Two Zero One Three

[Eddie Pinz]

1. Celebrated my two year anniversary with a boy I met on this very forum.

I didn't know we had another Pweb connection. Good stuff.

The past decade? Wow. I graduated elementary, high school and college. Been a lot of highs and definitely been a lot of lows. I don't really feel like being reflective. But there was one very good year, two very bad years and the rest was just okay.

[Peterlover14]

Managed to fall for a boy who didn't like me back. Realized I'm not a christian. I guess the tarot cards didn't lie when they said I would be going through a lot of rebirth....

[zeroguy]

It's really weird to think back and try to pick the top moments from when I was 12 until now. Most of them happened in the last five years or so.

Yeah, really. I think if I made a list for the past 10 years, it'd be about the same as a list for my whole life. I can't really remember much more than about five years ago...

In the past year, I've: graduated university, started working full-time, ... hey wait, where did all the rest of the year go?

[powerfulcheese04]

This post is best answered when I am not so bitter about finals... As such, I will answer sometime later... when i'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

[Confessions]

Really should go ahead and ask to be un-iced...

I think one of the worst and likewise the best parts about this thread is I get to look back and remember what my frame of mind was at the time I wrote what I wrote. Some things make me cringe, others make me laugh. God knows what I'll think when I read this next year!

This was quite a bit harder to put together than I thought it would be. Had I put this list together two months ago, it would be entirely different. Given that just last weekend was the one year anniversary of my mothers death, I've actually found myself to be in quite the rotten mood for about two weeks now.

A lot has changed this year.

Tops of 2009, no particular order:

- Best Shape Ever!
I lost around 30 pounds of fat between March and August, with about six more between November 1st and now. Reading back, I laugh at what my idea of being in shape was in 2007. I don't think I've ever been this thin, or in this good of health. I've no plans on stopping, either.

- Getting Contacts
I was convinced that I should get contacts, and it was a great decision. I don't know how I ever lived without them. Anyone who says they want glasses most definitely takes their good eyesight for granted. Tell you what, you can have my horrible 20/400 eyes and I'll take your 20/20 eyes.

- Edumacationz
Two productive, perfect semesters. Not much to say here.

- Baby Cousin
Getting to hold my two day old baby cousin. Getting to see the woman I'm interested in (below) hold that same baby cousin. Hard to explain how touching it is seeing the love she has for him, from the way that she lets him grab her finger and the way she plays with his tiny feet, to the way she talks to him when he gets a little grouchy. For as ingrained in my memory as that moment is, I must have been staring so obviously intently at her. Makes me purely happy thinking back on it, though.


Bottoms of 2009, again no particular order:

- Depression
Depression is no fun. Especially when severely sick. Especially at the start of the semester. Less so at the end of a semester. Except when it involves anger. Like it does right now. I'm not a fan of anger.

- Mothers Funeral

- Women
Unfortunate that this had to show up under the bottoms category. I brought it upon myself, though. It just doesn't work out as you would hope when you find yourself attracted to an older woman who is attracted to older men, despite the fact that I think we would get along great and she seems to continually be on the losing end of whatever relationships she finds herself in.

- A Years Worth of Idiocy
I make a lot of mistakes. I say a lot of stupid things. So, if I lump them all together, from the stupid things I said and did on pweb eight months ago (I apologize), to all the times I spoke without thinking, they quite easily rank on a list of bottoms.

I honestly can't list out a tops and bottoms of the decade. Ten years ago I was eleven years old, and life was so care free then. At that age, time seems so discontinuous. Going to Hawaii in 2006 definitely tops any list I could come up with, and the obvious death ranks as the worst. Despite my seemingly complete lack of memories of the 00's, I'm going to miss them.

Goodness, I wonder where I'll be in ten years. Seems so strange to think!

[Jayelle]

Merry Christmas, you're unbanned.

Now you can stop using Confessions.

[daPyr0x]

The feeling that I have entered a transitory phase in my life is accentuated by the "0" in "2010." In the last year I've moved twice, lived in 4 different places and 2 different countries. My professional career has been put on pause, and I'm not sure where it's headed. I've fallen in, and out, of love. All things considered, I'm...exactly where I've been aiming. Just, stopped there.

The last 2 years of my life have been driven around getting myself here. When my company came to me offering the Ohio job I made a plan to get here. Granted, I expected to still be employed once I got here, but I digress. Point is, I'm here now. That's what 2009 means to me, getting here. 2010 not only marks the beginning of a decade, but the beginning of the rest of my life. It marks the point at which I'm able to seek out my next direction and push myself there.

Yes, 2010 is an important year indeed.

[Gravity Defier]

I started out the decade listening to a Sony Walkman, when everyone else was using their CD players. I had one, too, but FM was where it was at for me. I'm ending the decade with an MP3 player that is big enough to be confused for a Sony Walkman. Avoiding iPod = victory.

2007 was my best year. NYC in March and Chicago in July. I saw FOB in concert for the first time and had the best "seats" I've ever had at a concert. That's not to say there wasn't any bad that year, my grandfather passed away that April after fighting off three different types of cancer. I was sad but I had to look at it this way: he was crying his nights away from the pain, the relief from that just might have been a "good" thing.

2001 and 2008 are tied for my worst years. Spinal tap, 2 month long migraines, emergency room visits, Stupid Boy versus arrest and losing my job. Okay, I think 2008 edges out 2001, especially given at least one good thing happened in 2001: I finished high school and that is a personal hell I thank the stars I never have to return to.

