Be Excellent To Each Other

as title.

My best would be watching my little boy growing up, learning to crawl, standing up and saying dada for the first time.

My worst, without question, is my car accident which is well documented here http://www.beexcellenttoeachother.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7718


What about you guys and gals?

Oof. Pretty easy for me, 2011 has had both the best and worst moments of my whole life so far. Worst was back in May finding out on his due date that our unborn baby had died, then spending two days in hospital as my wife gave birth to him.

Best was our wedding in October. Yeah, not a year I'll ever forget.

Easy low for me - Easter. I booked those three days off that gave me eleven off in total. For most people, this would have been a nice chance for a break, but for me it led to one of my heaviest gambling sessions ever. It's all a bit of a blur now and I can't remember what I spent (£5k? £10k?) but safe to say that I wasn't in the best frame of mind during that whole period.

However, that's also when I decided to try and do something about it again, so set up a blog, posting stuff daily at first and keeping a running total of my days without gambling. As the days passed, I was thinking about it less and less so started posting less frequently, but being sure to post something regularly, to keep it going. So, passing the six month mark is the high point for me. Not a major high in someone's year, but I'll take it. Plus it's made this Christmas easier - I'm normally climbing the walls having this much time off, but I'm coping a lot better and finding better things to do with my time (INSERT DARK SOULS AD HERE).

Christ mark, I had no idea about your bad news, I'm really sorry to hear that man. I hope you guys are both doing better now

Best: Ran another marathon, yeeeeah!

Worst: Got inexplicably dumped by a particularly hot girl I'd been seeing for a couple of weeks. No big deal but she went from being totally into me to 'it's not you it's me' bollocks, which was just illogical. Women.

Also found out my heart probably won't be popping out of existance any time soon, so yay!

markg, that is absolutely heartbreaking - sorry doesnt begin to cover it


mrHobbs, thats pretty much the wording for mine, except girl in stead of boy
Katie is 1year9months now so we've had a wonderful year with her
Apart from that we had illness, death in the family, a fall where I severely hurt my leg and back, a mass shooting in our shopping mall, trouble with work and as a dessert a horrible car crash which we all survived (hurrah) and katie without a scratch (hurrah!!) but my leg is still ludicrous size after 2,5 months (booh)

Best: Having a job for 5 months
Worst: being at a party in Otley and having to tell people I didn't have a job. My friend said "It's not a bother to me, but you could try telling people you're a struggling musician who does wedding gigs." which is why, ten years ago, I was the only Englishman at his wedding in Iowa.

Is it really so embarrassing? I've had to tell people this for about 9 months now, and while the unemployment has been disappointing and frustrating in itself, I couldn't give a fuck about other people's reactions to it. In fact, a particularly shitty reaction would be a pretty strong indication that you're dealing with a twat who is unworthy of your attention, no?

Best: the whole week of may 14th.. sunny outside, just had been finally promoted to a job i always wanted, had a great birthday party with my fuss ball tournament, then ajax becoming a champion, and dining with beautiful lithuanians..

and ofcourse ll the smiles my daughter has given me and the train tracks i build with my son

worst.. well i guess you know that story already.. 2012.. will be a year of new beginnings..

@markg.. that sounds heavy, easp the still having to give birth, hugs!
@maliA, did they like the music you made in iowa though?

Amongst friends, and I include BeeX in this, I don't mind so much talking about it. Nor the piss taking over it, as it is occasionally quite funny (I do have to apologise, once more, to Flis and Chinny for biting at them in the past over this).I'm more sensitive to the social stigma attached to it, as I work hard at trying to not be in that situation, and feel the need to justify it more than "I'm looking". I'vi hot box files at home, documenting my endeavours, and everything. It's for the most part, really dull and I feel guilt for playing XBox or watching TV and things. Playing my guitar is constructive, and I'm trying to learn spanish so that's good, but the day to day is, at best, lonely.

Oh aye, I have many of the same problems, and can get pretty down when I'm not learning or doing something creative, but I quite strongly resent the social stigma attached to unemployment, and have real contempt for people who perpetuate it (and aren't joking). I know what seems more undignified to me!

That, too. I try and take something positive from each day. It's for the better.

