Up's & Down's, Smiles & Frownes (2010).

arybvtcw0eolkf

Well as we near the end of 2010 whats been the good & bad bits for you?.

For me, well normally I'm a pretty positive person but this year has been awful.

Good - My son starting college, first one in my family to go onto third level education.

Bad - dislocated my ankle in June, which put me out of competition until probably sometime March/April of next year.. There's been a domino effect since, with a knock on in my training, fitness levels etc..

Lost a few friends to suicide, forgetting for a moment yesterday I thought I seen one and almost said "ah Frank".. Looked like him

markesmith

Moved out of Dublin, to Galway -

The whole economy/IMF/Fianna Fail thing = major :mad:

Sorry to hear about your friends OP.

j_nolan

Good: Continuing a great relationship with my girlfriend, traveling around Europe, and making major progress in my work.

Bad: Seeing my father get lonelier after the death of my mother; the economy, seeing people I love out of work or barely scraping by.

Sunnyisland

I am only 48 but like others i have been through a lot in my life and now my life seems to be getting better & better,in the last 2 years i have totally reinvented myself physically & mentally and i am a much clearer and calm person,


On the downside i think the state of the economy is a worry also i worry about my children's future who are all now in there 20s and what lays ahead for them here.


Op sorry about your friend,taking ones own life is one of the most underreported and biggest killer in Irish society and there should be more done to highlight the help one can get.

Pherekydes

Downs: Too many misplaced apostrophes, missing the big freeze in January, being here for the big freeze in Nov/Dec, seeing the level of economic treason being perpetrated in the country, the realization that people are still going to vote for the eFFers in numbers. Finding out God doesn't exist (He told me Himself).

Ups: Honeymoon , seeing my daughter regularly achieve 90%+ in maths in 2nd year after spending a lot of time in learning support in primary school.

Smiles: History of Western Science.

Frowns: Back to wondering what it's all about.

Kimono-Girl

Up's: My other half and my daughter....words do not describe how amazing they are and they made my 2010 a great one!!!:)

Down's: missing my cousin(we're like sisters) while she was in america all summer...and Italy all autumn.


Smiles: hearing my daughter learn to talk, count to 3...etc

Frowns: certain 'peoples':mad:

tigger123

Ups: watching mam getting over the death of her partner and living life again.

No real downs this year, and very very very thankful for it.

stovelid

Ups: my second son being born and his brother growing up; leaving a job I didn't like to start a new one; my football team winning the league; my friends in general.

Down: worrying about the future, especially for my family; seeing good friends lose their jobs and stressing out about their future also

Ruu_Old

Ups: being at peak fitness and staying that way, love it! a wonderful, supportive wife. business and work is going very well.

Downs: not getting to see my family as often as I would have liked this year (flight delays put an end to that), though I will get home in January for a week. it also troubles me to see the country where I grew up in tatters, on the news over here.

Milky Moo

Ups: Graduating from a masters programme with honors.

Creating the opportunity to intern in an amazing charitable organisation.

Seeing my mom getting better and returning to her old self (see downs).

Downs: My mom having a heart attack, none of us saw it coming she is so active.

Breaking my front tooth in half, Brilliant dentist though but still the eperience scared me a lot.

Not having paid work, wondering will I ever have any and worrying about money and if I will have to emigrate.

Smiles: my boyfriend, he really is my best friend and can make me laugh and smile like no one else.

Frowns: people I thought were my friends ignoring me

Roll on 2011

UpCork

Ups: Getting to go to an Conference in a foreign country and talk about the research I'm doing as part of my PhD.

Downs: My Mum having to have tests as she found a lump. We knew when she found it and the doctor said he was 90% sure that it was nothing (and only as a rest of trauma to the breast caused when the door came back on her chest) but she still had to go through all the tests/biopsy etc. and somewhere in the back of your head is always the thought 'well the doctor said a 90% chance so that means there's a 10% chance that it is something). Thankfully she if fine now.

Smiles: Many funny little moments that happened throughout the year. Couldn't pick one specifically.

Frowns: Seeing some nasty personalities emerge in the place I work.

Aldebaran

Ups: Graduating from college with 1st class honours

Downs: My mother being diagnosed with Parkinsons

DetectivFoxtrot

Ups:

First grandchild born in our family (sister had a baby boy, I am now an aunt!) and my dad got to meet the little tyke.



