quote:

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i quit... now I have to get all new friends

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i can relate. oh can i relate.

quote:

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Excellent meet-ups with WGB-members in Copenhagen, Paris, Detroit, Toronto, Chicago and London

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braggart.

year started out good, went up and down, got way way way too busy for the last two or three months, slowed down to a respectable pace, moved to better living conditions, just the right amount of life lessons, perfect amount of anxiety and uncertainty countered with just the right amount of confidence and happiness (could admittedly handle more of all those), emotions ran high low and non-existent, xmas my be slightly more tolerable this go around, treated myself better than usual, year ending up good and have realistic hopes for a better one next year.

i'm not complaining. life is life and it's always worth the tasking.

One year ago today I was working my last week as a bouncer at a local strip club. I got fired 2 days before Christmas. Subsequently got a job as a butler for a bed & breakfast in Nashville.

I was living in a glorified storage shed at the time- no running water. Some of you might remember when I first came here, describing it as "Thoreau at Walden"-esque. Dig that. It was shit.

Quit being a butler at the bed & breakfast- employer couldn't afford me anymore.

Got kicked out of my cabin for reasons that still mystify me to this day but boil down to a long string of psychotic episodes on my landlady's part.

Moved in with my parents, took up residence in my step-mom's art studio while they packed up their belongings in preparation for moving into a new home.

Learned that I am supposedly clinically depressed. I started taking Lexapro, quit taking it a month or so later and I haven't felt better in my entire life. Go fig.

My brother and his family took over my parents' house while I continued to stay in the art studio-cum-guest house. I pay $50/week in rent and I have running water. I would be infinitely happier if the place had unsulation since Winter is now upon us and I fucking HATE the cold weather.

Got a job as a clerk at a local gas station.

Got a girl friend.

Lost my girl friend a month later.

Applied for employment with the Tennessee State Government- just took a test on decyphering coded messages, which was surprisingly easy, and scored a 91% overall. I expect to hear back from them.

Quit smoking.... mostly. I only smoke when I go to my favorite cafe in Nashville- otherwise, I don't smoke at all. I haven't bought a cigarette or tobacco product in over 2 months.... and I'm still coughing shit up.

This last year hasn't been the greatest for me, but I've seen some small progress in areas that definitely needed it. I expect that next year will show the fruits of some of my labor- the state government job, for instance, will be a god-send. I'm hoping to have a place to call my own soon (or, at the very least, an apartment) and to be out of debt by the end of the year. I'm still working a shit job for shit pay, but I'm hoping that will also soon change.

I'm still alone/single/lonely, but at least my 4-year dry spell has come to an end. Having sex just once in 4 years is the pits- especially when you've got a fairly healthy sex drive to begin with.

I dunno. There've been some good points and bad points. I made a few new friends, lost touch with others. Got closer to some family members, drifted away from others.

I think that this year taught me how to live in my own skin and be comfortable with it.

Hmmm... I'm not sure how to sum up this year.

There's been a lot of change. A whole lot of
change, and while it's all been good it's been a
might bit stressful.

Let's see...

Finished and defended MA thesis (finally,
basically did the whole project from scratch this
time around).

Got promoted (through attrition) and had to get
a foothold on that whole new learning curve,
plus the still-existing previous workload.

Got the raise that came with the promotion.

Got cable internet service.

Kung fu school imploded.

Got new girlfriend.

Got engaged to said new girlfriend. (!!)

Travelled a bit and met some very interesting
people.

So... it was a very busy year and it all blurred
by really quick. Very interesting year, and a
very good year.

Best summed up with a really tired and stunned
"Wow".

Man, my life is pretty quiet by comparison! The major incident was the partners who own the company I work for selling the internet business side of it. Since I was the ring-leader for the technology aspects on both sides I had been up to over 100 hours a week sometime in February. Now I'm absolutely loving having a 40 hour week (doing activities I enjoy, no less) and a life outside of work. In fact, managed to have a vacation away from Tucson for the first time in a couple of years--pent a week mountain biking near Durango, CO during the summer.

