i guess it was inevitable that i would start writing this post. it happens every year and i was wondering when i would get around to thinking about this last year. a lot has happened in this year, as with any year, and i should do this year justice by reflecting on some of the larger milestones of the year.

i remember last year around this time i was feeling pretty down. things just didn’t look like they were looking up and i hid myself away from all of the troubles of the world by working excessively crazy hours.

if i had to describe the one big change in my life this year, i would probably say my involvement in volleyball was the biggest change in my life. i have gone from playing one day a week casually to three days a week plus tournaments. it’s a big change from my sedentary lifestyle that i used to have. i think that i had a lot more free time back then though…i do miss the free time. i think that the only way i can recapture the lost time is by staying up later, unfortunately.

this year also marked the purchase of 2 cameras. my beloved canon 10D and the more recently acquired canon s400. two cameras in one year. wow. that’s a lot.

professionally, i think that i’ve settled in to my job and things on that front are moving along pretty decently. i’m involved in interesting projects, so i guess one can’t complain there.

all in all, i think it’s been a pretty good year and i’m looking forward to the next.

—–

this year i’m throwing a new year’s eve party at my place. presumably there will be some drunken fun as well as some potsticker making. i’m hoping that the potstickers will be made before the drunkeness starts.

i personally like more laid back new year’s celebrations. i don’t really like going out, and i’d be perfectly happy home alone quietly celebrating the new year’s passing. i think that i used to enjoy the idea of going out to big celebrations, but these days i find that i’m more hermit like. nothing to the likes of my sacramento days, but definitely less social these days.

but i’m looking forward to this new year’s eve party. i think it will be lots of fun. nothing too crazy, though there’s enough alcohol at my place that i fear that a spark would set the whole place aflame.

as is my usual tradition, the new year’s eve party is funded (at least in part) by all of my spare change that i’ve accumulated over the year. i went to a coinstar machine today and it gave me $200.85 for the change i’ve saved up this year. not too shabby. it funded my costco run which consisted of most of the alcohol for the evening. i plan to make a run to safeway and ranch 99 tomorrow to get the rest of the food stuffs. i hope they are open, otherwise we won’t be eating potstickers for dinner.

i hope all of you have a happy and safe new year’s.

—–

oh dear. it’s come over me again.

it’s a sickness of sorts, really. when it first came, it swept over me like a plague infecting my every breath. each breath became progressively more difficult. as i labored to recover and try to remember what life was like before the sickness, i could only wish that there would be an end.

but no. salvation would not come. it mocked me as i withered away in the agony.

it’s been years since i kicked the habit, and i thought for sure that all would be ok now. i thought for sure that i had managed to escape from the clenches of this addiction, but now, years after my initial dealings with this venom it has returned.

and i have relented.

and so now i’m left with nothing to do but fight.

and so i will.

tetrinet2, anyone?

—–

today resumes the usual work blues. i guess this weekend wasn’t as relaxing as i had hoped. it wasn’t nearly as productive, either. i’ve got a lot of cleaning to do still.

there is a tradition at my household where we clean up the house as much as possible before the new year starts. this is primarily so that all of the bad dirties don’t stay with you the following year. i guess it’s a japanese thing…though i thought that it was an asian thing. anyway, my apartment is in dire need of cleaning.

and so i think i’ll spend the rest of this year cleaning it up.

sigh. woe is me.

—–

it was about this time, i think two years ago, when i was on the brink of pursuing this one girl. all seemed well enough and i was beginning to develop an interest in her. it seemed that things were mutual, and just as i was about to make my move, i found out that she had made plans already to visit this guy. the plans were already in the works weeks prior to me ever meeting her.

this ordinarily would not have been a big deal, however, it turns out that this meeting that she had with this guy was romantic in nature. in fact, it seemed that there would be some booty calling to be had.

but she completely ok with this and attempting to start something with me.

i could not believe it.

yeah, i’m going to go over there and meet up with this guy and we’re probably going to hook up. but once i’m done with him, i’d like to hang out with you again, if that’s cool. you know…that sort of thing.

and that’s when i realized that she just wanted to play around. i definitely did not want my heart strings to be toyed with and decided to quickly distance myself from her. i don’t think much about it anymore, but today i was reminded of this story for some strange reason.

i’m glad that i made the decision that i did and if i had to make it all over again, i would do the same. the only thing i regret is that i lost out on what could have been a good friend. we’ve lost touch since then and i haven’t seen her in quite some time.

—–

sadly, i’m at work today. it’s hard working when virtually EVERYONE no one else is at the office. is that cause for concern? not really. it is probably one of the most vacationed away days in the year, after all.

but i am actually getting some work done, surprisingly. go figure, eh?

what’s surpising even more is that there are some people who are answering support calls today. i’ve made several inquiries about some products and all of my questions were promptly answered.