Downs:

My dad, aged 54, was diagnosed with 'end stage' liver cancer in April. He was given 3-6 months. He passed away last week with 11 of us at his bedside. He lasted a little longer than expected, and never once did he complain, he also got to meet his first grandchild who was born in September.


I have lots more ups and downs but these are the poignant ones, the rest is just noise......

krudler

Bad: Broke up with who I once thought was "the one" wasnt evena bad breakup, all very mature and amicable, still sucked though.

Realising more and more how much I hate my job, and given the current situation with work theres fcuk all else I'd be interested in doing at the moment.

Good: My arthritis is much better than earlier in the year, dont have constant nagging pains in my joints, cold weather makes it act up a bit but am a lot more active than this time last year, go for jogs a lot (well I would if the ice would fcuk off!)

Going to America, which I wouldnt have done had I still been in a relationship, met some amazing people, saw some fantastic things, best of which was the Grand Canyon, one of the most awe inspiring things I've ever seen in my life.

Started my filmmaking course, directing my first scene next week

alwaysadub

Downs:
Losing my job.

Ups:
Em.. I'll get back to you on that one.

I think 2010 for me is a year where, bar losing my job, nothing has happened of any significence really compared to other years.

Whispered

Ups: Getting married

Downs: Loosing my job at the beginning of the year and having to take a part time job that's going nowhere and pays little more than what the dole would.

OP and detectivefoxtrot - Sorry to hear about the deaths you've had to deal with this year.

Copper23

Ups: New job and big promotion inside the year, earning well and travelling all over the world with the job. Meeting the most gorgeous sweet girl I could ever have imagined. Living the life

Downs: Being away from friends/family at times but makes it all the better a party when I am back

Smiles: Seeing some people can never get over themselves, never stop dwelling in their lies, never stop pretending they are something they are not. Just makes me smile to be rid of it and doing so much better off while they never change, stuck where they are.

Frowns: Budget?

rainbow kirby

Ups: Getting a job, finishing my masters, running my 2nd marathon

Downs: Finding out yesterday that my younger brother had lost his job, the fact that I still live at home, health scare in March

Smiles: Getting to see Iron Maiden and Porcupine Tree live, watching Berbatov get a hat-trick against Liverpool, watching Barcelona beat Real Madrid 5-0

Frowns: Anything which involved dealing with UCD admin, and the fact I'm still single

liah

Ups:
-Spending half that year with a great guy.
-Having some amazing times with great one-in-a-million friends.
-Learning more and more about myself and discovering the true feeling of what it's like to be confident and not having to put up with other people's crap.
-Moving to Germany, this experience has been phenomenal! So many cool, chilled-out, intelligent and funny people.
-Learning a new language.

Downs:
-Realizing how immature the great guy is (he's still great, just too young).
-Finding out for myself first hand after 20 years about how much of a dickhead my dad is and having to cut him out of my life again.
-Dealing with my ex housemate's incredibly severe depression, and the resultant 4-day-drink-drug-and-party binges in my house that meant I'd no chance of sleep, ever, because even on the 2-3 days there weren't 25 people destroying my house, I always ended up being the only one cleaning it up, which ended up being a wholly futile activity.
-Waiting so goddamn long to get my passport renewed because processing times in Canada suck.
-Having to leave behind some absolutely amazing people in Ireland who I miss dearly.
-Not too fond of being single at the moment.

Asphyxia

Good: Went back to education/work, Moved into a lovely new house with my boyfriend and are moving into a bigger nicer house next week, my nephew was born, my sister got engaged.

Bad: Work was crappy for my boyfriend at the start of the year, My mother found out she had diabetes and it has been hard on her.

stupidusername

Frowns: breaking up with my boyfriend of over 4 years, and moving out of our apartment. having to move home. Bring unemployed over a year. seeing my dad get into a relationship when my mam only died a matter of months previously. Having an awful bad run (still continuing) with men being weird and creepy and stalker like. Breaking my ankle, meaning I've to stay at home for longer. Having a friend accuse me of something I didn't do and deciding not to be my friend anymore. Being single for the longest time ever.

Smiles: my best friend. he's been the greatest friend you could wish for. dealing with a ****ty family and a broken ankle has made me realise this. also my nephews. I wish I could see my older nephew progress a little more, but it's great to see how well he's dealt with his brother. my younger nephew is just great. he's such a big personality. he's so funny and I can't wait to see him grow up.

TanG411

Good:

- Knowing what I (might) want to do with my life and working towards it. It does not involve college by any means.

