The one that started it all
2002 – Cecilia’s year in review
OK, so I have never done this before. By “this” I mean a general e-mail/letter that goes out to all my friends at the end of the year so you know what I’ve been up to. I thought it might be nice to give it a try, maybe rekindle contact with those I haven’t heard from in a while (you know who you are)… not that I have that much to report but anyway, here goes... BTW, I am secretly hoping this will inspire you to give it a go yourself and let me know how you are doing, especially if we have lost touch. If I speak to or see you on a regular basis, especially you Stef, it’s definitely time we go for a beer.
2002 started off in a big way. My dad, who was working on contract in Africa until last week, invited me and my brother to fly down with him and my mom to visit some of the sights of South Africa. I was only there for 2 weeks, but OH-my-God, it was truly a trip of a life time. We mostly stayed at my dad’s place in Jo’burg (Johannesburg) and the many many lovely shopping malls of the surrounding area, but we also managed to magically whisk ourselves away to Pretoria, Pilanesburg, Sun City, and to Victoria Falls. Some of the highlights of the trip – I won some money at the Sun City Casino (4 or 6 hundred Rand which equals roughly 40 bucks, I think), seeing many animals in dah wild (even elephants and baboons walking on the side of the road), holding a lion cub (pee-u), white water rafting at Victoria Falls (the highlight of this highlight was not drowning when I fell out of the raft and actually making it out of the 300 foot gorge for our ride home), seeing African performers dance and sing in a traditional African style, and of course the many many lovely shopping malls and African arts and crafts. OK, so it was hard coming back to the winter and work, and I didn’t even have an amazing tan to show off (Africa is too hot for any kind of tanning, BELIEVE me).
The rest of the year was mild in comparison. I went to Philadelphia in May for a comic book convention ( yes, because of Charles) where I met, among many many comic book artists and writers I never heard of before in my life, Lou Ferrigno a.k.a. the Incredible Hulk, and Kevin Smith, famed writer and director of such flicks as Dogma, Clerks, and the classic Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. Truth be told, I had a great time even though me feet were pulsating puddles of raw flesh by the end of the day. I hope we go again in 2003!
Wow, this e-mail is getting pretty long… ok, what else happened… my sister and Jorge got re-married when my dad was in town, this time with a lovely church ceremony with a small group of guests. And my brother got accepted into Photography at Dawson, I was so happy and proud! Some of the work he has done this year has really impressed me. Ah, to be young again…
In the “work” department a lot of things happened. I became really good friends with a couple of peeps at work, some of whom eventually warmed up to my daily onslaught of shenanigans… like getting the window washers to deliver a message to someone on the 24th floor, and sending/receiving edible treats in internal mail (doughnuts), or the now famous SuperJuice for Super Gals a.k.a. V8 --complete with personalized instructions. Sadly, many a friend has left the firm for greener pastures. One even took off for Boston to study his PhD at MIT in Philosophy. I didn’t even know MIT had a philosophy department. As for me, well, after a couple years of working as a temp at Ernst & Young and getting involved in as many committees as possible (can you say lunch meeting?), I scored a year contract replacing an admin assistant who is on maternity leave until September 2003 and so far I love this job. I don’t see how I will be able to do any replacing after this. It’s time to be an executive, I say.
I took a couple of classes throughout the year, but nothing to write home about. My new plan is to take yoga or at least concentrate on going to the gym regularly, which I know I have said a million times but now that I have Charles who goads me on every day, how can I possibly say no after all the complaining about having to buy a new wardrobe because nothing fits. *Sigh* Charles, as always, has been a rock and an inspiration throughout it all and I thank my lucky stars everyday that he is in my life. Plus he tortures me with tickle-a-thons and is constantly trying to stick his finger in my belly button, which I profess I can’t stand, but secretly relish… still, me think he knows.
Indeed the saddest day of the year was learning that my good friend Mitchell passed away suddenly and totally unexpectedly in May. Ironically, the loss itself has been the seed for new friendships (it’s how I met Maureen and became reacquainted with some old friends, Dee and Peter) as well as a reminder that any day things might suddenly change and I might not get to say the things I wanted say… Corny, I know, but if there is one thing you could always count on Mitchell for, it was his dedication and affinity for cultivating and maintaining friendships around the world and, in the end, there is nothing corny about that. And so it is with Mitchell in mind that I say to you here and now that if you have received this e-mail from me, it is because I truly value your friendship and all that we have experienced together… I just wanted you to know that.
Keep in touch.
Wishing you luck and love in 2003… in whatever form makes you the happiest.