Also, despite not having much work on the non-internet side, the company managed to give everyone XMas bonuses this year and we just had a kick-ass XMas office party. After the split I'm now the longest term employee, going on 15 years now.

All in all, '04 was pretty good for me.

Sorry to hear a lot of people haven't been having as much luck. Here's hoping '05 goes better for all WGB'ers!

Deciphering coded messages for the State of Tennessee?

State Police? Revenue Department? Ministry of Silly Walks? Counterterrorist Ninja Squad?

I thought I was fairly worldly, but I gotta admit I had no idea that the State of Tennessee had their own cryptographers.

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Originally posted by Splitcoil:
Deciphering coded messages for the State of Tennessee?

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Gotta have someone to figgah-out what dose beaurocrats in DC ahr sayin' and put it inta people-speak!

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Originally posted by Splitcoil:
I thought I was fairly worldly, but I gotta admit I had no idea that the State of Tennessee had their own cryptographers.

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Oh how sentences like that keep me so utterly, well...addicted.(tm)

Splitcoil: I'm as stumped as you are, trust me. I thought I was going in for the "Computer Operator Level 1" position- or at least testing for it. I expected a personality test and maybe rudimentary OS usage testing. I was completely shocked to be faced with the test that I ended up taking... but wasn't daunted in the least and took it any-damn-way and passed with flying colors.

My original intention had been to get hooked up with TDOT (Tennessee Dept. of Transportation) and perhaps use my 3D modelling skills for construction pre-viz. My resume practically screamed out, in capital letters and bold text, that I'm looking for a 3D modelling position. Why they gave me a decryption test is totally beyond my ken- I just feel fortunate that I had the wherewithall (and experience) to perform capably.

What they intend to do with me is anyone's guess- I sure as hell haven't a clue.

One thing I found odd about the whole thing, though, was that when I went to apply, it took them 3 months to respond and say that they had a test prepared for me. A month is understandable because, hey, this is the state government we're talking about here, but three months?!? Exactly how many 3D modellers apply for work with them anyway???

i suppose 2004 was pretty good, on the whole. i supported myself working free-lance, while still having a lot of free time. things are pretty mellow.

in the other hand, nothing is fucking happening in my life.

fuck.

A turn for the better...

I watched Emily Browning in "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and had to force myself to keep from drooling in public.

That girl, at sixteen years of age, officially inspires me to chew on planks of wood.

She's gonna be deadly sexy when she hits 18. She'll need small-arm tactical nukes to keep the boys at bay when she hits 21.

*Lies back, sucks loudly on a cigarette*

I've had better.

*exhales*

Moved to a city. Thank the Deities. Went to uni. Failed, dropped out.

Am still playing a Squier. Didn't work on novel as much as I should have. Started smoking. Turned 18. Taught my self to alternate pick. Still can't sweep pick.

Got new computer. New digital camera, new phone. Not in school.

Going nowhere. Fast. Feel free to join me if you wish.

Emily Browning? An Antipodean gal, or so I hear.

Okay, I'll play the how-was-your-2004 game.

Background:

Rewind a month to December 2003. I got retrenched from my employer of 19 years 10 months. An event which inspired some angst, some celebration and a good deal of serious thought.

Good stuff:

- Handling a shitty experience with some degree of dignity and coming out the other end feeling pretty good about things.

- I've worked for another employer (a good one!) this year for 4 months full-time, 4 months part-time and it looks like I'll end up with ongoing part-time work but with increased hours.

- My wife scored a more senior job that's challenging and interesting, and I've had the time and flexibility to pick up the slack on the domestic front.

- I've had more time to get involved with my kids' lives.

- Travelling in the Pacific, to a country I never expected to visit, and finding an amazing place and seriously cool people.

- Buying a motorcycle (first person to say "mid-life crisis" can go to hell!).

- Ending the year happy.

Bad stuff:

- A good friend getting sick (they're doing ok so far, fingers crossed).

