no pain, no gain?

what a crazy twelve months it has been. as each year comes to an end, I tend to think back over the things that have happened. review.

a year ago at this time I was still with NowEx. I thought we were happy together. he bailed on our New Years' Eve plans. I should have known then.

over the year there were various high points and low points.

New Years' Eve spent with new and old friends.

dinner with friends telling me they're knocked up.

ski trips to Winter Park with college friends that were spent on the slopes and in the ER and another with work friends.

guilty kisses with a friend, because although NowEx was gone, I didn't yet want to believe it.

the foolishness I felt when I finally let myself believe it.

ski trips to Breckenridge with friends and family. as many ski days as my back could take.

reconnecting with great freinds from the past.

trips to Hawaii for friends' weddings... yes, twice in one year. and a few other weddings, close to home.

celebrating with good friends as they finished Master's and PhD's.

throwing baby and bridal showers for friends. attending more showers and traveling to crazy Vegas bachelorette parties. and a low key mountain bachelorette weekend.

more doctor and physical therapy visits than I'd like to remember. one ER visit for myself, and, yes, that's a good thing.

jury duty and court cases.

plays and musicals and movies on the plaza. and the annual ski movie, but this year with an old friend, instead of NowEx.

pool parties and ice luges. margarita fiestas and Colorado native parties. halloween party hopping and football games. and friends in town for visits.

girls' nights and photographer's slide shows.

five first kisses. first kisses that turned into more. first kisses that didn't. and one first kiss, with hope for more.

getting back to writing, pottery class and a triathlon. and making incredible new friends in the process.

crazy trips to a music festival and towards a hurricane. reminders of other storms. and a tribute show of a friend.

beer festival turning into a run-in with the past.

a road trip with the most amazing woman I know.

excellent shows including:
BHTM², the Nadas, U2, Glen Phillips, Keb Mo, John Hiatt and the North Mississippi Allstars, Mark Knopfler, the Fray², Marc Cohn and Suzanne Vega, the Killers, Jonny Lang, Gipsy Kings, Jack Johnson, Tom Petty and the Black Crowes, DMB², the Decemberists*, Paul McCartney, and of course my friend's band, many times.
other not-so-excellent shows including:
Hello Dave, Jewel, Maroon 5, TMBG, Madelleine Peyroux...
(um, yeah, you know about my little problem, right?)

and linking some off these "events" had me reading through posts of non-specific days. of many wonderful dinners with friends. of quality family time. of hanging out with TheDog. of the tribulations I perceived this year. even my silly "woe is single me" laments.

and after reviewing the events and non-specific things of the past year, something I know, but that seems to slip through the memory cracks on occasion, came back to me. I remembered that life is about moments, not events. the little things are truly those that matter.

and despite some pain along the way, the moments add up to an amazing year of wonderful memories shared with my incredible friends and family, and, of course, TheDog!

hope your 2005 was filled with love and laughter! Happy New Year!