How was your decade?
- Thread starter mafia_boy
- 91 comments
- 5,163 views
- 19,311
- Inland Empire SoCal
- SOLID_LIFTERS
I am firmly against carrying guns (I prefer homemade flamethrowers) and even moreso against hunting although I would certainly not preach my beliefs enough that I would put myself out of a job.
You sir, make me sick. The usual American Gun-nut's point of view. Life's many problems are not answered by putting a bullet in them. I really don't see how liberalism (or freedom as some like to call it) can have an adverse affect on anyones lives.
Basically, stop forcing your oppresion and misery on everyone else!
Ironic.
Oh, this is a 'decade in review' thread, not a place to attack somebody. You're a typical liberal.
mafia_boy
(Banned)
- 5,570
- GTP_Mafiaboy
Yep, keep it clean boys, I don't want this unnecessarily locked because of differing views about issues, no matter how strongly you feel for or against them. 👍
This is supposed to be a community of harmony, even though we are one big dysfunctional family.
Besides, it's NYE still in most parts of the world so get your butts out there and celebrate the end of the noughties.
This is supposed to be a community of harmony, even though we are one big dysfunctional family.
Besides, it's NYE still in most parts of the world so get your butts out there and celebrate the end of the noughties.
- 6,511
- Sydney
- Stavingo
I came into this decade at 5, I'm now 15
Ups:
Downs:
Cool decade for me, hopefully the next one will be heaps better!
Ups:
- Meeting the other side of my fathers family.
- Going to Hong Kong several times.
- Going into high school.
- Getting my first dog who's gonna turn 6 soon.
- Finding GTP
Downs:
- Losing friends from primary school.
- Decline in health of my grandmother after breaking her hip bone.
Cool decade for me, hopefully the next one will be heaps better!
- 251
- Colorado
- T_Allen_ , GTP_AllenT2
^THANK YOU SIR! really means alot, Im not saying that i agree with everything that is done or some of the politics of war. but seeing it from the inside I can tell you that if even a 10th of the good stuff we do was shown to the public we we would have a totally diffrent image. I truly belive that we are a force for good
- 5,923
- South Australia
- GTP_Legendary724
- Legendary724
It will hopefully be better for all of Generation Y at GTP. What we have done over the last Decade is learnt the things that will carry us through life, this whole decade has been learning and the next 5 or 6 years will still be learning. Once we get out of UNI or wherever you go there is life, your car, your job, your family. Everything, I dont know about you but I gotta work out what the hell I want to do
.
- 3,770
- Manning, SC
I entered this decade at 12 years old, now I'm 22.
Pros:
-graduating high school in May 2006, this despite going to 3 different high schools in 4 years!!
-getting my drivers' license and first car in August 2005
-finally getting a computer in September 2001 (with high speed cable internet, would not settle for anything less)
Cons:
-losing 2 great aunts, great grandmother, and great grandfather
-seeing the smoke from the burning Twin Towers (lived only 25 miles away at time)
-moving from New Jersey to South Carolina (liked this part of SC at first, then realized it was run by backwoods hillbillies who don't want any type of change or development; for instance, the town council tried to stop a Super Walmart from coming in, but luckily were unsuccessful; they've unfortunately prevented Lowes, Home Depot, Honda, and numerous other businesses from coming in and creating jobs
👎 )
Pros:
-graduating high school in May 2006, this despite going to 3 different high schools in 4 years!!
-getting my drivers' license and first car in August 2005
-finally getting a computer in September 2001 (with high speed cable internet, would not settle for anything less)
Cons:
-losing 2 great aunts, great grandmother, and great grandfather
-seeing the smoke from the burning Twin Towers (lived only 25 miles away at time)
-moving from New Jersey to South Carolina (liked this part of SC at first, then realized it was run by backwoods hillbillies who don't want any type of change or development; for instance, the town council tried to stop a Super Walmart from coming in, but luckily were unsuccessful; they've unfortunately prevented Lowes, Home Depot, Honda, and numerous other businesses from coming in and creating jobs
👎 )
- 29,972
- Cuddington, Cheshire
- JDA1982
My decade was good and great and lousey to near suicidal and pretty much everything in between. I've experienced many things from the stresses of runing my own business to the to the unexpected relief when it all collapsed (thanks to health). I've lost some good freinds, some old friends but I've met some great people as well. I met my ex-ex and my ex (who I'm still mates with) and my currenty lady pal who I've been with for a good few years and still not dealt with the M word properly.
To start if off I was still in college in 2000 (my goodness time flys), I was a sweaty teenage as opposed to a sweaty man (I'm not really, honest) and studying Construction Design of the Built Environment. The course was 3 ears in total and afterwards I got a ob in.... An office. There was bugger all work available for the inexperienced in construction design and architecture and I needed money rapido. So I got a job for a mobile phones company in town, that lasted until June 2003, I was there 2 years and the company went into liquidation. Fortunately I was able to walk straight into a similar job at a rival companies and I was on first name terms with the MD there who used to be a partner at my first job but wen't away to set up his own thing.
I started in the first company when it was small, I was the 10th member of staff small. When it went under there were over 40 people there. When I went to the second comapny that was small as (it had only been going about 6 months) and within another 6 months the number of staff had doubled. So that got me thinking, as much as I like the guy I'm working for, why can't I sell mobile phone contracts to people by myself. I've got all the contacts I'd need to setup a business account with the suppliers, I'd effectively be a self employed contracter for a big supply company who would pay me commission for each sale. But unlike working for Lawro and Paul (the MD's of my first two jobs), all the commission would come to me, not just a small percentage of it. I was talking about elephant dung sized piles of money. Potentially. and it worked, for a while. It was a key factor in being abe to buy my own house, between that and a nice moving out present from my dad that I hadn't spent I was able to pay a large ammount up front for my house and had a small mortgage which was frankly, marvelous.
