What was your best moment this year?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Finishing my first official metric century bicycle ride in May. My husband is much more into cycling than I am and signed up for the full century, so I tagged along and signed up as well. I trained with him in the weeks leading up to the Wine Country Century, but on the day of check-in I didn’t feel quite ready to complete the full 100 miles, so I dropped down to the metric to do 62 miles on my hybrid. I finished the ride in just about 4.5 hours, which while not all that great, was better than I was expecting of myself.

The ride (and rising gas prices) prompted me to use my bike more frequently as a way to commute the 12.5 miles each way to and from work, and throughout the entire summer I was on it at least once a week.

In October on a whim, we signed up for another metric century, the Harvest Ride, which proved more challenging and took me a whopping 6 hours to complete, again on my hybrid. oof.

Still, it felt good to accomplish those things, and it definitely inspired me to upgrade to a real road bike and start joining my husband on more challening rides. I expect to complete my first full century ride in 2006. And who knows, maybe a double century sometime in the future. My butt is sore just thinking about it. :slight_smile:

22

I have a three way tie:

  • waking up to the news on August 30th that the levees had catastrophically breached in New Orleans during the day prior, and knowing that my family members were out of the city and safe.

  • driving into Metairie on September 5th and confirming that my mother’s house was neither a pile of rubble nor flooded.

  • welcoming my brother and his unit home from Iraq on September 10th.

23

I quit smoking.

24

Having the summit of Uluru(Ayers Rock) completely to myself for sunrise. It was also a full moon, so I got to see the moonset from up there as well.

(Yeah, I know it’s not politically correct to climb “The Rock” anymore. But that’s a different thread in a different forum…)

25

On April 18th, the wife and I welcomed my daughter Amelia into the world.

26

Overall, it’s been a pretty good year for me, but I’d put as my best moment when I got the e-mail from Realms of Fantasy saying they want to publish my story. It’s my first sale in awhile.

27

If you don’t know mine, then you haven’t read this thread:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=6941677#post6941677

28

Hmmm…a couple of months ago while on vacation. Walking into the Mezquita in Cordoba. Overall I liked the Alhambra best of the places I visited. But the Mezquita had an incredible gravitas in those first moments in particular.

  • Tamerlane
29

I took third in a bicycle race, but I also felt that with slightly better tactics and more experience I could have taken first. Incredible sense of accomplishment that lasted for two weeks.

http://img476.imageshack.us/img476/7992/p91200480kq.jpg

30

I have a soon to be 11 year old preemie, WhyNot. She was two pounds at birth and has no problems today. And she still has that vigor that seemed to be present from day one. It’s a vitality that you don’t see in most people and I like to think it’s because of what she went through.

Good luck!

31

Good Sunspace moments this year:

Fall:

Breaking from the counseling group I’ve been in for the past five years.

In this group I learned to empathise with and perceive others, to see past the images I may have of them and see what they are really doing. I also learned to stand on my own two feet and argue with people and trust that it won’t be the end of the world, even though it feels like it… and that, even if it is the end of the world for something, I will survive. I learned to speak with my own voice rather than saying what I think will please others.

Now for the first time in my life, I feel that I can meet other people on an equal-to-equal basis. I expect this to have great good effects on, among other things, my upcoming job search and romantic prospects.

So, when the time came to move on, either to the next counseling group or outwards into the world, I stood up and said what I had to say, risking displeasure and pain. I am now moving outward into the world.

**November 11: **

Paying off my debt. I can now save for that trip to Europe. Among other things.

A few weeks ago:

Going to see my job-search counselor and coming to an agreement to design buisiness cards for him… and him giving me money. I felt more excited about receiving that money than I have about receiving any money for a long, long time.

**Christmas: **

Giving Wade his first Real Sketchbook.

Wade is my friends’ son; he’s eight and loves to draw. I’ve been drawing with him and showing him books about comics and people-drawing and stuff. When he opened the present to see the sketchbook, he jumped up in the air, holding the boook over his head, and shouted, “Yes!” :cool:

Yesterday:

Realising that my mental state was more than half the time in an energetic, powerful, forward-looking state than in the weaker, reactive, fearful state in which I have spent so much of my life. Attaining this state of inner strength has been a major goal of my counseling across all these years.

Today:

Making the arangements to go back to the gym. :slight_smile:

32

Laying on the deck of a sailboat at 3 a.m. watching the stars during an overnight race with two of my best friends for the last 30 years. It was during the July full moon on Flathead Lake in Montana.

Sailing the boat around islands as the sun rose and everyone else was asleep was pretty good too.

whistlepig

33

Increasing my riding skills (motorcycle) by an order of magnitude this summer. I shaved entire seconds off of my laptimes at Mid-Ohio, dragging knee and riding smoother than I ever have. I was totally in “the zone”.

34

Worst - finding out my co-worker had shared my blog with HR.

**Best ** - getting a new job

35

Back in May I decided that, although I had more or less shunned visual arts since I was in junior high, I would give painting a whirl. That was a pretty good day. Ever since, there have been highs and lows, but mostly highs.

On July 4 my girlfriend’s mother died. That was probably the worst day. A couple of weeks later, I presented my girlfriend with a portrait of her mother. She loved it. That was nice.

November 23rd I sold my first painting for $100. That was probably the best day.

36

I completely forgot one.

My Wife and I were at a going away party for some friends. They are elementary school teachers. Lots of people, lots of kids. Lots of beer and a live band too.

It was at a town park by a rushing river.

Some of the parents had small inflatable boats and kayaks. They, and many kids flocked to the river to play. The one part of the river they where playing in had a small island. Between the island and the shore the water was fairly calm. On the other side of the island and down stream the water was rushing.

