Wow, 5 more years. How can it possibly be 10 years since graduation already?! Well the last five have been pretty eventful in big ways, and kindof mundane in everyday ways. New job's great. I'm still LARPing. Most of my hobbies have been unintentionally given up in order to spend time with my friends and family instead, but I've still gotten in two great travel vacations. I was donating blood via apheresis every month for two years, until I was turned away this past February. I've been trying to find a way to volunteer for quite a while, I had one thing lined up but then I moved! I'm finally back in a church now, just started going last month. You forget, sometimes, what makes it important. When you find the right one.

I've set down roots in Michigan, more than I expected. But the whole family's gotten closer on my Mother's side for it. And I get to see much more of my Dad's side than I used to, which I like. In 2004 I got to take care of my cousin's 4 month old for a week, and learned two very important lessons. Better still, despite the heart-ache of having to give her up at the end of the week, I asked to be one of her Godparents, which her parents allowed, and since then she and I have become very important to each other. I love her more than life itself. I also have gotten to know Ma, my only living grandparent. It's wonderful having a grandparent again. And I've gained three other god-children over the years, all boys. Two belonging to my best friend in South Carolina, and one belonging to my newer best friend who heart-breakingly moved to California this past Summer. I also finally have right about enough good/close friends to stay happy. And to keep me busy busy! Though they aren't all as distance close as I'd like. On the loss side, there's only been one. One of the three men I consider my god-fathers. Sad.

In the Fall of 2007 I decided to see if I could handle a career in medicine by taking the EMT-Basic course at my local community college. Having only been higher educated at Harvard, I didn't know a 12 credit class was nearly a full-time load of coursework! But the cutting out of my social life for three months was worth it. I learned that the only blood I can't deal with is my own, and that I'm actually fascinated by medicine and the body. I've taken steps towards switching to a medical career eventually, but not having done any medical degree pre-requisite courses it's gonna take at least 2 years to be able to apply for graduate school. And this last year has put those plans on hold.

Over the summer of this year I had to have surgery to remove a 5cm ovarian cyst my doctors were worried could roll over and cut off one of my abdominal arteries. The surgery went exceedingly well, recovery was much slower though.

I've been trying to sell my condo in Livonia for two years. At first just feeling around about it. But then I got a wonderful job in Ann Arbor, working for a company in the health care industry (still computer programming). I started in April of 2008. It's been so good for me, and has made me very happy. So then I got very serious about selling my condo so I could move into Ann Arbor – which has always been the goal. As of yet I haven't been able to sell the condo, which I still love, but I ended up buying a house in Ann Arbor anyway. I moved in this past September, 2009.

Oh! I almost forgot! At the end of August 2008 I accidentally rolled my SUV off M-14, a freeway here in MI. Side, roof, side, a full 360° back to the tires. Thankfully I was barely hurt, just one scratch, a jammed finger, and two bruises (knee and thigh). The moral? SEAT BELTS WORK! I did end up with a tense neck muscle and vertigo also, but I'm all healed now. And, I have a brand new car!

Whew, that's a lot. And this is half as long as it started out being! I'm working on one new thing now. Hopefully I'll have great news by reunion time.

Labels: Year Summaries