So I setup a company selling phones and contracts and I raked it in for a while. There was even talk of me buying a TVR, I was deadly serious about it too, I just wanted to hit a certain level of finacial stability before I made a purchase like that. Then I made a mistake, then my mistake was compounded by bad health, then my health was compounded by the mistake etc. I met two lads, one of wholm I already new and another guy, who both had been working for a phone reseller and were interested in setting up thier own businesses. I knew one of the lads (as I said) and I knew he had a good head on his shoulders and new business better than me. So we made a proposal that we've join together and setup a new company and take it from there. Anyway, the third guy, Jason, decided late on that he didn't want to go ahead and it all fell through. By this time I'd already mad the mistake of opening up what my business had to offer to the new company which was for all intents and purposes ready to go mins the initial cash injection (which the banks were ready to provide) and Jason buggered off. Around the same time I came down with a bad case of the flu (proper flu not man flu) and that put me in bed for over a week. I wasn't overly fussed about the partnership falling through at first, but when I realised that all my potential clients for that month, and the next, had already been contacted and sold phones to by Jassson I lost it a little, I went a wee bit mad. Then I got ill again and I ended up being out of action for a wihle to the point of not actually caring about the comapny anymore but being stressed that I was losing money every day. Eventually I called it quits and decided I was going to find emloyment and me business went PPPPPpppppppffffffffttttttttt. No really, it really did make that noise.
I've not looked back though, I've got a good job now, not the most money I've every earnt, but it's a good stable job (and boy was I glad about that when the recession hit). I've got no stress, work wise, and I find the job satisfying enough. So I'm happy work wise. Things are a bit depressing at the moment because a good friend of mine was told earlier in the year that her mother has uncurable cancer. She's still figting it but you can't half see the effects, she looks so frail compared to a year ago and it's very sad. A childhood friend died of cancer earlier this year as well, he was younger than me and died of cancer. I've got to say I've done a lot of reflecting in the last year or so, there's been a few people who've gone which is never nice but these two are worse particularly Joel who I was friends with since we were kids, you should never die of cancer at that age. It's pretty harsh to go through and to see the families go through. So I've had my fair share of **** moments.
Comeing into 2000 I was trying to straighten myself out a bit, I'd had a fair few runins with the law nad I was heading in a bad direction. But I cut myself loose before I ended up in prison and although there were dries of "where's your loyalty", I ditched thoes that were dragging me that way. My brother didn't make the same choices as me, he got caugt in the wrong crowd and was in and out of prison all through his teens and early 20's. He's prone to bouts of extreme voilence too and I think that peaked in 2003 when he attacked my dad with a knife, fortunately my dad wasn't badly hurt but I went through the worst feeling I think I've ever felt that day, I consciously planned to kill my brother. Thankfully I didn't, but to go through thoes feelings at that intensity was quite possibly the worst thing I've ever felt. He's still not sorted himself out, but he's improved in a lot of ways. His temper is still there but he controls it a lot better, but it is still there and he's trying to find ways to control himself which is important because he recognises his problems and he's looking for help not just ignoring them like he used to.
But the plus, I met my ex, Sarah and although she's an ex we're still good mates. We just realised that things wern't going to work out as a relationship. Finder her sleeping with my dad didn't help (no I'm only kidding). And afterwards I met Charlotte who I'm still with now, we're in our 4th year together and besides the normal arguments about who's wearing the g string tonight it's gone pretty smooth, smooth when I tell her the right things anyway. A childhood friend of mine is getting married this Saturday, so I'm starting the new decade on a positive in that sense. I made a great friend with a lad who came to Manchester from the Czech republic, he was attending university here and lived on our street, he's moved back to Czech now but he was here for 5 years and he's a geniunely great guy. He is easilly one of my best mates now even though we don't see each other very often since he moved back. Actually, he's a better mate now he's back in Czech and has a very well paid job.
So yeah, this decades had everything, it's tested every emotion I can think of, but that's to be expected. I've left out alot (obviousely) a lot of things were were going wrong near the start of the decade I've not mentioned, but the decades ending better than it strated minus curse that is cancer affecting some I know. But I've a good job, I'm confortable financially, not where I could have been perhaps, but comfortable. I've got my own house, my brother is trying to sort himself out at last and I've got a great girl. Thoes are pluses worth reflecting on me thinks.
To start if off I was still in college in 2000 (my goodness time flys), I was a sweaty teenage as opposed to a sweaty man (I'm not really, honest) and studying Construction Design of the Built Environment. The course was 3 ears in total and afterwards I got a ob in.... An office. There was bugger all work available for the inexperienced in construction design and architecture and I needed money rapido. So I got a job for a mobile phones company in town, that lasted until June 2003, I was there 2 years and the company went into liquidation. Fortunately I was able to walk straight into a similar job at a rival companies and I was on first name terms with the MD there who used to be a partner at my first job but wen't away to set up his own thing.
I started in the first company when it was small, I was the 10th member of staff small. When it went under there were over 40 people there. When I went to the second comapny that was small as (it had only been going about 6 months) and within another 6 months the number of staff had doubled. So that got me thinking, as much as I like the guy I'm working for, why can't I sell mobile phone contracts to people by myself. I've got all the contacts I'd need to setup a business account with the suppliers, I'd effectively be a self employed contracter for a big supply company who would pay me commission for each sale. But unlike working for Lawro and Paul (the MD's of my first two jobs), all the commission would come to me, not just a small percentage of it. I was talking about elephant dung sized piles of money. Potentially. and it worked, for a while. It was a key factor in being abe to buy my own house, between that and a nice moving out present from my dad that I hadn't spent I was able to pay a large ammount up front for my house and had a small mortgage which was frankly, marvelous.
So I setup a company selling phones and contracts and I raked it in for a while. There was even talk of me buying a TVR, I was deadly serious about it too, I just wanted to hit a certain level of finacial stability before I made a purchase like that. Then I made a mistake, then my mistake was compounded by bad health, then my health was compounded by the mistake etc. I met two lads, one of wholm I already new and another guy, who both had been working for a phone reseller and were interested in setting up thier own businesses. I knew one of the lads (as I said) and I knew he had a good head on his shoulders and new business better than me. So we made a proposal that we've join together and setup a new company and take it from there. Anyway, the third guy, Jason, decided late on that he didn't want to go ahead and it all fell through. By this time I'd already mad the mistake of opening up what my business had to offer to the new company which was for all intents and purposes ready to go mins the initial cash injection (which the banks were ready to provide) and Jason buggered off. Around the same time I came down with a bad case of the flu (proper flu not man flu) and that put me in bed for over a week. I wasn't overly fussed about the partnership falling through at first, but when I realised that all my potential clients for that month, and the next, had already been contacted and sold phones to by Jassson I lost it a little, I went a wee bit mad. Then I got ill again and I ended up being out of action for a wihle to the point of not actually caring about the comapny anymore but being stressed that I was losing money every day. Eventually I called it quits and decided I was going to find emloyment and me business went PPPPPpppppppffffffffttttttttt. No really, it really did make that noise.
