Well first off, this is post #666 for me. Hence the devil reference in the post title :) No, I'm not saying I'm the devil...hahahaha.
So I'm watching "I Love the New Millennium" on VH1 right now...2000 was previously on, now this hour showcases 2001. (Update since I started writing-now it's on 2003! Boy this post took a long time to write...) Holy shit-are we really on the edge of a new decade? Was it really 10 years ago that we were all freaking out about the Y2K bug and thinking the world will come to an end on January 1, 2000? :-P (funniest memory from that-my dad "stocking up" on 5 gallons of bottled water since apparently the Y2K bug would cause a lack of drinking water...oh the things people believed!)
Man-so much has happened this decade...if I thought 2009 was an emotional rollercoaster of sorts...well the whole decade was like the Great American Scream Machine or something like that :) And since VH1 is looking back...I kinda feel like doing the same.
2000-my biggest memory of this year was breaking up with my boyfriend of 2 1/2 years...which as a lot of you long-time readers know, was someone everyone expected me to marry. But no matter how great someone may be on paper, if you grow apart and become different people during that time...staying togehter for the sake of others can never result in anything good. So for the first time in 5 years, I was single and it was really tough...partially because most of my friends were in relationships, but also partially because I was still living at home...
2001-fell in love, only to wind up getting played. Moved on out of the parentals house and into the city. 9/11. Seeing how the fallout from that brought out the good in people, but also brought out the bad in other people. We were in a changed world, no matter how you looked at it.
2002-I think this year was officially the low point of the decade for me. Still hurting from said 2001 player. Dealt with some cash flow issues. A friend of my brother...well, I will not go into detail about what he tried to do to me, but let's just say as a result of it, my brother terminated that friendship immediately. Not one, but two roommate changes-and anyone in NYC knows how stressful it is finding a roommate! Got laid off from my job...but thankfully I did find a new one and was only unemployed for 6 weeks.
2003-anyone else remember the blackout? the day of my baby brother's b-day no less...original plan was to head to NJ for a b-day dinner right after work, instead we spent it grabbing beers from some of the 3rd Ave bars and him crashing at my place. And thanking my lucky stars that I was still living in midtown then instead of uptown...yep, 2 weeks later I had moved into my little studio apartment on the UWS. Can't tell you how good it felt to not have to deal with roommates.
2004-the running year, so to say. Joined NYRR, joined the Flyers, opened up a whole new world for me. Maybe this year was a turning point of sorts?
2005-learned and appreciated how tough it is to plan social events in NYC, thanks to my stint as Flyers' social chair :) Was hoping to run my first marathon-NYC-this year, but a month into the training, a bad case of plantar fasciitis stopped me in my tracks, so to say. And believe me, recovery was a bitch and then some :) And oh yeah...I discovered this little thing called blogging and thought I'd try it ;-)
2006-busy year, I remember. Had a Flyers exec board position-Member at Large. And let me tell you, it really made me feel good that my teammates felt I was the best one for the job. What a difference from 10 years before-when I kept getting shot down for positions on my sorority's exec board...i was too new, i was too shy, whatever, there was some excuse. Met a lot more people in the running community...partially through this blogging thang ;-) and partially because one of my goals as MAL was to enhance relations between us and other clubs...with "mixer" happy hours, post-race softball games and other things. Hit the big 3-0 this year...yikes :-P Work kicked me in the ass this year, partially due to one project from hell, partially because we were down one man and it took over a year to find a replacement! But despite all that, I did finally run my first marathon...and broke 4 hours :)
2007-I think I was mentally in hibernation for a good portion of the first half of the year...yeah, work was still kicking me in the ass. Just seemed to affect everything...my relationships, my running, as well as other things. Things did get a little better through the spring and summer though. Took my first real vacation in a very long time-to San Francisco...ran a half-marathon there and totally fell in love with the city...hmmm, could I maybe see myself living there someday, who knows. (Or maybe I really needed a vacation and anything would have seemed good!) Had my first serious relationship in years...which didn't end on the best of terms. Learned 2 things-a significant other must respect my friends and if I need my space after said breakup, that needs to be respected too if there is to be any chance at a friendship.
