5 highs and 5 lows of 2006

Highs -

Going to the CWS with my Dad (both for the first time)
Uncle's really good post-cancer treatment check-up
Really lovely birthday parties
Finally making my first stained glass window
Roommate resumed paying rent

Lows -

Father's heart surgery
Uncle's cancer diagnosis
Complete falling out with my best friend/sister of my heart
Brother's hopsitalization

Highs:
1. Falling very unexpectedly in love with a great bloke
2. Getting a new-to-me car with a fab sound system at an unbelieveable price
3. Family well and healthy all in all.
4. Discovering I can still paint
5. getting 2 new kittens

Lows:
1. things going tits up with great bloke
2. death of someone very important to me
3. Possiblility of losing job (still very real )
4. Being unbelievably broke
5. Previous cat getting run over

I've not enjoyed this year too much

Highs..

Moving to the most fantastic house in the world
Being with Oic and Mouse my lovely family
Soon to get another Patterdale
Quiting 2 jobs I did not like
Meeting some fantastic new people

Lows

I am trying to think of some.. This year has been better after some really shitty years so at the moment I am very happy not to be able to think of 2006 lows.

High.

1. Getting a new job just after my old one ended.

2. Getting to visit Tibilisi, Georgia and Tallinn, Estonia.

3. The book project I'm working on coming ever closer to completion.

4. Getting to see my nieces again.

5. Taking up going to the gym.

Low.

1. Not getting my contract in St. Petersburg renewed, and having to move to Birmingham.

2. Finally breaking up my girlfriend (though I'm still in touch with her).

3. Various bumps in the road connected with teaching - e.g. making a student cry in class (I felt like a real heel after that).

4. 'High maintenance' family members doing their high maintenance thing.

5. My uncle (my father's sister's husband in this case) is dying, and I'll be off to a funeral in a few days - which is a pretty low note to end the year on.

6. And the continuing horrific human rights crisis in Eritrea, which is the subject of the book project mentioned above.

Bugger - forgot to add another high!

6. Finding out I had friends on urban I didn't know about, friends who've been bloody amazing and supportive. You know who you are - I can't thank you enough

In no particular order

Highs

• Changing courses at university to one I really love
• Meeting/having a group of really fantastic mates
• Gergl's constant support, wouldn't have made it through this year without him
• Gaining some self confidance where before I had none
• Moving out of the family home and realising I could take care of myself

Lows

• Insomnia/depression getting the best of me at times
• Some of the arguments and petty bullshit I've got stuck in the middle of
• Not seeing very much at all of my friends outside of university, its very easy to get caught up in the uni thing and forget anything else exists
• Some of the problems members of my family are having
• Continuing health and weight issues

Highs:

Meeting girlfriend
Holiday with girlfriend
Moving into a wicked house with girlfriend
Girlfriend generally being fucking great in every way
Still progressing very, very fast in my career
I suspect Hong Kong and Australia will be up there

Lows:

Was a bit of a shit year until I met gf, but even prior to meeting her I could sense a developing confidence and feeling of self-worth

That's it.. good year all round

The Heights

1) Starting my final year of University
2) Being with a fantastic woman
3) Matthew Taylors penalty vs Wigan Athletic
4) Sorting my head out re. drugs/alcohol/smoking
5) Being able to look forwards instead of backwards

The Depths

1) My Uncles funeral after a battle with cancer
2) My father still overworking himself
3) My Godfathers double stroke last week (if he wasn't so fit, he'd be gone )
4) Not sorting myself out sooner
5) The First Ashes Test at the Gabba

Not good if you're a bloke in my family

highs

- carrying on at university, didn't think I'd make it to the second year
- finally starting to get work in the industry I love coming in
- meeting some great people through work and generally through spending more time in Manchester
- turning twenty-one when this time a couple of years ago I honestly didn't think I would
- improving my self-confidence a great deal
- realising life's not that bad really and whatever gets chucked at me I can cope

lows

- general lack of direction, not knowing where I'll be this time next year
- university not going great, people aren't brilliant on the whole
- still being single and quite isolated with no discernible end in sight
- depression seems to be attempting to make a vengeful return
- lack of cash crippling my plans for the future

Highs:

1. realising who I actually am at last
2. meeting a certain someone through this board (you know who you are)
3. gaining respect in my work without really trying
4. getting two turntables again after 2 years without - once a badboy DJ, always a badboy DJ lol
5. DMZ @ Brixton Mass in September - OMFG what a life-changing night!!!!!

