// So Long 2005...

As we enter the dying hours of the year 2005, I look back at it with a cringe, as it was a year like no other. After following one of my better years of 2004, the year 2005 brought more bad then good sometimes. There were problems springing up for the entire family and it was incredibly hard some days to make it through the hours. Like I said though, this year did bring some joy and some historic events in the life of me, and I would like to re-cap 2005 before we enter the new year, which I feel, is full of potential.

NHL Lockout
I rang in the new year of 2005 with no hockey, which ultimily really sucked! There was a time when I thought that they were going to hammer out a deal, and save the season, but it was cancelled... the worst possible thing to happen in a proffesional sports league. Eventually, it was the Players who cracked, and management won the battle. Hockey was brough back in July of 2005, after many many long months. It was stupid, it was pointless, and we lost a year of hockey. 2005 also showed us the rejuvination of hockey as well, as a new season started back up in October, and we've enjoyed every minute of it.

Cars
2005 saw me go through three cars! We had Speedy Reidy, which was an instant classic with everyone. A 1982 Honda Civic and how it stayed alive through all those years was amazing! I loved every moment with Speedy, but eventually, he could not survive any longer, and he died in July, right after returning home from a weekend on Galiano. I lived him to the fullest, and I did everything I ever wanted to do with him. Stacy came along in July to bail me out of car troubles almost immidiatly. It wasn't the best car ever, but it got me from point A to point B. It was a 1989 Chrysler Acclaims. It was eventualy replaced in late August, early September with FJ. Stacy was sold in October for $700, which turned into a huge controversy, which I'll get too... FJ (Fred Junior) was given to me by my Dad, and my brother, when he bought his new truck. Fred still hadn't finished paying off my dad for the car, so he gave it to me! FJ is still with me as we speak, and will ring in the new year with me! He has been absolutly perfect so far and I've loved every moment with the 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier. I can only hope that many new adventures will happen with FJ.

Work
I was hired my White Spot Triple O's in mid March, starting training in late March, and being put into work with everybody else at the begining of April. The White Spot Triple O's was located at a Chevron in Richmond, on No5 Road and Bridgeport. Training was pretty neat, and it was definitly an interesting experiance, and I got a really awesome looking hat! I became pretty popular with most of the staff, and I do miss working with them. I quit the job in mid July because I finally found a new full time job. I quit because I asked for more hourse, and I didn't get any, and I needed some serious money. Pro Works Painting was my first ever full time job, and payed a lot better then White Spot, and gave me a lot more hours. It was nice to work outside as well, but it was so incredibly hot sometimes! Some of the guys I worked with were incredibly funny, and for my birthday, they bought me a Star Wars backpack. I worked all around the lower mainland, in places like White Rock, Burnaby, Richmond, Vancouver, Surrey, and I'm probably missing one in there. Nevertheless, another good experiance in life. I entered my fourth year of being a hawker at Nat Bailey Stadium and I do believe this was my best year since my rookie year way back in 2002. We had a great core group, and Nick was are boss again. We were in a different spot, and Fred wasn't constantly breathing down are backs this year. It was a great year, and it was incredibly fun, yet extremly hard since I was working full time painting, and I would sometimes come home, just to go back to work. Nevertheless, I competed my fourth year hawking at the Nat.

Music
This was the year I became incredibly obbsessed with U2 and the Barenaked Ladies. I had the pirvaledge of buying to tickets to U2's Friday concert from a scalper. I payed something like $70 over face value for each ticket, but it was worth every penny! The concert was great and I honestly don't think anything could never compare to that. It was just so incredible to see them live and they just do a great concert. Matt Glynn enjoyed himself as well, since it was the first time he saw them live as well. December let me see the Barenaked Ladies for free as I won tickets to a private accoustic concert! I took Sam, and as I recently posted about it, it was as well a great experiance. I got to meet some of the band members and I was really incredibly happy.

School
High School is complete! Wow... it never really hit me that I graduated in June of 2005, and it seems really weird that I'm not going back. Yet, I know I'm not going back because it has already been four months into a school year. It is incredibly weird though, and I never thought the time would come. It was hard for me to adapt to the change, but nevertheless, it was something that had to be done. Mainstage was something in High School I will never forget, and we truly were a happy bunch of people. We had such a passion for what we were doing, and we put on some great shows. I enjoyed 42nd street a lot more then Bye Bye Birdie, and I had a major role in 42nd Street! It was truly amazing as a I became a local celebrity for about 4 weeks. I ended 2 fullfiling years in Mainstage just after May. I had a frantic couple of weeks in the summer while I attempted to apply for the Railway Conductor Program at BCIT. After trying to get over some obstacles, and doing a pre-test in math, where I somehow passed, I finally got in! Only to be told that somebody else was ahead of you on the waiting list and that your not in! After being incredibly disapointed, the administrator called me the next day to say a spot had opened, and I took it. Looking back at are first semester, I don't think you could have put together a better class. We are all very close with each other now and we really enjoy each others time. We have done many things together now, like going to Squamish, and working on the railroad, the usual. We all have really loved each others company though and I don't think I'll ever forget this class. We have already had some job interviews for CP Rail so we find out next week if we get the job.