I've not looked back though, I've got a good job now, not the most money I've every earnt, but it's a good stable job (and boy was I glad about that when the recession hit). I've got no stress, work wise, and I find the job satisfying enough. So I'm happy work wise. Things are a bit depressing at the moment because a good friend of mine was told earlier in the year that her mother has uncurable cancer. She's still figting it but you can't half see the effects, she looks so frail compared to a year ago and it's very sad. A childhood friend died of cancer earlier this year as well, he was younger than me and died of cancer. I've got to say I've done a lot of reflecting in the last year or so, there's been a few people who've gone which is never nice but these two are worse particularly Joel who I was friends with since we were kids, you should never die of cancer at that age. It's pretty harsh to go through and to see the families go through. So I've had my fair share of **** moments.
Comeing into 2000 I was trying to straighten myself out a bit, I'd had a fair few runins with the law nad I was heading in a bad direction. But I cut myself loose before I ended up in prison and although there were dries of "where's your loyalty", I ditched thoes that were dragging me that way. My brother didn't make the same choices as me, he got caugt in the wrong crowd and was in and out of prison all through his teens and early 20's. He's prone to bouts of extreme voilence too and I think that peaked in 2003 when he attacked my dad with a knife, fortunately my dad wasn't badly hurt but I went through the worst feeling I think I've ever felt that day, I consciously planned to kill my brother. Thankfully I didn't, but to go through thoes feelings at that intensity was quite possibly the worst thing I've ever felt. He's still not sorted himself out, but he's improved in a lot of ways. His temper is still there but he controls it a lot better, but it is still there and he's trying to find ways to control himself which is important because he recognises his problems and he's looking for help not just ignoring them like he used to.
But the plus, I met my ex, Sarah and although she's an ex we're still good mates. We just realised that things wern't going to work out as a relationship. Finder her sleeping with my dad didn't help (no I'm only kidding). And afterwards I met Charlotte who I'm still with now, we're in our 4th year together and besides the normal arguments about who's wearing the g string tonight it's gone pretty smooth, smooth when I tell her the right things anyway. A childhood friend of mine is getting married this Saturday, so I'm starting the new decade on a positive in that sense. I made a great friend with a lad who came to Manchester from the Czech republic, he was attending university here and lived on our street, he's moved back to Czech now but he was here for 5 years and he's a geniunely great guy. He is easilly one of my best mates now even though we don't see each other very often since he moved back. Actually, he's a better mate now he's back in Czech and has a very well paid job
.So yeah, this decades had everything, it's tested every emotion I can think of, but that's to be expected. I've left out alot (obviousely) a lot of things were were going wrong near the start of the decade I've not mentioned, but the decades ending better than it strated minus curse that is cancer affecting some I know. But I've a good job, I'm confortable financially, not where I could have been perhaps, but comfortable. I've got my own house, my brother is trying to sort himself out at last and I've got a great girl. Thoes are pluses worth reflecting on me thinks.
- 9,262
- Corsham
- lipming
I entered at 7 and I'm leaving at 17.
2000: Completed Year 2
2001: Completed Year 3, diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome
2002: Completed Year 4
2003: Started playing Cello, completed Year 5
2004: Completed Primary School, started Secondary School, got my first Girlfriend
2005: Gave up playing Cello, completed Year 7
2006: Completed Year 8, joined GTPlanet
2007: Completed Year 9, re-started Cello, began GCSE's
2008: Completed Year 10
2009: Joined West Wiltshire Youth Orchestra, started playing Piano, got my first Bank Account, went abroad for the first time (Rome), completed GCSE's, started A-Levels, started learning Bassoon, joined Wiltshire & Swindon Youth Orchestra
Nothing interesting happened in the 90's so this is basically my complete life story!
2000: Completed Year 2
2001: Completed Year 3, diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome
2002: Completed Year 4
2003: Started playing Cello, completed Year 5
2004: Completed Primary School, started Secondary School, got my first Girlfriend
2005: Gave up playing Cello, completed Year 7
2006: Completed Year 8, joined GTPlanet
2007: Completed Year 9, re-started Cello, began GCSE's
2008: Completed Year 10
2009: Joined West Wiltshire Youth Orchestra, started playing Piano, got my first Bank Account, went abroad for the first time (Rome), completed GCSE's, started A-Levels, started learning Bassoon, joined Wiltshire & Swindon Youth Orchestra
Nothing interesting happened in the 90's so this is basically my complete life story!
- 180
- hambone8611
got charged with growing pot. got acquited. lost my buisness and went broke. started a new buisness and doing fair. devoriced bad wife. found good giral friend. dog got hit by car. had two grandsons. got new dog [english bulldog] so my decade was sort of a push. [i think i,m a brake evener]
- 1,572
- Famine's house.
- Milford_Cubicle
Memories of the past ten years? Oooh. Let me see:
2000: This was a bit of a poo year, I was pregnant to someone I didn't really want to be married to and I was doing a job I hated.
2001: Gave birth to my daughter, suffered with PND. My niece was born. Both my (elderly) grandparents passed away.
2002: Bought one of my most favourite cars, a Peugeot 205 GTi.
2003: Joined an internet forum which will remain nameless, this forum was to blame for my meeting Famine...
This is the year I lost my 16 year old cousin to SDS.
2004: Got divorced, began my nurse training. Was forced to sell my beloved Peugeot 205 GTi. Bought a Peugeot 309 GTi in its place. Then I bought my first MX-5.
2005: Moved from the North East to the South East (UK), changed universities and continued with my training. Dad stopped speaking to me and refused to have anything to do with me.
2006: I was in and out of a very crap relationship... then Famine and I became "proper" friends.
2007: Qualified as a nurse (got a 2:1 degree which I'm exceptionally proud of!), moved in with Famine. Took my first ever trip abroad (Iceland). Bought my second MX-5! Repaired the relationship with my Dad.
Dad-in-law to be passed away after quite a long battle with ill health.
2008: Bought a house, moved back "home" to the North East (UK). Travelled to Las Vegas for a most excellent holiday! Got the first ever job I actually enjoy...
2009: My daughter has a proper dad - Famine and I got married. Had a second excellent holiday in the US. Got given an Accord Type-R
I would like to point out that I have moved house approximately 10 times in the last decade. The equivalent of once per year...nice!
My plan for the next decade is to get a US nursing licence, get a job and emigrate
2000: This was a bit of a poo year, I was pregnant to someone I didn't really want to be married to and I was doing a job I hated.
