I turned a disastrous coffee table project into a beautiful end table.
I laughed at a crying kid at Costco.
2015 has been very kind to me (after a string of not-so-kind years). My crowning moment of awesome was getting married. I never thought I’d be the kind, but eventually I realized that I couldn’t see myself getting old with anybody else but my wife; so we tied the knot this year in May. We made our wedding rings ourselves (under supervision of a goldsmith), each made the other’s, and it might be a bit cliche, but wearing this product of her work on my finger is a constant source of happiness for me.
Also, my diploma thesis won publication in book form, and it came out this year. There’s like a dozen people in the world for whom the content might be interesting, and those mostly know it already, but still, having a book with my name on the spine on my bookshelf has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. Thus, I got to make good on a promise I made to my mother, who’s since passed away—that I would dedicate my first book to her. Getting to actually do that made me happier than the book’s publication itself.
You and me both.
I find myself in a serious committed relationship for the first time in over a decade.
I could go on about how she’s way to beautiful to be with an average joe like myself, but that would be bragging now wouldn’t it?
Paid off the mortgage.
… and I am still married!
Seriously, it ain’t easy. But I find my “hangin’ around no matter how annoyed someone is at me” is working in the long run.
This thread gives me the fuzzies. I don’t have a specific moment, but in the last couple weeks/months, I feel like I’ve finally achieved “balance”. For a while, my life felt like a game of whack-a-mole - I’d address one problem and something else would come up, so on and so forth. Now everything’s just . . . going well.
Also, we got a new puppy! Well, a 4 year old rescue dog, but he’s a puppy to us. He’s had a hard life, but he’s honestly the calmest, sweetest dog I’ve ever met.
Ditto. Feels amazing, doesn’t it? We have zero debt, no credit card bills, no car payment, no mortgage, no nuthin’!
Congrats on big events both personally and professionally.
I have had my shares of ups and downs this year, but my moment of awesome is related to my kids. I still can’t believe we get along so well while they are in their teens. I have been helping my son apply to colleges - oy, so tough. But on a late night when a football game was on Thursday, he was done with his work, came and laid on the couch, and rested his head on my leg like he did when he was a little boy. My 17 year old son, with his driving, his gf, his late nights hanging out with friends - just there on the couch with me. I just sat there and got all verklempt quietly to myself.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Bayard. I’m sure your dad would’ve been proud of you as well as your mom. It’s things like that, when it’s really hard to step up in the first place, that mean so much. Not nearly of the same magnitude, but I managed to speak at my husband’s memorial service three weeks ago for about a minute without literally falling apart. I had no idea if I could do it, but it was going to be my last chance to let everyone know just how special and loved he was to me. It broke my heart, yet I’m glad I did it. I don’t know if that counts as awesome, but if he’s watching from somewhere beyond the Stargate, I hope he thinks so.
September 27. Woke up, got my coffee, sat down to read email.
Which contained an offer from an agent to represent my first novel.
Not just any agent: the second agent I had queried. An agent with multiple multi-book, Big 5 deals under her belt. An agent who specializes in female sci-fi writers. An agent other people were scrambling to get, in pitch contests.
And my first book isn’t just any book. I had already self-published it. And she doesn’t usually take on books like that … but she thinks she can sell mine anyway.
We’re still in the process of revisions (turns out she’s an editorial agent), but it might be the moment that changes my life forever. At least, it might be the moment that leads me to a Big 5 publishing contract, and that’s basically the only thing I had left on my bucket list.
So we’ll see.
Early spring, for several different reasons, I ignored my increasing worse and painful plantar fasciitis, until it got so bad I could barely walk. I was crawling up the stairs to my bedroom, and I could barely walk to the bathroom. Every day activities, like grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc. were out of the question. I finally went to the podiatrist who gave me inserts that wonked up my knees, medication that didn’t work at all, and physical therapy that helped the feet temporarily, but didn’t last. Over about three months, the inserts allowed my feet to heal (I can walk up the stairs normally–not down so much, but up is good!), but the knees were still incredibly painful. About that time I also noticed that my balance and flexibility sucked.
(The awesome moment is coming…)
After my feet healed, I switched inserts and started swimming to increase my flexibility and help with my balance. The first time I got into the pool, I could only do a weird stroke on my back (due to my shoulder that I messed up years ago that occasionally gives me fits, and my knees, which could only do one straight kick motion). The first time in the pool, I could only do four laps before everything hurt and I was sore.
(Here’s the awesome moment…) Over the past two months or so, I’ve increased my laps to 8-10 per swim, my range of motion with my knees/legs and my shoulder have significantly increased, and my balance is quite a bit better (I can put my pants on while standing, which I couldn’t do two months ago). The other day, I was actually able to do the breast stroke for one full lap, and both my shoulder and my knees cooperated! People are asking me if I’ve lost weight (I’m sure I have–my clothes are fitting differently), but since I don’t weigh myself, I don’t know about numbers.
What’s even better is that for the first time in my life, I don’t finish swimming exhausted and in pain (something I’ve experienced every single time I’ve ever exercised). I tell myself every time I go to the pool that I’ll do whatever I feel like doing–if that’s 4 laps, that’s it. If it’s 10, that’s just as good, too. I’m gradually building up the number of laps I’m doing, and it feels good when I’m finished. For me, that’s awesome.
Wow - can’t wait to hear!
I won a United Nations contract for my company this year.
Sounds like swimming is a fountain of youth. I have GOT to join the pool (I teach at a college with a huge one – it costs, but it sounds like it might cost more to not swim).
May - I finished my Respiratory Care degree.
June - Earned my CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist)
July - Earned my RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist)
August - Received my Respiratory Practitioner license.
September - Hired at a top US hospital
October - Started first Respiratory Therapy job
November - Bought car without a cosigner. 
I’m not sure but this might be more exciting than everything else.
To say it has been an exciting and eventful year would be a massive understatement.
That’s really great 
! I hope my daughters will do the same in 10 year’s time. Oh wait, make that a little over 5 year’s time for the eldest one. Time flies.
Last Spring, I was asked to teach a course at very short notice. I hadn’t taught for more than 11 years and the subject matter was way more advanced than what I’d ever done. I had a couple of hours to accept the assignment (which I did) and less than a week to have the first lessons ready. I got some great coaching from another teacher but apart from that, I was on my own.
When the course finished two months later, I got glowing reviews from the students and was asked by the Head Of Teaching Department whether I was ready to do that again. Of course I am.
Sorry, but I’ve only got kid awesome to report.
Last week, my eldest walked up an aisle, thru a door and turned left for the first time in his career. And after the flight attendants closed that door, he got to say: “This is Captain pullinSon, welcoming you to United…” while taxiing away from the gate.
He’s 26 years old. 
14 laps today! I broke my own personal record…and it’s more than twice the number I did when I first started swimming.
That is so freakin’ cool! Congratulations to PUllinSon!