Your fondest memories of 2006

Since I find myself sleep-deprived, I may as well start a thread since I've exhausted all the other ones....anyways, I entered 2006 year thinking it would be a big year for me, one way or another....I thought it might be a bit of a letdown after my big holiday to States last December, & I was kinda right & I was kinda wrong....

the year was tough, but fruitful....the way the year panned out, has probably helped to shape the rest of my life in some ways....

during the year, a truck scraped into me, I go blindsided in my job, I had the task of starting from square one in a new job, where everything I had worked for in old job didn't matter, I've seen my once happy (or seemingly happy) family start to fracture over petty issues & selfishness, I got engaged , I didn't buy a version of NBA Live (for first time since Live '01, meaning only Live version I haven't bought are Live '96, '01 & '07)....a lot more happened but I won't get into it....if you want to learn more about my job situation, just use search function, I posted it all around start of March....

so what are your fondest memories of 2006....mine are:
- getting engaged, a day in my life I will always remember & cherish
- my engagement party (it's gonna be this week, but it's gonna be a pearler, good times for all involved )
- making some new good friends in my new job, including a fellow Kiwi (which is no surprise considering we have fully invaded the country already )
- the soccer World Cup....to have Australia in it, meant the world for everyone in this country....forget rugby, AFL, basketball, whatever, this just meant everything to most Australians....after all those years of heartbreak in WC qualifying, to make it & be successful, validated what everyone knew about the Australian game....so we got screwed by the flopping Italians, you can live with these things, as that's soccer (& as a defender, you never go down in the box....although hats off to Lucas Neil, he was our best player)
- March Madness....that tourney was brilliant....to see George Mason go all the way to the Final Four was superb....shame Boston College didn't make it, but hopefully my man Jared Dudley can lead them back to the Big Dance in 07
- Renaldo Balkman....that selection in 2006 NBA Draft gave me a lot of joy as I proceeded to laugh my head off....those Knicks fan were going beserk....I thought Stephen A. Smith's head might pop off....and Spike Lee looked like someone had died

Looking forward to 2007, I'm most looking forward to:
- Rugby World Cup....after 20 years, I truly believe me will get the monkey off our backs....if we don't, then that's that....I think it is our time....also watch out for those Argentinans, who have been my darkhorse for years....I think they'll at least make 1/4 finals, & I wouldn't surprise me, with the WC in France, if they make the semis
- hopefully a holiday, maybe zip back over to NZ for a week or two....
- March Madness 2007
- the 2007 NBA Draft, which could be the deepest one in years....which can only mean, it might be the craziest too....gotta luv those Knicks fans everytime they pick I think I will be booking in my Annual Leave for that day well in advance this year
- finally, what I'm looking forward to, is really the unknown, as you never know what each new day will bring....


anyways, I'm sure I've forgotten stuff, but yeah, the idea of the thread is to try & allow some of you guys, to look at yourself & go "yeah, I've done some pretty cool stuff" & learn about your fellow posters....I don't know, maybe, maybe not....enjoy....

I made a great friend this year, got into the course I wanted at uni and learned a whole lot about some random stuff

might also be getting a car soon!

Miami winning the Championship, and Dwade owning the Pistons and Mavs in the playoffs.

Unfortunately the fond memories of 2006 are few and far between. I'll much remember this past year, unfortunately, for the trials and tribulations I've endured, far more than the happy times.

Here's a few fond memories I have from the past year, though:
- Going to Disney World
- My Fall Soccer High School Coaching Season
- Purchasing my 50" HDTV

that's all i got off the top of my head...

Before I do my personal year in review, if I haven't already some time previous, I congratulate you, X, in getting engaged. Cheers .

*If you don't give a damn about what's below, or gonna just flame me, or just gonna say "you idiot" or something along those lines, whatever, just wanted to get this off my chest.

***Warning: Long post ahead***

I guess I've had an up and down year also I suppose.

I guess I'll start off with a random good thing first. During the World Cup, I was looking for a +Teamgeist ball in stores, no look finding one, so I got my parents to order me one online straight from FIFA. I ordered a Replique version of the Finals ball (the +Teamgeist Berlin Replique). Instead of getting that, I was sent the actual +Teamgeist Berlin, the ball they used in the finals, at the price of a Replique . Very thankful and lucky that happened.

As for personal stuff and a year in review of how it went, here it goes.

January was the final month of my first semester for Gr.10, pretty damn happy I got rid of that semester, things weren't really going decently, it sort of got better towards the end but I was happy that was over. From February to June, I don't think I've had this much "fun" doing well in school. I was doing well in all my classes, teachers weren't pricks (well my Math teacher was annoying and stuff, but I did learn things in her class). April, I went to New York for the first time. I knew it was busy, but DAMN, never knew it was THAT busy. It's ridiculous there in terms of traffic and the amount of people. Great place to visit often, but I don't think I would want to live there permantly as a resident (not taking shots at anyone that lives in New York, just my personal view).

Throughout the year, I had started to build up feelings for this girl (she's 2 years older than me, currently first year university) who worked at this daycamp I had volunteered at during Summer 2005. I continued to know her cause I started going to her church and stuff. I didn't really know how I was feeling for the girl at first, but as time went on, I started to realize I was liking this girl. It was different then other girls I had liked previously though. Previously, the girls I previously liked, I felt as if I mostly liked them for how they looked and stuff. Looks weren't the thing I liked the most about her (she isn't like uber hot or stuff like that, not that I really cared about that fact with her). Above all, it was her personality that I liked. I don't think I've ever met someone as caring and constantly cheery (is that a word by the way, "cheery"?). Whenever I was around her, she had a calming influence on me.