2001: Gave birth to my daughter, suffered with PND. My niece was born. Both my (elderly) grandparents passed away.
2002: Bought one of my most favourite cars, a Peugeot 205 GTi.
2003: Joined an internet forum which will remain nameless, this forum was to blame for my meeting Famine...
This is the year I lost my 16 year old cousin to SDS.
2004: Got divorced, began my nurse training. Was forced to sell my beloved Peugeot 205 GTi. Bought a Peugeot 309 GTi in its place. Then I bought my first MX-5.
2005: Moved from the North East to the South East (UK), changed universities and continued with my training. Dad stopped speaking to me and refused to have anything to do with me.
2006: I was in and out of a very crap relationship... then Famine and I became "proper" friends.
2007: Qualified as a nurse (got a 2:1 degree which I'm exceptionally proud of!), moved in with Famine. Took my first ever trip abroad (Iceland). Bought my second MX-5! Repaired the relationship with my Dad.
Dad-in-law to be passed away after quite a long battle with ill health.
2008: Bought a house, moved back "home" to the North East (UK). Travelled to Las Vegas for a most excellent holiday! Got the first ever job I actually enjoy...
2009: My daughter has a proper dad - Famine and I got married. Had a second excellent holiday in the US. Got given an Accord Type-R
I would like to point out that I have moved house approximately 10 times in the last decade. The equivalent of once per year...nice!
My plan for the next decade is to get a US nursing licence, get a job and emigrate
Last edited:
- 6,534
- Lincoln
- Speedster502
I entered the decade being being 7 years old and have left it being 17.
Good Stuff:
The Bad:
The low moments were low, but the good moments were far greater and overcame the bad bits. There are more good things but I'm sure you wouldn't want to read it all, things like MPH and otherstuff which changed my life too. So I'd say my decade was pretty good.
Good Stuff:
- Nothing really happened if I'm honest until secondary school started, if I'm honest it wasn't brilliant in it's early years but I learnt alot about myself and of course maybe some facts and stuff too.
- I'm not sure whether this is a good or bad thing but I got my first ever games console (PS2) in something like 2004 or 2005 I can't remember. Either way, I was hooked on gaming. For quite some time too...
- In 2007 I joined this place, although it might not seem like a huge point, it did make a difference, I got hooked on GT4 especially the photomode. This was, if I'm honest, where I learnt most of my Photoshop skills.
- We moved home, my Dad works for the RAF so we had lived in RAF homes for several years, this was my first experience of moving home. Although our current home is amazing, it's nice and I like it. It's what I want from a home.
- I got into photography, this was a major step in my life really, I got my first ever digital camera in 2007 and quickly got to grasps with it. This was the beginning of my first "real" hobby.
- I did work experience, this changed my life, I found a job that I could quite easily do and I enjoyed it so much that the company invited my back for a summer job. It was a great summer and I made a nice bit of cash out of it too. I made some great friends there too, it probably improved confidence levels as well.
- I started to get into music. For several years I never expressed an interest in music and then it all happened in the space of about a year. Kaiser Chiefs were the band which started it, then Foo Fighters and I moved onto Muse shortly afterwards but something did happen inbetween.
- I learnt to play guitar. Boy this was a big step, I love it. If I'm ever feeling down, angry, happy, sad, excited, whatever the mood I can always relate to playing guitar. It is my favourite hobby, and I spend a lot of time doing it a couple of hours each day and depending on how I'm feeling it can be more.
- My GCSE's. I'm sure they weren't supposed to be fun, but during the time leading up to the exams was probably my best times in the whole of my time in secondary school. There was something about it I enjoyed.
- My GCSE results! I was dead chuffed with them 3 A*s 4 A's 4 C's and 1 D I worked hard to get them and when projects such as the Graphics project where I did a survey (on GTPlanet) which many of you contributed to got a A* (coursework) I was very happy. My hard work paid off.
- I started a course in Art and Design at Lincoln College, I'm really enjoying the course at the moment and it was definately the right choice.
The Bad:
- We had a car accident in 2002 which was pretty bad, and changed my outlook on driving for quite some time. Even now I'm not quite over certain elements of it. It put me off being driven at night for pretty much ever and I can't get over how much chaos it caused despite no-one being injured.
- We had another car accident...this time someone's exhaust box fell off their car and bounced down the hill towards us. There was nothing we could do but take the box dead on. But it was scary enough seeing a part of a car bouncing down a road, knowing that your going to hit it.
- We bought a caravan....Nah joking, I like our caravan.
- Grandad passing away was a pretty big moment, it wasn't like we weren't expecting it to happen. He was just seemed to be the leader of the family, a role which no-one has yet filled.
- Elsa passing away was a big moment, Elsa was my dog, some of the GT4 Photomode people might remember me doing a update dedicated to her. On the note of animals, Felix one of my cats passed away too.
- Tiger. Yes another pet, but this one was special. We got him as a tiny kitten and me and him had quite a strong bond we used to sit together and watch TV and he would bring me dead animals, charming as it sounds he never did it to anyone else. As a cat owner you see it as a sign of affection. He went missing about a year ago, yet again I did a thread on it here, not that anything would happen. So yeah he went missing and never returned. It was a particularly low moment.
The low moments were low, but the good moments were far greater and overcame the bad bits. There are more good things but I'm sure you wouldn't want to read it all, things like MPH and otherstuff which changed my life too. So I'd say my decade was pretty good.
- 2,760
Okay, here goes nothing:
THE GOOD:
Got married to my wife.
Moved into a great house.
Brought two fantastic dogs into my life.
Graduated both Uni and Teacher's College.
Got hooked on fine beer.
Visited Cuba for my honeymoon and realized how little money and happiness have to do with one other.
Escaped major injury and illness for the entire decade.
THE BAD
The horrible job market for new teachers at home.
Had to buy a minivan.
My mother's continuously deteriorating health.
The stress of moving house twice in one year.
THE GOOD:
Got married to my wife.
Moved into a great house.
Brought two fantastic dogs into my life.
Graduated both Uni and Teacher's College.
Got hooked on fine beer.
Visited Cuba for my honeymoon and realized how little money and happiness have to do with one other.
Escaped major injury and illness for the entire decade.
THE BAD
The horrible job market for new teachers at home.
Had to buy a minivan.
My mother's continuously deteriorating health.
The stress of moving house twice in one year.
- 23,800
- Philippines
Entered at 24, leaving at 34.
The Good:
- Gran Turismo 3 finished (nearly... I'm not going to repeat all those races due to some damn bug)
- 5th to 15th year with my one and only.
