Worst: Hard to say, but I guess my energy-sucking, scary, unstable, miserable job was the worst.
Best: Quitting this job.
Another best: Working on (and at this point, almost finishing) a “how to” book on something I know quite a bit about. It’s no big deal, but I have had it in my mind to do this for years, and now I’ve finally done it. I feel really great.
Welcome to the SDMB cmichael55.
For me, the worst of the year is that I’m still unattached and I’m not doing much about it; the best is that I’ve seen and spent an extended amount of time with nephew.
Worst: Having a stroke.
Best: Waking up from a brief coma resulting from the stroke. Getting married was great, but being alive (or at least aware that I’m alive) is a much better feeling.
I have had a good year this year:
Best (1): Getting the job move that I nagged/begged/pleaded/almost quit for. This involved moving to the US to a town that I love with a job that challenges me instead of being bored out of my brains and not being utilised to my full potential.
Best (2): Finding out my best friend is pregnant with the baby that she was told she would never have naturally. I am not a “baby” person but to see her and hubby this happy is the best part. I am also going to be a godparent.
Worst: Just after I moved to the US my mam who has MS got a nasty infection and ended up in hospital on antibiotics. She is OK now but she was poorly for over a month.
Best - Two things, pretty much in a dead heat:
Early March, eight days in Jamaica, spent a lot of time lounging on the beach, visited Bob Marley’s birthplace and mausoleum, generally had the best 40th birthday that I can imagine having.
Early July, bought and moved into our new house.
Worst - Again, two things, and I’m not sure which was worse:
Cubs blowing a 3-1 lead in the NLCS. Dammit.
Getting an angiogram when I went to the ER with chest pains in August. Turns out my heart was OK (whew!), but getting a big needle stuck in your groin is not a good time, and I was sore as hell for weeks after.
My best: Recieving word that my nine year old son was not only accepted to a private school, but was offered a very generous scholarship for his tuition. (We live in the city, can’t afford to move out, and the city schools are horrible! He was a victim of bullying on several occasions and was beginning to hate school.) His attitude towards school had done complete change about since he began the new school.
Best (Second place): I began a new relationship (after 20 years of divorce). it’s shakey in parts, especially since he’s 12 years younger than I am, and I haven’t cared enough to be in a relationship for so long, but it’s coming along, and I’m crazy about him.
Worst: Still stuck in a job that I find incredibly boring and unchallenging (however, it does pay the bills).
Worst: pneumonia, or taking my Dad to the ER for a heart problem.
Best: Finding out how well people think of me at work/ father’s near-miraclous recovery.
Worst: Tried to hang myself in March. Things just seemed too hard to deal with. My wife caught me though and disaster was averted. Decided to quit my job and try something else.
Best: Returned to school at age 40 this fall. Studying civil engineering. It seems 6 years of operating heavy equipment and 7 years of praticing quality control may actually combine into something bigger.
Best : Moving out of my parents house and going to university.
Worst : My Grandad dieing a few weeks ago. Oh, and there was a week in July-ish which wasn’t particulaly fun either. But I won’t go into that.
Oh, damn! I’ve changed my mind.
Best - In April I finally agreed to date a guy friend of mine. Best decision I made in a long time. (But then I haven’t made too many of those these last few years.)
Worst: Coming across a car wreck on a desolate gravel road that involved 5 of our friends.
Worst: A couple weeks of utter depression I faced as a result of troubles with my now ex-boyfriend.
Best: Realizing that I’m so much stronger than I ever thought, and knowing that I deserve better. Also, finding someone that likes me for who I am, and that I get along with better than I ever could have hoped for.
Best: My best friend. She’s always been my best friend but I think we’ve gotten a hell of a lot closer over the course of the year. I love you! Even though you don’t read this message board, you know I do because I tell you all the damn time!
Best: 4th of July. Probably the funnest night of my life. Drunken antics abound, complete with horribly embarassing pictures!
Best: All the new friends I’ve made this year. Afore-mentioned ex-boyfriend and I weren’t meant to be together forever, but we were meant to find each other. I became much more social and un-shy as a direct result of him. Thank you for the good things, even though they came at a price. If I could go back in time I’d not change a thing.
Great thread, yawndave! Being able to talk about myself, and read about others’ good (and not so good) experiences makes me thankful for the excellent year I’ve had.