2009 highlights/low lights

Mark Lind - 12-31-2009 at 12:51 PM

Ok. Let's see a summary of your year.

* I closed the book on a disfunctional relationship for good.
* Opened the book a new and better relationship
* Saw one of my best buds leave our band and welcomed one of my other best buds into the band.
* Played to 2500 people at the new House of Blues in Boston with Dropkick Murphys and then two nights with them again in November to about 1000 people per night.
* Reconnected with my old pal, Mark Noah.
* Saw one of my best friends get out of a really unhealthy relationship that went on way too long and he started a new unhealthy relationship
* Found out that the girl from my aforementioned disfunctional relationship is completely insane and has dreamed up a new relationship that doesn't really exist with a washed up rockstar. That has made me feel better about things because you can't control someone's insanity.
* Got the news that one of my friends had his first son.
* Got the news from another pair of good friends that they are expecting kids in 2010.
* Saw my brother complete another year clean/sober and mentally healthy
* Had an experience that showed he's doing the right thing by leaving the past behind.
* Made a great record with the band and we all enjoyed it.
* Agreed to collaborate with one of my friends on the next CD in the Spring.
* Started playing music with my brother again for the first time since Sinners & Saints.
* Got the news that my younger brother is starting his first band (and his songs are great)
* Got to go camping in Maine for a week.
* I saw some awesome shows/concerts in 2009 - Alice in Chains, Green Day, Wilco, Paul McCartney, Elton John/Billy Joel, U2 to name a few.
* Celebrated Christmas for the first time in years.
* Got to see Brit happy with her new puppy. And I also got to enjoy the puppy's company and he's pretty awesome.

Now you go.....

necrobutcher - 12-31-2009 at 01:16 PM

Highlights:

Quit smoking (no cigarettes since Halloween)
Got into better shape this year and cleaned up my diet
Buried the hatchet with a friend after 4 years of bullshit
Reconnected with someone I haven't spoken to in 2 years
Started laying the groundwork for a business with a friend

Lowlights:
Working a piece of shit job that I really need to leave/collecting partial unemployment since they cut my hours
Went to the funeral for a friend who died way too young
Turned 30 (although I'm not really sure how I feel about that one)

ShawnRefuse - 12-31-2009 at 01:22 PM

Highs:
Another year with a great woman that puts up with the crazy people in my head
Mostly great shows (could use a couple like your Mark, wink wink put in a good word for us)
Signed with Thorp
Wrote and recorded a new CD and got to collaborate with great people (Mark Powers is a sick bass player)
Met Steve Risteen and got him to play a show with us (hopefully more to come)
Dad to an amazing bulldog pup
Stigma wearing a RR shirt at an Agnostic Front show

Lows:
Deaths: Grandmother, Beefy (my first bully), Puck (my cat that I had for the 10 years I was with another chick and she took, and I found out through facebook friends - yeah there is a reason we are not together anymore)
Had to deal with losing another bass player and friend (hopefully the friend part will change in time)
Finding players for the band is a pain in the ass (anyone know a rhythm guitarist who wants to have fun?)
There is definitely a lot more, I guess I was just good at forgetting crap.

Overall though, I feel like I can't wait to turn the calendar page tonight. For once in my life I am actually optimistic. That is not a word in my vocabulary.

lifeisabitch - 12-31-2009 at 01:27 PM

highlights:
got to spend more time with my son
started a business with some friends that should benefit a lot of people
got out of a very horrible relationship
moved to a new city and I am working on building a new life
saw old friends and connected with people I havent talked to in almost 15 years

lowlights:
lost my company that I bleed for the the last 7 years
saw a relationship that I would have killed for at one point fall apart
lost every material possession that I owned but did get some back... but not my guitars

2010
keep running this business
keep my son safe and healthy
working on trying to get with a woman who understands the good life isn't about money
traveling this summer

Discipline - 12-31-2009 at 01:49 PM

Highlights:

Not dead
Making strong attempts to improve my life
Beat some old habits that were fucking hard to break

Lowlights:

Family bullshit
Mental instability
Chronic depression continues

JawnDiablo - 12-31-2009 at 02:04 PM

Highs:
Helped put on / promote 2 successful shows for a band my friends were in from 10 years ago.
got back in touch with some friends i haven't seen in a decade...thanks facebook
Established a good relationship with my girlfriend's family. they are very cool people.
Got to go on a short vacation.
Got my head kind of straight near the end of the year.
Phillies in the world series again
Putting together a game plan.
My son is doing very well in all things.
Beer swap at work.
Saw a few pretty good shows
Saw my friend's mom make a great recovery from cancer.
Lows:
Lost my brother to cancer
had to break the news to my parents.
none of us got any closure in the situation, but im not going to get into that today
saw my friend's mom get sticken with cancer and have it look real bad for a while
Lost a friend / coworker to cancer
had a close friend attempt suicide, and luckily didn't get the job done.
lost touch with a friend i have had for years cause he sank into a black hole of depression
sank into a deep hole of depression of my own
got injured
got nearly hooked on the pills
the pills mix great with booze so it seems
spent too much money on costly car repairs.
our team sucked in LL baseball this year, and i couldnt stand any one involved.

for 2010:
Lose weight
pay off the bills
get out to the west coast.
stop being a load.

Mark Lind - 12-31-2009 at 02:40 PM

Oh....

* Saw Springteen and the E Street Band 4 times. Ken Casey sang with him at two of these shows and he took my girlfriend's request at one of the shows and had the band play the song. That was pretty awesome.

random - 12-31-2009 at 04:07 PM

anyone else notice that mark's highlights/lowlights had no lowlights?

ShawnRefuse - 12-31-2009 at 04:17 PM

yeah he was the only one this year

random - 12-31-2009 at 04:18 PM

good:

*moved to a new place that i really like
*found some cool hiking trails right by house on christmas
*made some progress on personal stuff
*not sure if antisociality is a word, but... embraced my antisociality
*met two people from the board in real life

bad:

*no longer speaking with two people i thought were close friends
*the above-mentioned personal stuff got pretty bad
*added some more beer weight

Mark Lind - 12-31-2009 at 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by random
anyone else notice that mark's highlights/lowlights had no lowlights?

Well my grandmother died but I didn't mention that. That was a low light.

Brit - 12-31-2009 at 04:46 PM

Some of mine are the same as Mark...
* Played to 2500 people at the new House of Blues in Boston with Dropkick Murphys and then two nights with them again in November to about 1000 people per night.
* Made a great record with the band and we all enjoyed it.
* Got to go camping in Maine for a week.
* I saw some awesome shows/concerts in 2009 - Alice in Chains, Green Day, Wilco, Paul McCartney, Elton John/Billy Joel, U2 to name a few... and so many more! Bruuuccee!!!

* I am the happiest and healthiest I have ever been in my life.
* My relationship. Additionally, the happiest and healthiest one I have ever been in, in my life.
* Made dean's list both semesters. 1 more to go!
* My wonderful, adorable, light of my life puppy. I can't imagine my life without him.
* Bruce Springsteen. Playing my song. 1st. And telling everyone in the crowd to move out of the way so he could get to my poster. Fucking A-Mazing.
* Having the courage to stand up for myself and say what I really wanted out of situations.
* Met a bunch of great people this year, and made stronger connections with others.
* Rob and the documentary. I am so stoked on it.
* Rocking out, haha.
* Watching things really start to come together for me... "it's all happening..."

Furly - 12-31-2009 at 04:47 PM

+ met a great guy who has since moved in with me and helped make my house feel like a home again

+ been doing a lot of cooking and baking and really enjoy not following recipes at all

+awesome road trip with my nephew, spending time with him before he turns into an asshole teenager

+ business is going well

+absolutely love my volunteer job

+my grandma has lost most of her marbles (it's way better than knowing you're losing them)

There was some bad, but I'm only in the mood to tell you about the good for now. (i may update later)

Mark Lind - 12-31-2009 at 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brit
Some of mine are the same as Mark...
* Played to 2500 people at the new House of Blues in Boston with Dropkick Murphys and then two nights with them again in November to about 1000 people per night.
* Made a great record with the band and we all enjoyed it.
* Got to go camping in Maine for a week.
* I saw some awesome shows/concerts in 2009 - Alice in Chains, Green Day, Wilco, Paul McCartney, Elton John/Billy Joel, U2 to name a few... and so many more! Bruuuccee!!!