- Got promotion and interesting work in 01
- Married in 04
- Kid in 05
- Uncurable internet addiction
- Gran Turismo 4 nearly finished
- Started writing soft porn... errh... magazine articles in 05-06
- Got to drive a whole lot of cars I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to drive
The Bad
- Got diabetes in 01 due to very stressful interesting work.
- Very first car wreck in 04... you don't expect these things to happen to you when you preach road safety to your drunken friends... especially not on the night of your bachelor's party.
- Gran Turismo causes numerous bouts of murderous rage in significant other
- Not paid for internet writing.
- Oh... and who's paying for the gas on all these road tests?
- Flooded out of house twice, house nearly burns down right after the wedding... nearly went bankrupt building and rebuilding the damn thing... but that's part and parcel of living in typhoon alley.
- Wife gets sick. Kidney scare. Probably some of the scariest 6 months of my life.
-
Some good, some bad. Wouldn't trade it for the world. Having a wife and daughter I love dearly makes up for any of the bad stuff that happens along the way.
And at the very end of the 00's, I've got three or four different businesses and jobs that are on the cusp of starting up... after you've hit rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up.
The Good:
- Gran Turismo 3 finished (nearly... I'm not going to repeat all those races due to some damn bug)
- 5th to 15th year with my one and only.
- Got promotion and interesting work in 01
- Married in 04
- Kid in 05
- Uncurable internet addiction
- Gran Turismo 4 nearly finished
- Started writing soft porn... errh... magazine articles in 05-06
- Got to drive a whole lot of cars I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to drive
The Bad
- Got diabetes in 01 due to very stressful interesting work.
- Very first car wreck in 04... you don't expect these things to happen to you when you preach road safety to your drunken friends... especially not on the night of your bachelor's party.
- Gran Turismo causes numerous bouts of murderous rage in significant other
- Not paid for internet writing.
- Oh... and who's paying for the gas on all these road tests?
- Flooded out of house twice, house nearly burns down right after the wedding... nearly went bankrupt building and rebuilding the damn thing... but that's part and parcel of living in typhoon alley.
- Wife gets sick. Kidney scare. Probably some of the scariest 6 months of my life.
-
Some good, some bad. Wouldn't trade it for the world. Having a wife and daughter I love dearly makes up for any of the bad stuff that happens along the way.
And at the very end of the 00's, I've got three or four different businesses and jobs that are on the cusp of starting up... after you've hit rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up.
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- 226
You want to go into Afghanistan? Why? to kill innocent people and oppress the Afghanis? You are fighting a lost cause, Al Qaeda and Taliban have been kicking your backsides for 7+ years even though they have limited weaponry whilst you terrorists have state of the art equipment, Get real, you aint never going to get rid of them
I aint no Al qaeda/Taliban supporter, i hate them and i hate all these terrorist US /UK etc armies who invade countries for nowt
Its an absolute tragedy and for that reason the last 10 years have been an absolute disaster for humanity.
- 251
- Colorado
- T_Allen_ , GTP_AllenT2
I agree, just look at the Demographics. speaking only of course of radical islam that may represent a small % of islam in its whole
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrA_9SoCitk
+ I may not agree with everything you say but I represnt the 1.5% of the population that will put our lives on the line for your right to say it.
I also would like to see a world where America had a role more in line with its own national sovereignty but thats not the world we live in any more and with globalization on the rise that may never be the case.
Sorry for disrupting the thread but i felt the urge to answer the man.
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- 29,009
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
Some great posts in this thread 👍
For me, the Noughties were a tale of two cities: Glasgow and London. I began and ended the decade in Glasgow, but spent most of the decade (just over six years) living and working in London. The highlights have been the birth of my nephew and being able to spend loads of time with him in his first 18 months of life... he's crawling all over his grandad as I type! Some personal highlights were getting my Ph.D and publishing a paper on my work on the peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease. Also, being Best Man at the weddings of two close friends was an honour and a great experience that I'll never forget. My years in London were great fun and I was lucky enough to make loads of great friends, meaning that my 30th birthday remains one of my fondest memories. More recently, being able to return to Scotland and be nearer to my old friends and family has been a massive boost.
I consider myself very fortunate to be able to say that this decade has been very good to me and my family, and I have no major complaints or regrets. That said, there have been a few setbacks - failing to secure a permanent post in London being a major one, although ironically this has allowed me to be back in Scotland for the last 2 years, which I wouldn't have missed for the world. I have somehow managed to remain single, which in itself is no reason for complaint, but it does mean that my ultimate goal of having a family of my own seems further away than ever. I have also lost both grandparents and a couple of friends to cancer in the last half of the decade, and my cousin is currently battling against his own cancer, meaning that this new year/decade comes with exremely mixed feelings for my family.
Still, I can only hope that the years 2010-2019 are as enjoyable as 2000-2009 were, although they will certainly be very different.
For me, the Noughties were a tale of two cities: Glasgow and London. I began and ended the decade in Glasgow, but spent most of the decade (just over six years) living and working in London. The highlights have been the birth of my nephew and being able to spend loads of time with him in his first 18 months of life... he's crawling all over his grandad as I type! Some personal highlights were getting my Ph.D and publishing a paper on my work on the peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease. Also, being Best Man at the weddings of two close friends was an honour and a great experience that I'll never forget. My years in London were great fun and I was lucky enough to make loads of great friends, meaning that my 30th birthday remains one of my fondest memories. More recently, being able to return to Scotland and be nearer to my old friends and family has been a massive boost.
I consider myself very fortunate to be able to say that this decade has been very good to me and my family, and I have no major complaints or regrets. That said, there have been a few setbacks - failing to secure a permanent post in London being a major one, although ironically this has allowed me to be back in Scotland for the last 2 years, which I wouldn't have missed for the world. I have somehow managed to remain single, which in itself is no reason for complaint, but it does mean that my ultimate goal of having a family of my own seems further away than ever. I have also lost both grandparents and a couple of friends to cancer in the last half of the decade, and my cousin is currently battling against his own cancer, meaning that this new year/decade comes with exremely mixed feelings for my family.
Still, I can only hope that the years 2010-2019 are as enjoyable as 2000-2009 were, although they will certainly be very different.
- 223
Yeah, I agree. I made that exact mistake by insulting "Solid Lifters" and his beliefs. Sorry if you're reading this, SL.