2002/2003: Lost 40 lbs of childhood angst/depression. 2009 I lost less but got back to the same low weight as 2002/2003. 2003: Found Pweb. I've since met 5 of you and talked to at least 12 on the phone, I'd say. I also cut 8 minutes off my 1.5 Miles time in as many months, which is damn hard. I was recognized by my detachment as being a standout kind of gal.

I've been a teacher and now work in a library. Who knows about the next decade. If I can get work in an architect firm and maybe write a children's book, I'll be a step closer to my goal of being a renaissance woman.

Romantically, I'm ending the decade the way I started it: alone but probably better off that way. I've made lots of mistakes in this department and am still doing so, right now as we speak.

I've welcomed five of my six nieces and nephews into the world this decade and graduated from the university.


2009 specifically: FOB concert in April and job in June. Most meaningful moment was stepping out onto the streets of Chicago in October; my heart nearly burst with joy.

I hope I didn't forget anything in there. Basically, this decade was better than the last and the next will be the best yet. The data proves it and I need to believe it.

[Sonikku13]

Hmm. I believe I was 7 when it was 2000. I'm going to have a very vague memory of the early years, I guess... I still know some things.

I know that when I started 2000, I was living in a mobile home in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and I was ok with that. I liked living there, not much to clean, smaller living space means easier organization.

I know that when the planes hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, I was curious on why they were burning. I did not know at the time how serious it was, only the burning. Later that day, when I got home from school that day, I saw that the towers had collapsed. It did not affect me much, but that must be that I did not know the enormity of the situation back then.

2002 was my worst year in terms of personal grief, because on January 3, 2002, my dad died. I kind of knew that was coming back then, he was a long-term smoker and we found out that he had cancer. Then again, I had no idea of the concept of death back then. Grief struck me, but I didn't know how to express it. I felt bad but never cried, I know that. I wish he was here, though, could have had an influence on me.

After my dad died, after the school year ended on my third grade year, I moved from La Crosse, Wisconsin to the Twin Cities metro area of Minnesota, first to an apartment in Osseo, MN, and then a year or two later, to my current home, a detached townhome in Maple Grove, MN.

In 2006, two key interests of mine really came to fruition, and they were computers and mathematics. My interest in computers started coming when I realized that my frame rates in Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory were horrible (if you click on my Xfire, you'll find that I joined in 2006, which is why I can cite the year for that), and then I realized that my computer was the problem. A 1.8 GHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, and a Radeon Xpress 200 IGP equals at best 30 FPS on lowest frame rates - horrible. Thats when I started researching parts, and hoping I'd get a new computer one day, when I stumbled on Tom's Hardware, and AnandTech (I'm citing those because those sites helped me big time in my knowledge of computer performance and stuff.) Meanwhile, my interest in mathematics got me to join math team for the first time. I just was bored in the "high performance" math classes, I knew what I needed to know. And then I worked hard, and then was devastated when I finished 13th (did not know at the time of the meet) in my divisional meet in late 2006. Made me work hard in preparation for next year, for the St. Cloud State University contest in April, 2007. On a side note, I qualified for what my school called the "Geo Bee" in this year, was headed to state, anyway.

2007 is likely my best year in personal achievement in mathematics, anyway. At the St. Cloud State University math contest, I finished in 4th place out of around 600 kids. Meanwhile, I also know now that I loved math, because I bombed the state Geo Bee. Later, in 9th grade, in math team, but in a new math program, I finished in 5th. What was it called? I'll find out later, I guess. I also repeated the same mistake that I did in the state Geo Bee, I participated in music recognition from memory. Bombed it cause I was totally focused on mathematics. Then 2007 ended.

2008 is a mixed year for me. I didn't do as well this year at the St. Cloud State University math contest, because I didn't guess at any question, and because our bus was 15 minutes late to it. I blame myself, because I didn't start guessing and put a whole line of As on the rest of the bubble sheet. AGH! I was one point out of the top 10 percentile, finishing around 13th. Why didn't I just put a whole row of As down?! Oh well, I guess. I also got out of special education, and I did well for the rest of the 2008-09 school year. The reason why I was in special education was because I suffer from a mental disability called Asperger syndrome. This is why I am an isolated person in the first place! It seems like it was another great year for me, but then 10th grade came. Now where I live, we use a junior high, 7th to 9th grade, and senior high, 10th grade to 12th grade, system. Now, due to special education, I had no homework through junior high. I came with that same mentality into senior high, and a big fat rude awakening. Homework galore! I sacrificed my grades in some of my classes to maintain an A in AP US History, but then I went to the Philippines for a week. I lost the flow of school. Then I broke, my mentality fell apart, and then grades fell. I still was passing, but barely. At least I bailed myself out in math with an A after the first grading period. But due to my lack of work ethic, I also bombed in the math team meets, mainly cause I missed the first meet due to just personal fear, and bombed meets 2 and 3 due to my mind freezing up. Oh, and then 2008 ends...