Family
One of the biggest problems that had happened in 2005 was with my Step Mom as she had an affair and split up with my Dad, taking lots of money from the family, and a couple things from the house. I truly found the situation hard to deal with and it was hard for Sarah as well. I could only imagine what my poor Dad was thinking. The one thing that bugs me still is that they are still friends. That is one thing that I can't figure out, and it disapoints me. She moved out in June, and finally took her stuff out months later. It was incredibly weird. Sarah moved back into the house in November and it was weird to have her back as well, since I was so used to just having Dad and me around. Fred cheated death as he came out to visit Granny Lenos in the hospital, and on his way back, got into a major car accident. Somebody cut him off, and he lost control crashing into a ditch, fliping his brand new truck, and completly destroying it. He somehow walked out of the crash with no injuries. Fred then got transfered about a week later and moved in late November. He had no choice but to live in the laundry room, adn we then had a jam packed house.

Friends and What Not
I came into 2005 with many friends I loved and trusted, and that original crew had been dramtically ultered, as no longer talk regularly to them anymore or something just came up. Now I have a completly different lists of friends who I do belive will stick with me through times to come, but it's sad to see how things changed so much. I thought I had found my first Girlfriend in the summer, only to be heavily disapointed. It took me a while to get over it, but I did. I actually did have my first Girlfriend in November for about four weeks, but it then ended. I think I broke her heart, and I feel so bad that I can move on so well, but she can't. The Soap Opera! I love it! Never ends! Same leading cast as Dyllan and I tangled up with each other all through the summer, into the fall, and it just never quit. Him and Kasi got together, which really I had no problem with, it was just hard to deal with before. Unlike some couples, you can usually tell if there going to hook up, but that came right out of the blue, and I was a litte shell stuck. I think that transfered over to their minds as negativity and they came up with their own assumptions about me being 'jealous' and what not. I only had one complaint back in the summer when there was like 4 different girls in the picture, but whatever. They seem to be a great couple now, and I have nothing against it. $700 was stollen from my very own room, from one of my friends. The ass was never was cought, and it completly ruined any hope of rekindling a friendship with Dyllan, as when the cops called, he was a little mad. Anywho, life moves on...

Youth
Youth went down hill for me all of 2005 at RPC. The continuing drama's that came up were just starting to really become stupid, and I had really drifted away from God, only to rekindle the fire for him in the late fall, and at the merge. I finally left RPC to go help out at Tenth Ave, Jade's church. It had really been an awesome place and they have accepted me in, and I love the youth we have, and they love me! I was speaking one Sunday night in December at RPC which was really cool. A little weird to be a "special guest' but nevertheless, I think I should speak a little more often. I have made a couple appreances in December on Friday nights, including last night's allnighter, and I must say, I have thouroughly enjoyed myself! The group seems to have turned right around for me, and to come into the group as the person I am now, another leader from another group, its nice to see how there progressing, in some ways. Congrats to Andy and Annick as she is 4 months pregnant, and they are doing an awesome job leading this group.

18
Turning 17 was allright, however, it was a crappy year. Everything seem to start right after I turned 17, and it wasn't all good. However, my 18th birthday party was incredible! It was a load of fun, and I got 2 birthday cakes! It was so nice to have a great birthday for once and so far, 18 has been a lot better then 17.

The Empress: 2816
That was an amazing trip! My dad and I bussed up to Kamloops in the afternoon of July 1st, where we stayed at the same hotel as we usually do at Historymaker, and it was a little weird not to see all the youth. The trip the next day was incredibly fun, and took almost the entire day. It was something I'll never forget.

State Of Mind
In the summer I became incredibly depressed... probably the worst I had ever been in my life. I was just not dealing well with everything, especially since my Dad just devorced, friends turning on me, and I just lost it. I made it out alive though, and it was hard to do.

Walk On
2006... it's going to be an interesting year. It will be a year where I finish up at BCIT, and will start work on the Railway. What happens between then is unclear, but I know that this is going to be a great year, I can feel it. So let me say goodbye to 2005! You sucked, but I kicked your ass!

Thank you all, and to all a goodnight.