Lows:

1. seeing certain family members try and put my mum into an early grave
2. being diagnosed with polycythaemia vera
3. my sad and desperate ex tried to get me back (are u stooooopid lol)
4. getting nowhere near enough sex lol
5. getting shanked and carjacked outside a dance in E15 but I lived u wasteman lol

I had to do more than 5 of each.

Lows
1 el jugs mum dying from cancer - although this was a low I feel relieved that we managed to get her home from hospital with all her family around her.
2 Mr Pig (our guinea pig) dying of old age.
3 no work for four months, savings gone and tax bill looming.
4 horrendous house move (from a four bedroom house to a boat) most stressful move ever!
5 Buying the boat, so much more difficult than buying a house - paperwork and survey for the mortgage, having to wait weeks when we realised some of the paperwork was missing, having to reblack the hull ourselves when the pressure washing for the survey fetched all the old blacking off, three months of thinking it could have gone pearshaped at anytime and everything at every stage going wrong!
6 still no mains electricity - they put the cabling through the water ducting by mistake and we have waited 7 months while all the contractors argue over whose fault it is. I miss you 240 volts - I really do. My fridge is a mere ornament.

Highs

1 Getting our boat and fab mooring and loving it here surrounded by nature.
2 Adopting our Lurcher Rocky
3 Being made young womens district leader for South Tottenham by my buddhist group)
4 opening our first central london centre for same buddhist group.
5 much improved health - weight loss, improvement in asthma from new lifestyle - lots of dog walking, cycling and general outdoorsyness and in bed by 10 most nights!
6
Getting our cost of living right down and becoming more self sufficient.

Highs

* Gurl
* Buying flat
* Randomly being given free car
* Jurassic 5 @ Brixton Academy
* Holiday with best mates in February

Bonus ball: Mate's new baby awwww.

Lows:

* Crashing car
* Debt
* Drinking too much
* Another year of my life wasted in shithouse job
* Can't really think of a 5th

On balance: s'all good

Fucking hungover this morning tho

Highs:

* Seeing my brother and sis-in-law tie the knot, and getting to be a part of their perfect day.
* Finally scoring a job that makes me think and that might lead somewhere.
* Lots of great gigs, from Reverend Horton Heat to Nina Nastasia.
* Hearing my voice on a proper professional album release (and the album is fucking great too, result!)
* Finding a sport that I love and am surprisingly good at - it's about time!
* The wonderful Mr K and all that he is to me

Lows:

* Being pitched back into a nightmare so soon after brother's perfect wedding day.
* Having to watch him suffer, over and over, without being able to do anything.
* Not being able to come to terms with the fact that he really is dying, and that his dignity is being stolen away along with his health.
* All of the above badly affecting my sex life and making me worry about myself

For all the great things that have happened this year, the continuing saga of horror that is my brother's fight with cancer just overshadows all of it. I wish I felt happier about the impending new year.

What are you singing on May? And what sport is it? Wrestling?

Highs

1. Getting to know my beautiful nephew
2. Learning new stuff at work and being good at it
3. Gaining more self-confidence
4. Finally realising that some ladies may actually like me and possible subsequent revival of love life
5. Extending my cooking repertoire

Lows
1. Rapidly worsening health of mother
2. Stress at work and unsociable long hours
3. Insomnia, anxiety, overuse of self-medication
4. Worrying too much about love life
5. Being shit with money

Highs

1. Getting the job I'd been waiting forever for
2. Meeting someone special who taught me something very important
3. Becoming stronger and more successfully independent than ever before
4. Learning to try and laugh through the tough times
5. Going to Australia to see my best friend

Lows

1. The death of 3 people (one close relative and 2 friends) and my cat
2. Verging on bankrupcy and homelessness
3. Realising the severity of my undetected injuries and dealing with it on a day to day basis
4. Falling in love with someone unavailable.
5. Dealing with 'family' problems from the beginning of the year to date and for far into the future.