2009 will be a mixed year for me. Why? I fell back in special education due to what I believe is my inability to change without help. I also decided to just give up the rest of the year for math team, taking the two hardest individual tests and trying, of course, but was researching calculus at the time, and I believe I was more interested in learning calculus, so I did calculus instead. Now polynomial derivatives and polynomial integrals were second-nature to me, kind of. I had better grades in the second grading period, at least I had no Ds, heh. But I had already decided I needed summer break to clear my mind for a new school year, so I basically had given up. I did my work in the third grading period, but I was resistant to change, and my handwriting was atrocious, but at least my GPA still was a little above three. 10th grade was my worst grade year by far. Now why is 2009 a mixed year? One reason and one reason only - Ender's Game! Entering the 2009-10 school year, I knew I'd have to do work, and I wanted to do better than my atrocious 10th grade year, make up for it. Looking back on it, I have. I always did my work on time and early. In English, we had to read Ender's Game as a required read. The night of September 17, 2009, I started to read it, thinking I'd only read to page 26, and loathe it. Turns out, I loved what I read, and when I tried to put it down after page 26, I couldn't. It was just too good. I read until the end and loved it. I loved the characterization of Ender Wiggin probably the most. And that book pushed me to do well in everything I did. Although in October, I felt the work was too much, by November and December, I was like... this is NOTHING! Theres no homework at all! In math team, I did well for myself, I scored a 12/14, a 12/14, and then a 5/14 due to simple mistakes. I beat out all my expectations of this year in math team by far, I thought I would have around 18 (6s in every meet) by now, not 29 points scored after three meets, and definitely not first place after two meets. Meanwhile, I have taken a theme of Ender's Game by heart. Intelligence brings about isolation (heh, I wonder if the converse is true), and that rings true in me. In non-school related things, I also realized that Christianity doesn't seem right for me. I think I am an atheist, and the reason for this is probably because I heard science in school first, and then my mom really started trying to push the Catholic faith on me in fourth grade. By then, it was too late to develop those value, and since I don't know God exists, I don't believe in a God, basically agnostic atheism. That caused a rift to form between me and my family, which is one of the ways to become more isolated. In school, I had become quiet, talking to myself a lot however. Another thing that happened - I finally got the new computer, which I put together myself. Frame rates in Empire: Total War went from 3 FPS on LOWEST settings to over 30 FPS on HIGHEST settings. Now, I know theres more than one variable, but there is no doubt an improvement in gaming experience. I can now play games without getting annoyed at a choppy game. That finally let my interest in computers fall to the backburner, though I still keep myself up to date on today's parts.

As long as I retain interest of Ender's Game, I should do well in 2010, the second decade of the 21st Century, and beyond, up until death. Oh, and I think I rambled on too much, so maybe it's the time to click submit.

[Eaquae Legit]

Well, let's see. In 1999 I was 16. We rang in the new millennium at my house, my mother, younger sister(s), and then-boyfriend. We watched A&E's "100 Most Influential People of the Millennium" - Gutenberg won, and we generally agreed.

In the past ten years, an astounding amount of things have happened. I graduated high school in 2001. That year was also my first real trip abroad, a week in Guatemala with my youth group. Started university then, too.

I suppose it's been nearly ten years since I began studying Latin. Wow.

I turned 19 in 2002, spent my first term at l'Arche, and looking back that summer changed the trajectory of my life in subtle, but profound, ways. It got me interested in the phenomenon of disability, which in the end has become my research passion and social issue of choice (we all have them, don't bother to deny it). I also joined pweb in 2002.

In 2003 I had my own room in res, with my big kool-aid inflatable pool chair that I covered with a quilt. My few good friends in res would come hang out and study in it. It was very comfy. I think that was how I met my friend Jen, that and Tamora Pierce books. And applying to be res dons; neither of us got it so instead we resolved to be roommates the following summer.

That was an awesome summer. We had stresses, but they were still so minor, and we had each other and would have midday naps in tandem, and late-night pitas. We got on so well that we became room/house mates for the rest of our time there.

In 2004 I went to Italy and Greece on a tour, got engaged (not there), worked at a camp for the second time, intensified my Latin studies, and made some mistakes. Not my worst year, but not my best, either.

In 2005 I got un-engaged. I also studied Hermes Trismegistus in a one-on-one course that gained me a dear friend and mentor, and also had some amazing caesar salads, too. I began to realise I would not make a good schoolteacher. Students drive me crazy too easily.

2006 was a bit of a whirlwind. Loved living in Toronto. Pweb boards went down that year, too. Graduated my BA. Giggled my way to school with my MA acceptance letter. Started the MA. My great uncle got himself lost in the woods for 5 days, or rather, he wasn't lost but actually died and it took them 5 days to find him. Stressful at the time, but quite the fun story in retrospect - he went the way he wanted, doing something he loved. Gave the worst presentation of my life. Started dating again. My sister and my university roomie both got married.

2007 sucked big time. Good stuff happened, like graduating my MA and getting accepted to a PhD program, but I also got rejected from a PhD program and my mom almost died. That sorta killed everything from mid-June onward. Still don't entirely trust she'll be there when I turn around next.

In 2008 I moved to England, got engaged, saw David Tennant's Hamlet, and lots of researchy-professional stuff happened. Went to France, too.

In 2009 I actually DID get married, but had to come back from England. Degree's not done yet, and work is scarce, so the second half of the year has not been aces, but on the flip side, I have a lovely husband, so things could be far, FAR worse.

Who knows what the next decade will bring. I hope to end it still with my lovely husband, a finished degree, and maybe a kid or two. Beyond that, it's a big mystery.

[Rei]

The end of this decade isn't so bad.

[BonitoDeMadrid]

In fact, most historians would tell you they're glad this decade is over..

[Young Val]

I don't think I've ever done one of these before.

2000 - Graduated high school/started college.

2003 - abuse, depression.

2004 - I couldn't graduate on time because a professor lost my final paper and thus failed me in a course I needed to graduate. Despite the fact that I had proof and witnesses that I'd turned in the paper, I couldn't get the grade over turned. Moved back home for 6 months and waited tables. Started sleeping with Henry (because no matter how much I want to believe otherwise, "dating" is not what we were doing).