Sorry to hear everyone's bad experiences this year. They've certainly put mine into perspective, so I'm just going to stick to the good stuff, in no particular order.

- Spending an ace weekend with a group of early 19th Century re-enactors. In ACW kit, with a Sharps carbine that I could load and fire way faster than their flintlocks. When I farb out, I do it in style.

-BeeX-B-Que and the Cottage. Loved every second, even when I was about to die laughing during that game of Mafia.

- My holiday. Go to Yellowstone! It's quite possibly the most mind-blowing place I've ever been. Definitely the highlight of the year. And seeing a grizzly at close(ish) range is an experience I'm never going to forgot. I won't be forgetting digging trenches at half two in the morning during a thunderstorm atGettysburg, either....

- I think I got to a Music quiz earlier in the year. That was fun (what I can remember of it). Will try to get to more next year!

- Meeting Pete at a re-enactment was pretty cool too.

Probably more to come when I think of them!

Best: going to Barcelona.
Worst: the other 51 weeks.

Couldn't agree more.

Best:

Coming home from Dublin. Having moved there for career reasons, it paid off big style. Mrs P made a hell of a sacrifice to help make it work.

The Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup. Might sound daft, but I follow them as much, if not more than any other team. They got me into hockey just over twenty years ago, and sharing the sheer joy with some Bruins people I've known throughout all that time made it amazing.

Being in Dublin for the Dubs winning the All Ireland for the first time in 16 years. Place went mental.

The sheer joy of playing Portal 2. Three or so days of pure, unadulterated delight.

David McWilliams "Outsiders". (Technically late 2010, but that up to the General Election was fascinating to be in the country.)

Terrorvision, playing live in Manchester, with a whole new album.

And my holiday, which starts tomorrow. Pics to follow.


Worst

Suddenly losing my gig at AGS, thanks to a combination of Obama, the Queen and UEFA.

Missing Ireland much more than we thought we would.

After following them for a couple of years, missing Shamrock Rovers winning their first title in 20 years and their Europa Cup campaign. Oh, what would I have given to have been in the stands giving the pelters to Twitchy McBung and the rest of the Spurs team.

Working in Liverpool for a great company, a good bunch of people, on a project that doesn't use my skills and requires me to get home 13 hours after leaving it every day.

Not managing to get half of the things done I wanted to, because of the above.

Jan - Lost job to cuts

Feb - Dead Dad

Mar - Start job, which is immediately lost to cuts

April - Um...

May - Start job, which due to cuts is not the job it was supposed to be. Forest lose in playoff semi finals. Again.

June - Forest sack Billy Davies, precipitating the complete destruction of the entire football club. Steve McClaren is appointed as his successor.

July - Mate gets the cancers.

August - Attend festival - Awesome. Meet Lord Rixondale and find myself too busy groping girls outside the pub to regale him with tales of mid-Nineties Britrock groups. Also awesome. Leave job that's not what it was supposed to be due to cuts.

September - Wife gets job. Pressure now less than absolute

October - Start another job, but no chance of permanent due to cuts.

November - Skyrim!

December - Health scares put the fear of god into me, EU law comes in stating that temp workers get full employment rights after 3 months in job. Am told cannot stay in post for 12 weeks or more as a result. Nottingham Forest now have gone approximately fifteen years without scoring.




2012 - You'd better fucking well impress me, or I'll kill you before you're a week old.

That's pretty much how it feels, but some cunts got rid of all the jobs, it's not your fault, nor mine. I the big list of people who've got some explaining to do, regarding your employment or anyone else's, the world will end before it gets to your turn. Who's to say the BIG IDEA that solves everything won't come to you whilst playing Dem Skyrim?

MarkG... truly horrendous situation, makes mine pale by comparison, can't imagine a worse predicament than that.

Glad you and your wife pulled through

Can't really talk about my worst moment. It would entail telling a very long story that's been going on for quite some time. Plus, almost everyone I've spoken to about it has effectively told me to shut up and stop being a cunt (I've found that people are very quick to dispense "Stiff Upper Lip" advice as long as it's not their lips that need to be stiff.)
I'm still very, very angry about it though.

Best? Actually doing some stuff for myself for a change. Learning not to be frightened about just throwing some stuff in the car and fucking off for the day on my days off. Taking pictures. Exploring and discovering. I love that shit.

