Not to discount the others, but I think this is a big charachter builder. When all that’s left of something is a memory it suddenly becomes different
What do I know though.
The first half of the year was o.k. I went to visit my sister in New Mexico for a couple of days.
In May I needed surgery.
End of June my 38-year-old nephew died suddenly (of natural causes, but we still don’t know the exact cause). He was the only son of my only sister.
In July I lost my job.
At the end of August my daughter was hospitalized for over a week. We spent September moving her belonging from her NYC apartment to our NJ home, to keep her safer.
In November my husband had a stent put in one of his coronary arteries.
In December, my sister’s husband’s father died. [tough year for my BIL.]
I still don’t have a job.
This is the year that, in no particular order, I:[ul][li]ended a 6-year dry spell (thank GOD :D)[/li][li]vowed to never again take two graduate classes at the same time (though I know that I will eventually)[/li][li]became both a Club President and an Area Governor with Toastmasters[/li][li]turned 34[/li][li]started playing poker[/li][li]finally visited my grandpa (it had been several years)[/li][li]met Dopers IRL for the first time, and started corresponding with a few folks[/li][li]established one or two friendships at the office that might just turn into “real” friendships[/li][li]got a DVD burner and an iPod[/li][li]learned that I don’t like my community center’s version of t’ai chi[/li][li]realized that I really don’t ever want to talk to the woman who was my best friend for 16 years but who I haven’t spoken to since 2001 (she extended an olive branch of sorts a few months ago, out of the blue; made me kind of sad to realize that even after all this time I have no interest in knowing her again, but at the same time I felt good about it)[/li][li]finally found a hairstylist that I like[/li][li]spent my last Thanksgiving and Christmas in this house[/li][li]decided to get off my ass and join the gym that I pass every day on the way to/from work (very recent decision; so recent that I haven’t joined yet, but as soon as I feel better enough to go back to work I’ll go there and brave the sales pitch)[/li][li]got my very first manicure, followed a month later by my very first pedicure[/li][/ul]
All in all not a bad year, but I’ll be glad to see the back of it for my supervisor’s sake. Her horrible year started on New Year’s Eve and the last thing happened at the start of this month, so it’s really been the entire year for her: two of the three cars she and her husband have were hit (one was totaled), her husband was hospitalized with food poisoning, her father-in-law was hospitalized with complications related to diabetes, both her brother and her sister had operations, her brother’s best friend was killed in an accident, her cat died, she had an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured and nearly killed her (and she and her husband were trying to get pregnant), her dog died, and she was diagnosed with a spinal problem that may require surgery. 
So while it was a good-ish year for me, I can’t help but associate this year with all of the crap she’s had to go through and I’m hoping that 2006 will be much better for her and her husband – and for everyone else who will be happy to see the end of 2005!
It’s possible, but it feels so damn weird. I thought that celebrating Christmas at my parents’ new place would drive it home, but nuh-uh. I still believe they’re living in their old house. I still believe this new place they have is just temporary. I still believe we’re going to have plenty of family gatherings at the old house, that I’ll go out there on weekends, that I have every reason in the world to go to the village where I grew up and just walk around.
…I finally did something serious about my weight
…I fixed up the downstairs apartment so I could rent it out (you’ll be hearing tenant stories during '06, I wager)
…my brother’s life was forever altered when my sister-in-law suddenly and unexpectedly left us to guide pets over the Rainbow Bridge
Holy moly, The Loaded Dog and Shagnasty… I’ll join you guys in flipping off 2005 on 31/12. Let’s hope 2006 will be better for both of you.
2005… well, nothing too eventful, which I guess is a good thing.
[ul][li]Still happily married to a fantastic woman. I still wonder why in the hell she ever said “Yes”. But she did. :)[/li][li]Got a fantastic new car. Well, new to us, but really snazzy. A complete gas guzzeler though, which is a brilliant idea with current gas prices hovering around the US$6 per gallon mark around here. 
Also, it’s Italian, so all sorts of lights pop on on the dashboard for no effin’ reason. Since it’s so gorgeous, you forgive it its flaws. [/li][li]My job was expanded to include “management”. Having never managed people before, it’s been quite the nighmare. I don’t think I’m particularly bad at it (nor extremely good, for that matter), but the group I’m managing is quite hopelessly stuck in a 30 year rut of no promotions, no motivation, no commitment to the company. Obviously, I can’t fix that in a year. I’m waiting for my raise and my bonus, and then I’ll be on the lookout for another gig. [/li][li]My wife’s legal hassle stemming from an auto accident (in which she was not at fault) nearly two years ago seems to finally be drawing to a close. Thank goodness. It’s caused her, and by extention me, quite a lot of stress over the past year and a half. [/li][*]Pretty much all of my friends got a baby this year, or knocked their wives up. Seems like we’re the only childless couple in our social circle, almost. But we like it that way. We’ve got two cats, and they’re demanding enough already. :D[/ul]That’s it, really. All in all a pretty good year.
Wasn’t there a similar thread asking what people did for the first time this year? Oh well I’ll do it here… For the first time I…
Told a girl I love her.
Got rejected by a girl.
Aquired a true female friend.
Lost several stone in weight (never lost weight before in my life)
Here’s my 2005 recap, in roughly cronological order:
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My FIL had bariatric surgery in January and has lost more than 100 pounds since then.