2005 - went back to Ithaca for one course and graduated. Skipped the ceremony and moved up to New Hampshire with my dad for a few months. Got my first paid publication. Moved to NYC and waited tables some more and became a full time nanny. Still with Henry.

2006 - got the internship that eventually broke open my career. Broke up with Henry, which pretty much destroyed me. Lost a lot of "friends" in the fall out.

2007 - my publishing career began in earnest. Spent most of the year mourning over Henry (and making a fool of myself in many desperate and misguided attempts to get him back). Technically, met David riiiiight at the end of the year.

2008 - switched jobs after a whole bunch of work-related drama. Wonderful roommate, wonderful boyfriend. 2008 was a fantastic year (work related bullshit aside).

2009 - Emotionally kind of rocky. Stagnant at work, David and I repectively dealing with emotional issues outside of our relationship which in turn put strain on the relationship, visit to Minnesota/Chicago in the summer, made whirlwind decision to move to Minnesota, stayed up north with his family for a few months, just landed an apartment and a temp job at the Ronald McDonald Charity House, still passionately pursuing publishing and making amazing connections, happy with life, happy with the move, so, so happy and in love with my partner. Homesick for sure, but so happy.

2009 was a very difficult year. If I had to pick the best year of the decade it was 2008, hands down.

I'm looking forward to 2010.

A psychic stopped me on the street randomly the other day (am I the ONLY ONE this happens to?!?) and filled me in in what she thought was in my future this coming year. Can't say she's too far off the mark... we shall see!

[powerfulcheese04]

2001- started high school. Joined the debate team.

2002- Dated Garrett. What a mess. Started participating in high school theatre. That was fun.

2003- Junior year of high school- best year of high school by far. I was on top of my little world, socially.

2004- Drama, drama, drama. Couldn't wait to graduate! Started Rice. Started dating Mark. Joined the MOB- one of the best decisions I made.

2005- Was at Rice. Overall, pretty awesome.

2006- Mark graduated. Relationship went quickly downhill. Mom graduated her PhD, that was pretty awesome. Awesome senior design project. Denny drama.

2007- I went to Africa. Really great opportunity. Graduated from Rice a semester early with 2 degrees. Broke up with Mark.

2008- moved home for a semester, took some easy classes. Got my tonsils out- felt healthier than ever. Dated and broke up with rebound guy. Met Nate through a high school friend. Started vet school.

2009- 2nd semester 1st year was the worst semester ever. It was awful. Did an awesome summer research project that I'm still working on turning into a 1st author paper. Second year has gone much better. Been with Nate a year.

Looking forward to 2010!!

[locke]

2000 - worked on starting pweb, went to MSA, decided I really did want to do movies, fell in love with old movies.

2001 - summer at USC, no doubt in my mind I want to go there, work my ass off to pay for it. found a film club my senior year, become much more liberal after 9/11.

2002 - graduate high school, start USC, start dating genette, first kiss/slap

2003 - lots of genette drama, she dumps me over thanksgiving break after she made out with a mutual friend (she later married him), take editing class, love it, get accepted into the film school (no longer undeclared!) after making friends with a key professor (thanks Rick!)

2004 - School - make five short films, Hitchcock Class, Kincaid class. Bitterly disappointed by election results, keep Genette from killing herself after same dude breaks up with her for the first three times.

2005 - School - Spielberg Class, finally move out of dorms and away from Genette's clutches, though she very nearly ruined that and she managed to put me on a very wrong footing with all four of my new roommates because of her manipulations. I'm stunned at the new freedom in my life of only seeing her a couple times a week. Go on three dates and kiss someone else, it's an electric experience, she proceeds to never have anything to do with me again.

2006 - School, work short films, fall helplessly in love with a girl that wants nothing to do with me. graduate, edit at TrojanVision, grip various shorts for actual pay, get hired as a vault manager at a post house. Date a girl for about six weeks, finally lose it (thank GOD!), though its every bit as awkward and laughable as anyone would expect.

2007 - get promoted to Assistant editor, make contact with girl I'm still in love with, go to her birthday party, go on two pseudo dates that don't work out (i'm too awkward/nervous). Everyone at my company gets fired but me and I'm demoted but expected to now work two jobs for no additional pay. Two weeks later I unexpectedly get a call from American Idol and I get the job. Now I'm working nights. Make out with a roommates of Genette's little sister at their halloween party, start dating her, but I'm dating just to date not cause I love her.

2008 - Dump girl early in January. Am Alone for the rest of the year. Start posting a lot more on pweb. Make good friends with Alea and Nicole especially. Work on AGT and SYTYCD and a bunch of other stuff. back on Idol, start getting bored doing the same thing and being stagnated where I'm at. foolishly don't talk to my boss about what they have in mind for me in 2009.

2009 - jump at a job offer from an AGT before talking to boss, probably should have done that. am making quite a lot more with a promotion in title, but no OT at new job means I make the same amount if not slightly less than I was at working Idol, otoh, now I'm working days. Start getting mixed up in roommate drama because now I'm home for them to attempt to include me in all their inability to get along. Go on one date with Nicole. It goes great, but she's not interested in another long distance relationship. Considering what happened on this forum before, I definitely understand. I'm upset and fairly despondent that I can't seem to ever make it work with a girl. Date another girl through some of October, she's got a horribly caustic personality, but she's in fantastic shape and funny and we get along well enough on dates, but hanging out is really awkward for some reason. She ignores me all of November witha variety of various tactics while I"m just exasperated because I knew she didn't have any interest after our truly awful halloween night of bad events and her getting lost and sending me home rather than inviting me in (I hate passive agressive dumpers a lot). Do a thanksgiving for my friends, meet a really gorgeous very very smart woman there (oddly she was an ex of one of Genette's little sister's best friends who was distantly in touch with most of my angeleno friends through a program we'd all done at USC). She flirts with me all night, but being that I"m pissed off at october girl for bailing on me (as I expected) I'm sort of mad at all women and am being friendly but not returning the flirt. See her again at a group movie night I arrange the first week of december and am absolutely stunned when I see her, like I'm seeing her for the first time. I ask her to coffee. We click, everything is so easy, everything works and nothing is work, and we have sort have been totally and madly absorbed in each other ever since. :-p (and my pweb posting has fallen off as a result).


