Welcome to 2007, like it or not!
So 2006 has now come and gone, flying by from my perspective, and has revealed a new year to make all my own. Oh yes, I said my own. If you weren't aware, the year known as 2007 (while a respectable number and title) is also to be known as the Year of Jason. This I have decreed. So let it be written, so let it be done.
Now, don't get me wrong. 2006 was a pretty good year, all things considered. I mean, I got engaged to the most fabulous woman in the world. That in itself is worthy of recognition. But that's not the only redeeming moment or quality to the year.
It granted me access to a job that I still enjoy, though a few people make it more difficult than it should be. Also not paying me remotely enough, but that's simply something to work towards during this Year of Jason.
Smiths_hammer has grabbed her new promotion by the throat and run with it all year, making huge strides, carving out her position, managing minions, and really showing her ability to organize and prioritize. She amazes me in what she can do with her life sometimes. :-)
It has gotten me closer to many people that I have wanted to get to know for many years and made me feel more a part of a massive second family. I also gained a larger circle of friends through both smiths_hammer's friends and our online gaming guild. Needless to say, I now know and love a lot of peoples. :-) There are still a LOT of awesome people I don't get to see remotely often enough (we haven't forgotten about ya, Toad, or Sweetiepie. I promise.) But we hope to rectify that this next year and get to see those people we miss.
I got to see my Mom finally retire from the Elementary School of Doom that abused her and took for granted for countless years. She is now enjoying life and adores hearing about the confusion and frustration that she not being there has now caused. Funny how only now they realize how good they had it.
My father landed one of the largest contracts ever in Charlotte, NC and he will likely be retiring after it has concluded. He also bought himself a new truck and has contracted a company to rebuild the deck on the back of my parents house, which will be fabulous once completed.
Got to finally travel up to the Carolina faire and see some friends performing up there. It was a blast getting to see them onstage and then going out for drinks and dinner at the local Cabo-Fish-Taco. (don't ask, it's just better not to.) But it was a fabulous time with people I don't get to see too often.
My two nieces are finally getting to the age where I can talk to them and somewhat relate to them on an adult basis. Now, they are still a bit on the nieve and socially-inept side of things, but that's what my sister's particular take on home-schooling has done for them. However, it is nice that I can now talk to them and really begin to see how they will shape into adults.
Got involved in a less-than-stealthy Christmas night-time raid with a gaggle of friends, with the intent of leaving a large financial contribution on another set of friend's doorstep. While the raid was largely unsuccessful and almost got someone shot, it was the bestest moment of the winter season. Much with the happy crying and helping friends when they needed it.
So yea, 2006, not a bad year at all! (Yea, there have been some seriously awful things that have happened this year... stuff my friends have gone through, and stuff that I personally have gone through. but that's last year, it's in the past, and I don't want to dwell on it. I'm somewhat tired of living on past moments to define my now.)
So anwyays, it still left a lot of room for improvement in this next year. So, there are things that must be done during this next year to make it my bitch, and I intend to make them happen!
1) Get to the dentist and get some work done there.
2) Get to the doc and have a full screen of bloodwork done, checking cholesterol, blood sugar, etc.
3) Finish all the wedding arrangements, including website, costuming supplies, and props/decorations before the summer is over.
4) Get completely out of debt. And yes, I'm already mostly done with that!
5) Buy a house. Not sure exactly where, or what it's gonna look like, but the searching will begin soon and should be complete by March or soon after.
6) Attain a decent raise and explain why I'm that valuable and why I deserve it.
7) Start working out and moving around more often so I look and feel less like a lazy shit. Playing WoW and tabletop gaming is hell on the waistline. :-)
8) Along the same lines of #7, I want to start sparring again, regularly. I feel so out of practice and weak when it comes to boffer combat, and it's also excellent exercise.
9) I will continue my quest of never taking smiths_hammer for granted and showering her with words and deeds of affection as often as I can. I simply cannot fail on this one or let it slip to the wayside.
10) Regain communication and time spent with my parents, especially if I'm living closer to them. I took a fairly childish mindset this past year in regards to them and I'm a better son than that.
So there's my top 10 for the next year, though I'm sure there are more I should and will add to the list. The brain function for the day still isn't up to 100% (week-long vacations will do that for ya) so I'm sure there are at least 10 more I need to define as well. But, for starters, that will work. Call them resolutions, call them what you will.
I've grown up a lot in the past year. A lot. And I think I'm finally comfortable with that aspect. I've let go of a lot of demons and ghosts, told a lot of voices in my head to fuck off, turned my back on things that were just dragging me down, and closed a few doors that just needed to be closed and locked. Not to say that all is fixed in the deeper recesses of what is "Me", but I'm in an amazingly better space than I have been for years and years.
I'm where I need to be.
I'm where I belong in the world.
