not even 10 years ago, I was writing more than I was drawing. Or doing coursework. Or going to lectures. *cough*

This is why there has been a small flurry of postings here recently. And why I’ve changed the name of the blog to The Life and Times of Mark McQueen. An almost nod to my old blog the Deviant Chronicles there, my (admittedly early) New Years Resolution is to pick my sorry ass up and start getting myself back to ‘normal’. Whatever that is.

I am going to try my damndest to keep coming back online and venting. Rambling. Ranting. Whatever gets my fingers moving and my mind ticking. I used to be very good at this way back when, so I can’t see why the spark can’t return.

I aim to grab 2012 by the scruff of the neck and make it an awesome year, not just for me but for the people closest around me. Because, quite frankly, 2011 has sucked. Royally sucked. And I refuse to go through another 12 months of the same shite as last year.

Actually, know what? That wasn’t an early New Years Resolution. It’s a New Years Revolution. 2012 - here we come!

It seems to be that I only jump on here for obituaries lately, but the shock of someone like Gary Speed, the Welsh national team manager, passing so suddenly at such a young age seems to make me want to put something down in writing.

Speed was seen to be the consummate professional throughout his long playing and brief managerial career, similar to the on field and off field presence Ryan Giggs had until his recent indiscretions. The difference was Speed was never on the front pages for any scandals, always the back pages for his skill, commitment and determination. His amazing turnaround of the Welsh national side proved his talents and 3 wins on the trot seen Wales hit the giddy highs of 50 in the FIFA world rankings.

The scenes at the football games across the country today, including the 3 top games of Kilmarnock-Rangers, Swansea-Aston Villa and Liverpool-Manchester City, are tantamount to the presence and legacy Gary left not just the game but to life in general. I personally was looking forward to the two epic games between the tartan army and the dragons with Speed at the helm. Here’s hoping the games over the next two years are fitting tributes and I’ll be keeping an eye on Wales along with Scotland in the internationals starting next year.

RIP Gary.