December 09 has got to be my best month in the last decade, though 09 has been mostly a big meh up until that point. Worst year was probably 2003 because of relationship drama.

[Confessions]

Using this name for pseudo-anonymity just-in-case someone should stumble across me here. Those of you who know me well enough to be interested in this should have no problems figuring out who this is.

Most of these years were spent in school, so my years all start in August, rather than January.

1999 - 2000 -- I was a sophomore in college in the south. Chose to major in psychology because I had fallen in love with the field in spite of myself. I had a wonderful group of friends, including the roommate I would spend the next three years with. I was an emotional and mental wreck, more or less. Saw the ocean on Spring Break. April 8, 2000 I decided not to kill myself, and decided to keep on deciding that. Which made April 9, 2000 the official first day of the rest of my life. During the late spring/summer, decided to go on a spiritual journey of sorts which helped me sort out a lot of things from my crappy teenagehood and genuinely changed the person I was.

2000 - 2001 -- College Junior. Moved out of the dorms and into an apartment for the first time. Quit drinking pop/coke/etc because tap water was cheaper. Started working with a kid with autism, which pretty well became the center of my life for two years. Went through an extended period of non-suicidal depressive bleakness. Which, on balance, was probably necessary and healthier than the things that had preceded it. But sucked.

2001-2002 -- Senior year of college. Whoooboy. September 5, 2001 = got robbed at gunpoint. September 11, 2001 = Twin Towers fall. September 12, 2001 = learned about the Tuskegee Syphillis Study. On the whole, a pretty awful week as far as my faith in humanity went. Took an art and a theater and a fiction writing class for the joy of it. Dated a guy semi-seriously for a while. Graduated with my BA. Started seeing a counselor under my own steam for the first time. Wasn't traumatized by the experience. Good for me.

2002-2003 -- moved to North Carolina for my first non-student job. Joined Pweb and went to an OSC book signing. Took the GRE and did very well. Did not do so well at the job. Ended up quitting and moving home to live with my parents in Texas. Worked at the same 7-11 I'd worked at in high school for a few months. Got accepted to the MA program at UND.

2003-2004 -- Moved away from Texas, to the frozen wasteland of the north. Probably one of the best decisions I ever made. Was kind of fragile and confused, but ready to start doing things differently. Hopeful. Much, much better transition than the move to NC was. Moved in with a roommate who is a very good friend of mine and set to be my MOH this coming fall. Went to a bar for the first time. Grandmother died of Alzheimers. Worked with a client for the first time. Going home for Christmas was pretty awful that year. Well, not the going home but the letter that greeted me when I got back.

2004-2005 -- did fieldwork at a domestic violence/sexual assault crisis center. Re-applied and was accepted into the Ph.D. program. Christmas went to NC to spend time with a friend who had been sexually assaulted and who I wanted to see. Very good idea on my part. Lived with a friend turned roommate who I should definitely NOT have moved in with. Also, worked in the financial aid office half-time. My other grandmother died of a massive heart attack in May of that year.

2005-2006 -- First year as a doc student. Moved into an apartment by myself. My paternal grandfather died in January of that year. Defended my thesis and got my MA in counseling. Was TA for group class. Met my cohort and had a lot of fun in the big group office. Also, began dating again after the two-year moratorium I had put on it. (Two year moratorium also ranks up there as one of the best decisions ever.)

2006-2007 -- started supervising students for the first time. Rocked multivariate stats. Did fieldwork at a local private psychiatric hospital. Loved it, after I got over my extreme anxiety about impressing people. Supervised practicum for the first and second times (I think). Went to a rocking awesome party where I met my fiance. Death of someone whose death I had secretly hoped for. Went back to therapy, which I wish I had done long before then. Proposed dissertation. Failed a class.

2007-2008 -- worst year on record. Worst year since I was 16. All of 2007 and the first several months of 2008. Horrible. Applying for internship. Fight with a supervisor. Cheating students. Fights with friend. Another close friend had moved away. Relationship was good, but anxiety-inducing. Broke up with fiance for the right reasons. Good decision, which I still stand by, much as I hate the fact that it caused us both a lot of pain. Because it broke the Ella Enchanted curse of my life. (Long story.) Got back together with fiance. Number three best decision ever.

2008-2009 -- moved to my internship site. Was in an emotionally much, much, much healthier and hardier place than I had been when I moved up there. Had a hard time with missing people. Did clinical internship. Fiance moved down. Last remaining grandparent died. Got hired. Graduated internship.

2009- Present. Got engaged (good decision #4, I think.) Didn't finish dissertation or graduate. Kind of unimpressive, and I need to work on that. Because I am looking forward to the next decade fiercely, and I need to work on making it count for me. All the baggage behind me, all the good challenges ahead. I hope.

[Gravity Defier]

I just wanted to say, I'm most sincerely grateful to those of you who took time responding to this and really thought about it; it means a whole heaping lot to me.

[Luet]

Just for you, Alea.