This was mountain runoff. Cold and fast. I did not think that this was a very good idea for the little ones, but I was not going to tell a parent what to do with their kid. I’m not a parent myself, but it looked like an accident waiting to happen.

I walked about 100 yards downstream to keep an eye on things. At this point of the river, it was about 4 feet deep and way, way to fast to stand in.

Sure enough, 4 young girls tried to start walking down the river; it was about up to their knees at that point. And they could barely keep their footing. Pretty soon, I knew it was going to get deeper and there would be no way for them to stand. If they where not good swimmers, they would be in trouble.

I yelled at them (in my best dad like voice) to get out and not come any further. In the process of getting their attention, I got too close to the bank. The river was just over its banks and the grass was very slick. I fell in. I managed to grab a willow branch and not be swept away.

That scared the kids enough to get them out. In the process of getting out myself, I slipped and took on the chin. I hit so hard, my teeth hurt for days, I can now crack my neck just like someone cracks their knuckles, I’m lucky I didn’t loose some of my tongue. I now know what it means to see stars.

Anyway, I may have averted a tragedy that day. Maybe not. I’ll never know.

37

Not a moment, but my trip to Iceland was probably the year’s highlight.

38

“overhearing” on AIM friend A saying to friend B: “NinjaChick should hang out with us more. She’s cool and I really like her.”

Was a major thing for someone who’s been battling with depression and social anxiet their whole lives.

39

This has been one undeniably shitty year for me, what with the back surgery (and other various procedures involving very large needles being stuck way to close to my spine), leaving my job of 4 years for a supposedly better one, getting laid off from the supposedly better job, and realizing that as much as I love my fiancee - I am unhappy with my life and making him miserable so I should probably end it before I totally alienate him.

But, one thing makes it all seem so much better. Less than two weeks after getting laid off, I finally got the call I’ve been waiting 3 years for. I have been trying to get a job with Home Depot. For some reason, they never responded to my application or my phone calls. I wanted to be a flooring specialist or a kitchen designer. So, anyway - one morning around 7:00, I get a call from one of the stores near my house. The HR lady asked me if I was interested in coming in for an interview. I told her that I could only do full time and she said that was fine - they had a number of positions open. I didn’t get really excited because I knew she’d probably offer me a job as a floor associate and I just can’t afford that kind of a pay reduction from my prior job. I go anyway. The interview goes really well. She offers me a job - as a Flooring Specialist!!! Then, the best part. After reviewing my sales experience - she offers me the same pay I was making at my last job!!!
Of course I took the job. I am overjoyed with my job. I consider everyone in my department to be my friends. They are a truly wonderful bunch of people. I have so much fun with them. My two department heads are awesome. I’ve even loosened up a bit with my normal wall-flowerness. I’ve been hanging out with some of them after work. I look forward to going to work and enjoy the time I am there. I don’t even need my mom to call me in the morning to make sure I’m up because I usually get up before my alarm now.

Today, I closed my biggest sale so far - a $6900 flooring installation. Because of 6 weeks of hard work with this one couple, my sale was major in helping my department to lead the store in sales for the day. Even better, I totally enjoyed this couple and they liked me too. As they were leaving today, they told me (in front of one of my DH’s) that they truly enjoyed working with me and their only regret is that they wont be working with me any more - now that their purchase is complete. I love it when people compliment me in front of the right people - not that my boss isn’t happy with my performance anyway.

Of course, it’s not all rosy. Today, I dropped a very heavy box of slate tile - right on my collarbone. Ouch. I am in so much pain right now. And, I was so excited to see my favorite customers that I totally forgot to fill out an accident report. Oops.

40

Good/sad moment - watching my older son move out. He’s got a good job and he’s fine, which makes it a good thing.

Best personal achievement moments - (they’re kind of all part of one) - having my boss finally decide that I was ready to not only assist but actually do off-site presentations. It’s so much fun! My work partner Crystal and I pack up about twenty-five animals and give a one-hour presentation on 'em. She drives and assists, I do the talking. We go to schools, daycares, Seniors homes, birthday parties etc. Probably the best moment was when our secretary showed us an email from a mom who just gushed about “how much she enjoyed the ladies from the zoo!” :smiley:

Best strictly fun, “Kill me now, it will never be better than this!” moments - Oct 19 and 28, Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver and Prospera Centre, Chilliwack, respectively.

To get this, you really have to have been a fan. The sort of fan that follows their band, performer or team from early adolesence (14) through middle age (45), with total, unwavering adoration. Hmmm, sounds familliar… :wink:

I hadn’t been to an Alice Cooper concert since '79, through a combination of bad timing, no money and lack of opportunity. So, when I hit the Orpheum, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven! I did stage rush some, but I really only got right up there at the very end. Had a helluva good time! Finally meeting my best AC board buddy and having her stay at my place was about as bonus as you could want too. Ahhh, but there was still Chilliwack…

I hit the rails as soon as the opener, Wednesday13, left the stage. Stayed plastered to the fence for the whole show. Oh, my, what a show!

Now, I have sometimes been accused of showing off. I know, I know, surprising, right? :dubious:

Anyway, I know every move 'ol Alice makes, courtesy of videotape and DVD. I also know every word to every song. Seriously. So, there I am, just flinging inhibitions everywhere and making a complete, joyously abandoned, singing, dancing, acting-out-songs ass of myself. :smiley:

And Alice sees this.

And, apparently, gets a big kick out of it. :eek:

Can you say eye contact? Huge amounts of eye contact? I guess watching me was more fun that singing because every time he came over to my side of the stage, I got all the attention I could have wanted in my wildest dreams! (And “Nightmares” :wink: )

(Sigh)