Ode to the Year that 'Was'

I was just reading this really cool blog and the author had had the idea to make a blog summing up 2008, with a rather delightful display of images accompanying it, one for each month. Now I'm not as much of a photo enthusiast as the author of said cool blog, but nevertheless I decided I'd have a go at copying the template, though it will probably result in some poor photoshop 'wizard' getting sick all over the walls after having stumbled across this page. Who am I kidding, I WISH people stumbled over this piece o crap... anyway.
WARNING: Because I don't have very many photos of myself in what you might call everyday situations, the images I have selected may be misrepresentative of what my year was actually like; for example, I didn't spend that much of January or February skiing, but the winter wonderland pictures make for a better collage than 12 pictures of me on the bus on my way to school every morning, my head resting against the window, the sun still not risen outside... In fact, remind me to do that idea too some other time if I you ever want me to do a feature on shit school is...
But ye. Without further shit: 2008, let us adore thee!

January: Kicked off the new year in style skiing at Monte Tremblante, Canada with my cousins who live there. The full-on decadence of skiing, and all of its apres-activites began in me a penchant for the sport. I decided I wanted to do it again, and soon. After I got home to Ireland most of the month was then spent cursing the horrible weather (I don't even particularly remember how horrible it was, but in this country it's always safe to assume it was pretty shite) and failing to buckle down to my studies.

February: More study buckling ensued... my friend Hobbes (love making up these nicknames) and his family bring me on a whirlwind adventure to France, where I got in a few days of skiing (score-age!). A bit of mischief involving a disillusioned waiter and a wooden statue of a woman with giant boobies was had, and I stole loads of yoghurts and mars bars from the chalet we were staying in (they were free, and for us...but I'm not that 'out there' so it seemed like a big deal at the time...). My love of skiing grew even stronger.

March: I didn't include a photo of March, because I can't remember anything interesting happening. In a whole month. In fact, looking down though this, if it's not someones birthday and I'm not in another country I don't really do much. Perhaps in March I pondered my own laziness and lack of motivation to be fun. Probably not though.

April: The blurry events of March ran into April, where not much happened again. I probably eventually succeeded around this time in actually starting to do my homework (after the Christmas break it's always so hard to get back down to it..). Denniskerry (oh I like that one) had a party; it was good. That is all.

May: Bituv an old fluctuating one there.. Exam stress and the first anniversary of my Mum's death intermingled with the end of school for summer and my 18th birthday party in a most nauseating concoction. That aside, my birthday was one of the best nights of my life - I was pleasantly pissed, I was so happy everyone was there, and I never wanted it to end.

June: But end it did. Me and the gang jetted off to the hellhole that is Montpellier for a bit of French-learning and whatever you're having yourself. Unfortunately, no one was having anything fun - mostly milk. with a straw. Because it was too hot. And they were tired. I tried to look on the brightside for the whole thing, but this wasn't always easy. The verdict was that it was a trip I was glad I did, but would never do again.

July: In order to make up numbers I've included 2 photos from this most epic of months. Four words: OXEGEN WAS HELLA-FUCKIN-BALLS-TO-THE-WALL AWESOME! Drunkness was the order of the month. The concerts were unbelieveable and I made some really great friends, namely Bert, Harry, and Fred. It was so good that the gang spent the following Monday at Bert's house singing 'I'm in the mood for dancing', eating knacker pizza and generally being messes. I later took up residence in Bert's house for the rest of the summer.

August:It wouldn't be August without a minibreak to the Gee. The usual spots were visited: the heritage centre, the GAA pitch, the Skellig Mist, behind the community centre, to name but a few. Possibly the best minibreak to date? I can never compare them, they're all so good, and I remember so very little of any of them... In any case, it was the perfect end to the summer, if that's not a paradox in terms.

September:6th year began. I was not best pleased. This was one of the busiest months in my living memory - school work was tiring enough without being involved in our school's production of Danton's Death (our 6th year play). The play was very much worth it though. I learned a lot about painting techniques through creating the set, which was a huge plus. And the after party was amazing (though I think that was actually in October... oh screw it it's staying in September: I'm just feeling a little bit crazy!)

October:Midterm came and I breathed a sigh of relief. But, when I opened my mouth to inhale, I found myself uncontrollably filling it with vodka. I attended my sister's 21st birthday, after having predrinks at a Latin lecture in UCD (it was really surreal that...) which was even better than my own milestone in May. Many crazy nights, including a reunion of the oxegen crew, were had, in between which I locked myself away in Stillorgan library to see if they had any books on how to beat the Leaving Cert.

November:I was very proud of myself in this month because I was really getting on top of my school work. AND I was finding time for 'play', which is an equilibrium I had never before reached. It was the real sort of working man's grind you see on T.V: slaving away Monday to Friday and then going on a bender at the weekends.

December:My heart filled with Christmas joy in the lead up to the end of 2008, and I really started to buckle down to the old studies. The whole thing has been a bit of an intense flurry of present buying and cramming for exams (which are over tomorrow thank God), punctuated by brief periods of inebriated relief. I went to see the Snowman in the 'nch', and it was unbelieveable. What about the days to come? It promises to a be a stressful Christmas, with my Dad the way he is trying to pretend that everything is normal this year (when it clearly is not), doing the whole big turkey shabang and inviting everyone we know around for drinks. But it also promises to be a great one. I can't wait to relax, fill myself with food and drink and see all of my friends. AND we're going skiing for New Years! I couldn't have planned it better if I had been devising this blog all year (for anyone who thinks I'm that weird, I assure you I haven't).

Yes, when I put it like that it seems like I had a really great year. And I feel like it was a really great year too. Though I have the Leaving Cert looming next year and the dreaded recession and all I feel like I'm looking forward to more of the same good times. As of now, I feel like life is treating me pretty well.