A Year in Review, 2008 Comes To An End

Wow! I can't believe 2008 is over. The year went by fast. A lot happened in just one year.

I changed positions at my job a few times. First, I went to Membership where I basically processed memberships all day long, which was not enjoyable. Then, I was saved and was offered a position in Coaches Education, where I now work in the US Olympic Training Center. It's pretty exciting out here. I get to watch all the Olympic skiers and snowboards do their training and testing so they can become gold medalists! The USSA is currently building a $20 million facility which will be known as the Center of Excellence (COE). The COE will include the training facility as well as the offices for the staff. It's pretty amazing to be apart of such a great company. And with the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver around the corner, things are really getting exciting!

Besides work, I met someone who changed my life. I actually thought he was going to change my life forever, but things didn't work out. He was my first love and, unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to tell him how I truly felt...or still feel. It was a heartbreaking experience, but I suppose everyone goes through it at some point in their lives. The worst part about it is that I keep looking back and knowing the things I should have done differently and how I was given the opportunity to do something, but never did because I was too afraid. Fear seems to be the only thing that is holding me back from being myself and getting what I want in life. But, then again, he may have been in the same boat. I blame myself. We could have had something great, but I blew it...one of the only regrets I have in my life.

Other than work and the short-lived love life, not much has happened in the last year. I was able to spend Christmas with my family, unlike last year when I was in Cancun with the Alvords. I was told that I could never be away from family at Christmas ever again. It just wasn't the same on the beach. Christmas should be spent in the snow!

This coming year, 2009, is going to be big! The USSA is preparing mentally and physically for the 2010 Olympics. I know the next 12 months will be highly demanding in every aspect of my job, as well as everyone else involved with winter sports. It's going to be a good year for skiing! Lots of snow so far, and winter has only just begun! As one of my co-workers says, "Ski ya later!"

No Longer Confused

I recently told the guy I was "dating" how I felt about him. In return, he tells me he's dating someone else. My heart shattered, but I was prepared. It had been over a month since we last hung out and of course all of the possibilities were going through my head. I have shed far too many tears for this guy and I'm ready to move on. This week has been surprisingly easy. He's on my mind constantly and of course everything reminds me of him, but I've been doing better than I predicted.

All of this happened on Sunday after church. I basically ran after him in the parking lot and had to talk to him or else I would be putting myself through anguish. Thank God for friends! Liz came up to Park City with me and we ended up driving to Evanston, WY, just for the hell of it...and to buy good beer! We took the scenic route back and just had a good time, which is what I needed.

More tears were shed throughout the day, but overall, I'm hangin' in there!

Brett Favre...JETS?!?!?

Brett Favre officially retired from the NFL....then came back. The whole thing is a joke! I shed far too many tears for Brett when he left the Pack, and when he returned I just got angry. Poor Aaron Rogers..thinking he's going to be the starting QB and then Brett comes back and says that he will start and be the main QB or he wants to be traded. But Brett signed a contract a few years ago saying that he would stay with the Packers until 2010. The Packers gave in and traded him to the Jets. It will be very difficult to watch Brett in a Jet jersey. He should have stayed retired or not retired in the first place, and if he's going to continue playing, he should finish his career as a Packer, not as a Jet. I guess the only plus side to this situation is that Wisconsin will never have to be in winter wonderland.

Confused...

The worst part about dating is playing the stupid games. Hard-To-Get seems to be the most popular. Why can't we just come out and say, "Hey, I like you"? Why does everything have to be so difficult? First of all, the games are a waste of time, and you're only playing this "hard-to-get" because you're trying to show the other person that you actually have a life and don't sit around waiting for them to call you. Let's get real here. You don't have anything better to do and you are sitting by the phone waiting. Whatever happened to communication? I hate when people put on a stupid front. Why can't we just be ourselves and openly admit that we don't have a life and don't ever make plans, so the week is wide open. Ok, I'll be the first to admit it. I don't have a life, I never make plans, and my week is wide open. There ya have it! If someone calls and says, "What are you doing tonight?" why would I say, "Oh, yeah, I'm busy, sorry!" when really I should be saying, "Absolutely nothing! Let's go out!" I'm not afraid to say this to anyone. Let's get out there, people! Show your soon-to-be lover that you really don't have a life, and when he/she really enters your life, you will be all theirs! Perfect!

On a side note, what does it mean when you're dating someone for three months, and then they all of a sudden start ignoring you and blowing you off? This is when communication comes into play. All you men, can you please just tell us what we did wrong, or at least a good reason as to why you're shutting us out? Don't make us confused and try to analyze everything, 'cause that's what we do, and it hurts. Don't give us excuses like, "I've been busy," or "I've been working a lot". By now, we know what you're schedule is like, and those are lies. Tell the truth. BE A MAN, for God's sake!

Cinematic Adventures

I absolutely LOVE movies! The cinema is my art. I don't need Picasso, Da Vinci, or Van Gogh. I need Scorcese, Soderberg, and Tarantino.

