So, in an attempt to liven up this conference, I am asking everyone what is
new in 1998? What's changed, what hasn't? What do you want to do, what are
you doing, etc. :) Good thing to have in a friendship conference, I would
suppose. :)

38 responses total.

Hmmm, I think I already told this in another item just recvently.
But 1998 started with a bang.
After a mere three months looking for a new house I found one.
The change of address was from campus, where I still was living (not in
American style campus; you can actually live there in apartments of your own)
to a place quite near the center of Amsterdam, but not on a canal (those
houses are for the rich and famous). Atleast this means that from now on I'll
have to cycle to my work at the university with the result that my physical
health is going to be improved. Ha.
In the same month I was in the preparation processess of organizing a seminar,
that's being held once a year for all the staff of the library (+150) and
preparing for the speech I was obliged to give.
The plans for the coming year are obvious: at least I want to come to AA and
the area to visit the people I only know at text basis.

Clees- I think you may have misinformation about American university
campuses...  The last two years I was in school I lived in an
apartment near campus if not quite on it.  Some schools have
rules, or just situations where it isn't practical to live off
campus.  Most of the bigger schools have a large portion of the
student body that live in places other then the traditional dorm.

Perhaps Clees meant being able to afford that apartment on your own? ;)

No, I didn't.
What can I possibly know about campuslife?
My sole source of information are the media.
(e.d a different world, usa high, and yadayada, well name it).
Campus in Amsterdam is off university, but yet an entire village of its own.
Being a student I wanted to have something for my own, but yet wanted to live
among my student friends. That was possible, there are even quite large
appartments there.
But by now, it was time to grow up in move into Amsterdam itself.

The newest thing of my 1998 was witnessing one of my best friends get
broadsided as her boyfriend made a left hand turn in front of a vehicle
traveling at about 55 miles per hour.
The single most horrifying thing I've ever witnessed.
She lost her spleen and had a deflate right lung along with numerous
nasty facial cuts.
I still have nightmares about it.
A single moment and so many lives are changed.
I hate change.

New things?  Two of my friends had babies (both were girls and have the names
Marissa Joy Day and Bryn Victoria Davis), I'm halfway to my English degree
and five years away from a masters, and I may be dating someone...it isn't
official yet...  =)

I have a new job. :)  I just started on Monday, it's only temporary
for the moment- but it might become permanent.  I'm working for
the University of Michigan in their International Institute.
It's rather...  Interesting. ;)

Large university by the way.

U of M?  Yeah, it's pretty big.

I don't remember what's happened this far. ;)

What's happened where?

I'm guessing in this item which is suppose to be where everyone answers 
the question, "What's new in 1998?"

Two words: Soap Opera

Of course if that wasn't the correct interpretation, jump in and correct 
me please :-)

        Speaking of soap operas, we should change the name of this
conference to "pool-bound". :)

Why pool bound?  Has everyone discovered a love for swimming, or
is it billiards for us? <grins> Personally, I'm found of both types
of pool...  Although I don't like water polo, I always feel sorry
for the poor horses. ;)  (I know REALLY bad joke... but what can
I do?  It was needed.)

And Lee, You do have the correct impression on what this item is...
So tell me, do the words "Soap Opera" describe what's been going on
in your life?

.,

I like swimming.  I just haven't found a pool lately.  I like playing 
pool too.  I knew I took high school physics for a reason :)

(soap opera below --- feel free to skip over)

Yup, my life can be summed up as a soap opera.  It's settling down a 
little now.  (Guess you don't read cflirt b/c a few months back I was 
practically having a nervous breakdown asking for advice around there) 
To make a long story not so long, there's a guy whose been in my life 
for over a decade...we were just friends, emphasis on the word _were_ 
here...but we were pretty good friends and we were in touch all these 
years.  So the deal is he happened to get a job pretty close to where 
I'm living and since my current roommate was moving out soon due to 
graduation, we thought it would be mucho easy to kill two birds with one 
stone and have him take over her half of the lease and save me the 
trouble of finding a roommate.

So this was all done and that.  We were pretty good friends and visited 
one another once in awhile.  So the next time I had a break, I went up 
to visit him and that's when the soap opera began.  After more than ten 
years of being just friends, we sort of fell for one another AND we had 
already decided to share an apartment.

It's been over a month since we've lived together now and things are 
working out.  We're still together, both in the relationship and sharing 
the apartment.  We're proceeding very carefully though...VERY carefully.

(Am I the only one whose life is like a soap opera?)

        Well, at least replace the bus with a pool for the summer. ....

REALLY bad joke???

No Anne, I liked it.
Which, I now realize, could suggest that I like bad jokes.

As for soap operas...doesn't sound too soapy to me.
In a real soap your relationship would indeed have lasted for ten years 
up till now, but with all the characteristics of a trafficlight, if you 
know what I mean.
The way things developed sound quite natural to me, certainly when you 
take into account take you were fond of each other to begin with. It 
only demanded the right circumstances, which clearly hadn't happened for
 both of you to realize there was more going on.

We need to breathe new life into this poor conference.
Let me start by saying the word, "Free"! That always gets people's
attention...

Welp, Jazz, the pool will be closing soon. Woeisme, whatever shall we
do with ourselves? :)

Free...what? :)
<remembers how free food and free beer got attention...>

See? Heh heh...
It worked.

<lee is going to a symposium this weekend, includes two free lunches!>

What kind of symposium?

I can't remember the official name and I've since lost the programs.
Relating to finance and technology.

Do you have any idea how long two days can be when you spend 8:30-4:45 
listening to papers being presented and then discussed with only lunch 
and two snack breaks?  Not that the papers weren't interesting, but by 
the end of the second day...

And I still don't like dressing up :)

I rather like dressing up, but then again, I'm a little strange.  
<shrugs>
So, how is everyone doing?  Experience anything exciting lately?

Umm...  Talk!!  Please, about anything!!

Moved into a new place and have a new roomie.

Are both of these good things?

Yes. I'm closer to work and I already know the person who is my roomie. My
rent is cheaper as well.

More turkey leftovers than we know what to do with, but besides that, all is
quiet on the southern front.

On the eastern front things are going quite well.

I am wondering a little on how to spend the festive season.

I'll be spending the festive season at my parent's house.  At least a
good chunk of it, they've asked me to come home for a good long visit.
<smiles>

<lee wants vacation time>

<mooncat is very happy>  I start a new job on Monday, still working
for the University, but I'll be a permanent employee rather then
a temp.  Starting on Monday means that I get paid for the holiday
time! <anne cheers>

Do you get Christmas and New Year's off?

A big advantage of being a civil servant are the many mandatory days 
off.
Way to go moony!

I just noticed this item is "What's new in 1998" and we're only a few weeks
from the next year.  Wow - time flies!

Well, yeah, I got from noon on the 23rd to Jan 3rd off.  AND got paid
for all those days. :) :) :)

I noticed that even those of us who don't get that time off, when you show
up at work, very little gets done :)

This is true.  That whole week was kind of a loss...

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