2000 – Kelly (my SIL) moved back to California, triggering a depression that would finally move me to get on medication. I worked for the Census in addition to my state job. Joined pweb on it’s second day of existence.

2001 – Hospitalized for two week long headache. Didn’t talk to Kelly almost all year, which really sucked. Worked for H&R Block doing taxes.

2002 – Started talking to Kelly again. Cousin A became closer friend. Went to Endercon! Worked for H&R Block again. My first niece was born.

2003 – Trip to Ohio, where I met Cath (v-girl). Later that year, Cath came and stayed with me over school break. Kelly got married.

2004 – S moved here and began to ruin my life. His sister, A, had an internship all summer so dumped him in my lap to take care of. Went to Ohio to see Cath and an OSU football game; and she came to visit me again.

2005 – Had to move out of the apartment we’d lived in for over 7 years. Friendship with S fully evolved into inappropriate realm and the abuse continued all year. A spent the summer in Germany, continuing to leave him with me. My younger brother got married.

2006 – S began dating A’s roommate, which allowed me to break free and begin therapy. Went out on sick leave for depression and spent a couple days in a mental institute. Moved again. Finally told about the abuse in August but was not believed by A or the roommate (two of my best friends). Began recovering from the abuse and betrayal. Got Pheeny my beardie baby! Turned 30.

2007 – Quit my job for good. Car accident in January, broke my arm and had surgery to get a metal plate and 7 screws inserted. S married A’s roommate. Moved into what I hope will be my home forever. Got Monkey, our first kitty. Took a trip to Miami and the Florida Keys for our 10th Anniversary.

2008 – Went to CA to visit the inlaws. Kelly came to visit in the fall but we had a bit of a rough time. Started crocheting with a vengeance. Overall, this was a quiet year of recovery and growth.

2009 – A contacted me via Dear You, and I got all the closure I’m ever going to get from her. Saw a new therapist for 6 months, which helped a lot. Became obsessed with spotting red-tailed hawks. Got our second kitty, YoYo. Went to CA for Kelly’s baby shower, newest niece born.

It’s hard to say which was the worst year, since 2004-2006 were all absolute hell. I would have to say that 2009 was the best and I hope next year will be even better.

[steph]

Holy cow, I meant for this to be really short, but it turned out really long. Sorry!!!

2000 – Graduated high school. Turned 18. Joined pweb. I didn't participate for a long time, though. Started college.

2001 – My brother married a girl who ended up being my best friend. Go brother! Got 3rd degree burns on my hand and the doctor at the hospital tells me I'll never be able to have full use of my hand again. Luckily, she was full of crap and you can't even tell I ever had the burns.

2002 – My nephew was born. He has Hirshprung's Disease and his colon burst when he is 2 days old. Surgery was done and he had a colostomy bag. While I'm visiting a month later, scar tissue blocks his colon again as we found out when he threw up bile all over me. He had surgery for the 2nd time. At 5 months old, he had his last colon surgery to reverse the colostomy. Also, went to Europe with my Dad for a month. Moved to Las Vegas. Started massage school.

2003 – Graduated Massage School. Moved back to Colorado. Met Brian. A couple month later, started dating Brian, got engaged 2 weeks later and got married 2 months after that. Yes, I know we're crazy, but 6 years later, it's still the best decision I've ever made.

2004 – Had a co-worker injure my rhomboid, which still gives me problems now. Working was really hard with my back in so much pain. Brian and I spent 3 ½ weeks in Europe, mostly in Italy where he served his mission. Awesome! Brian laid off due to slow business, so we move in with my parents. Luckily, Brian's boss hired him back a few months later, but we're still struggling to get out from under the debt we had to accrue during the time of unemployment. Also, found out on our first anniversary that I was pregnant! Quit working, since I was throwing up 7 times a day.

2005 – Tyler was Born!!!! Brian went to Australia to balance eggs, but Tyler was only a month old, so we couldn't go (even though the Egg Corporation would have paid for us, also.) Tyler and I visited my best friend/sister-in-law in Phoenix instead. This was the first time I had a day apart from Brian since the day of our first date. My great-uncle Stanley passed away shortly after his 90th birthday. He was like another Grandpa to me. Tyler and I hopped on a plane to California to visit him one last time in when he was in the hospital, but he was unconscious in the ICU and Tyler wasn't allowed back, so Stanley never got to meet Tyler. He passed away the during the night after my visit, and I still believe he was waiting for me to come.

2006 – Survived our first road trip with kids! (We met my brother and sister-in-law/best friend in Vegas.) This was the summer of Marshmallow Wars. Threw a HUGE luau for Tyler's first birthday. It was tons of work, but all 100 guests had a great time! Bought a house.

2007 – Brian started working for TSA. Found out I was pregnant again. Pregnancy was very emotionally hard because of some stuff Brian was going through. Saw Wicked!!!! Had an epic-ly bad trip to the Sand Dunes with Brian's family, (including a 3 hour drive taking 8 hours spread over 2 days due to a chemical spill on the highway, a cactus-tastrophy involving a bunch of the kids, and being surrounded by coyotes all night while we slept in tents) but now we'll laugh about it for the rest of our lives! Brian turned 30. Brayden was Born!!!! Tyler is a great big brother.

2008 - My cousin (who ended up being Brian's best friend) left on a mission in England. Brian has 2 years to wait for him to come back so they can plunder things. My 2 closest friends and I put on a formal “Prom” for all our friends. It was a lot of work, but SO much fun. My Papa passed away. Threw another luau for Brayden's first birthday. It decided to snow that day, so I had to make room in my tiny house for 70 guests! Everyone survived and had a good time, though. Brian's Grandpa passed away shortly after turning 90. Brian and I left the kids for a week so we could celebrate our 5th anniversary in Steamboat Springs.