I fell in love with movies when I was just a child. My parents raised me on great movies like Psycho, Stand By Me, and Star Wars. Since then, my brother has gone to film school where he majored in cinematography. When he was living here in Park City, he would volunteer every year at the Sundance Film Festival. I started to go to Sundance every year because of the celebrities, but then I really got involved with the films themselves. I am very much into Independent films. I think they come from brilliant minds, and it's a shame that these ideas rarely get to the big screen.

In my final year of college I took a film history class. I enjoyed viewing different genres of films and never would have imagined myself choosing to watch them on my own. I found half of the movies horribly dull, but the other half were very inspiring! The only part of that class that I didn't enjoy, were the discussions afterwards. I would usually skip out on these, but when I went, I didn't find them at all appealing. When I watch movies, I like to watch them for what they are. I don't like analyzing them or talking about where the story could have gone. Those are all opinions; opinions that change other's perspective on the overall theme of the film. That was the part of the class that ruined most of the movies for me.

Recently, my movie watching has decreased due to the fact that I am now full-time employed. I wish I could still get to the movie theater every week to see that #1 film in the country, but I just don't have the time, and when I do, I'm usually boozin'! That's just how I roll. My weeks in the office, staring at a computer all day, rely on much needed alcohol by Friday evening!

Selfish or Selfless?

I just realized something. People think too much. Why does everyone have to go through life wondering what the meaning of it all is? We should just go through life enjoying it and making the best of it. Who cares what could be done or what happens next? Just go with it!

I have noticed that this pondering has increased over the years, especially with the younger generations. There are almost too many options; too many choices to make. It's confusing!

I look back about 40 years ago when this all began...in the 60s, none the less. Vietnam was underway and the hippies were out protesting for their rights. Rights. Now that's an interesting concept. Considering this is a "free" country, there are quite a few limitations on our rights as Americans. This is where the thinking comes into play. As a "free" country, we can practice whatever religion we want to, go anywhere anytime, speak anyway we want, dress anyway we want, and, like most countries now-a-days, carry a gun if we please.

How many religions are there in the world? It's not cool anymore to just practice the beliefs you were raised on. Oh no! We must all "find ourselves" and figure out what we really believe in; who we really are. The first step is finding a religious belief that fits those needs and wants. But what are we supposed to do now? Organized religion isn't cool anymore either!

And what about free speech? There are tons of limitations on what we can and cannot say. Anyone can go around in public swearing up a storm. Then anyone can sue them just as easily because they were "causing a disturbance" and "misbehaving in front of my young child".

But the thing that pisses me off the most is the fact that every single country in the world always complains about America and what we are doing. Why do you care so much?!?!? Worry about your own country for once. And if you're so concerned, why do you all come here to this "free" country to get away from your own country?

Then they always say how amazing their country is because they "don't do war" and are neutral. Well, here in America, most of us aren't selfish bastards and we care about the well-being of this world. Therefore, we help those in need, meaning we will go to war to help innocent people who are losing their lives on account of other's selfishness. That may be your country one day. Think about it. It's what we all do best.

Top O' the Mornin'!

Today is St. Patrick's Day, one of my favorite holidays of the year! I love holidays that allow you to dress goofy and get away with it in the spirit of the day. St. Patty's gives me a reason to wear everything green...and I mean everything. I normally would go all out by spraying my hair with green hair spray, but the last time I did that it didn't wash out and my hair was green for a week.

This year, I found some green stick on facial hair! I was so excited when I found this. I got home and tried it out, but the glue that was used was no good, so I didn't get to wear my green facial hair. It's unfortunate, but I found ways to make my green experience great! Shamrock necklaces, green beer goggles, shamrock earrings, green dress, green beads, green shoes, and you can't forget the green beer!

This is what I looked like last year. Pretty great, I know. My friends and I even had name tags that said, "Hello, my name is" and we all put in Irish names. For instance, mine said, "Hello, my name is Finnigan O'Mally".

This year, we celebrated St. Patty's on Saturday evening because it fell on a Monday. People, such as myself, need to work early Tuesday morning and can't risk the chances of a hangover. However, I will join my friends out at the bars this evening for a drink or two, just to celebrate the actual day.

I read on Wikipedia that if St. Patty's falls during a day of Holy Week, the the holiday is celebrated the Saturday before. That is the case this year. Even in Ireland, they celebrated on Saturday because St. Patty's is during Holy Week. The last time this happened was 1940, but won't happen again until 2160.

So, enjoy the day! Drink a beer, or two, or three. Make it green. Make it great!

This picture happens to be from the small town of New London, Wisconsin. This town is where my father and his brother and sisters grew up, and also where my grandmother currently resides, and has for 60 years. This picture is posted on the main St. Patrick's Day page of Wikipedia. Coincidence? I think not. Wisconsin is just that awesome!