2003's Round-up

Season's Greetings! – Last year I was inspired by a friend to write a little blurb on how my year had gone. It was surprisingly therapeutic for me, and it in turn inspired others to do the same. And so, here now is a not-so-little blurb on 2003 in the life of Cecilia.

I started 2003 with anticipation that my maternity-leave contract as an admin assistant would finally yield a permanent job at E&Y after almost 4 years of temping; but it was not to be. The last 9 months of the contract were so completely horrible (largely due to the unexpected discovery that my boss was a Class-A arsehole) that it became bluntly clear that a career as support staff was not for me.

Leaving E&Y in September was very sad because it meant leaving behind all the great friends I had come to know and enjoy working with. I was given a truly fantabulous send-off by my E&Y posse, which included a generous gift certificate to a Spa (sweet!!), and rockin' 5 à 7 that is now ranked #2 on my list of Greatest Drinking Nights of all time.

While in search of my calling, I took some courses in HR and Public Relations earlier on in the year that didn't do much to inspire me. Then in August, it finally happened - I had an epiphany. I spent a weekend with my good friend Shaz and her associate, Wendy, and through talking with them, I started to see a place for myself in their world… the realm of podiatry. From that weekend, I came up with my Master Plan (in a nutshell: a combo of qualified foot care and Reflexology) that will hopefully be the catalyst to leaving the corporate world behind and begin a career where I will eventually become my own boss, make my own schedule, and help people. And no, I don't have a foot fetish. For the first time in almost 10 years, I feel excited about the future.

2003 was also the year I realized a dream - at long last, I went to Cape Cod. Charles put me in charge of planning our trip to Cape Cod (accommodations and activities), telling me this was going to be the ultimate girlfriend vacation where I could do anything and everything I wanted. Plans were also to include my second comic book convention, this one at Madison Square Garden in late June, where I got to see Star Trek's Uhura and Dirk Benedict of A-Team fame!) Our first stop was an overnight stay at his mom's place in Plattsburgh where we indulged in a midnight skinny dip in the pool before setting off for the Big Apple. The highlight of New York City was a magical, long-awaited traipse through Central Park, where we even took a 2-hour nap next to The Pond.

Cape Cod was everything I had imagined and hoped it would be. Since my friend Adrian Piggot from summer camp told me about her vacation to the Cape back when I was 14, I longed to go there. With some travel books and very helpful hints from several co-workers in hand, I decided on a campsite in North Truro, and a schedule that included loads of swimming and tanning, and pinch of whale watching in nearby Provincetown.

Our first visit to Provincetown (which may be considered to be the East Coast's San Francisco - i.e. g a y) we came across a young man playing guitar on a curb who gave Charles some advice on how to obtain a free license to perform in the streets. So the next day we were off to the police station where we successfully acquired said license. Charles, with guitar in hand, searched for an ideal place for us to play/sing --err, you want me to sing?? I wasn't too keen on the singing in public angle so we ended up perched on a beached boat by the pier, performing for a toddler and his dad who knew all the words to Tiny Dancer!

This vacation was indeed spectacular in every sense.
True to Charles' word, I got to do everything I wanted. He even surprised me with a Claddagh ring, putting the "ultimate" in ultimate girlfriend vacation. Of course Charles' favorite story to tell is how on our last day we had planned to get up at the crack of dawn to pack up and zoom homeward bound. My plan included a mini-stop to a lighthouse on the Atlantic coast so we could watch the sunrise… but since getting up early isn't my forté, by the time we got up (which was pretty damn dawn-crackish) the sun was already up and so my mini detour was cancelled.
With a pout and a whine that, according to Charles expressed "we never get to do what I want to do", I protested, claiming I didn't get up this early to not go see the sun rise. I realized I was being a tad unreasonable when Charles pointed to the sky and said "Cecilia, the sun is up". Barring this minor cloud on our supreme adventure, we truly had an unforgettable time.

Other 2003 highlights included going to see Bruce Springsteen at the Bell Centre in April; learning that Charles' script was finally accepted and will be made into a film sometime next year; and being asked to return to E&Y in October to work for a big-cheese partner when his AA broke her leg (ohmigosh - he asked for me by name!). Working for him was a joy. It helped resolve my feelings of inadequacy as an admin, as well as disperse any doubts about my new path.

Friendships have once again been the shining light of the year. Those who have moved away or passed on are never forgotten; they are treasured in my heart always. They help me appreciate the ones who are still here, the ones who enrich my life ever so subtly every day.

All in all it was a year of many pivotal ups and downs. Here's hoping 2004 is just as rewarding.

My most sincere best wishes to you and yours. Happy Holidays!
Cecilia