And that's a pretty damned comfortable feeling.
So welcome to the New Year, this Year of Jason, and all that it entails. :-) Let's all make it a good one.
Now, don't get me wrong. 2006 was a pretty good year, all things considered. I mean, I got engaged to the most fabulous woman in the world. That in itself is worthy of recognition. But that's not the only redeeming moment or quality to the year.
It granted me access to a job that I still enjoy, though a few people make it more difficult than it should be. Also not paying me remotely enough, but that's simply something to work towards during this Year of Jason.
Smiths_hammer has grabbed her new promotion by the throat and run with it all year, making huge strides, carving out her position, managing minions, and really showing her ability to organize and prioritize. She amazes me in what she can do with her life sometimes. :-)
It has gotten me closer to many people that I have wanted to get to know for many years and made me feel more a part of a massive second family. I also gained a larger circle of friends through both smiths_hammer's friends and our online gaming guild. Needless to say, I now know and love a lot of peoples. :-) There are still a LOT of awesome people I don't get to see remotely often enough (we haven't forgotten about ya, Toad, or Sweetiepie. I promise.) But we hope to rectify that this next year and get to see those people we miss.
I got to see my Mom finally retire from the Elementary School of Doom that abused her and took for granted for countless years. She is now enjoying life and adores hearing about the confusion and frustration that she not being there has now caused. Funny how only now they realize how good they had it.
My father landed one of the largest contracts ever in Charlotte, NC and he will likely be retiring after it has concluded. He also bought himself a new truck and has contracted a company to rebuild the deck on the back of my parents house, which will be fabulous once completed.
Got to finally travel up to the Carolina faire and see some friends performing up there. It was a blast getting to see them onstage and then going out for drinks and dinner at the local Cabo-Fish-Taco. (don't ask, it's just better not to.) But it was a fabulous time with people I don't get to see too often.
My two nieces are finally getting to the age where I can talk to them and somewhat relate to them on an adult basis. Now, they are still a bit on the nieve and socially-inept side of things, but that's what my sister's particular take on home-schooling has done for them. However, it is nice that I can now talk to them and really begin to see how they will shape into adults.
Got involved in a less-than-stealthy Christmas night-time raid with a gaggle of friends, with the intent of leaving a large financial contribution on another set of friend's doorstep. While the raid was largely unsuccessful and almost got someone shot, it was the bestest moment of the winter season. Much with the happy crying and helping friends when they needed it.
So yea, 2006, not a bad year at all! (Yea, there have been some seriously awful things that have happened this year... stuff my friends have gone through, and stuff that I personally have gone through. but that's last year, it's in the past, and I don't want to dwell on it. I'm somewhat tired of living on past moments to define my now.)
So anwyays, it still left a lot of room for improvement in this next year. So, there are things that must be done during this next year to make it my bitch, and I intend to make them happen!
1) Get to the dentist and get some work done there.
2) Get to the doc and have a full screen of bloodwork done, checking cholesterol, blood sugar, etc.
3) Finish all the wedding arrangements, including website, costuming supplies, and props/decorations before the summer is over.
4) Get completely out of debt. And yes, I'm already mostly done with that!
5) Buy a house. Not sure exactly where, or what it's gonna look like, but the searching will begin soon and should be complete by March or soon after.
6) Attain a decent raise and explain why I'm that valuable and why I deserve it.
7) Start working out and moving around more often so I look and feel less like a lazy shit. Playing WoW and tabletop gaming is hell on the waistline. :-)
8) Along the same lines of #7, I want to start sparring again, regularly. I feel so out of practice and weak when it comes to boffer combat, and it's also excellent exercise.
9) I will continue my quest of never taking smiths_hammer for granted and showering her with words and deeds of affection as often as I can. I simply cannot fail on this one or let it slip to the wayside.
10) Regain communication and time spent with my parents, especially if I'm living closer to them. I took a fairly childish mindset this past year in regards to them and I'm a better son than that.
So there's my top 10 for the next year, though I'm sure there are more I should and will add to the list. The brain function for the day still isn't up to 100% (week-long vacations will do that for ya) so I'm sure there are at least 10 more I need to define as well. But, for starters, that will work. Call them resolutions, call them what you will.
I've grown up a lot in the past year. A lot. And I think I'm finally comfortable with that aspect. I've let go of a lot of demons and ghosts, told a lot of voices in my head to fuck off, turned my back on things that were just dragging me down, and closed a few doors that just needed to be closed and locked. Not to say that all is fixed in the deeper recesses of what is "Me", but I'm in an amazingly better space than I have been for years and years.
I'm where I need to be.
I'm where I belong in the world.
And that's a pretty damned comfortable feeling.
So welcome to the New Year, this Year of Jason, and all that it entails. :-) Let's all make it a good one.