Kevin's Watch

Seeing as how we are not only coming to the end of another year, but the end of the first decade of the "noughties", what has changed for you in the past decade?

Since the Millenium, I've had two wonderful children, a grandchild and lots of great memories from the places I've visited. France, Germany, Lithuania, the Faroe Islands and South Africa to name a few.

It's not all been good news though, as my dad passed away last year.

I'm sure lots of other things will come to mind soon, but how has the decade been for you folks in KW land?

Its been a really different decade for me, b/c I graduated college in '99, so the decade was the beginning really of my "real" life. Got married, had kids, bought a house, had steady jobs (4 yrs then moved, been 5.5 so far). I too have traveled, San Fran, LA, Italy, Switzerland, Baja Mexico. Yea, its been pretty good decade, man, its a long time.

Let's see.....I graduated high school (2002), moved to 2 different states, my grandfather passed away, got my first car, went to college for a year then dropped out, got drunk many many times, witnessed the death of my brother, got my first apartment, survived Katrina, gave birth to my son, got married, saw snow for the first time ever, laughed a lot, started college again and my dad passed away last year.

It's been a crazy roller coaster ride. Whoo!

Midway through, I discovered the Watch...

I just completed ten years at the same job. First time I've ever done that.

In December '99, Batty was in middle school and Magickmaker was in 5th grade. Now Batty's in grad school and Magickmaker's a junior in college. So yeah, ten years is a long time.

I've been to England and Spain, seen more of the USA, co-authored a non-fiction book, had two of my short stories published, learned Czech (sort of), taught myself to knit, and met SRD. Oh, and I found the Watch, back in the bad old days of EZ Board <shudder>, and made a bunch of really cool friends here.

And my mom died. A rollercoaster of a decade, indeed.

I spent the entire decade in college.

-jay

2000: The birth of my fifth child, Chelsea on March 5.

2001: The passing of my brother Stephen from AIDS on Sept 25

2002: Quiet year, children continued to grow, life moved on relatively normally.

2003: Discovered the Watch (Aug), started Stephen's thread (Oct), made some beautiful friends and became pregnant with our sixth child

2004: Lost our dear friend Isaiah to AIDS (March), lost our dear friend, Lynn to AIDS, adopted her two children Jordan and Micah. Became an adoption laison for AIDS orphans in South Africa. Adopted our children Silezia, Naeem, Ayize and Imani. Gave birth to Stephen Isaiah (May 1). Lost Silezia to AIDS.

2005: Was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and Lung Cancer, had a radical masectomy, plus had most of my left lung removed.

2006: Adopted Meghan Marie and was declared cancer free.

2007: Added onto our house again to accomadate our ever growing family

2008: Father passed away, Mother moved in with us. I became adoption liason for Indian AIDS orphans.

2009: Met and lost Alex to AIDS (June-Aug), was diagnosed with Lymphoma, had spleen removed and kidney removed.

And now...taking each day as the blessing it is.

Yep. This decade will be, for me, the decade of the Watch.

And the decade of the Final Chronicles. And the decase of The Lord of the Rings Movies. And the decade of Having Kids. It's also the decade of I'm Middle Aged. And the decade of the pickup truck. In no particular order.

I started my computer career in February of 2000. I have been in it ever since, subtracting about a year due to a layoff.

I'm no longer with the same person, but I am now married and have a kid.

And I too became middle aged.

It was the shortest decade I have experienced yet.

Became director a family shelter
Bought a Toyota, Toyota stolen
Took in three foster kids from my shelter
Moved to Jersey from the Bronx (boo yah)
Bought a Honda, totaled a Honda
Finished THE play
Medical issues, surgeries, blah blah blah
Bought another Honda (civic), Honda stolen
Yet another Honda (Fit), got rid of the stupid thing in one month
Lost 100 pounds, stopped taking insulin, et al.
Met a man, met the man's wife, fired the man.
Promoted to a senior manager
Went to Europe, saw the places of my past.
Started my book
Mother decided to depart this world
Got a house on the beach
Bought a Prius….Installed LOJACK
Sent most of the foster kids on their way
Lost the house on the beach

2000 - Came to highschool. Joined the football team, was in wrestling. Struggled with my grades, spent an extra year there and many thought I was dumb or would drop out.

2002 - Discovered KW. Wrote my first novella in 2004. Finished high school, went to college. Was trepidatious at first but ended up with a 3.8 GPA and arguably the dominant writer in all my classes. Finished a novel in 2007 titled Flat Earth, 100,000 words, while suffering from a weight issue, jogging 2 miles a day, and making As in all classes.

In between I learned more than I ever have, read tons of books, watched movies that have entered my all-time favorite lists. I've been at my highest highs and lowest lows and have done things that I think, if I disappeared right now, I'd have a definitive, well-rounded statement of my existence and passions.

2008 - Graduated college in December, wrote a book's worth of short stories, still waffling about on the 2nd novel. Pretty much my entire decade was turning around from a hopeless point to one where I'm assertive, deeply confident in what I do and ready for any challenge mentally or physically.