2008-is it me or did this seem like the year of Facebook? Almost every day, a new friend request, quiz invite and my personal favorite-the "SuperPoke" :-P Halfway through the year, got a taste of what the state of the economy would be as we were told at work that "2008 is turning into a very tough year" and that certain big events would be canceled in order to make budget, that we'd have to do without some "nice to haves". Running-wise, 2008 started off with a calf injury, I recovered from it and it did turn out to be my best running year in 4 years...ran 3:44 in NYCM and got goals in shorter distances that I had been chasing after for years.
2009-And so it brings us to this year. Early months were kinda rough...close relative (my uncle) passed away...round of layoffs at work which thankfully I dodged that bullet, but me and others wound up absorbing a lot more work as a result...but at that point, just grateful to have a job. Was vice president of the Flyers this year. The Yankees won their first World Series in 9 years!! Running-wise, was on track to have my best year yet...and it looked like not only was a BQ marathon in reach, but 3:40 was setting the bar too low. But was stopped in my tracks at mile 21 of the Marine Corps Marathon with the infamous (sh)IT band injury. As I said before, I am happy for the good running moments, just wish the year hadn't ended on such a bad note. Was in 2 serious relationships this year...and I am grateful to still be friends with both of them. Especially the latter...us getting together did cause me to lose a friend, but I feel I got a much better one as a result. I never thought I'd be able to just hang out with an ex over a few beers and just enjoy ourselves...but we can and we do...someone I'm very happy to have had in my life this year...and in future years too ;-)
So I'm reading over this now and thinking wow...can't believe how much has happened in 10 years. Even though I have said 2009 was a rough year, I will say that at the very least, this decade did end better than it started. And have I learned anything? Well I guess so...
Work-I felt like i worked away my 20s and don't want to do the same with my 30s...in my early years I put in the time because I thought it would get me more money, more power...yeah, at the time I did actually like my job...but by the end of the decade I learned that all the money in the world isn't worth it if you're not happy, don't feel fulfilled, don't feel like there is a good work-life balance. Oh yeah-and getting involved with someone at work is definitely NOT the best idea!!
Love/relationships-and on that topic...well in the beginning of the decade, with a lot of my friends having the marriage bug, I kinda wanted the same...and I know I've felt like that for many years too. But I've been thinking about this for a good part of this year. First off, as I have mentioned before, I really don't like dating. It's more...I feel like I'm putting on an act of sorts and it just gets exhausting. I just want to be myself...and that was a sign that my last relationship was gonna have great potential, as I never once felt like I had to act, I could totally be myself. And I honestly don't care that people tell me that "dating means free dinner and drinks" or something to that effect. Seriously, I will gladly pay for my own damn dinner and drinks if it means I'm with a guy I can feel comfortable with and be myself with and enjoy myself with. And I know I've said plenty of times before that I want to get married but...well as James Marsden's character said to Katherine Heigl's character in 27 Dresses: "I think you want a wedding-not a marriage." I guess now I'm feeling the opposite...like it's more the companionship I'm seeking out instead of the shiny rings and wedding. I do have friends who are in permanently committed relationships but havent felt the need to get married...and they are just as happy as those who have "made it official." Maybe I'm not making sense here...but this is always a complex topic. :)
Well even though there are some things in my life that I do fell still need fixing...as I said before, this decade did end on a much better note than it started on...and I can only hope that will carry over into 2010. As for tonight...I won't be running at midnight, I won't be smooching anybody at midnight, but I will be ringing in the new year with friends...just fun and no drama...all I can ask for.
So...long story short, I'm happy to be leaving this devil of a decade behind and can only hope for bigger and better things in the next year...or next 10 years...or more.
Happy New Year everyone! Have fun, be safe...and talk to ya "next year"! :)
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