Anyway, December 31st 2009 ended with a new partner and hopefully this one will last, I really like her and I hope my interfering t*rt of an ex doesn't butt in.
But, 2009 was hopefully the start of a new era of my life
I hope you all have an equally prosperous 2010.By the way, what is this decade called? the Tweenies?
Irons
(Banned)
- 745
- 'Merica
- GTP_Irons / ThrasherDBS
- You're Funny
I think Touring Mars put it best by calling it the "Noughties". Although, it's going to be hard explaining to my friends that "nought" is the same thing as "zero". That and it'll be easily confused with the "Nineties". Seeing as how nobody's found a better term, that's what I'll stick with.Danster
- 10,373
- Manchester
- Ardius_
Hmm
Highs:
Being accepted into grammar school, decent GCSE results, okish A-level results, being accepted into university and doing fairly well (so far).
Various holidays, first holiday travelling on my own (to the USA to stay with my brother for 2 weeks).
First job
The many friends I have made despite losing contact with old ones all too often.
One of my brother's marriage (and another coming up)
Lows:
Dad attempted suicide (he's ok now)
Lost one grandad I miss dearly
Lost an uncle I never really appreciated as much as I felt I should have (another suicide)
Various health problems throughout the family
One grandma with dementia at the moment
Parents divorced
Slowly having to rely on wearing glasses all the time
Friendships that have faded through distance (mostly disappearing to uni)
Much wasting love
I can't really sum up all the good experiences I had this decade, as there were so many from attending many motorsport meetings to smaller achievements like Duke of Edinburgh's award (Bronze). So it may seem a little one-sided with lows but I think I've had a good decade overall, so much emotion good and bad and I feel I've come out a stronger character because of it. So many things I am more considerate for than I was back in 2000 and I feel I've steadily achieved life goals. I do not regret much.
Highs:
Being accepted into grammar school, decent GCSE results, okish A-level results, being accepted into university and doing fairly well (so far).
Various holidays, first holiday travelling on my own (to the USA to stay with my brother for 2 weeks).
First job
The many friends I have made despite losing contact with old ones all too often.
One of my brother's marriage (and another coming up)
Lows:
Dad attempted suicide (he's ok now)
Lost one grandad I miss dearly
Lost an uncle I never really appreciated as much as I felt I should have (another suicide)
Various health problems throughout the family
One grandma with dementia at the moment
Parents divorced
Slowly having to rely on wearing glasses all the time
Friendships that have faded through distance (mostly disappearing to uni)
Much wasting love
I can't really sum up all the good experiences I had this decade, as there were so many from attending many motorsport meetings to smaller achievements like Duke of Edinburgh's award (Bronze). So it may seem a little one-sided with lows but I think I've had a good decade overall, so much emotion good and bad and I feel I've come out a stronger character because of it. So many things I am more considerate for than I was back in 2000 and I feel I've steadily achieved life goals. I do not regret much.
- 746
- Newcastle NSW
Good
- watching Zoe and Jack grow up
- watching Zoe dance
- going to university
- internet - opened a whole new world to me, made many friends and reconnected with old ones
- getting my finances on track
- renovating my house
- Camping in Flinders Ranges
- Holiday to Bali
- Zoe's ongoing ear problems finally being fixed (15 years of surgery twice a year finally pay off)
- Jack getting his Learners Permit (hopefully by the end of this decade I can add him getting his licence to the 'good' list)
- Zoe becoming a nurse
- Jack getting a job
- turning 40+
- dropping out of uni - mainly caused by stress due to financial problems
- internet - took over my life for quite a while
- having my heart broken a few too many times
- losing my best friend to another woman - not that there is anything wrong with switching sides it was the person she chose to switch sides with
- Zoe moving interstate (moving out of home = good, moving 1500kms away = bad)
Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
(Don't worry it's not all going to be a week-by-week account of the Decade!! It just helps to know the beginning!!!)
My decade began back in England, although not for long, I spent the 3rd week of January 2000 in Dubai on business, flying out on the Friday 15th to begin work on the Saturday as the Islamic "weekend" is Thurs/Fri!
I'd had a move to the USA in the back of my mind for a while, but was holding out for a trip to Japan before I did...
Given that I was spending so much time in the USA anyway (20 weeks of 1999) it seemed like a good thing to consider, (salary higher, cost of living less) and with no sign of a trip to Japan forthcoming coupled with the huge argument I'd had with my new boss at the end of November 1999, I'd decided I didn't want to work for him anymore and thus brought forth the plans to secure a US based position...
(Despite not turning down any business trips during 1999 {28 weeks outside UK in all!!!} and taking on other people's too so they could take vacation, the guy had the gall to say I'd planned things poorly when I reached December with 3 weeks "use-it-or-lose-it" vacation time remaining. I had just offered to work during December {a busy month due to it's relative shortness as the factory closes down for 2 weeks between Xmas & New year, meaning that what normally gets done in 30 days in a normal month has to be finished by Christmas Eve.} if he'd be willing to compensate me for it by buying back my unused vacation time. When he dropped the "it's your fault" bomshell, I booked the 3 weeks preceding Xmas off, dovetailling 3 weeks of vacation into 2 weeks of mandatory Xmas holiday and left with a "See you in January!" comment.
He was livid! Serves him right for being a knob about it I suppose.
This was also coupled with him calling me out for spending $400 on a customer entertainment meal, somewhat unjustly. Here's how things work: For each instrument that we installed it was generally expected that we took 1 or 2 representatives out for dinner during the install and were not expected to spend more than $150. I'd been on the same customer site for 4 weeks, in Austin, TX in November 1999 installing 4 new systems (out of 6 system $1.5 million order they'd placed on the back of the data they'd got from an initial system I'd installed for them in June 1999 and they'd especially made it clear they wanted me (not any other engineer) back to do the November startups. Instead of taking 4 trips out {1 for each system} I took 8 people out to dinner at once mid-way through the 4th week. 1 of them was the company owner (a fellow Brit), who collected me from the hotel in a 1939 right-hand drive coachbuilt Rolls-Royce he'd imported from England with him! $400 for dinner for 9 people seemed pretty reasonable (and under the technical $600 {4 x $150} limit that I was supposedly bound to) given the customer's $1.5 million spent! Somehow my boss didn't see it that way and bollocked me in front of my co-workers for such an extravagant meal, refusing to listen to any of my reasoning and at the time outright refusing to discuss my vacation situation (that happened the following week!)
Starting to see why I no longer wanted to work for him?!!!)