Overall this has been a terrible year, the most trying I've ever had. The past few months a few things have improved, offset with a few bad things but hopefully 2007 will be better. And thanks to those who were there for me with advice and support in the tougher times

Highs

Spending 11 of the 12 months of 2006 traveling round the world. X1000
Meeting my girlfriend.
Life in Sydney in general.
Giving up smoking after 7 years.
Getting Fit.

Lows

Debt worries.
Difficulty starting chosen career.
Coming back to a UK winter.
Environmental concerns.

The new Mothboy album (I've stuck a link up on No-Fu, probably not supposed to advertise myself on here), and no it isn't wrestling, it's kickboxing, so watch out!

P.S. Sorry to hear about your ma dude xx

highs

that my dad and sister have made up after 24 years of hate.

discovering that my philosophy can be taught through martial arts.

getting a better sense of self via loneliness.

meeting a very special person.

learning to control my ego.


lows

that my mum may have a stroke anytime if she doesn't sort her lifetyle out.

splitting up with long term partner of 8 years.

knowing that i can never be with that special person i met.

even though i'm earning more, i still never have enough money.

my dog's anal glands are getting worse. that i need to squeeze them more often.

Ooh, will check it out - fair play!

What a marvellous thread!

Here's my take for 2006:

Lows:

Having sand kicked in my face by spiteful ex-girlfriend
Failing 5 job interviews and 3 application processes plus work problems
England's pathetic failure at the World Cup
My depression and anxiety problems
Unrequited love

Highs:

Getting into the Civil Service Fast Stream despite the above failures
Getting an 'A' for GCSE German
The Model UN conference in Vienna - and the summer school that followed
Getting to spend Christmas this year in Germany
Discovering a stronger sense of purpose in life

Highs:

1. Meeting new friends at UKNova who don't act like childish knob ends
2. Getting to go to Amsterdam for a WEEK on business!
3. Going to the Wickerman Festival. Nice one
4. Going to Beautiful Days despite the collapse of the camping arrangements due to a load of bullshit (see below)
5. I can't think of any other highs. The year has just been fucking shit.

Lows:

1. Getting framed and banned from urban75's chat for LIFE and getting slandered as an evil stalker nutjob.
2. Having to deal with the bastard who banned me following me around IRC to where I am now while refusing to let me back, and not fucking leaving me alone.
3. No Glastonbury
4. Drinking shitloads more than ever after having to give up the sweet lovely weed (threats of piss tests)
5. Being shunned by people from urban75

Highs:
1) All expenses paid trip to Bermuda for 6 weeks
2) All expenses paid trip to Bangalore for 2 weeks
3) Holiday in Goa
4) Moving into nice flat
5) *space just in case I get this new job*

Lows:
1) being single for ages
2) still haven't lost weight
3) still in this boring job
4) ain't spent much time at urban socials
5) *space for the rest of the month*

Lows:

Moving to Tobyville last year!

Highs:

Getting the fuck out of Tobyville next year!

HURRAH!!!!

lol

Highs
1. Training for and running a marathon
2. Seeing my kid brother get married
3. Swimming in clear blue pools in an icy mountain stream in France.
4. Being able to help friends through rough patches in their lives
5. Taking some chances to do new things and meet new people

Lows
1. Nearly splitting up with my long-term boyfriend
2. Not getting in control of my career, finances etc
I can't think of any more...

On balance a good year, although the lows continue cast a shadow.

Highs:

- 'nother year with mrs1798 and my 2 cats
- new job
- time spent with safe good friends
- visits from brother and cousin
- dmt

Lows:

None. can't complain about anything in my life, I'm healthy and happy.