Wandering Aimlessly

I should have done this yesterday, and I almost backdated it, but that would take effort. Just went through my entire blog from 2004. I just wanted a little recap of my year, as so very much has happened. Not only did I grow a year older, but a year wiser. All in all, a very good year. Witness:

January
The year started off cold and in Chicago, with me living at home and working in Naperville, approaching my one-year anniversary at the bank.

• Watched the Golden Globes with much anticipation, as it is often such a predictor of the Oscars.
  
• Made my Oscar predictions.
  
• Was in Jamie and Craig's wedding!
  
• Went up to Sarah's in Wisconsin (the "future roommate") to start planning our move to LA.
  
• Saw Lord of the Rings: Return of the King for the second and third times, Monster and Mystic River, all in the theatre.

February
February saw plays, movies, and skiing, but not in that order.

• Saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat
  
• Watched the Superbowl, complete with the Wardrobe Malfunction that Captivated America.
  
• Went down to Champaign to visit Sarah and Aarti.
  
• Saw Genevieve in her play.
  
• My baby sister turned 21. Went with the 'rents to Michigan to celebrate.
  
• JC's album came out!
  
• Went skiing with Aarti and Theresa at Devil's Head in Wisconsin. Much fun.
  
• Had my Oscars party, complete with themed food. Hee.
  
• Saw Lost in Translation (by myself, a big step for me), Against the Ropes (a sneak preview) and Miracle.

March
Apparently an uneventful month, was not without it's enjoyment.

• Karey visited.
  
• Helped host the Art League auction at the bank
  
• Saw Hidalgo, Secret Window, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

April
April showers... bring some good things!

• Threw a bridal shower for Jill
  
• Went to see World Without Sundays with Sarah-from-Wisconsin (aka Would-Be-Roommate Sarah)
  
• Went to Mom's Energy Fair, for which she and her Energy Club were invited to the National Energy Convention in Washington, DC
  
• Kelly moved to St. Louis. Bye, Kelly! *sniff*
  
• Had my $6 million customer
  
• Saw The Prince & Me

May
Another quick month, but as the weather gets warmer, the outlook seems brighter.

• Took Jess to see RENT for her birthday (which had been in February)
  
• Jill and Mike were married
  
• Went to JC's show at House of Blues Chicago
  
• Tonya visited briefly.
  
• Got promoted!

June
Lots of excitement in June. My time in Illinois was coming closer and closer to an end, and I was obviously starting to try to stuff every last thing into my remaining days.

• Went down to Champaign to visit Aarti and Sarah.
  
• Noora visited from Finland
  
• Went to California to find an apartment
  
• Lost a roommate, instead.
  
• But met Suzanne!
  
• And went to the Spider-Man 2 premiere! (And saw Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Dominic Monaghan, among others)
  
• Went to Disneyland
  
• Experienced an earthquake -- in Illinois!
  
• Saw Saved! and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban -- twice. Once on IMAX and once at Mann's Chinese Theatre.

July
Last month as a Chicagoan.

• Family reunion.
  
• Unfortunate work circumstance (great way to say good-bye)
  
• Packed, packed, packed.
  
• Good-bye party at Megs, with almost all my friends in attendance. Good times!
  
• Went to Washington, DC for Lisa's wedding
  
• Got to hang out with Greg and see the sights of DC, not necessarily at the same time.
  
• Had a bit of car trouble the morning of my move.
  
• Roadtrip across the country! Saw John in Colorado, stopped in Vail, sidetripped to the Grand Canyon, drove through a storm in the desert, stayed overnight in Las Vegas, and destination: Los Angeles!

August
In the driest, brownest, possibly smoggiest month of the year, I began to make Los Angeles, California my home.

• Stayed in the Extended Stay America
  
• A bit more car trouble
  
• Apartment searching (and finding)
  
• Roommates met (and moved in)
  
• 52-hour Insurance Class of DOOM
  
• Saw The Notebook

September
September was the month of getting settled, getting furniture bought, and exploring a bit.

• Went to San Francisco with Sean and Caitlin. Great trip! Saw Santa Cruz, the beach, the redwood forests, and the Pacific Coast Highway. Stopped in Santa Barbara to see Elaina.
  
• Found out for sure that the Kitty had cancer, and decided on amputation. My baby!
  
• Saw Garden State

October
Not necessarily the best month of the year, October.

• Moved Caitlin into our kitchen
  
• Bank got robbed
  
• Was rear-ended by an uninsured motorist on the first rainy day of the year.

November
After October, November had to be better.

• The election. Big news, NOT big fun.
  
• Jamie and Craig visited!
  
• Charles in Charge was at my desk!
  
• Bank was robbed again.
  
• Went home for Thanksgiving
  
• Family Reunion Pt. 2
  
• Turned 24
  
• Saw The Incredibles and Finding Neverland.

December
Another year gone by. This one ends considerably more warmly, with me in Los Angeles.

• Christmas party at House of Blues on Sunset
  
• Home for a very quick Christmas
  
• Job situation SUCKS
  
• Tsunami in Asia
  
• Jill visited
  
• Family Christmas with the roommates
  
• Saw Kinsey, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and Spanglish

Aaaaaand... there you have it, folks. The year Two Thousand and Four has come to a close. Lots has been accomplished and experienced, most of it good, but all of it valuable.