The Book of Ashes

Highlights and Achievements for 2003 12:04PM

""We stay trapped in the world we created because we are too lazy (or afriad) to change.""

- Ashes, The Introspections.

Highlights and Achievements for 2003

2003 has been an interesting year. One of catching up on things and getting back into the zone. What can be said of 2003? Well it was the year Dan moved out and Averil moved in (then Christal after her). Crispy and Tammy left us for London (London Baby!). Then subsequently broke up. In Feburary we three slept out on the beach under the stars for Crispy's birthday. Later I would find myself a beautiful girlfriend (or she found me) and had to go through the fear of my first valentines (with an actual girl).

As summer began to wain, a bush fire broke out up on Mt Vic, the smoke flowing over Wellington for a while. I signed up with Super Bank, adding three new accounts to my already copious bank account collection and accumulating something in the order of $70 of interest for the year. I thought up a grand idea and The Indexer was born. A year later its up to version 2.0 and worthy of a sale (crossed fingers). The US went to war with IRAQ for no particular reason except that they needed someone to beat up on over Sept 11 and I finally reached financial independancy (like a state of my own) by paying off my student loan. With money in the bank I went about a massive spending. I purchased a mamoth 29inch TV to replace Dan's sorely missed beast, new computer gear to boost the machine, a new suit, new clothes and later that year my first ever car, a Nissan Bluebird ARX which I'm still paying off. In Easter brother Tom and I walked the Tongariro crossing taking with us a backpack filled with a tent, sleeping bag and other needless weight. We completed the trip in under 9 hours, conquoring Ngarahoe (we knocked the bastard off Tom) in the snow and steam and running back down the scree slope, all in sneakers, which, by the end of the trip had a story of their own to tell through the ever widening gap at the toes. We also learnt that the most fun you can have in Palmy is with pumpkins (see fun with pumpkins). I learnt that my parents had taken advantage of me as a kid by me being in a tourist movie on Tongariro when I was eighteen months old and getting paid for it and never seeing the money. I could have been a famous actor!

SARS hit the world and Bev turned 27. It was contagious and I quickly followed suit. The Perihelion website became infected with another disease, passed on by hackers and a complete transfusion was requied along with quaranteen procedures to fix her up. I got hit with a $300 internet bill which Telecom conveinently credited to me. Once secure in the knowledge that the server was safe, Bev and Jo became engaged and their wedding is now in a couple of weeks time.

Brother Eddie turned 21 and brother Tom, Bonnie and I made the pilgrimage down there in a rental car. We visited Dunners, Alex, Queenstown and took Bonnie for her first ski (and first snowfall). I managed to ski the main ski route backwards (and very slowly). I also managed to pick up my first speeding ticket at $220 (127km/hr coming down from the 150 I was doing previously, come on we were late for the ferry, I had to speed!)

Oriental bay was transformed and a new layer of sand laid down. The beach paradise we always new Wellington was, now is. The female beach volleyball just the other day was a tribute to this. Meanwhile I continued my never cesasing aging process to become 27. Next year I'm on the other side and coming down to 30. Prepare for denial. Did I mention I returned to work? Almost been back a year now and no hard feelings on the arms ;

continued... 12:38PM

Things on the workfront were mixed. My learning and responsibilities rose drastically. I learnt Java, webstuff and .NET. Currently work is excellent, but then I'm out of the office, I get paid to drive for an hour a day. I get lunch brought for me and I get reimbursed $30 a day for driving costs (petrol costs <$30 a week). On the down side work didn't give us our pay rises when they were due. 6 months later I got half what I should have and none backpaid. On the up side I did better than many others at work.

The hundred club reached a zenith. With the help of Damian we (illegally) secured a pub and played host to 25 participating in this grand event, many a 100 club virgin. There were also many eager suporters come along to watch. The amount of beer passing was grandiose indeed.

Mum decided to upstage my trip to Dunners. She (with my help) packed her entire belongings into one room in her house (no small feat) then moved to China. One month later and she was back, reclaiming her car and looking for work. Wonder, nomad, vagabond, drifter, my mother is all.

Then who can forget the laugh of the GE woman poster and Hell Pizza's great comeback? The matrix came and went. A great movie, left untied, answers not completed. LOTRs fever hit the world. Wellington played host to the premiere, a grand event indeed, only slightly overshadowed by the fact that I turned 10,000 days old and invited most of my friends along to make up the bulk of the crowds. The movie came and went. A tribute to this countries genius and talent.

Poppa suffered a stroke. The legend behind the Jones dynasty that wanted all his kids to be builders or nurses and took them through vigourous training routines of Pearly Shells. Our Christmas family get togethers are not quite like other peoples. Brother Tom, Martin, Natillie and I walked the Holdsworth-Jumbo. Our second tramp for the year. Motivation to tramp reached new levels. Motivation to work for myself surpassed them.

In reality 2003 was a great year. It set me up brillantly for 2004, a year free to achieve things. Soon it shall be Bev & Jo's wedding. A trip back to the learning grounds in Dunners and a great event. Then we shall see what comes of these thoughts that follow my mind around like a bad smell..