end of the year / end of the decade
2009: the events were often difficult, but while I could have let them break me, I stood firm through them and I feel stronger than ever. I learned the value of patience, the reward in hard work and persistence, and the importance of simply doing the right thing. In short, I grew up a lot.
This has been a long decade of transformation. Much of this transformation, at least personally, was subtle and not obvious, but I prefer it that way.
Album of the year: Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle. Perhaps because this year "I started out in search of ordinary things" as well.
Album of the decade: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. A perfect reflection of the American consciousness at the time. Loyal but fractured, searching for love and meaning, traumatized yet hopeful.
(2009)
Hardest event: Jay's death. Stone and Holt's death was jarring and traumatic, an event that completely blindsided us. With Jay, we always knew it was a possibility in the back of our minds, that Jay was never in good health and it was only a matter of time.
And yet, Jay's was more jarring. Stone and Holt were larger than life; the idea that life could no longer contain their boundless spirit was somehow easier to swallow. Jay was family, Jay's presence was often quiet, occasionally boisterous, but above it all left you with the impression that he would endure. I was out at the store when I got the news and I had to have someone drive me home.
Best event: Falling in love, obviously. Carolyn's everything I've been looking for. Sucks that she's gone for four months-- that's going to be the hardest development as 2010 rolls in. I hope she decides to come back early, but in the meantime I will work and I will wait.
Biggest regret: Not putting more time and effort into what I was good at-- poker tournaments and smaller-stakes heads-up. I could have made a lot more money than I did, but I tried other ways about it, various get-rich quick schemes, none of which worked. I'm back to work now, and I feel 2010 bodes well for me, but it would be nice to have more money to start with. Then again, I've learned a great deal about living simply and cheaply as a result of running out of money, and I will carry these lessons forward with me.
Going forward: Keep myself in good health and saving money. Carolyn gets back in April. June and July are penciled in for the World Series. After that, it's anybody's guess. My woman and I will decide together.
This has been a long decade of transformation. Much of this transformation, at least personally, was subtle and not obvious, but I prefer it that way.
Album of the year: Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle. Perhaps because this year "I started out in search of ordinary things" as well.
Album of the decade: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. A perfect reflection of the American consciousness at the time. Loyal but fractured, searching for love and meaning, traumatized yet hopeful.
(2009)
Hardest event: Jay's death. Stone and Holt's death was jarring and traumatic, an event that completely blindsided us. With Jay, we always knew it was a possibility in the back of our minds, that Jay was never in good health and it was only a matter of time.
And yet, Jay's was more jarring. Stone and Holt were larger than life; the idea that life could no longer contain their boundless spirit was somehow easier to swallow. Jay was family, Jay's presence was often quiet, occasionally boisterous, but above it all left you with the impression that he would endure. I was out at the store when I got the news and I had to have someone drive me home.
Best event: Falling in love, obviously. Carolyn's everything I've been looking for. Sucks that she's gone for four months-- that's going to be the hardest development as 2010 rolls in. I hope she decides to come back early, but in the meantime I will work and I will wait.
Biggest regret: Not putting more time and effort into what I was good at-- poker tournaments and smaller-stakes heads-up. I could have made a lot more money than I did, but I tried other ways about it, various get-rich quick schemes, none of which worked. I'm back to work now, and I feel 2010 bodes well for me, but it would be nice to have more money to start with. Then again, I've learned a great deal about living simply and cheaply as a result of running out of money, and I will carry these lessons forward with me.
Going forward: Keep myself in good health and saving money. Carolyn gets back in April. June and July are penciled in for the World Series. After that, it's anybody's guess. My woman and I will decide together.