Bad:

- Having to stay in college due to family's expectations.

KeithM89_old

Good: Walking out on a course i hated and getting great support from everyone. Having great holidays and making new friends.

Bad: Wasting too much money on rubbish. And very close to being killed twice

itac

Ups: Completing a mini-marathon for the first time, spending time with my family and friends, weddings and being asked to be chief bridesmaid at another friends wedding. Oh, and watching my two wonderful nieces growing and learning so much in life everytime I've seen them throughout the year-they're both such wee gems.

Downs: The loss of a good friend recently....as well as "distant" but much loved family members throughout the year...sad times

Smiles: Sligo Rovers winning the cup, funny times with friends, working at some great gigs over the summer and recently; and meeting some wonderful new peoples throughout the year. Oh, also, crunching through the gorgeous snowy scenery recently-inconvenient, kinda, but beautifully breathtaking at times.

Frowns: Mary Harney, Brian Cowen, Thierry Henry, Bertie Ahern, Mike Ashley, AIB and most gov't ministers and decision makers....

rebel10

Good: My niece born last month, my job is going well, did lots of travelling over the summer, my best friend getting married

Bad: My social life becoming extinct due to friends getting married and not interested in nights away from hubbies. Breaking up with my boyfriend of 6 years. The leaders of our country.


DetectivFoxtrot, i'm very sorry to hear of your loss. My father died 10 years ago last August to bowel cancer, similar circumstances, undetected for months. After his mothers funeral in May of that year, he believed he had drank too much at the wake and had kidney problems after it. When he finally checked it out he was brought into hospital and sadly never left. I remember I was doing my L. cert at the time, the last evening i spent with him while he was concious was my Debs night, he got to see me all dressed up, which makes me happy. He died after battling bowel cancer for hard 6 weeks. I wish there was more done in this country to make men more aware of the symptoms of cancer and help early diagnosis.

DetectivFoxtrot

rebel10 wrote: »

DetectivFoxtrot, i'm very sorry to hear of your loss. My father died 10 years ago last August to bowel cancer, similar circumstances, undetected for months. After his mothers funeral in May of that year, he believed he had drank too much at the wake and had kidney problems after it. When he finally checked it out he was brought into hospital and sadly never left. I remember I was doing my L. cert at the time, the last evening i spent with him while he was concious was my Debs night, he got to see me all dressed up, which makes me happy. He died after battling bowel cancer for hard 6 weeks. I wish there was more done in this country to make men more aware of the symptoms of cancer and help early diagnosis.

thanks for sharing Rebel10. x

rmacm

Good: Spending the last 6 months in the US working, travelling around a bit, making new friends.

Bad: Being away from family and friends in Ireland for extended periods. Comes with the job.

Over all I've had a good year, can't complain much if any.

amacachi

Good: Don't give a **** about stuff any more, let go of a lot of stupid bad feelings. Also managed to get into 2nd year of college finally.

Bad: Not a lot really, couple of deaths in the extended family I think, nothing that affected me too badly.

Mr Benevolent

Overall can't complain much.


Good:

Losing weight is finally getting easier

Relationship still going well

Will be an uncle in March

No money problems despite being on the dole

Started homebrewing

Rebuilt PC, TrackIR

Anxiety not as bad as it was

Xmas coming up


Bad:

Still no job

KnifeWRENCH

Good - felt myself starting to recover from depression. Passed my exams in June. Was in my first real relationship. Got to see Paul McCartney and Interpol live, and went to Electric Picnic.

Bad - got beaten up and robbed. Even though I passed my exams, I'm left with a mountain to climb to get the 2.1 I need to do a Masters. Relationship ended. Majorly struggling in my final year of college, despite a positive start. Have been feeling myself sink back into the state of mind I was in last year, when I first began seeing a doctor for depression.

2010 - started horribly, improved in the second quarter, amazing in the third quarter and now back to being horrible again.

And my sympathies to anyone who's lost family or friends. That's something I've been lucky enough to not suffer.

wonton

good- struggling but getting there in college and work but know i'm dam lucky to have both.



bad- tbh in light of most peoples circumstances the only thing that is bad is my gran gradually getting sicker

Eoin

Downs - two deaths in the family; one was sort of expected, but still tough - the other was totally unexpected and very hard to deal with.

Up - got promoted at work.

There were probably more high points, but the bad points have made them a bit irrelevant. Looking forward to seeing the back of 2010.