Arrived back in UK from Dubai on Jan 21st and my passport shows I arrived in Boston on Jan 25th!!! I didn't leave the USA until April 7th!!! Again 10 weeks of business, not a job refused, but all the while unable to use any of my vacation time! See why it was difficult to plan vacation time?
During these 10 weeks I interviewed (I say "interviewed", I asked the Service Manager if he was still interested in hiring a factory pre-trained engineer and he asked 2 questions: What salary are you after? & When can you start?!!!) with the US service operation. I was offered a position in Cincinnatti (Still can't spell it properly either!) which I was OK with (anything not to be working for the guy in UK), but really wanted SF area, and they knew that.
Started the US Visa application process when I returned to UK. Shortly afterwards I did finally (I'd been waiting 3 years) get sent out to Japan for 2 weeks at the end of April 2000.
Once again, my passport shows I returned to UK from Japan on Saturday May 6th and by Sunday 14th May I was back in USA for another 3 week business trip!
Took a windsurfing vacation in June, followed by another business trip to Slovenia for a week at the end of the month. With US Visa progressing nicely I decided it was time to break the news to my boss, with my letter of resignation (4-weeks working notification) and transfer to US. He wasn't best pleased. I was his most experienced engineer left after the 3 guys who started on the same day as me had all also sought alternative positions within the company after deciding they too couldn't work for this guy!
He first begged me to stay, secondly told me I had to stay to train new guys, and thirdly even threatened to try and sabotage my transfer by saying he could put a bad word in for me with upper management so that the US operation wouldn't hire me!
Perhaps not surprisingly he didn't really have an answer when I replied "Honestly, if you were so small-minded and petty to try something like that and ruin my career decision, what the hell makes you think that I'd actually stay and work for you?!!!" Yup, he was that kind of guy.
Preparations were full-steam ahead, and I got a phone call in the UK factory about 2 weeks before I was due to leave... "I think I know the answer, but I have to check" said my new boss, "We know you're preparing for Ohio, but a vacancy has come up in SF area, would you like that instead?"
I can't say it's the longest decision time I've ever taken. I think I'd said yes before he'd finished the question!!!
Best news of 2000! So I thought, and I booked my flight for Aug 27th.
Better yet was to come! My final week in UK was spent running a class for other engineers. I took them out in the city on Friday night, as well as many of my co-workers who knew it was my "leaving-do".
I met my "wife-to-be" in a bar that night, just 48 hours before leaving England! D'oh!
Thankfully the world is a small place now thanks to good international phone service, e-mails, internet & jetplanes!
It was easy to keep in touch. 👍
We did the long distance thing for 2 1/2 years. 3 months together (she came out here) 3 months apart, etc. before marrying in 2003.
Sorry about the long windedness, but that's how I came to be here!
The rest (highs & lows):
What was supposed to be a 3-year temporary contract has now turned into permanent Green-Card employment, and I've completed my first decade in the USA (more-or-less)! Definitely a positive.
I'm still enjoying the work! (Possibly positive, possibly insanity.)
I've learned to snowboard thanks to our proximity to Tahoe! Definitely a positive.
We bought our first house in 2006! Definitely a positive. (Although we bought at the peak of the market which isn't so good!!! 👎)
We celebrated 6 years of marriage! Definitely a positive.
I bought a Miata & a 911. Definitely a positive. 👍👍
I've met a tonne of wonderful folks through
both online and in person at 2 UKGTP meetings and 5 SFGTPs. Definitely a positive. 👍
We've had almost all of our immediate families visit us out here. Definitely a positive. (Wouldn't have happened if I'd been in Ohio!!)
Saw both my siblings get married. 👍
My niece (my sister's daughter) & nephew (my brother's son) were born just 9 days apart in Dec 2008. Definitely a positive.
We make (I go more regularly than itgirlxx due to work) regular trips back to UK to see family & friends. Good & Bad - great to be there & see everyone but it's a long & expensive journey!
Had some awesome holidays, Aruba for our honeymoon, whisky-trail in Scotland, roadtrips to Eastern Sierra Nevada / Grand-Canyon / Southern Utah National Parks (in the Miata) and the Northern California Coast / Oregon Coast / Portland brewery tour (in the Porsche.)
I never have to work on my birthday anymore & I get free fireworks every year!!
The only downside to work here I can think of is the reduced vacation allowance in the USA (I'm back up to 4 weeks now as I've completed over 10 years with the company) but I left 25 days plus more holidays behind in UK! Oh well, you can't have it all ways.
The one big, big low of the decade for me was the loss of my Grandad on Christmas Eve 2007, just 1 day after his 88th birthday.
So that's it, bye-bye "The Noughties" entered at 25, left at 35. All in all a great experience and I'm hoping the next decade brings new challenges and as much fun as the last.
*Edit* Almost forgot...(as if this post needs to be any longer.
)
We toasted the end of the old decade & the beginning of the new in style:
Yeah that's a 1/3rd sized bottle (not huge glasses!) we got from the Glenfiddich Distillery a couple of years ago and had been saving for a significant event. I've been dying to try it since I read about it, but have been remarkably restrained in being tempted to crack it open as it's a tad on the pricey side. Gorgeous though...
My decade began back in England, although not for long, I spent the 3rd week of January 2000 in Dubai on business, flying out on the Friday 15th to begin work on the Saturday as the Islamic "weekend" is Thurs/Fri!
I'd had a move to the USA in the back of my mind for a while, but was holding out for a trip to Japan before I did...
Given that I was spending so much time in the USA anyway (20 weeks of 1999) it seemed like a good thing to consider, (salary higher, cost of living less) and with no sign of a trip to Japan forthcoming coupled with the huge argument I'd had with my new boss at the end of November 1999, I'd decided I didn't want to work for him anymore and thus brought forth the plans to secure a US based position...
(Despite not turning down any business trips during 1999 {28 weeks outside UK in all!!!} and taking on other people's too so they could take vacation, the guy had the gall to say I'd planned things poorly when I reached December with 3 weeks "use-it-or-lose-it" vacation time remaining. I had just offered to work during December {a busy month due to it's relative shortness as the factory closes down for 2 weeks between Xmas & New year, meaning that what normally gets done in 30 days in a normal month has to be finished by Christmas Eve.} if he'd be willing to compensate me for it by buying back my unused vacation time. When he dropped the "it's your fault" bomshell, I booked the 3 weeks preceding Xmas off, dovetailling 3 weeks of vacation into 2 weeks of mandatory Xmas holiday and left with a "See you in January!" comment.