- Losing someone else. Sad. Pointless.

- Getting retrenched, which is a pretty confronting experience.

- Not working as much this year as I'd hoped (although this had its compensations).

- Having to be interviewed by stupid people.

- The re-election of a couple of governments; a triumph of expectation over hope.

- Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey starting work on another Who album (guys, it was awesome while it lasted but you're 62 and half of you are dead. It's over).

quote:

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Originally posted by NightShadow:
Splitcoil: I'm as stumped as you are, trust me. I _thought_ I was going in for the "Computer Operator Level 1" position- or at least testing for it. I expected a personality test and maybe rudimentary OS usage testing. I was completely shocked to be faced with the test that I ended up taking... but wasn't daunted in the least and took it any-damn-way and passed with flying colors.

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So it could have been just a general test of the suppleness of your mind... or perhaps they looked at your resume and thought you'd be perfect for the Tennessee State Counter-Terrorist Ninja Squad.

"Y'all terrorists best listen up! We done decrypted your secret communications an' I swar on a stack a bibles that we're a-gonna rip you new ones! Hey Nightshadow, haynd me that stack a A-rab seekin' throwin' stars we got from DARPA."

And actually, a lot of states have lots of 3D CAD people working for them. Among my in-laws are two such individuals, though they're not in Tennessee.

Good luck! (And come to think of it, you already have the perfect codename for a secret ninja squad operative.)

Great year.

- Finished college again (went back at age 30 for new degree, new career). Aced that shit.
- Got a job secured before graduation. Finally making video games professionally and loving it.
- Moved to Southern California after a lifetime of hoping to get here someday.
- Drove across the country to get here and visited Graceland, and Roswell NM on the way. (Elvis and UFOs, it just don't get better than that)
- Met Stan (the man) Lee at the Electronics Entertainment Expo and got my Amazing Spider-man #1 and Amazing Fantasy #15 (spidey's first ever appearance in a comic) signed.
- Skateboarded every day since I got here. Skated backyard pools for the first time in my life. Getting air at the skateparks now.
- Got ripped at a company party in Vegas and waltzed across the center of Las Vegas Blvd giving the finger to the entire city while screaming "FUCK THE MAN! AND FUCK YOU!" to all the cars that were screaching to a halt around me. (got to check that off my 'to do' list)

Great year.

quote:

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Originally posted by lithos:

*Lies back, sucks loudly on a cigarette*

I've had better.

*exhales*

Moved to a city. Thank the Deities. Went to uni. Failed, dropped out.

Am still playing a Squier. Didn't work on novel as much as I should have. Started smoking. Turned 18. Taught my self to alternate pick. Still can't sweep pick.

Got new computer. New digital camera, new phone. Not in school.

Going nowhere. Fast. Feel free to join me if you wish.

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If your writing and sense of humor are anything to go by, you've got a damned good brain. It'll take you somewhere interesting, if you buy it a ticket.

Be the bomb.

I should probably clarify my earlier comments by saying that the year didn't suck, by any means - I still love my job and my family, and enjoy what I'm doing. I just feel like I missed the work/home balance this year, and want to do a better job on that in 2005.

quote:

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ZYirAH posted: "Got ripped at a company party in Vegas and waltzed across the center of Las Vegas Blvd giving the finger to the entire city while screaming "FUCK THE MAN! AND FUCK YOU!" to all the cars that were screaching to a halt around me. (got to check that off my 'to do' list)"

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Got to add that to my "to do" list!

quote:

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Originally posted by Splitcoil:
So it could have been just a general test of the suppleness of your mind... or perhaps they looked at your resume and thought you'd be perfect for the Tennessee State Counter-Terrorist Ninja Squad.

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The government... our government is looking for supple-minded people?!?

Well, whatever the case might be, I'll let you all know how it pans out.... provided that I'm not sworn to secrecy first......

Let us know when you enter Wu Tang sword training.

And for MOM's post: ditto. And a Squier's not the end of the world. A Dano is the end of the world.