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I joined a yoga studio in February. It has completely changed the way I feel about myself and the way I approach most situations. (In a good way.)
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We went to Egypt in April–Cairo and Luxor. It was a fabulous trip that has left me hopelessly addicted to travel. It was my first time out of the country.
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Two days after we got back from Egypt, our cat Roger died of congestive heart failure. We didn’t know he had a heart condition.
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We adopted two new kitties in June–one more than we intended to get but we couldn’t resist. Hazel and India are a pair of charmers who have made even our old grouchy cat put up with them.
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I turned 35 in August. I was told repeatedly that I look much younger–yay!
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Mr. m and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary in September.
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My last grandparent (my mom’s dad) died in October. He was 89.
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In November I found out that my employer is merging with another company. I need to look for a new job unless I want to move to Michigan or Alabama (I don’t). I’ve had two job interviews so far, and I’m determined to finally get a job that doesn’t make me feel like I’m whoring.
-
Mr. m and I celebrated our 15th year together in December. We spent it in Chicago, freezing our butts off and having a great time.
in no particular order:
-my oldest child started high school, and my youngest is no longer in elementary school
-I went from contract to permanent employee, so I now have bennies and vacation for the first time in 2 years.
-My mother was diagnosed with cancer. Again. And has had it successfully treated. Again. (she’s tough).
-Took our first family vacation in about 4 years to New Mexico. It was fantastic.
-Completed a very large telecom project I had been working on for 2 years.
-Got lots of opportunities to learn new work related stuff.
-Got to attend our annual fall get together with my old friends from High school.
In no particular order:
- I had a gastric bypass, and lost 93 lbs so far
- I lost the best dog I had to cancer and severe old age
- I got a new dog after doing without for most of the year
- The dream part of my dream job fizzled, and I went looking for a new gig (found it, too)
- My paternal grandmother, who was my last living ancestor, died
- I finally got my 2nd Bachelor’s degree
- I got into physical fitness as a way of life
Overall, I consider the year 2005 to be a good one, but it had it’s moments
2005:
I took the helm of a burning ship headed for rocks, put out the fire, turned it around, and made it profitable within 8 months.
I made about 200 aquaintences and probably 5 new friends.
Was published, interviewed and consulted by 5 magazines and newspapers.
Fell in love with swimming. I try to go everyday now, which means 5 times a week on average. Have bulked up the muscle, but haven’t lost the weight, yet.
Have mostly come to terms with a horrible betrayal and deception by someone once closer to me than my family. Glad yer gone, glad I won.
Am still dealing with some legal aspects of said betrayal, but those should be over soon.
Last point of said betrayal: They went belly-up in April due to said betrayer’s honesty, fortitude, ethical guidance and management ability.
Have helped many people improve their lives. Education is a warm-fuzzy career, ne?
Took the first vacation in 4 years in September. It took 4 days to relax, but the last 3 were blissful. Looking forward to another vacation in 3 weeks!
Kidcat is still smiling, so we must be doing something right as parents.
Wifecat is 4 days late… 
-Tcat
This is the year that:
-I’d like to just forget ever happened
-Will make all subsequent years seem great by comparison
I made the dean’s list for the first time this year.
First car wreck. (not my fault.)
Started working a “real job.” I make half as much, hover well below the poverty line for a job that I should be making about $38,000 a year.
Lost all my benefits.
No tickets/harassment/false arrests this year from police. They finally have the sleeze kicked out of the police department.
Joined SDMB.
Seriously put the hurt on a dude that was trying to rape a chick outside a bar. I hear that they feed him with a spoon now.
I got drunk. Probably too much. But I don’t care.
I am pretty ho-hum about existance really, 2005 doesn’t really matter to me one way or the other.
Very little happenned to me this year; a number of things which might have happenned didn’t.
2005:
The year that my marriage entered its death throes
My daughter was diagnosed with OCD
I decided to go back to school (take the GRE in Jan '06)
I figured out that I have come this far and maybe, just maybe, the rug won’t be pulled out from under me tomorrow.
I realized that my husband will not change, indeed, sees no reason to change.
and many other fairly minor things.
Reading this thread-I find myself amazed at the human spirit. There is so much pain and loss in the world, but we persevere.
Only because, unlike Tolkien’s elves, we can’t will ourselves to die.
This year:
-after 16 years of denial, and after discovering there are ways to get dramatic weight loss without surgery, I decided to do something about my weight. Lost 125 pounds so far, 40 to go.
-my job has gone from rock solid to leaf shaky. I’m on my 3rd boss for the year, and the team of 6 that I used to manage has been reduced, at the moment, to 1 clerk, although I expect it to go back up to 2 people some time in January. None of it was a reflection on my management skills, just things that are outside my control.
-my uncle decided that he has had it with the nausea and feeling terrible that he is getting from dialysis, so he is going to stop doing it and, probably, slip into death after some number of days. I’m especially sorry for my aunt who has to watch him go through this.
On the job front I am dreading this year. Otherwise, I am looking forward to real food again.
Bwah!
too true, my friend, too true.
I believe that there are some peoples - Kalahari bushmen and Australian Aborigines come to mind - who can, but I’m not sure.
That’s because it is living that requires an effort of will, not dying.