He was livid!
Serves him right for being a knob about it I suppose. This was also coupled with him calling me out for spending $400 on a customer entertainment meal, somewhat unjustly. Here's how things work: For each instrument that we installed it was generally expected that we took 1 or 2 representatives out for dinner during the install and were not expected to spend more than $150. I'd been on the same customer site for 4 weeks, in Austin, TX in November 1999 installing 4 new systems (out of 6 system $1.5 million order they'd placed on the back of the data they'd got from an initial system I'd installed for them in June 1999 and they'd especially made it clear they wanted me (not any other engineer) back to do the November startups. Instead of taking 4 trips out {1 for each system} I took 8 people out to dinner at once mid-way through the 4th week. 1 of them was the company owner (a fellow Brit), who collected me from the hotel in a 1939 right-hand drive coachbuilt Rolls-Royce he'd imported from England with him! $400 for dinner for 9 people seemed pretty reasonable (and under the technical $600 {4 x $150} limit that I was supposedly bound to) given the customer's $1.5 million spent! Somehow my boss didn't see it that way and bollocked me in front of my co-workers for such an extravagant meal, refusing to listen to any of my reasoning and at the time outright refusing to discuss my vacation situation (that happened the following week!)
Starting to see why I no longer wanted to work for him?!!!)Arrived back in UK from Dubai on Jan 21st and my passport shows I arrived in Boston on Jan 25th!!! I didn't leave the USA until April 7th!!! Again 10 weeks of business, not a job refused, but all the while unable to use any of my vacation time! See why it was difficult to plan vacation time?
During these 10 weeks I interviewed (I say "interviewed", I asked the Service Manager if he was still interested in hiring a factory pre-trained engineer and he asked 2 questions: What salary are you after? & When can you start?!!!) with the US service operation. I was offered a position in Cincinnatti (Still can't spell it properly either!) which I was OK with (anything not to be working for the guy in UK), but really wanted SF area, and they knew that.
Started the US Visa application process when I returned to UK. Shortly afterwards I did finally (I'd been waiting 3 years) get sent out to Japan for 2 weeks at the end of April 2000.
Once again, my passport shows I returned to UK from Japan on Saturday May 6th and by Sunday 14th May I was back in USA for another 3 week business trip!
Took a windsurfing vacation in June, followed by another business trip to Slovenia for a week at the end of the month. With US Visa progressing nicely I decided it was time to break the news to my boss, with my letter of resignation (4-weeks working notification) and transfer to US. He wasn't best pleased. I was his most experienced engineer left after the 3 guys who started on the same day as me had all also sought alternative positions within the company after deciding they too couldn't work for this guy!
He first begged me to stay, secondly told me I had to stay to train new guys, and thirdly even threatened to try and sabotage my transfer by saying he could put a bad word in for me with upper management so that the US operation wouldn't hire me!
Perhaps not surprisingly he didn't really have an answer when I replied "Honestly, if you were so small-minded and petty to try something like that and ruin my career decision, what the hell makes you think that I'd actually stay and work for you?!!!" Yup, he was that kind of guy.
Preparations were full-steam ahead, and I got a phone call in the UK factory about 2 weeks before I was due to leave... "I think I know the answer, but I have to check" said my new boss, "We know you're preparing for Ohio, but a vacancy has come up in SF area, would you like that instead?"
I can't say it's the longest decision time I've ever taken. I think I'd said yes before he'd finished the question!!!
Best news of 2000! So I thought, and I booked my flight for Aug 27th.
Better yet was to come! My final week in UK was spent running a class for other engineers. I took them out in the city on Friday night, as well as many of my co-workers who knew it was my "leaving-do".
I met my "wife-to-be" in a bar that night, just 48 hours before leaving England! D'oh!
Thankfully the world is a small place now thanks to good international phone service, e-mails, internet & jetplanes!
It was easy to keep in touch. 👍
We did the long distance thing for 2 1/2 years. 3 months together (she came out here) 3 months apart, etc. before marrying in 2003.
Sorry about the long windedness, but that's how I came to be here!
The rest (highs & lows):
What was supposed to be a 3-year temporary contract has now turned into permanent Green-Card employment, and I've completed my first decade in the USA (more-or-less)! Definitely a positive.
I'm still enjoying the work! (Possibly positive, possibly insanity.
)I've learned to snowboard thanks to our proximity to Tahoe! Definitely a positive.
We bought our first house in 2006! Definitely a positive. (Although we bought at the peak of the market which isn't so good!!! 👎)
We celebrated 6 years of marriage! Definitely a positive.
I bought a Miata & a 911. Definitely a positive. 👍👍
I've met a tonne of wonderful folks through
both online and in person at 2 UKGTP meetings and 5 SFGTPs. Definitely a positive. 👍We've had almost all of our immediate families visit us out here. Definitely a positive. (Wouldn't have happened if I'd been in Ohio!!)
Saw both my siblings get married. 👍
My niece (my sister's daughter) & nephew (my brother's son) were born just 9 days apart in Dec 2008. Definitely a positive.
We make (I go more regularly than itgirlxx due to work) regular trips back to UK to see family & friends. Good & Bad - great to be there & see everyone but it's a long & expensive journey!
Had some awesome holidays, Aruba for our honeymoon, whisky-trail in Scotland, roadtrips to Eastern Sierra Nevada / Grand-Canyon / Southern Utah National Parks (in the Miata) and the Northern California Coast / Oregon Coast / Portland brewery tour (in the Porsche.)
I never have to work on my birthday anymore & I get free fireworks every year!!
The only downside to work here I can think of is the reduced vacation allowance in the USA (I'm back up to 4 weeks now as I've completed over 10 years with the company) but I left 25 days plus more holidays behind in UK! Oh well, you can't have it all ways.
The one big, big low of the decade for me was the loss of my Grandad on Christmas Eve 2007, just 1 day after his 88th birthday.
So that's it, bye-bye "The Noughties" entered at 25, left at 35. All in all a great experience and I'm hoping the next decade brings new challenges and as much fun as the last.
*Edit* Almost forgot...(as if this post needs to be any longer.
)We toasted the end of the old decade & the beginning of the new in style:
Yeah that's a 1/3rd sized bottle (not huge glasses!
) we got from the Glenfiddich Distillery a couple of years ago and had been saving for a significant event. I've been dying to try it since I read about it, but have been remarkably restrained in being tempted to crack it open as it's a tad on the pricey side. Gorgeous though...
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