C
OK, so I have never done this before. By “this” I mean a general e-mail/letter that goes out to all my friends at the end of the year so you know what I’ve been up to. I thought it might be nice to give it a try, maybe rekindle contact with those I haven’t heard from in a while (you know who you are)… not that I have that much to report but anyway, here goes... BTW, I am secretly hoping this will inspire you to give it a go yourself and let me know how you are doing, especially if we have lost touch. If I speak to or see you on a regular basis, especially you Stef, it’s definitely time we go for a beer.
2002 started off in a big way. My dad, who was working on contract in Africa until last week, invited me and my brother to fly down with him and my mom to visit some of the sights of South Africa. I was only there for 2 weeks, but OH-my-God, it was truly a trip of a life time. We mostly stayed at my dad’s place in Jo’burg (Johannesburg) and the many many lovely shopping malls of the surrounding area, but we also managed to magically whisk ourselves away to Pretoria, Pilanesburg, Sun City, and to Victoria Falls. Some of the highlights of the trip – I won some money at the Sun City Casino (4 or 6 hundred Rand which equals roughly 40 bucks, I think), seeing many animals in dah wild (even elephants and baboons walking on the side of the road), holding a lion cub (pee-u), white water rafting at Victoria Falls (the highlight of this highlight was not drowning when I fell out of the raft and actually making it out of the 300 foot gorge for our ride home), seeing African performers dance and sing in a traditional African style, and of course the many many lovely shopping malls and African arts and crafts. OK, so it was hard coming back to the winter and work, and I didn’t even have an amazing tan to show off (Africa is too hot for any kind of tanning, BELIEVE me).
The rest of the year was mild in comparison. I went to Philadelphia in May for a comic book convention ( yes, because of Charles) where I met, among many many comic book artists and writers I never heard of before in my life, Lou Ferrigno a.k.a. the Incredible Hulk, and Kevin Smith, famed writer and director of such flicks as Dogma, Clerks, and the classic Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. Truth be told, I had a great time even though me feet were pulsating puddles of raw flesh by the end of the day. I hope we go again in 2003!
Wow, this e-mail is getting pretty long… ok, what else happened… my sister and Jorge got re-married when my dad was in town, this time with a lovely church ceremony with a small group of guests. And my brother got accepted into Photography at Dawson, I was so happy and proud! Some of the work he has done this year has really impressed me. Ah, to be young again…
In the “work” department a lot of things happened. I became really good friends with a couple of peeps at work, some of whom eventually warmed up to my daily onslaught of shenanigans… like getting the window washers to deliver a message to someone on the 24th floor, and sending/receiving edible treats in internal mail (doughnuts), or the now famous SuperJuice for Super Gals a.k.a. V8 --complete with personalized instructions. Sadly, many a friend has left the firm for greener pastures. One even took off for Boston to study his PhD at MIT in Philosophy. I didn’t even know MIT had a philosophy department. As for me, well, after a couple years of working as a temp at Ernst & Young and getting involved in as many committees as possible (can you say lunch meeting?), I scored a year contract replacing an admin assistant who is on maternity leave until September 2003 and so far I love this job. I don’t see how I will be able to do any replacing after this. It’s time to be an executive, I say.
I took a couple of classes throughout the year, but nothing to write home about. My new plan is to take yoga or at least concentrate on going to the gym regularly, which I know I have said a million times but now that I have Charles who goads me on every day, how can I possibly say no after all the complaining about having to buy a new wardrobe because nothing fits. *Sigh* Charles, as always, has been a rock and an inspiration throughout it all and I thank my lucky stars everyday that he is in my life. Plus he tortures me with tickle-a-thons and is constantly trying to stick his finger in my belly button, which I profess I can’t stand, but secretly relish… still, me think he knows.
Indeed the saddest day of the year was learning that my good friend Mitchell passed away suddenly and totally unexpectedly in May. Ironically, the loss itself has been the seed for new friendships (it’s how I met Maureen and became reacquainted with some old friends, Dee and Peter) as well as a reminder that any day things might suddenly change and I might not get to say the things I wanted say… Corny, I know, but if there is one thing you could always count on Mitchell for, it was his dedication and affinity for cultivating and maintaining friendships around the world and, in the end, there is nothing corny about that. And so it is with Mitchell in mind that I say to you here and now that if you have received this e-mail from me, it is because I truly value your friendship and all that we have experienced together… I just wanted you to know that.
Keep in touch.
Wishing you luck and love in 2003… in whatever form makes you the happiest.
C
posted by Blogger_Naut | 11:03 a.m.
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