Friday, December 30, 2005

2005: A Building Year

"Everything happens for a reason!

Now, for a sports analogy:
When you have a bad year for a team, it's called a 'building year,' a year when everyone is young and learning to work together, or the coaching staff isn't quite 'gelling' yet.

2005 was, perhaps, a building year.... "
-- Beth, in a comment on Becki's blog

Indeed. 2005 was, without question, a building year. Now before I launch into the, uh, building experiences, let me say this. I know that there are a brazillion people out there who have had a harder year than I have. Loss of friends, love, homes, jobs – you name it, I’m sure someone has experienced it. I realize that overall, the stuff that I went through was minor and instead of dwelling on it and letting it win, well, I just turn it into a learning experience. Most of the time. Sometimes I’ll cry about it, most likely I’ll complain about it, but once the initial reaction passes, well, I’ll be just fine. Especially after I turn it into a blog entry. Heh. Anyway.

So I was recently going through the blog and compiling all of the entries I’ve written this year regarding the guys I’ve dated. It was most definitely a building year in the dating arena, people – I wrote SEVENTY PAGES. Of those, 55 were about the random losers and the other 15 were about Not Boyfriend. The thing about it is, when I read back over them, I only wince about a couple of them. The rest I totally laugh about. So yes. My wish for myself in 2006 is that I find someone – just one person – who I can write seventy pages about. And those seventy pages will be about how he is everything I want, and how good he is to me. My wish for YOU is that I spare you from those seventy pages.

Now if I went through and found all of the references to how much I hate my job, well, that would take up a lot of pages as well. The thing that keeps me going in that respect is that no matter how many resumes I send out and how many jobs I apply for and don’t get, there is ONE out there that I’m supposed to have. So I keep looking and keep the faith. In the ideal world, I would get paid for writing. Or doing stick drawings. This is not the ideal world. My wish for myself in 2006 is that I find a job that makes me happy, at the very most. At the very least, a job that makes me not miserable. Both of those would be a giant step up from 2005. And 2004, 2003 and 2002.

Compiling the entries about my friends and family would most likely outpace any other subject. In regards to my friends, 2005 was NOT a building year. I think our last building year was maybe 1992 or so. And now, through the magic of the internet in general and blogging in particular, my girls and I are closer than ever. I can tell a story once and get everyone’s input on it – no matter how mundane – and that way, the next time we’re all together, they can immediately start making fun of me, instead of being delayed by my having to tell the story. Everybody wins! Except maybe me. Or whoever else is getting made fun of. And of course, all of the people who I’ve never met and yet feel like I’ve known forever. That would be you, blogfriends, in case that was unclear. So my wish for myself in 2006 is that I continue to be surrounded by people I love and care about who love and care about me.

I don’t generally make New Year’s resolutions, per se. I don’t know why – I just don’t. I think my mindset is that I’ve got stuff in my head that I want to change in the coming year, but putting them down on paper as a “resolution” beginning January 1 isn’t my style. In any case, I’ve got a mind full of changes to make and things I want to remain the same, and believe me – I’ve got my work cut out for me. But hey – I got through the building year relatively unscathed, so I feel that next year can only be better, right?

Happy New Year!!!

19 comments:

Whinger said...

Yay for building years! They're so much more interesting to read than winning years.

My favorite Christmas newsletters are not from the winners: "Tiffany got accepted to Johns Hopkins in the same month that Blaine won a Pulitzer!!!"

I prefer those from the rest of the division: "Molly apparently didn't pay attention to the sexual education segment of her nursing classes as she turned up pregnant this year. She will get married in the fall, hopefully before the birth."

I LOVE those. Mmmm...schadenfreude.

Sass said...

That's quite a year lady and i am glad i get to be first to tell you so.

It can only get better. I think we go through those hard times to grow and learn to feel and to laugh at the strange dating situations we put ourselves through. Sheesh - there have been several doozies this year for everyone it seems.

Burst into the new year and be safe while doing so.

Minnesota Nice said...

I sincerely hope you find your dream job in 2006, I finally found mine last year and I can tell you it changes EVERYTHING!!! In the dating arena, every year seems to be a bigger 'building year' than the last, but in the job arena, I really think you can get what you want. Go for it.

Just Me said...

my only resolution for the new year...and every new year... is to make it through without killing any of the idiots around me...that's a big task to take on you know?!!?

Tim Hillegonds said...

Happy New Year...2005 was definitely a building year. I wish you the best in all that you tackle. Holla.

Miladysa said...

Right Amber!

Thank you for great blogging in 2005 and I would buy a stick drawing, honest! (If I could afford one now that I do not have a job).

Happy New Year :)

Marissa said...

I love that building year analogy -I think my 2005 was most certainly a building year as well. Here's to a little more stability for both of us in 2006!

Happy New Year!!

Barry S. said...

Happy New Year, Amber! May you get your 70-page, man-of-your-dreams.

Anonymous said...

I wish you good luck. I've got to ask: what do you do for a living?

I ask because I LOVE reading people who hate their jobs. I relate so well!

Anonymous said...

Guys are always in the building year column, aren't they?!?!? I hope you find one to write 365 entries on this year.

GNDTX

Marie said...

This was an awesome post, Amber. This are good wishes to have and I think they are attainable. And fyi, I am a HUGE fan of your writing and your stick drawings. :) I still laugh when I see that one you did for Alice and the rooster incident. LOL

Anyway, I think you are an amazing woman with so many talents and gifts. My wish is that you get your wishes in 2006. Happy New Year, girl!

Cheryl said...

Happy New Year Amber! I wish you all those things for 2006 as well, you deserve them!

Kyahgirl said...

Happy new Year Amber. I'm glad to have 'met' you and look forward to more stories. If you want to talk about guys, your friends, housework, your job, whatever...I'm interested!! As you know from reading my blog, it makes a nice change from all the bizarre and stressful conversations I keep having with my kids :-)

best,
Laura

JillWrites said...

Good job on the perspective. I also would like to find a job that I am not miserable doing. Actually, I'm already at "kinda not miserable" but I'd like to move up to "pretty good", at least. By the way, be careful what you wish for: I found a man I could (and have) written 70 pages about. But he doesn't know it, exactly. And we're kinda not involved in that way. Don't be me, Amber.

Clinton P. Desveaux said...

Enjoy 2006 and make it better then 2005!

David Amulet said...

I love the idea of a "building year" not only in sports, but in life. But perhaps a year is too long to look at it that way, as if every day was a stinker. Instead, maybe just take a "building day" once in a while.

Great blog, thanks for the entertainment. And Happy New Year!

-- david

Kiki said...

I'm recruiting for people to move to Wisconsin. There are lots of hunky corn fed farm boys here waiting to sweep you off your feet! :)

KC said...

2006 is going to be great for you. Wanna know why? Because anytime you can end a year with as much laughing as we did (Members ONLY!) it can only mean good things for the new year! And should times get hard in '06, just remember - You complete me...and my sentences. Heh.

dasi said...

Here, here, Amber!! Although I only had one “relationship” in 2005, (and I use quotes because I think he was the only one to consider it a relationship) it was quite the doozy. But made for wonderful blogging!! Good luck on your search for Mr. 70 Pages – I think I am leaving everything up to serendipity this year. And will concentrate on making MYSELF a better person inside and out. And will write more TBOTE and maybe eventually finish the whole thing!! ;)