I've had a rather stable year, bit dull but after having had some very Drama Filled years in the past I'm happy with that.

Good: The Boy's eating continuing to improve to the point where he decided he loves non-dry meaty food (like cottage pie and indeed beef), he has shot up in height and weight and is getting some colour in him now - he grew three clothing sizes and two shoe sizes this year to be in the size clothing she should be in.

Discovering photography, giving up online gaming. (fuck you blizzard I'm freeeeeeeee)

Bad: Losing my job after a career lasting 38 years. Putting around £20k into a business that failed to take off, although I am slowly getting some of that money back.

Good: Getting an early retirement package and being able to pay off the mortgage and a couple of other debts.

Worst and best was losing my nan.
Worst is obvious best because I read the eulogy.
Sounds wired but it was a singnificant achievement and meant a lot to everyone not least my mum and aunt. I felt really proud of myself and did something that I didn't expect at a time when no one else would man up. I not believe in the afterlife but if there is one I'm hoping I did my nan justice.

Quite a good year for me, thinking about it.

Best was arrival of Onóra, followed by getting a new job that doesn't make me want to stick needles in my eyes.

Worst was a relatively tame lack of sleep or ability to partake in as much socialising as I had hoped.

Good: new job.
Bad: death, betrayal, bitterness.

2011 can fuck right off!

Pretty good, all told:

Got new job
Made new friends (plus strengthened existing ones and cleared out some deadwood)
Carried on paying off debts ('just' three years to go!)
Played some good games
Saw some good live comedy
Watched England thrash India at Trent Bridge
Watched AFC Bournemouth have one of their best seasons ever
Joined my local baseball team (and being voted Most Improved Player of 2011 and subsequently becoming first team manager)
Played my first music festival
Relaxing holiday in Portugal (apart from one thing)
Managed to lose 10lbs in the run-up to Christmas
Best Christmas dinner ever!

And lots of good stuff I've forgotten, I expect.

Bad stuff:

Ange falling over and hurting her ankle on holiday
Mind-numbingly dull job for most of the year
Put on 5lbs over Christmas - whoops!
Watching AFCB lose to Huddersfield on penalties in the L1 play-offs.

So, the bad things weren't very bad at all (or I tend to block them from my memory) and the good things were mainly awesome. Roll on 2012!

Good: My wife being pregnant and our week in Las Vegas.

Bad: A lot of things. 2011 has been a terrible year for me and I'll be glad to see the back of it.

Good: job became permanent, boughtva place to live and health much improved.

Bad: Cancer in the family. And one other thing.

I think I'll just go with the summary: Started shit, got better. I have high hopes for 2012.

From reading everyone posts and knowing what friends have been through all I can say is I'm a very lucky person.

Newest member of the family arrived in February and he's doing very well.

Job, although dull at times, is steady and secure, no mean feat in the Travel industry these days.

Had a great holiday in Spain with my family.

Saw Magazine play live.

Had another great Tinkers meet.

Several boozy do's (one breaking all the records of getting to 7.00am without stimulants).

I did become slightly more productive in my free time... but not as much as I should. That's my resolution again for 2012.

Can't really complain about much in all honesty, like I say, I'm a lucky guy.

He can practice by coming to Liverpool in March.

All in all, 2011 has been a very good year for me.

The worst part was obviously being dumped for the fourth and final time by the previous Lady Zio, having to move back home and my proceeding meltdown over the whole thing, where I did get a bit silly by even my emo standards. But then, ultimately, this lead to the best part, which was meeting the new Lady Zio some 7 months later and being shown just how unhealthy and downright shit the previous relationship had been. Words cannot describe how much happier I am in my life thanks to this alone now.

Other good things:
- Getting my current job back in March - not deliriously happy here, but I hated the last place. This job is so, so very much better than that.
- Watching my daughter grow and grow.
- Having my daughter stay over on Christmas Eve and seeing the amazement on her face when she noticed the glass of milk and mince pie she'd left out on Christmas Eve had gone, there were presents everywhere and that Father Christmas really had visited!

A slight shit thing was having to sell the car that I absolutely loved, but then it has helped quite a lot with my finances.