2009 – Met most of Brian's family in Las Vegas and we all stayed in a huge rented mansion together! I was able to meet up with several of my massage school friends, who I've missed so much!! Started working with my friend on a domino pendant necklace business. We were featured as Vendor of the Month on a pretty major website, and later, around Halloween, one of my designs was featured on a craft blog! I took Brian to rush for RENT with me. It was great to be able to share with him something that was SO important in my emotional development in my pre-marriage life. Found out I was pregnant again! Brian had the wonderful opportunity of working in Washington DC for a month, but it also meant a pretty hellish month for me, since I was miserably pregnant, my nausea meds weren't working yet and I had to be a single mom. Luckily, I was able to leave the kids for a week and visit Brian in DC while he was there. Tyler learns how to read, for real, not just sight words, at the age of 4! He has to read anything he see words on, and I love it! My sister-in-law/best friend received an anonymous donation of $5000 in order to take my nephew to a pediatric gastro-specialist program since he's 7 and still not potty trained, as related to the events mentioned in 2002. He'll be going next year. We sacrificed BIG time to pay for Christmas all in cash this year, and our Heavenly Father blessed us for our efforts in so many ways, I can't even count them all. Our kids had their best Christmas ever, our stockings (and truck!) were overflowing and our food storage multiplied by 5 through the wonderful generosity of friends and family.

Looking forward to in 2010 – The birth of our Baby Girl! She'll be joining the family on March 8th and the boys are SO excited! Also, Tyler starts kindergarten!!!

[Rei]

I just wanted to say, I'm most sincerely grateful to those of you who took time responding to this and really thought about it; it means a whole heaping lot to me.

Just in case you feared I was treating the topic lightly: as concise as my reply was, after some thought before posting I found it really encapsulated my feelings about this past decade of my life. I really did not need to revisit the first half and a bit of it.

[Gravity Defier]

Rei, you don't owe me any explanations; if what you wrote was meaningful to you, that is all that matters.

My own appreciation of the more detailed ones is due to me learning something new about people I thought I knew quite a bit about to begin with and that made me feel involved in their reflections. If I felt less so for shorter responses or ones where I didn't learn anything, that's my downfall, not yours or that of anyone else.

[jotabe]

Well... my memory is awful, so i am not sure i can pinpoint events with the appropriate years >_> ok, let's see

2000.- I started my Erasmus student exchange in Sheffield (UK). Finally learned english lol First time living out of home, it was a nice shock for me.

2001.- That year went so fast i really had a nice time in the UK, and was sad to leave. Then again, i missed my land, too. Started the final year of my degree, with only a subject to get it. I had failed it before going to the UK, and was the only thing i had left to pass.

2002.- Passed it with flying colors lol. Started my grad student era (which is about to finish x_x). Also met Tina, my american ex-gf and best friend, in an online writing group.

2003.- I started doing the actual research. I didn't know it by then, but it was going to be a huge failure. I met my current group of friends ^_^ awesome people. Tina and I confess our feelings for each other. I was so happy. Also got my first poster in a scientific meeting.

2004.- Research seemed to be going well, with some rough spots. At the end of the year, we start seeing huge problems with it. Tina came to Spain, and we meet face to face. Awesome time... it was like a dream. In return, a few months later i went to the US. Her grandma didn't like me much.

2005.- Research trip to Japan: incredible place, but i felt a bit isolated, not knowing Japanese. After that i stopped at the US to visit Tina, we had agreed to go to an anime con (yeah, we are that kind of nerds lol). She was kind of cold since the start, and had lost her vacation days, and well, after a few days, breakup. And then the Katrina expelled me out of the US lol. At the return, i abandon my research line, because it turned out to be a dead end. Quite a huge scientific fallout XD

2006.- Getting my life back on track, both emotionally and scientifically. Good research topic. But i feel like still living with my parents is like holding me up. They treat me well, but they treat me like a kid. But the research grants aren't really that large to afford a flat rental or buying a flat... in the very same city where my parents live... my rational brain says it's a huge waste of resources... I start going out more with my friends. I am on best friends terms with Tina.

2007.- Finally, good stuff comes out of my research. Feels like my life is at standstill, though. Research trip to Tampa, i have a great time at their scientific Meeting.

2008.- Quite a good year scientifically speaking. Research trip to Portugal, the scietific meeting is held in an awesome hotel. At the end of the year, we get a girl in the lab. She's exactly the opposite of the kind of women i like. Obviously that's a cue for me to start to like her lol. On the bad side, my best friend mood swings grew to be self-destructive. She is diagnosed dipolar disease

2009.- This year felt a lot like a standstill. A lot less productive scientifically speaking, though i have some interesting problems i am working on. But so much time researching, i feel discouraged, i need to finish this soon.

[Luet]

Wow, I learned so much about you Jota! What area of science are you in? I don't know why I don't know. And you are older than I thought you were for some reason.

[jotabe]

Lol i am older than i thought i was, too x_x
I do solid state physics, theoretical calculations on the properties of small atom clusters geekier than geek lol

[Luet]

It's nice to know there are a few of us old fogies on here.

My cousin got her doctorate in physics - materials science nanotechnology or somesuch thing. So, I heard about lots of nerdy stuff third hand.