* I am the happiest and healthiest I have ever been in my life.
* My relationship. Additionally, the happiest and healthiest one I have ever been in, in my life.
* Made dean's list both semesters. 1 more to go!
* My wonderful, adorable, light of my life puppy. I can't imagine my life without him.
* Bruce Springsteen. Playing my song. 1st. And telling everyone in the crowd to move out of the way so he could get to my poster. Fucking A-Mazing.
* Having the courage to stand up for myself and say what I really wanted out of situations.
* Met a bunch of great people this year, and made stronger connections with others.
* Rob and the documentary. I am so stoked on it.
* Rocking out, haha.
* Watching things really start to come together for me... "it's all happening..."

Do all these things make you do this happy dance?

Brit - 12-31-2009 at 04:57 PM

HA yes! My unofficial happy dance :singing:

jonnynewbreed - 12-31-2009 at 06:58 PM

All in all a great year.

High:

-Celebrated 5 years of marriage with my wife who I love more than anything.
-My friends.
-Travelled with work to Iceland, USA, UK, Germany and throughout Canada
-Saw one of my favorite bands record one of my songs
-Got a PT job teaching music business at a local college
-Enjoyed weekly visits with my beautiful 3 year old niece
-Spent time with my two brothers, father and grandfather
-Spent a lot of time on the water this summer
-My wife got a job
-Realized that I was actually legitimately happy for the first time since my mom died
-In better shape and continue to get healthier.

Lows:

-I had to put my cat down
-My wife was unemployed and bummed out about it
-Miss playing music...like I feel as though a piece of me is gone (luckily I don't feel empty.) For so long the only thing I had was music. It got me through some very dark dark days and nights and I looked at myself not as a famous musician but one that would matter to someone someday. I picked up my guitar for the first time in over a year today and wrote a song. I'm terrified of being forgotten when I'm gone from this earth and feel as though my music is my legacy.

Thanks Thorp. I don't post much here these days but I'm lurking here everyday. Now I'm off to have dinner with my wife.

XnMeX - 12-31-2009 at 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mark Lind

Do all these things make you do this happy dance?

I love Jay's drumhead! Priceless!

MattyA - 12-31-2009 at 08:48 PM

Highlights:
- my beautiful daughter was born
- celebrated 4 years of marriage
- finally got a job
- got to see The Business for the 1st time
- found out I am going to be a Godfather
- sang Crucified with Stigma at wreck the halls
- got my plumbing liscense
- seeing my friend open up for the Dropkicks

Lowlights:
- got a job

Six66Mike - 12-31-2009 at 09:54 PM

- Moved interstate to Brisbane & left all the friends I made in Adelaide behind
- Started a home business that's doing really well
- Missed out on a perfect analysis job due to home business, somehow a conflict of interest...
- Got to see a few good shows like Suicidal Tendencies & Guttermouth
- Enjoyed being unemployed way too much, spending time at home beats working for a living but doesn't pay the bills
- Computer problems all year long with shitty hardware faults causing extensive downtime during the year
- Mum came to visit for my birthday & brought a bottle of Crown Royal
- Dad came over Halloween and also brought Crown Royal
- Cousin came to visit one last time in November before he moved back to Canada... also brought Crown Royal
- Decided it was time to go back to school and should be taking some university classes in February
- Wife started her own business as well doing face/body painting
- Had Christmas with extended family for the first time in 5 years now that we live near family
- Bought our first family car which is in the shop being fixed again... another $1200 gone
- Bought a new TV, hello big screen plasma

Mostly a good year I suppose. I miss Adelaide though.

Voodoobillyman - 12-31-2009 at 10:40 PM

Highlights
- birth of my second daughter Lillian
- Spending time with my family
- finally getting the chance to try Double Bastard Ale
- drinking copious (sp?) amounts of Double Bastard Ale
- Patriots making the playoffs again, Let's go Pats!!!!
- finally reading Fear Agent, what a great comic series
- watching VA Tech take it to TN as we speak, not sure if the outcome will be a highlight or lowlight.