At this point I've decided a career in the military will match my determination. I believe I've completed the main personal growth of my life and now owe my country something for the growth it's allowed me. I don't think regular civilian life will hold my passion. In 2010 I'll hopefully be selected for Marine Officer Candidate School. If not, I'll apply to other branches. Currently conditioning myself to max out the physical entrance exam. My life, in these ten years, have definitely been my best, and I owe something, I believe.

(1999)-First child born

2000-Married

2001-2nd child born..started driving for a living for the company I'd been with since 1995

2003-Separated

2004-Reconciled

2004-Bought first house

2005-Went bankrupt

2005-3rd child born

2007-Turned 30

2007-Lost what would have been 4th child

2008-Separated

2008-Reconciled

2009-Lost job

2009-Separated

Basically, a decade of having children, and heartache.

The 90s for me was a constant struggle to stay alive. I had to kick a long term drug habit, and stop winding up in mental institutions. So to find the cure, I left home in Scotland and moved south to live in England.

I spent the first few years of the decade travelling around like Cain in Kung Fu. Living in bed&breakfasts, night shelters, and Salvation Army hostels. I met some strange and wonderful people, and had lots of amazing life changing experiences.

Finally settled down in Nottingham and have never known peace and quiet like it before.

This may sound trivial, but my best achievement this decade was learning how to touchtype.
I built my own computer in 2007, and oddly enough when I installed Windows I couldn't wait any longer for it to finish because Stephen Donaldson was doing a booksigning in town. I left the computer running and went to get my copy of FR signed - which was the highlight of my decade. And of course, this eventually led me to Kevin's Watch.

Finished my BA(hons) in Archaeology

Spent 9 months working on a dig in a small mining town and met my partner

Moved to Canberra ACT with my partner

Got pregnant

Survived a firestorm

Had a kid

Got back in touch with an old friend & began helping out on their books

Moved back to Victoria on the coast

Did the mum thing

Went to the States and had the time of my life and found some answers to some things i really needed to know

And ending the noughties with a year of a whole lot of personal ups and downs and stress and crap...but I'm optimistic that the start of the new decade will be a whole lot better...hopefully....

Between 1999 and 2005 I studied part time with the Open University for my BA. It was the hardest work I have ever done.

In 2000 I acquired my first PC.

I gained a niece in 2000.


In December 2004, whilst visiting a book shop in Chester, I picked up a

hardback copy of ROTE by some one called S.R. Donaldson



In 2005 I changed my job.

In 2006 I started singing Bass, after singing Soprano and Alto for more

years I can remember


In 2007 I joined the Watch.


In 2008 I lost one of my friends suddenly to a heart aneurysm

In 2009 I left my job and was unemployed for 4 months.

And during the last twelve months or so I have been inflicting my visions

of the Land and its characters on to all at the Watch.

Highlights of the noughties for me:

Gained three nieces and two nephews, one god-daughter and one god-son.

Met, stole, and am still hoarding the girl of my dreams.

The internet and KW.

Music-players re-ignited my love of music.

Stopped smoking.

Discovered Glastonbury festival.

1999 Grandma passed away
2000 Went back to college.
2000 Quit my job of 15 years to pursue something better.
2000 Started at the company I work for today as a temporary employee
2003 Completed MCSE (Microsoft certified systems engineer)
2004 Completed Cisco certification.
2000- 2009 Several promotions and such.
2004 Dicovered KW!!!
2005 Divorce
2006 Discovery of my need to truly follow Christ!
2007 Dad passed away
2007 My son announces that he is an atheist
2008 Re-married to the love of my life!
2009 Daughter graduated HS and started college.
2009 My daughter got baptised and started her journey with God.
2009 My Son turned from atheism and got baptised and started his journey with God.
2009 Learned to snow ski

1999 - finished college and took a round the world trip with a friend. Got to visit Argentina which still stands out in my mind as one of the most welcoming places I have been.
2000 - went back to working in libraries after a short break as a jobs advisor
2001 - discovered a love of live music - spent most of my spare time at music festivals and gigs - this continued over the next few years
2002 - got my British passport so celebrated by meeting a friend in Canada and New York - found it was much easier to travel on said passport.
2003 - spent a month in SA before heading back to the grind of work. Started studying Counselling.
2004 - travelled to Australia and fell head over heels. Injured my back in a sailing accident.
2005 - recovered from a bad break up and discovered Holland. Finished my counselling studies.
2006/7 - spent this time working and travelling to Holland each month, learned to love the lifestyle and people yet didn't learn the language. Injured my hip thanks to London Transport.
2008 - lots of changes at work and with family moving in with me, spent a couple of weeks in Mexico to unwind then finished the year single yet better off.
2009 - devoted more time to work, went to the US to meet some wonderful people - some of which are known in these here parts - and now just contemplating the next 10.

Favorite Uncle died
Father died
Mother-in-law died
Added another 10 years of being married
Went through 2 jobs
Became unemployed
Became a grandfather, again
Became a father-in-law, again
Sold my 4-wheel drive truck
Bought a 2-wheel drive pick-up
Gained a bunch of friends here at Kevin's Watch.

But not neccessarily in that order.

Been a bit of a rollercoaster, these past ten years. Did some travelling, changed jobs a few times, joined the Watch, found out about the last chrons, lost some family members, just life in other words. Still here and going strong though...

--A