When I got asked to volunteer at that daycamp thing for this past summer, I was pretty damn happy about this; not only had that just saved me from spending my summer at home doing nothing, but also gave me a chance to work with her (same girl from above) for the whole summer. I got to hang out with her a lot (it was either I, well my dad atleast, drove us to the camp, or she drove the two of us, as in me and her, plus one or two volunteers to the camp and back home). Damn I think thats the best summer I've had recently (on a side note, I don't think I saw my school friends more than 3-5 times the whole summer, cause I didn't really have the time to, as I was usually tired after volunteering, and I didn't really feel like it.) It felt like an alternate reality compared to school life. I want another, less cheesy word to describe it, but being with her was just amazing. Then, on the second last day of volunteering, that's when I went from a personal high to hitting full-speed into the ground. We (the staff of the camp) were cleaning up after having this camp barbecue at some park. One of the other counsellors working there was being picked up by their boyfriend after work, then head-coordinator asked "I've finally seen who Shaun (boyfriend of the pre-mentioned counsellor) is, how about this David guy?" She (as in the girl I've been talking about in the earlier paragraph replies "hes doing a co-op course (University people probably know this stuff better than I do)." BAM. Right there, all this time, the last thing that crossed my mind (seriously, I hadn't even had the slightest thought about if she was taken or not until then) if she had a boyfriend or not. I think everything about me just froze there. I felt as if everything just froze for a second or two. Only thing that got me back to reality was when I heard the grilling iron plate thing that I was cleaning crashed onto the ground.

All I could think of for some time was that. I would be in somewhat denial of the fact that she could be taken, about her, and just about how quickly things seem to go from awesome to ultimate lows.

School was also starting again, and it didn't help the fact I couldn't adjust back to my school friends and also, she was going into first year university. These people I called friends just 2 months ago, I couldn't believe how stupid they were. At times, I would really wonder if they had any morals. I just couldn't get back into school life. I went from seeing her basically everyday and working with her, to going back to school-life stress, friends I can't get used to after summer, and seeing her only once a week for a short period of time on Sunday (though I wouldn't even get a chance to get to talk to her). Even atleast during the previous school year, I would see her twice a week, and get a decent amount of time to talk to her. I was feeling pretty lost for atleast the first two months of school (I still feel lost for the most part I think, but not as bad as September and October), and my marks and attitude could show it (I would just completely snap and lose it on my friends and almost anyone, and I was struggling to even keep my mark above 70, which is grade average).

So just this Friday, at this semi-formal Christmas party thing that was held at my church and stuff, was alright, probably hadn't been in a mood remotely close to as happy (compared to previous, I was still lacking, but compared to since the school year started again, it was the happiest since then) I was during the party. Had an alright time at it. The gr11 and 12 people plus some university people were last to leave I think, partying and stuff. Friend of mine was gonna drive me home afterwards (as in him driving, not his parents driving). He got the remote to his car out and pressed something. Weird part was in addition to opening the lock to his car, it seemed to have also turned on her car. Turns out she left her car on the whole time during the party, and she didn't have another set of keys, so she had to call her dad to come and bring another set of keys. Her dad said he couldn't get there cause her sister had borrowed the car. So my friend had to drive her to her house to get another set of car keys. Woot, I guess I got have some time to hang with her with only one more person present. During the trip to her house, the three of us were talking about stuff, slightly teasing about her leaving the car running for the duration of the party. During the conversation, she said she did that once previously when she went to meet up with David (99.9% sure its the same guy I mentioned from what I said above about my volunteering thing during the summer). Right there, I knew it, denying this fact wasn't really gonna work anymore. Indirectly, I got confirmation that she was in fact taken. Things sorta froze for a second or two, but I continued along in the conversation doing my best to not stutter and stuff or say anything stupid. After that got sorted out and my friend drove her back to pick up her car, me and my friend left and my friend drove me home. Don't think I slept too well last night.

So here I am, on the morning of Christmas Eve, where do I stand? Well, before the party, my school life was sort of getting back into shape after a rough start, slightly more adjusted to the behavior of my friends, and not as down I suppose. After the party, and getting confirmation for the fact that she is taken, I'll need to have a little bit of time to get my thoughts straight. Am I pissed the fact my hopes seem to have been shot dead? Or am I content that she is being treated well and in a good relationship with her boyfriend? Am I happy the fact that if shes currently with another guy and right now it's for the better, that she would be happier right now with him? Should I happy for the fact that she's happy in her relationship right now? If I really do love her, I should be happy if she's happier with another guy right now, right? I think I should be, but for the most part, I don't really know right now. Yes, I do love this girl, but I'll need a little bit of time to recollect my thoughts. Hope I can come up with the right answer within a day or two or as soon as possible.

Last edited by Abctest123 on Mon Dec 25, 2006 3:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

Winning Warrnambool seaside classic tournament was the only highlight I can remember at the moment (3 hours of sleep lol).

I find it hard to think on these things but since these are basketball forums I must say the highlight was watching D-Wade draining mid-range fade-away after mid-range fade-away on the Mavs at 3 in the morning to watch the Heat lift the championship. Also watching Zo get his ring.

raptors getting first overall pick in lottery, eddie guerrero passing away, crocodile hunter passing away(notice how these have nothing to do with me)
then theres when i got paid like 1000$ after working for almost a year for a paperroute every sunday morning.

2006 was one of the most interesting years for me, because after 13 years, it was my first year out of school and into the "real world".

2006 consisted mostly of thoughtless labour and hard long boring hours. But the end of 2006 improved so dramatically that sometimes i smile to myself just thinking about it. What i posted in the good news thread pretty much sums it up.

2007 is going to be great. I have a future to work towards, a girl, great friends. Pretty much everything i could want, and hopefully i don't fuck it up. It's going to be pretty hard on me work-wise. But you gotta go through some bad to reap the benefits on the good.