[Gravity Defier]

*ten little bumps for Kelly*

2011 is on the way, so it seems it's time to start looking back (or not, for some) on 2010. Since the end of 2009 brought the end of the first decade in the 2000s, some may have done a 10-themed post last year but I invite everyone to do the same for this year anyhow. (That is, top 10 of 2010, not the decade.)

I hate locking specific themes into place because, like the RENT song, there are many many ways to measure a year and they all vary depending on person.

How are you going to measure 2010?

[Dr. Mobius]

Let's see, the latter half of '08, pretty much all of '09 and the beginning of '10 are write-offs for me. Towards the end of 2010 I finally got my s*** together, though, so here's to hoping I keep it together and make 2011 awesome.

[megxers]

Ten in Response to Questions/Categories. Presented in an Evasive Manner

1. Finding my *true* academic path (or something)
2. Portland, Oregon (tied with San Francisco)
3. Black Swan
4. Pete Yorn
5. Vancouver Island
6. The City & The City
7. Kate
8. 122 (to date)
9. 3
10. The Browser

[Dr. Mobius]

10 reasons I never make lists:

1. I never know what to put on them.
10. Binary is awesome.

[Eaquae Legit]

Ten Memories of the Year, in roughly chronological order:

10. [Censored]
9. Moving to the west coast
8. The Olympics
7. A taste of fashion
8. Getting a job at last
6. Working in the second house
5. SiL's wedding
4. Sacked from the second house
3. Visit from my best friend
2. Christmas
1. Moving (and all the prep for it)

[Gravity Defier]

If anyone needs help/direction, I borrowed this from CNN. I'll personally be attempting to do another post in here, as well, before the end of the year (that is not this).

1. 2010: How do you pronounce it?
2. Make a facial expression that shows how you feel about the year.
3. The best thing I bought was _______ .
4. For me, 2010 was ____ ____ ____ . [Answer with three words]
5. I totally cringed this year when _____ .
6. The best thing on the Internet by far was ______.
7. I'm pretty sure I overshared on Facebook/Pweb this year when I ______ .
8. The best day of the year was ______.
9. The best place I visited was ______, which is ______ miles/kilometers from where I live.
10. Next year, I'm planning to _____.

1. Two-thousand [and] ten
2. Um, are we sure about this?
3. The best thing I bought was plane tickets.
4. For me, 2010 was heading towards Right.
5. I totally cringed this year when I saw the aftermath of starting a conversation with "I sort of don't believe you anymore."
6. The best thing on the Internet by far was probably the all-guy group doing "Bad Romance." I suck at Internet trends and all that.
7. I'm pretty sure I overshared on Pweb this year when I posted in Bob. Which time? Exactly.
8. The best day of the year was June 30th. I had to go with this since the actual best days I've had this year were almost entirely, if not entirely, Pweb-related and that was Pweb's (incorrect by a day!) 10th birthday.
9. The best places I visited were CO AND Philly, which are 722 and 2230 miles from where I live.
10. Next year, I'm planning to work, save, and celebrate my freedom, among other things.

[locke]

1. Twenty-Ten
2. how about twelve, one per month?
3. The best thing I bought was a wii, or Seven Samurai on bluray
4. For me, 2010 was the year of an epic emotional rollercoaster
5. I totally cringed this year when I got dumped and began a three month descent into the depths of the dumps
6. The best thing on the Internet by far was okcupid
7. I'm pretty sure I overshared on Facebook/Pweb this year when I posted something political my dad yelled at me for.
8. The best day of the year was June 10th, June 13th, June 20th, June 28th, July 10th, August 1st, August 7th, August 23rd, October 9th, October 16th, October 22nd, October 30th, November 20th, 25th, 27th, 28th, December 19th.
9. The best place I visited was Yosemite, which is 8 hours from where I live.
10. Next year, I'm planning to do something significant but not exactly when I'm expected to do it.

[Petra456]

1. 2010: Twenty-Ten
2. Make a facial expression that shows how you feel about the year.
3. The best thing I bought was my Nook .
4. For me, 2010 was a long year.
5. I totally cringed this year when ever I went to the dentist.
6. The best thing on the Internet by far was one of my favorite sites, ModCloth.
7. I'm pretty sure I overshared on Facebook/Pweb this year when I (I don't really think I did) .
8. The best day of the year was (I honestly don't remember).
9. The best place I visited was Portland, Oregon which is 119 miles from where I live.
10. Next year, I'm planning to have a place of our own!

[Dr. Mobius]

Now this is different because you've already done the hard part for me. It's more like one of those old LJ quiz memes than an actual list.

1. 2010: Twenty-ten or two-thousand ten. Occasionally oh-ten, although I tried to avoid that one.
2. Make a facial expression that shows how you feel about the year.
3. The best thing I bought was Christmas presents for my family and friends. I felt bad last year because I couldn't afford to get anyone anything.
4. For me, 2010 was indescribable in three words.
5. I totally cringed this year when I got that hospital bill.
6. The best thing on the Internet by far was Pweb.
7. I'm pretty sure I overshared on Pweb this year when I ______. (I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but I'm sure there's been times when I should've kept my mouth shut. If not, I'm sure I'll make up for it next year.)
8. The best day of the year was November 12th, the day I was hired at my new job.
9. The best place I visited was ______, which is ______ miles/kilometers from where I live. (I honestly can't think of anywhere I've been this year outside of my local 50 mile radius which is sad. I definitely need to make up for this next year.)
10. Next year, I'm planning to go to Colorado and do other things I couldn't afford before.

[Gravity Defier]

10. Next year, I'm planning to do something significant but not exactly when I'm expected to do it.

If she says yes, please have the wedding in the same year...I can't swing it in 2012 and I know you're inviting me.