Year in Review

But first, must talk about today, if only briefly...woke up, watched Canada kick some european ass, uncle picked me up, picked up my cousins in vancouver, went to a crazy good Ethiopian restaurant on east broadway where we ate food by using a type of flatbread to pick up our meal (i.e. no utensils), went to Tinseltown and watched an uber-cool movie by the name of House of Flying Daggers (which I forgot was even showing in theatres!), frickin awesome in a love-story-meets-crouching-tiger-esque kinda way, then we went out for the best ice-cream I've ever had, it's in east van on venebles called La Casa or something (and it has like 198 frickin flavours to choose from!), and I ended up choosing Cinnamon ice-cream, and it was amazing...all in all, I had a pretty good day with my uncle and cousins...

But anyways, onto the bulk of my discussion! Most of which would be boring as hell, so read at your own discretion, once again...

Seeing that everyone seems to be reminiscing on 2004, I thought I'd do the same thing...except in my case, I'll try to go monthly, and hopefully I'll be able to remember what the hell actually happened in this mostly awesome year...

January
--> Ah, January...I remember this month...during my weeks off for winter break, I fell back into my lazy / insomniatic ways, and I could never quite recover from that...basically, in my first month back for the toughest semester of BCIT, I was lazy as hell...my marks, especially in Tax, fell dramatically...but during that time, I was having a blast! Always eating out with the guys (and girl), best example being Dim Sum Mondays...this was also around the time that I started watching hockey religiously...so much so that I started watching on campus in the lounge area in the gym! Hmmm, speaking of the gym, I decided to really start working out, not just the once a week if I felt like it thing I started in september...and that was my January in a nutshell!

February
--> February was more of the same, really...got even more into the canucks, continued to hang out with the guys, etc etc...however, after some disasterous marks on my first quizzes (the first time I actually failed anything!), I decided to pick up my socks academically, if only slightly...I was still relatively lazy...oh yes, and this was also the time when I started learning how to play the congas! Apparently I have a natural grasp on internal rhythm or something, lol...but anyways, I picked it up fairly quickly, and within a few weeks people were congradulating me on how good I was (which was actually kinda embarrassing...); "Wow, you're so good!" "Not really, I only started a week ago..." etc etc, lol...I've probably forgotten some things, but this was basically my February in a nutshell!

March
--> In March, I continued with my academic mediocrity at BCIT, my socialization, my working out, and my canucks...speaking of canucks, I watched the Bertuzzi incident when as it happened on t.v., what a horrible game for Linden to surpass Smyl; however, the trade deadline and the ensuing win streak to take the division title was a pretty freakin' awesome time indeed...hmmm, I can't seem to remember much other than that, and I'm sure that lots of other stuff happened also, but I guess that's what happens when I don't have a blog to write down my events, haha...dang, this was when I had my spring break, but I don't even remember what the heck I did...but oh well, I guess this was March in a nutshell!

April
--> April was a fun time...playoffs, school nearing an end, actually seeing a noticeable difference in my physique...also, this was when I started to really get into the NHL as a whole and not just the canucks, all thanks to David and getting me into an online hockey pool! Haha...other than watching the playoffs, and unfortunately seeing the canucks fall to the flames in 7, I can't seem to remember april...stupid hockey taking up all my memory! Lol...I guess that was my April in a nutshell!

May
--> May! My birthday! Did nothing! Yay! But anyways, may was frickin insane, finals week was brutal...actually, for the first time at BCIT, our finals were placed over two weeks, which I desperately needed due to my harsh slacking off...actually, this was the hardest I've ever studied and crammed for, because I knew that if I didn't, I would fail them all...and that was a scary feeling...so during the two weeks, I practically locked myself away in the library for hours at a time...many hours at a time...and eventually was able to pull through unscathed! It was the worst marks I had since highschool, but I still managed to do relatively awesome, so I can't complain...as far as playoffs goes, I still watched hockey a bunch, since I had to see how my players were doing, lol...oh, and I also remember feeling very sad, because I knew it would probably be the last time I'd talk with my friends from BCIT...and I was right, haven't talked with them since then...I guess it kinda got me depressed, as I seemed to be depressed for most of the summer...but more on that later, for this was my May in a nutshell!

June
--> Oh, June June June...how I wasted thee...I spent practically the entire time playing frickin' Fire Emblem on my gba emulator...and after 100+ hours (probably closer to 200+), I still hadn't beaten the game! I was definately back to my insomniatic ways; back to playing video games all night, watching early morning Arthur and Lois and Clark (Superman), etc etc...definately not a highlight of my year...however, I also took breaks from my game to watch the last few games of the playoffs, and my bandwagon jumping onto Tampa Bay worked out for me, lol! Also, near the end of June I had my graduation ceremony, where unfortunately none of my friends attended...however, it did kinda surpise me to realize that I graduated BCIT with honours! "And now here are the Graduating Class of '04...(name), (name), (name) with honours, (name)..." said the speaker; "Oh man, I wonder if I got honours" I thought to myself while in line to get my diploma; "(name), (name), (name), Justin Beaudry, with honours"; "Holy crap! I got honours at BCIT!" ; And that was my June in a nutshell!