Lowlights
- living with the weight of an impending 7 month deployment over my families shoulders, we are tired. 10 more years of this before I can tap out, but the career is going well.

DAK - 12-31-2009 at 10:47 PM

You know the Texans are beating Patriots asses Sunday!!

Discipline - 12-31-2009 at 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Voodoobillyman
Highlights
- birth of my second daughter Lillian
- Spending time with my family
- finally getting the chance to try Double Bastard Ale
- drinking copious (sp?) amounts of Double Bastard Ale
- Patriots making the playoffs again, Let's go Pats!!!!
- finally reading Fear Agent, what a great comic series
- watching VA Tech take it to TN as we speak, not sure if the outcome will be a highlight or lowlight.

Lowlights
- living with the weight of an impending 7 month deployment over my families shoulders, we are tired. 10 more years of this before I can tap out, but the career is going well.

Glad to see more highs than low Bob.

Jason the Magnificent - 1-1-2010 at 03:41 PM

Steel Nation:

-The nuke division has got me traveling a ton for work to different power plants across the country and kept me busy and employed while commercial construction is at a stand still.
-My loving wife that continues to put up with me for some reason.
-Making progress on my backpiece (albeit slowly)
-Trying more different beer than I can possibly remember
-Making a road trip through MI to try some great beers
-GABF
-Beer existing

Blacklisted:

-Losing my last grandparent.
-Too many sick/injured people in my life
-Everyone being old and married and never having time to get together anymore, myself included.

M.Alki - 1-1-2010 at 05:03 PM

Highs:
-Quit a job at the begining of the year that I hated.
-Had 4 awesome trips over to the states including the 5 weeks I spent in NYC/PA/B'more pretty much celebrating my birthday the whole time.
-Saw Motley Crue play the whole of the Dr Feelgood album in PA, went to the 2 E-Town reunion shows, both Pressure Fest's in Germany and various other cool shows and fests.
-Got rid of a few friends who were no good for me.
-Stopped drinking for about 8 months and was happy throughout.
-Quit smoking tobacco.
-Saw my friend get full custody of his son which was a long time due.
-Found out one of my best friends Hannah is pregnant again with twins after having her first child just under a year previously and also finding out my friend Dom from b'more who I always said will make the best Dad ever is going to get a chance to prove that when his baby is born in June
-Organising Ninebar finally getting over to the states and becoming a form of manager in the process sorting shows with Madball and upcoming in Portugal, Finland and other places.
-Let some awesome new people into my life.

Lows:
-Lost 2 friends to suicide and 2 in a car accident.
-Had to see one of only 2 family members that I really talk to in and out of hospital the whole year not knowing how it was going to turn out.
-Fractured my foot while out drinking
-Bruised/Fractured my ribs while out drinking another time.
-Finding out my ex got married 3 weeks after we split to the woman (his 'friend') whos kids I looked after whilst last on base visiting him before we broke up.
-Having to find out the hard way that some people I trusted really were not ever my friends at all.
-Pretty sure it's not just me being a paranoid female and my ass DID really get bigger!haha

XHonusWagnerX - 1-1-2010 at 11:16 PM

highlights:

+ in a pretty healthy relationship
+ reconnected with some friends that I had a pretty major falling out with a few years back
+ contributing to a new buisness with some pretty awesome people
+ got to play 10 shows on tour as a member of Slapshot
+ started collecting records by Dropdead cause I'm running out of Slapshot stuff to buy
+ lost weight
+ up to level 68 in Modern Warfare II on Xbox 360
+ talked to my mom a few times without it turning into an argument

lowlights:

- one of my ferrets died
- got replaced as the bass player for Slapshot
- really wanna play music, but don't have the time to participate in most functioning bands
- would like to play music with a friend that has a 'cover' band/group, but he's doing it for money & adding a member means less money per guy
- still dealing with my normal everyday depression
- still hating my job, but have nothing better or even equal to switch to
- gained weight
- my dads been away for work in Texas for almost 9 months and has only been back a few weeks here & there
- got some shitty breathing/allergy/asthma type issues

wez138 - 1-2-2010 at 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by random
anyone else notice that mark's highlights/lowlights had no lowlights?

I dunno! seeing some of those bands must have been pretty soul destroying.