N is for Neal
who wanted something a little more chatty; thus, we present, the year more or less in review.
January, last year, the only time I got to go home to visit family and was my father's 65th birthday.
Work at the new job continued to improve, with stats increasing, and ranking inthe center increasing to the highest mark ever, fifth in a call center of five hundred people. And after a year I got a very good raise.
Family: My nephew was diagnosed with diabetes and is still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he has to regulate both food and insulin, in order not to die. My niece learned to write from left to right instead of the other way, but is still left handed and smart as anything; wrote her first "chapter book" for Christmas this year (age 7, same age I was when I wrote my first) Dad had knee surgery and is curling again, still collecting hockey cards and has discovered the joys of ebay, buying and selling. Mom's still a non smoker, and they still walk...
Annual Cougar visit in October of this year was amazing as usual. Watched movies, went to drag shows, drank, smoked dope and burned a zillion party light candles *L* Louise and Elaine kick righteous ass! Louise is taking care of her boys, and Jared (who now has something resembling braces that makes him slurp--crossbite repair) is a cutie but tough, great dancer and funny; Jordan, my godson, makes me smile every time I talk to him--he's got a quick mind and it's always on a million things--he'll be a hell of a multitasker one day *L*
Disneyland Disneyland Disneyland!!! You can read the details at http://www.livejournal.com/users/starshine24mc
under memories, but hoo-boy!!! my first real "holiday" as a grownup *L* and an online adventure that turned out better than my wildest dreams!! I am a poster child for online friendships, which I've made that are fucking amazing!! I have some of the greatest friends, and another nod out to Susan, who made my trip stupendous....although stickers would have helped *L* I hope to go back again someday.
I wrote less this year, though did manage to finish the third story in the Vacation series--I'm still devoted to Mulder and Skinner, though have enjoyed forays into the Buffy universe, only because they play with language, and it's a fun place to be. Oh, and Marsters and Head are totally TOTALLY hot, which doesn't hurt either. I found some great Spander fic, but that was after lots of searching. Seems XF is the only fandom I've found so far that has consistently good writers, whereas you really need to sift through a pile of dreck to get the class act in other fandoms.
I began dabbling in Live Journals and LJ communities, continued to be relatively active on mailing lists, and enjoyed my online friendships, though with the new job, I didn't get to spend as much time with some friends as I would have liked.
Learned about religion, and worked this year to reclaim some spiritual awareness that years of intolerance and weirdness combined to take away from me. Worked hard to reconcile what I had been taught with what I'm learning now, and I found value in the power of prayer. Oh, and gospel music--don't even get me started!!!
I moved! I moved in March, to a two bedroom apartment all the way down the hall! (and I swear, I hate moving so much I'll die in this apartment! *L*) It's big, and the computer has its own bedroom now *L* I love it, and though money's been a bit tighter with higher rent, so so worth it! I have two plants now that aren't dead cos there's bigger windows and I also got rid of some shit that I've been hauling around forever that i didn't need. Also got some very cool new stuff courtesy of Neal and his mom, who were housecleaning after a family member who was a bit compulsive in her shopping; I have all manner of cool things now, from towels to frypans and back, and that's a very good thing! (I had to throw that in there in honour of the martha steward victorian nightmare that my bedroom has become) TV nights continued, with a revolving cast, including Deedz, Thom, the new Mrs. Thom (Hi Martin), Ben, Andrea--Joanne quit coming round; occasionally Geoff (new guy, really tall) and Mitchell. Enterprise is still a cool show, and the Mountain is on on Sundays now, and even though Pileggi wasn't on last week grr I still like it *L*
I'm debt free!!! made the final payment on old credit cards (thanks, Cameron and Okolita) and now I can start all over *L*
I saw some movies, in theaters and everything, and I think Dawn of the Dead, the remake, was my fave, though the remake (yeesh) of Stepford Wives was cool too.
We had an unremarkable summer, although we played at Pride week, PtCS has been doing more fundraising lately, including two Gospel Brunches, which were amazing (see Disneyland trip)--we plan to do another brunch before the end of the fiscal year, as well as the annual Oscar show.
We have a Mr and Miss Gay, and an Emperor and Empress, and I'm decade monarch to both. I am so not a performer anymore, but will try to find suitable decade material. I'm thinking strippers myself.
Been an on again off again smoker this year, mostly on, but am off them again now and hoping it takes this time. I just can't afford it (although if it was free, I swear, I'd smoke 'em ten at a time, 24/7! *L*)
I didn't fall in love, though I stayed in love; still the unattainables, of course, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't keep reaching for that rainbow *L*
Last thought, not because I didn't do much else this year (although I didn't) but because I worked all day, new year's eve, all night, and then all day today and I can barely focus on the screen: To all friends near and far, doing well and doing shitty, boys, girls, inbetween, I don't care--if you've been in my life/living room/bar or inbox, I love you all, and wouldn't be here without you.
'k, go to bed!