July
--> In July, I started to realize the errors of my ways, and actually got down to making my resume and sending it out to places to work...unfortunately, I was extremely lazy while doing this, and after I handed out my resume I just waited for a phonecall...I waited for the rest of the month! Haha...I think at this time I started to fall back into my Civ III insomnia, playing that into the wee hours of the night then watching tv early morning, etc etc...however, this was also the time when my mom bought our new house, so that was kinda cool...don't remember if we started doing anything with it yet, but I'm pretty sure I didn't really help out 'til next month, so I'll talk about that more later...oh right, this was also when I got the letter saying that I didn't get into UBC because of the frickin rediculous prerequisite requirements...I mean, I got honours at BCIT, I frickin deserved to get into 1st yr UBC!!! But whatever...I was extremely embarassed, so registered for Kwantlen in secret...I was so miserable at this time...however, I rationalized it by realizing that Kwantlen is closer and cheaper than UBC, plus I wouldn't take any more time to get my degree, plus Kris and Robert went there so I woudln't be alone like at BCIT! Then I started to get happy about kwantlen, stopped playing so much video games etc etc, and all in all just felt better...so anyways, this was my July in a nutshell!

August
--> The first thing I remember about august, I got violently ill for a few days...vomiting, hallucinations, it wasn't pretty...I got my felt-like-oblivion hallucination again, freaked the hell outta me once again, except this time I was semi-coherent enough to calm myself down and watch some Arthur on tv, lol...anyways, I was supposed to start really helping out the day I got sick, and I felt bad for that...but anyways, for the rest of the month I pretty much just helped out at the new house, although much of my time was spent playing N64 with my cousins, lol...played a bunch of pokemon stadium, influenced me into getting Leaf Green for my gba, haha...and yes, that game was awesome!...oh yes, watching the World Cup of Hockey was also pretty cool! And that was my August in a nutshell!

September
--> Ah, September, the beginning of the new school year! I had such high academic hopes! I started off reading my textbooks before going to class, doing all my homework immediately, taking short breaks by playing pokemon, having good studying skills for once...and then I started hanging out on 3rd floor, haha...I remember the first time I met everyone, too: Met up with Robert, decided to hang out at the chill spot, met Shar and Angela and started talking with them, and since I had no classes and Robert did, I spent the next while just talking with the girls, and to my amazement, I was actually able to hold a conversation! With practically strangers! Lol...also, once classes started coming out, I started meeting everyone else, and that night we all went to Starbucks to hang out...and man, I can't believe how quickly I fit in! I'm usually shy as hell, but not this time! I knew then that things would be different this time around, and it most definately has...oh, and as a sidenote, not having hockey sucked, lol...and this was my September in a nutshell!

October
--> Oh yes, October was a month to remember, that's for sure...many new things started for me, the biggest things I remember would be starting this blog and starting to learn how to play the guitar! I must say, this blog has been a godsend for me, for I've always wanted a diary/journal, but I never liked actually writing in a book...no backspace, lol...and I've always wanted to play the guitar, as I've blogged about earlier...also, this was the first time I had to write papers, and man did I ever hate writing those papers...however, this was nothing compared to later on...but anyways, in October I became closer to my friends at Kwantlen, kept my grades up, and was pretty much having the time of my life! However, the one downside to all this would be my weekends, which were still crap...spent the majority of my weekends playing pokemon, instead of finding a job, or work out, or especially hang out with friends...but that's alright, because at the end of October it was Angela's debut! Hooray! The party was awesome, that's for damn sure! The best part, of course, was when I started the frickin mosh pit! Ohhh yeeahhhhh! And although not everything was perfect about that night, a.k.a. Roger-type situations, it will still be remembered as one of the top highlights of this year...so that was my October in a nutshell!

November
--> After the debut, I think I started to get addicted to socializing...I remember November as the time when I started harsh slacking in my schoolwork to hang out with my friends...not that I'm complaining, haha...actually, November was quite a rollercoaster for me, as my blogs seem to show...but I'd rather feel the emotional ups and downs than not feel anything at all, as per my insomniatic summers...but overall, I was having the time of my life! I've got friends! I'm awesome! lol...also, this is when I started playing pool again, and I have now become sufficiently addicted! Hehe...but now that I think about it, why am I addicted to pool? Or is pool what I'm addicted to?? But lets not go off on a tangent, lol...oh, and as a sidenote, guess what else I started in November? SCHAWING!!! lol...and that was my November in a nutshell!


December
--> Well, I'm at the final month of 2004, and I've gotta say, it was probably the most interesting month I've had this whole year, if not my whole life...with my crazy socialization, to my crazy feelings, to my crazy all-nighters, to my crazy registration, to my crazy finals, to the crazy fact that I didn't waste my break! This month was definately the highlight of my year...what a way to end what was probably the best year of my life! Hooray for December! Not that it was all sugar and gummi bears, oh no, for December was even more of a roller coaster than November! But as I said earlier, rollercoasters are fun :-) I'd get into more detail of this month, but my previous blogs seem to do it more justice...so, all in all, this was my December in a nutshell!

And that was 2004 in a nutshell! Well, maybe a coconut shell, lol...I've got to say though, this really has been one terrific year...I'd have to say that, taken as a whole, this year was definately the best year of my life...then again, my best summer is still '01, and I've had many other amazing months, but not for the whole year...but no rambling on for me! I've already spent a few hours on this post! 2004 was great, 'nuff said! SCHAWING!!! Heh...

Next blog: New Years Resolutions! Yes, a little late, but what the heck...

Until next time, I guess...


--> As told through the mind of an introverted extrovert.